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So i picked up the wife from work...

i went inside to get her, and as i can't legally carry i disarmed and left my weapon in the car... as we are on the way home we stop for fuel, and i hop out swipe the card and pump the gas...

Now, we've been playing the "situational awareness" game for a few weeks now and she's beginning to pay more attention to what's happening all around her, i'm actually benefiting as well as she points out things i miss, and she likes to ask questions which keeps me on my toes... things like "what color is that car that just pulled up?" So i've been fairly strict with my own SA to keep the "game" going... It's been working well by what happened today...

I poke my head in the car and ask if she wants a drink from inside....

I notice almost immediately after asking that she's got my g27 out of the center console, (stupid me didn't suit back up after picking her up) and she's got it resting on her jacket (well below visual range for my truck), and has the non-emergency local PD on speaker phone and is telling them something...

apparently while i was busy pumping gas and washing the front/rear windows a car pulled up with 2 men in it... I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover, but upon some inspection the 2 look "suspicious" and rather unsavory...

her response to my question is "No, get in the car and drive away normally."

She then informs me the 2 pulled up right behind us, something i missed.
They have no license plates on the car, not even temps (again i missed it)
The rear wing window is busted out (usually broken to gain access to a car that is being stolen) missed again.
They have the motor running and the lights off, and the car is parked with it's tail to the store and positioned rather awkwardly for a parking job, but great for a "speedy getaway". (missed this as well)
Both men have the sunken face, raggedy appearance that i'd be hard pressed NOT to associate with meth use...

I climb in and we drive away in the opposite direction of the car...

the police said they had someone nearby that would do a drive-by. Not sure what's up, but my last thought was staying to face two unknowns with my wife nearby... so we headed out to let the LE handle it... I just went back by, asked the attendant about the police coming by, said they came in asked about the car, and the men had never come inside.

So i was basically schooled by the wife... admit it, you're jealous

My own actions were POOR, i openly admit that, and it's not cool to be outdone in something by your wife who is just starting to understand, but it's nothing compared to seeing her response be well deducted, planned, executed, and her observations were SPOT ON!...

lesson to me and to all, 2 heads are better than one.

All of us learn from everyone if we are williing. Us old hands are taught often some new thing by another. Congratulate your wife & good job.

This does not surprise me at all.

While the SA/alertness game may be "new" to your wife...I have found that Females tend to "read" a situation better (and faster) than men do.

Females generally have better "intuition" than males, use both sides of the brain to sort things out, communicate better, etc...

With a little more practice, you won't stand a chance against her.

Once they finally decide to go into survival mode, they are very good at it.

Good for her for doing so well. It sounds like she's taken to this very well!

Thanks for posting this story. It reminds us all to be more observant.

yeah, i have no doubt she'll be great at this... now if i could get her to pay attention like that all the time we'd be golden...

my biggest problem with the whole situation is my complete lack of noticing this... It's pretty nice to know she's got my back...

I gleamed a few insights from this...

1. She can handle these situations without my help. She didn't panic, roll the window down and yell at me etc...

2. Her comfort with firearms is going up (always a plus)

3. She handled a pretty stressful situation with a real calm.


now if i could only get her to take the CHL course i'd be in business...
I'd give it a few more months of this SA game, and taking her shooting before she completely understands.

Lykoi wrote:yeah, i have no doubt she'll be great at this... now if i could get her to pay attention like that all the time we'd be golden...

my biggest problem with the whole situation is my complete lack of noticing this... It's pretty nice to know she's got my back...

I gleamed a few insights from this...

1. She can handle these situations without my help. She didn't panic, roll the window down and yell at me etc...

2. Her comfort with firearms is going up (always a plus)

3. She handled a pretty stressful situation with a real calm.


now if i could only get her to take the CHL course i'd be in business...
I'd give it a few more months of this SA game, and taking her shooting before she completely understands.

And #4: She made all the correct decisions.

I would say that she did great,but in that situation a 911 call is okay,due to her observations her spidey sense was tingling,now ask her how she would of felt same situation,no firearm available,that's why we carry .It's better to have a firearm available and not need it, than need it and not have it

Lykoi,

Oh I think she understands very well what the game is. I believe most women do. The problem lies in getting them to admit that it is necessary. Once you admit awareness is necessary you have admitted that you could be a victm. That is the hardest obsticle I have with getting women to come to my class. So many prefer to turn a blind eye and live in "LA LA Land".

+1 for your lady for getting over the ostridge obsticle!

Your wife did a fine job. Very fine.

You said
"lesson to me and to all, 2 heads are better than one."
There is a similar quate form a book titled Maveriks at work that goes like this, "no one is as smart as everyone".

My wife is still getting used to the idea that there is a firearm in the house, but she is learning to be more comfortable with the idea.

Merry Christmas.

Saulnier

flintknapper - yes she did... I'm definitely proud of her. Despite it not turning into anything (that i'm aware of), I told her the call and everything was great, she's definitely 1 in a million!


CompVest - it's taken a while to get her comfy with firearms in the house, but now she owns one. Took a while to get her to play the SA "game", but now she's great at it. I figure the natural progression and lack of pressure from me will hopefully take it's toll...


on an update, this morning she was driving to a Christmas party, and saw a wreck right in front of her, she stopped to help and wait for the Police as she saw it all...

apparently the guy was toasted, ran into a woman's car, with her 2 kids in it... Guy was pretty belligerent... she called me after the LEO's showed up, said she understood why I wanted her to carry... said had he been more aggressive or even attacked both her and the other woman, there would have been nothing she could have done.. thankfully an armed security guard was working in a local housing complex and he came over and kept an eye on her and the other woman...

I'm hoping that it doesn't take "needing" one to convince her to get her CHL... but i see a ton of awareness and understanding where there used to be only fear and blind ignorance... I'm under the impression it's simply a matter of time until she comes around completely, in which case :


Saulnier - be patient... we dated 3 years been married 6months now... it's taken all that time to get her to the range twice... now she owns her own gun (sigp230) and it is HERS!... that's the biggest step i think we made, getting her very OWN weapon, one she picked out etc... It's been a slow process, but it's working... first step was to get her comfy with them being here etc... taught her to clear the chambers, remove the magazines etc... then just built onto that and continued... take your time, 5minutes of showing her something that will make her "feel" safe is worth infinite time spent telling her about situations she "might need" a weapon to defend herself etc...

best of luck, and thanks for the support guys.

Lykoi wrote:... she called me after the LEO's showed up, said she understood why I wanted her to carry... said had he been more aggressive or even attacked both her and the other woman, there would have been nothing she could have done.. thankfully an armed security guard was working in a local housing complex and he came over and kept an eye on her and the other woman...

I hope for her sake that the bold text above is all it takes for your wife to take the class and send in the packet...perhaps with the SA "game" she will see (and apparently already has) more of the potentially dangerous situations that she has put herself in in the past.

BTW, you say she's been to the range with you twice now, how's her shootin'?

HooG19 wrote:
BTW, you say she's been to the range with you twice now, how's her shootin'?

nice of you to ask....
this was a standard CHL silhouette, from 15ft to 20yds... nothing outside the 9 ring, excepting the head shots
the dry-fire practice, and the work on grip/stance really paid off... i'm taking her again in the next week or two, maybe try and get her signed up for the class... again without pressuring her, b/c honestly if she's not comfortable with the idea it doesn't matter how much i insist.

Impressive anyway you look at it...

I figure if I ever "zone out", I kinda hope my wife turns up the gain a bit on the radar and starts to pay attention while I might be doing something like this...

For what its worth, I wouldn't give someone a hard time for missing something...Sometimes you just got to pick the right time and place to relax and take it down a notch or two...

If she still has doubts about getting the CHL try telling her that getting it does not nean she must carry, but that it gives her the CHOICE to carry if she wants to. From what you've been saying I'll bet she is ready to carry by the time she receives her plastic.


DaveB.

My first interaction with LE after getting my CHL was a suspicious person call. I was told by the 311 operator that suspicious persons calls are considered to be an emergency call and that I should dial 911 in the future.

I had a shady couple approach me late at night in the parking lot of my workplace and ask for a ride. I told them that I wasn't going anywhere, just to get food and that I couldn't help them. The guy offered his girlfriend's "services" to me in exchange for a ride, and I declined. When I got back, I didn't see them, but had strapped on anyway in the van, just in case (normally, I didn't carry at work due to policy, but I wasn't going to risk it then). Sure enough, she had walked up to the rear of my van where I couldn't see her in my mirrors and he was in a darkened parking lot across the alley about 30 feet behind her, calling me over to him. I again declined and called the police as soon as I got inside. APD ended up showing up within 2 minutes, apprehended the couple (they were still lingering around the property), and eventually hauled him off for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a dangerous drug, and promotion of prostitution. APD was helpful and courteous and the only response to the presentation of my CHL was to keep my hands visible.

So for future reference, call in suspicious persons using 911. This will speed up police response and increase the chances of the shady characters being apprehended.