Stalked at Wally World

[randomoutburst]

We took a friend shooting with us about a week or two after hubby got his CHL. Afterwards we ate at a restaurant and as we were leaving I noticed hubby left his wallet (with his CHL in it!) and phone on the table. I grabbed them both knowing he didn't see me take them and plopped them in my pocket. He was carrying and I noted that he normally is very good about knowing where his wallet was and was surprised he had forgotten it. I figured I'd talk with him about it when we got home and kept his wallet and phone in my pocket.

At this point I should note that, because he had shot his carry gun at the range, hubby was reluctant to put it back in the holster because it would get his new holster dirty. He decided to use an old tshirt of his to wipe it off and put it in the holster anyway. Good choice.

We dropped off our friend and then, remembering that hubby needed new work pants for tomorrow, stopped at Wal-Mart. There was a car idling a few spots away from our parking space when we exited our car, which was at least half-way back across the parking lot from the front door in a remote location. As we approached the car, the driver turned it off and two young guys exited the car, walking in line with us in the next row of cars. My hubby and I both noticed. He motioned for me to move to his right and I said, "I see," so he knew I was aware. Then he stopped and said, "My wallet," and turned to go back to the car.

I pulled his wallet out and told him I grabbed it off the table after dinner earlier. He seemed as surprised as I was that he hadn't grabbed it. This pause allowed the two guys to move a good distance ahead and we both felt more comfortable but were still aware of our surroundings.

We stopped to use the bathroom before shopping and saw the same two guys "casually" walk by. While we were looking at pants the same guys were browsing the other clothing in the area in a distracted, aimless manner. Hubby was taking longer than normal to decide and I commented on it, and he responded saying he was keeping an eye out, glancing towards the guys. He later said he made eye contact with one guy and held his gaze until the guy looked away.

When we went to check out we went to a lane where the person in front of us had a HUGE amount of items and they were waiting because something wasn't scanning and they needed a manager. Hubby did this purposely because the guys, as predicted, followed us to the checkout but couldn't linger in the next lane as they planned since we were delayed. We kept an eye on them while we waited.

They ended up leaving without buying anything, likely because we were taking too long and perhaps even because they noticed that we were aware when hubby made eye contact earlier. Their car was gone as we walked to our car but we kept looking around just in case. We made it to our car safely and made it home with the six pistols we had taken to the range (hah!) without incident.

So, lessons learned/lessons proved:
ALWAYS carry. Even if it gets your holster dirty.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Know where your wallet (CHL) is.
Make stalkers aware that YOU are aware - it might save you a confrontation.

I'm glad the night was uneventful, but I think my hubby and I both felt safer knowing we were both aware and he was armed. This time next year I should be armed too, won't that be nice! :)

[G.A. Heath]

This is why I have multiple guns in the same format, that use the same gear, and operate the same. If I take my normal carry weapon out of its holster for any reason another similar weapon takes its place. I can literally have one down for cleaning, another in use at the range, one in my holster, and another waiting just in case. Paranoid? maybe, but I did always take the boy scouts moto of "Be prepared" to an extreme.

[randomoutburst]

This is why I have multiple guns in the same format, that use the same gear, and operate the same. If I take my normal carry weapon out of its holster for any reason another similar weapon takes its place. I can literally have one down for cleaning, another in use at the range, one in my holster, and another waiting just in case. Paranoid? maybe, but I did always take the boy scouts moto of "Be prepared" to an extreme.

Haha, my hubby was carrying his Taurus 917 that day...and he can and does interchange his magazines and holsters for use with his Taurus PT92. Normally this issue of putting a used gun back in the holster isn't an issue because he keeps one for carry and one for range shooting depending on what he feels like carrying, but on this particular outing we were allowing a friend to shoot all of our pistols because he is in the market for a pistol and wanted to see how different ones feel. (He ended up liking my S&W 60 best. )

I know my hubby can relate with you on the always be prepared motto - he's an Eagle Scout and had been known to take the motto to extremes as well. (Ever seen a kid go into the SAT with 20 pencils, two calculators, and an extra pack of batteries? Oh yeah.)

[williamkevin]

Really good situational awareness (SA), and I like that your husband met and HELD the young gentleman's gaze. Well done you two!!

[USA1]

Paranoid? maybe, but I did always take the boy scouts moto of "Be prepared" to an extreme.

I like to mesh the two words together and call it.."Preparanoid"

randomoutburst , you and your hubby did everything right. Awareness is the name of the game.
If those guys decided to do anything stupid , they would have had a big surprise coming their way.

[randomoutburst]

I just re-read my post and realized why I put in the bit about him forgetting his wallet - in the future I'll just hand it to him immediately after picking it up. Rarely do we leave each other's side, but had we been separated and had he been without his wallet and needed to use his pistol, that could have been a bad situation.

USA1 - Preparanoid...I like that. Mind if I start using that word to describe my hubby? ;)

[USA1]

USA1 - Preparanoid...I like that. Mind if I start using that word to describe my hubby? ;)

Not at all. Maybe it will become a new slang word here on the forum.

[G.A. Heath]

I like it as well, gonna steal it for use myself.

[MoJo]

Good job both of you. Now, look back and see if you can figure out what it was you were or weren't doing that attracted the predators to you and change that behavior.

Condition Yellow is your friend.

[mctowalot]

Preparanoid - what an awesome handle that would be. Thanks USA1!
(No, I'm not stealing it for my new handle, but if it's ok with you I'm considering the new term my final Christmas present).

Randomoutburst and spouse - awesome job to you both. If they left with nothing you know beyond a shadow of a doubt what those guys were up to, I'm glad your both ok.

[randomoutburst]

Good job both of you. Now, look back and see if you can figure out what it was you were or weren't doing that attracted the predators to you and change that behavior.

Condition Yellow is your friend.

I think parking far out in the lot might have been a factor - but we were in our Expedition and need to park away from other cars because the spaces are so small at this location that it's difficult to maneuver a large car. Couldn't change much there. Having two set of eyes gave us an early advantage as we both noticed them flanking us early on and were able to observe and act accordingly.

I can't think of anything we specifically did to make us targets other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time...aside from the above hypothesis of parking far out on the lot. I do think that making eye contact and making choices that allowed us to observe what was happening helped us move from "target" to "not worth it" in the guys' eyes.

241 days until I can apply for a CHL...but I still carry in the car. :)

mctowalot - When we saw them leave without anything, after coincidentally being in the same areas as we had been, we locked eyes because we both knew what it meant - we had been targets. I assure you our heads were on swivels all the way to the car until we were driving away, just to make sure they didn't pretend to leave, hoping we'd let our guard down. Despite it being a questionable situation, we were calm and alert because we constantly think and discuss such scenarios with each other. I stay on a certain side of him depending on what the perceived threat is so he won't sweep me with his draw, when dining out we try to sit where we have a good view of the place - including the door, etc.
I'm glad it turned out to be an uneventful evening.

[chartreuse]

Know where your wallet (CHL) is.

Yep. The other day I left the house to pick up the wife from work to go Christmas shopping. Halfway there, I realised I'd left my wallet, containing my DL and my CHL in the house.

Technically, as I never left the truck outside of my own property, I was OK on the firearms thing under the MPA - though I wouldn't have fancied explaining that if I'd been caught driving without a license. But it was real icy and I'm glad I made it home to pick up my wallet without incident.

[OldSchool]

Really good situational awareness (SA), and I like that your husband met and HELD the young gentleman's gaze. Well done you two!!

I agree, you did everything right, including delaying your steps to force them to wait.

One possible comment about eye contact, though: Eye contact is a good move inside a busy store, where they can do nothing about it and they can be easily recognized. However, if you're on a dark street with a stalker (as Mrs. OS and I were, in a very similar situation while overseas last year), making eye contact may precipitate action after confirming to him that he has been spotted (particularly if there may be someone else I haven't yet seen). In that case, I prefer to keep that person off-balance and wondering, until I've reached a safe haven (worked for us).

(Apologies if this is a re-post, something seemed to happen to the first one.)

[randomoutburst]

Really good situational awareness (SA), and I like that your husband met and HELD the young gentleman's gaze. Well done you two!!

I agree, you did everything right, including delaying your steps to force them to wait.

One possible comment about eye contact, though: Eye contact is a good move inside a busy store, where they can do nothing about it and they can be easily recognized. However, if you're on a dark street with a stalker (as Mrs. OS and I were, in a very similar situation while overseas last year), making eye contact may precipitate action after confirming to him that he has been spotted (particularly if there may be someone else I haven't yet seen). In that case, I prefer to keep that person off-balance and wondering, until I've reached a safe haven (worked for us).

(Apologies if this is a re-post, something seemed to happen to the first one.)

I agree about making eye contact only when in a busy place, not when in an isolated area. I make a point of not putting myself in situations where I could be in isolated areas and have even gone back inside stores or my work to get an escort to my car when things don't feel right. I'd rather be preparanoid ( ) than hurt or dead. Women can want to be equal all they want, but the fact remains that most of us are smaller and weaker than most men, and therefore easy targets. Guns can be a great equalizer, but common sense is often a good prevention measure.

[MoJo]

randomoutburst - - - good, you clicked to your first tactical error parking at night a long way from the store. If something dosen't feel right it isn't (MoJo's rule.) Seeing the two potiential BGs sitting in a car with the engine idling would have had me make another tour of the parking lot or leaving altogether. You can always come back or go to another store. When they killed the engine and got out and started following you moving to the safety of the store was a good move but, the rest room should have waited. I would have found the store security people and just ask them if they knew the light at the far end of the parking lot was out or complain about carts all over the lot anything to get the suspects to start thinking they have been "made" you don't have to tell the security folks what was going on the inference will often be enough.

Taking the longest checkout line was brilliant! It cut the suspect's comfort zone down knowing you were on to them.

Unless your purchase is tiny always use a shopping cart to carry your stuff to the car. Shopping carts can be used as a weapon or as an barrier in a mugging.

You avoided the fight - - - you won it!!!

Why so long until you can apply for your CHL? I'm guessing age.