Approached By A Stranger While Pumping Gas

[G26ster]

...no flame, but the batman/robin thing is a cheap shot..

No offense intended, and if any of you are, my apologies.


.

[Aggiedad]

I had a similar experience ... Was filling my truck with gas and a guy approached asking for and exact amount of money to buy a replacement serpentine belt for his Explorer; he even told me what auto parts store he'd called for pricing. He said if I'd give him my address, he'd mail me a check. Riiiiiiight ... I usually wave off strangers asking for anything but he seemed sincere. I was 90% certain he was scamming me but I thought, "What the heck, I'll play along for now". INSTEAD of giving him money and my address, I offered to go pick up the belt myself and come back and help him install it. He said, "Bless you. That that would be great." I called ahead to the auto parts store with make and model numbers and was back in less than 20 minutes ... Despite his "sincerity", he guy was no where to be found and I really wasn't too surprised. In the end, I felt ok about the whole thing because I knew I made an attempt to help someone who APPEARED to need help but was also aware enough to work it in such a way that I didn't get taken ... other than about 20 minutes of my time. Some of these people should go into show business because they are really good actors.

[C-dub]

I had a similar experience ... Was filling my truck with gas and a guy approached asking for and exact amount of money to buy a replacement serpentine belt for his Explorer; he even told me what auto parts store he'd called for pricing. He said if I'd give him my address, he'd mail me a check. Riiiiiiight ... I usually wave off strangers asking for anything but he seemed sincere. I was 90% certain he was scamming me but I thought, "What the heck, I'll play along for now". INSTEAD of giving him money and my address, I offered to go pick up the belt myself and come back and help him install it. He said, "Bless you. That that would be great." I called ahead to the auto parts store with make and model numbers and was back in less than 20 minutes ... Despite his "sincerity", he guy was no where to be found and I really wasn't too surprised. In the end, I felt ok about the whole thing because I knew I made an attempt to help someone who APPEARED to need help but was also aware enough to work it in such a way that I didn't get taken ... other than about 20 minutes of my time. Some of these people should go into show business because they are really good actors.

And you had the ability to return the belt to get your money back. Did you?

[Oldgringo]

...no flame, but the batman/robin thing is a cheap shot..

No offense intended, and if any of you are, my apologies.
.

I wasn't offended.

In Oldgringo's world, not everyone I see or smell is an automatic rapist, child molester, ax murderer, arsonist or religious zealot, terrorist, etc., etc.. Neither do I go looking for evildoers because I have a Texas Chl. Law enforcement ain't my job nor is it my bag.

OTOH, I do try to watch my back while pumping gas and particularly so when loading merchandise into the car, truck or RV.

Y'all take care.

[Aggiedad]

I had a similar experience ... Was filling my truck with gas and a guy approached asking for and exact amount of money to buy a replacement serpentine belt for his Explorer; he even told me what auto parts store he'd called for pricing. He said if I'd give him my address, he'd mail me a check. Riiiiiiight ... I usually wave off strangers asking for anything but he seemed sincere. I was 90% certain he was scamming me but I thought, "What the heck, I'll play along for now". INSTEAD of giving him money and my address, I offered to go pick up the belt myself and come back and help him install it. He said, "Bless you. That that would be great." I called ahead to the auto parts store with make and model numbers and was back in less than 20 minutes ... Despite his "sincerity", he guy was no where to be found and I really wasn't too surprised. In the end, I felt ok about the whole thing because I knew I made an attempt to help someone who APPEARED to need help but was also aware enough to work it in such a way that I didn't get taken ... other than about 20 minutes of my time. Some of these people should go into show business because they are really good actors.

And you had the ability to return the belt to get your money back. Did you?

Absolutely! The auto parts store was part of a chain of stores and it was in a different direction from where I was headed so when I passed by another one later that day, I returned the belt.

[Purplehood]

I noticed at least two posts in this thread that asked why the Police had not responded by the time that the poster had finished pumping their gas.

[speedsix]

...first you gotta finish the donut...then you gotta pick the glaze off yer shirt, then you gotta lick yer fingers clean...then you gotta finish yer coffee...THEN you yank 'er into Drive and tear out to the call...

[Excaliber]

I noticed at least two posts in this thread that asked why the Police had not responded by the time that the poster had finished pumping their gas.

As a counterpoint to Speedsix's tongue in cheek reply (which did make me chuckle), the short version is that LEO's don't have any exemptions from the laws of space and time.

It takes time for a dispatcher to gather information, it takes time to transmit that information, and it takes time to get from wherever the officer was when he received the call to where he is needed. The incident in the OP's post wasn't a Code 3 (lights and sirens) call, and even running code saves only a fairly small amount of time. This is the real reason behind the saying that when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away.

If you've ever been late for an appointment and tried to compress the time it takes to get to your destination to fit the time remaining until you're due there, you have some idea of the challenges involved.

Time and space don't compress much, even when we want them to.

[Purplehood]

I noticed at least two posts in this thread that asked why the Police had not responded by the time that the poster had finished pumping their gas.

As a counterpoint to Speedsix's tongue in cheek reply (which did make me chuckle), the short version is that LEO's don't have any exemptions from the laws of space and time.

It takes time for a dispatcher to gather information, it takes time to transmit that information, and it takes time to get from wherever the officer was when he received the call to where he is needed. The incident in the OP's post wasn't a Code 3 (lights and sirens) call, and even running code saves only a fairly small amount of time. This is the real reason behind the saying that when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away.

If you've ever been late for an appointment and tried to compress the time it takes to get to your destination to fit the time remaining until you're due there, you have some idea of the challenges involved.

Time and space don't compress much, even when we want them to.

I guess I failed to make my point. I really don't understand why anyone would expect a response in that short a time. Seems to be totally unrealistic to me...

[LeonCarr]

About 6 years ago I was on my way from Beaumont to Houston to spend the weekend with my girlfriend at the time. I stopped in Baytown, roughly halfway in between, to fill up with gas because it was the cheapest place. As I paid at the pump and started to pump gas, a thuglife gangsta looking individual gets out of a beat up 1980s Lincoln Continental and offers to sell me a 35mm camera. The 35mm camera was your basic no name junk made in china type camera, so I said no thank you sir. He continued his sales pitch, and said in a very threatening manner, "You are gonna buy this camera". I then took the gas nozzle out of the fill neck and said, "You are gonna back away right now, or I am going to cover you with gasoline and set you on fire". I then used my left hand to take my Zippo lighter out of my left pocket. He ran off, jumped into the beater Lincoln, and drove off. I have a buddy with Baytown PD, and I gave him the LP from the Lincoln and a description of the camera salesman. Maybe it wasn't the textbook way to deal with the situation, but it worked. As Clint Smith from Thunder Ranch said, "If you look like food, you will be eaten."

To keep this CHL related, my right front pocket contained a Glock 26 loaded with 127grain Winchester Ranger +P+, and I had a Remington 870P loaded with 000 buckshot behind the seat. I never travel light going to Houston.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[speedsix]

...if he had persisted, you might have ended up shooting him...but your original plan woulda made him much easier to see as he ran screaming down the alley!!!

[SQLGeek]

About 6 years ago I was on my way from Beaumont to Houston to spend the weekend with my girlfriend at the time. I stopped in Baytown, roughly halfway in between, to fill up with gas because it was the cheapest place. As I paid at the pump and started to pump gas, a thuglife gangsta looking individual gets out of a beat up 1980s Lincoln Continental and offers to sell me a 35mm camera. The 35mm camera was your basic no name junk made in china type camera, so I said no thank you sir. He continued his sales pitch, and said in a very threatening manner, "You are gonna buy this camera". I then took the gas nozzle out of the fill neck and said, "You are gonna back away right now, or I am going to cover you with gasoline and set you on fire". I then used my left hand to take my Zippo lighter out of my left pocket. He ran off, jumped into the beater Lincoln, and drove off. I have a buddy with Baytown PD, and I gave him the LP from the Lincoln and a description of the camera salesman. Maybe it wasn't the textbook way to deal with the situation, but it worked. As Clint Smith from Thunder Ranch said, "If you look like food, you will be eaten."

To keep this CHL related, my right front pocket contained a Glock 26 loaded with 127grain Winchester Ranger +P+, and I had a Remington 870P loaded with 000 buckshot behind the seat. I never travel light going to Houston.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

I like this...put them on the defensive and wonder if you'll really do it or not. Being set on fire has a much different sound to somebody that may not necessarily be afraid of being shot.

[Excaliber]

I noticed at least two posts in this thread that asked why the Police had not responded by the time that the poster had finished pumping their gas.

As a counterpoint to Speedsix's tongue in cheek reply (which did make me chuckle), the short version is that LEO's don't have any exemptions from the laws of space and time.

It takes time for a dispatcher to gather information, it takes time to transmit that information, and it takes time to get from wherever the officer was when he received the call to where he is needed. The incident in the OP's post wasn't a Code 3 (lights and sirens) call, and even running code saves only a fairly small amount of time. This is the real reason behind the saying that when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away.

If you've ever been late for an appointment and tried to compress the time it takes to get to your destination to fit the time remaining until you're due there, you have some idea of the challenges involved.

Time and space don't compress much, even when we want them to.

I guess I failed to make my point. I really don't understand why anyone would expect a response in that short a time. Seems to be totally unrealistic to me...

You're right that it's unrealistic, but there's a reason for it:

Very few folks have ridden in an emergency vehicle where they would actually get to see how long all this takes.

Their expectations regarding of response time come primarily from TV or the movies where you see a couple of seconds of the call, a couple of seconds of a police car running code 3, and - wa la - the officers are on scene and taking action. They fail to realize that every piece of the action they're seeing has been compressed to allow enough time for commercials.

They then become deeply disappointed when their call becomes 30 seconds old and they find that Captain Kirk hasn't yet beamed down from the Enterprise with a security team and phasers set on stun, and fail to appreciate that a response time anywhere under 10 minutes is pretty darn good. Under 5 minutes and it's your lucky day - buy a lottery ticket.

In rural areas, good time stretches out to the 25 - 30 minute mark due to long distances and sparse patrol coverage.

[KC5AV]

I noticed at least two posts in this thread that asked why the Police had not responded by the time that the poster had finished pumping their gas.

As a counterpoint to Speedsix's tongue in cheek reply (which did make me chuckle), the short version is that LEO's don't have any exemptions from the laws of space and time.

It takes time for a dispatcher to gather information, it takes time to transmit that information, and it takes time to get from wherever the officer was when he received the call to where he is needed. The incident in the OP's post wasn't a Code 3 (lights and sirens) call, and even running code saves only a fairly small amount of time. This is the real reason behind the saying that when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away.

If you've ever been late for an appointment and tried to compress the time it takes to get to your destination to fit the time remaining until you're due there, you have some idea of the challenges involved.

Time and space don't compress much, even when we want them to.

I guess I failed to make my point. I really don't understand why anyone would expect a response in that short a time. Seems to be totally unrealistic to me...

You're right that it's unrealistic, but there's a reason for it:

Very few folks have ridden in an emergency vehicle where they would actually get to see how long all this takes.

Their expectations regarding of response time come primarily from TV or the movies where you see a couple of seconds of the call, a couple of seconds of a police car running code 3, and - wa la - the officers are on scene and taking action. They fail to realize that every piece of the action they're seeing has been compressed to allow enough time for commercials.

They then become deeply disappointed when their call becomes 30 seconds old and they find that Captain Kirk hasn't yet beamed down from the Enterprise with a security team and phasers set on stun, and fail to appreciate that a response time anywhere under 10 minutes is pretty darn good. Under 5 minutes and it's your lucky day - buy a lottery ticket.

In rural areas, good time stretches out to the 25 - 30 minute mark due to long distances and sparse patrol coverage.

Totally OT, but I'd like to see a show where the ambulance/police car starts out sirens blaring, then cuts to a commercial break. When they show resumes, they are finally pulling up to the scene of the accident/crime.

[speedsix]

I noticed at least two posts in this thread that asked why the Police had not responded by the time that the poster had finished pumping their gas.

As a counterpoint to Speedsix's tongue in cheek reply (which did make me chuckle), the short version is that LEO's don't have any exemptions from the laws of space and time.

It takes time for a dispatcher to gather information, it takes time to transmit that information, and it takes time to get from wherever the officer was when he received the call to where he is needed. The incident in the OP's post wasn't a Code 3 (lights and sirens) call, and even running code saves only a fairly small amount of time. This is the real reason behind the saying that when you have only seconds, the police are just minutes away.

If you've ever been late for an appointment and tried to compress the time it takes to get to your destination to fit the time remaining until you're due there, you have some idea of the challenges involved.

Time and space don't compress much, even when we want them to.

I guess I failed to make my point. I really don't understand why anyone would expect a response in that short a time. Seems to be totally unrealistic to me...

You're right that it's unrealistic, but there's a reason for it:

Very few folks have ridden in an emergency vehicle where they would actually get to see how long all this takes.

Their expectations regarding of response time come primarily from TV or the movies where you see a couple of seconds of the call, a couple of seconds of a police car running code 3, and - wa la - the officers are on scene and taking action. They fail to realize that every piece of the action they're seeing has been compressed to allow enough time for commercials.

They then become deeply disappointed when their call becomes 30 seconds old and they find that Captain Kirk hasn't yet beamed down from the Enterprise with a security team and phasers set on stun, and fail to appreciate that a response time anywhere under 10 minutes is pretty darn good. Under 5 minutes and it's your lucky day - buy a lottery ticket.

In rural areas, good time stretches out to the 25 - 30 minute mark due to long distances and sparse patrol coverage.

Totally OT, but I'd like to see a show where the ambulance/police car starts out sirens blaring, then cuts to a commercial break. When they show resumes, they are finally pulling up to the scene of the accident/crime.

...not just in the rural areas, but in overworked/undermannned areas like Dallas or cities with few officers on duty at any time...the realities Excaliber's posted about make the willingness and capability to de-escalate situations and choose "battles" carefully and save our powder for a last resort (not to be mistaken for pacifism or an unwillingness to defend ourselves, but as an acknowledgement that resupply may be only a dream) all the more important...the cavalry may be much further than over the hill...and we may be standing alone far longer than we'd like to be....