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No worries. In response to a previous reply post, I am male and about 5'11". Hard to say why he chose me as a target; I was in a suit and tie with a trench coat. The VW had my Army veteran stickers and shield from my old unit. The fact that he did target me made me (perhaps subconsciously) a little more alert. The person came at me, opening his arms at shoulder height, palms down...sort of what you'd do if you wanted to lay your hands on a friend's shoulders (hardly the thought, here, I believe) or choke someone. The intimidation was from his size and not his race, actually. That, and the fact that as he opened his door, he blocked me from opening/reaching my driver's side door.

I wanted to relate an incident that just happened in the Tom Thumb parking lot at Forest and Marsh in Dallas, last Sunday night. It was the first time I had to present my weapon to a civilian. It happened so fast and I'm not sure I did the right thing or not... I know I've been approached like this in the past and did not have/present the weapon...and all was OK. For some reason, last Sunday night just felt different. In any case, I can't think of any other way to say it, so I'll just spill it out, fully, like it happened.

I went to the Thumb at 7PM. I was alone and was in my VW. I parked in a far spot, closer to the street than to the store in other words. I went in the store and got my groceries. Walking back to my car, I became aware of a silver/grey Toyota truck going up and down the parking lanes. It wasn't looking for a spot to park, or so it seemed to me at the time.

I approached my Beetle and heard the truck. I turned and saw it come in rather fast and pull into the spot next to me. I was standing next to the VW's driver door and the truck was next to me. The passenger window rolled down and a large, Black man grinned. "Hi there," he said. I remembered what had happened to me when I was a kid, when some goons tried to distract my father one day while another sneaked up behind, and I looked around to see if there was someone else coming up in my blind spot. I backed up to where I was between the Beetle's and the Toyota's tail lights. The driver was Black as well, and the truck's engine was still running. The passenger door opened and the big guy got out. He was huge. "Can I talk to you?" he said, grinning far too widely for my comfort. There was something particularly menacing about it all. His hands were coming up and at my head level. That's when I decided to draw my pistol. I think I said something to the man, but I cannot remember what I said. I might have said "Oh no," or I could have recited the Napoleonic Code. I simply cannot remember. I didn't even flick off the safety (this is a 1911), though my thumb was riding right on it. His eyes got as big as saucers and he said, "I'm going to live in this car." He then quickly drew back into the cab, shut the door and put his hands on the console. He stared straight ahead; so did the driver. I got into my VW and kept my eye on him. I got out of there and they were still in the parking lot. I called up the manager at the Tom Thumb and related this entire incident to him. He said he would get Security out there, pronto.

Anyway, that is what happened. I don't know why they did not leave; I don't know why I did not call 911 right away (or even if I should have). Things were just moving quickly. I guess the Never Again moment, here, is that never again will I let someone get that close to me in such a threatening situation.