Even I make mistakes...Lesson to be learned...

[stevie_d_64]

I went to the bank this morning, running an errand...Was heading back to the house around 10am...

Stopped at the corner stop and rob for a cold ice tea (no Skittles, and I wasn't wearing a hoodie, so don't go there!)...

Pulled around the parking lot to the car wash, and parked the truck and leaned back to sip the tea and listen to the radio show (Micheal Berry, shameless plug)...

I zoned out, not paying too much attention to my surroundings...Big mistake...Hey, it was a beautiful morning,and I was soaking in the fantastic weather...

An unconventional (vagrant) had come up in my blind spot as I was sitting in the truck and tapped rather abruptly on the window...Bout freaked me out...

He asked me for a "cup", yeah, a cup!!! He had a bottle of beer wrapped in a paper bag in his hand...He didn't want to walk around the nieghborhood drinking a beer in that manner... ...I told him my cups are used and dirty, so I said no, I do not have a cup...

He got a little mad and banged his fist against my truck and walked off...Sure, it was a foul in the conventional sense, but no harm...I started the truck and drove off, the two blocks to my house on the corner...Big mistake number 2...

I got on the phone in the driveway at my house, was talking to a friend and ten minutes later the SAME guy comes up in my driveway, and queries me again...Not knowing it was the same guy he just asked about a cup...Big surprise for him...Hung up on the friend that I called back after the incident...

As soon as he realized it was me...He had already finished his beer, and was lolligagging up the street deeper into our nieghborhood, he backed off as I came out of the truck and asked him,"What do YOU need!!!"

He hemmed and haw'd over some nonsense about mowing my lawn, and if I knew where highway 288 was??? (He was full of crap!!!)

I told him 10 minutes by car that way about 8 miles...He commenced to stepping off...

So...Some may be thinking...Did Steve do anything rash???

No...But I did realize, that even when the weather is great, you need to always have your head on a swivle...No zoning out, sipping ice tea, even on such a nice day as it was today...And still is...

I made the mistakes...So I thought it prudent to relate this story to anyone interested, because it is important to be aware of your surroundings, even if you feel you are in a safe (familiar) area...And I failed twice...In quick succession...I feel like such a goob...

I guess it is just getting to weird out there...Must be the heavy pollen levels out there messing with people...

[Jumping Frog]

Lessons learned from incidents without adverse consequences are like little gifts from God.

[stevie_d_64]

If things like this happen to me, at my expense, I can dig it...No problems...I am not proud enough to not admit mistakes...

[anygunanywhere]

Lessons learned from incidents without adverse consequences are like little gifts from God.

Better known as wisdom.

Anygunanywhere

[RJGold]

There are guys like this that "patrol" neighborhoods and try doors (both car and home) to see if they can find an easy strike to fund whatever needs they have. Since you mention 288, sounds like we're not far away from you. I've been approached by similar sounding guys while I pumped gas, or walked to and from a store (usually near a major highway like 288 or 59).

I have also seen folks who obviously didn't belong "deep" into our neighborhood. I always call LEOs and let them know and they have been really good about responding.

Thanks for sharing. It's a good reminder for all of us about situational awareness.

[gigag04]

Somebody banging on my vehicle would go to jail.

[RoyGBiv]

You didn't mention anything about calling the police...

An aggressive (inebriated?) vagrant roaming my neighborhood definitely would warrant a call. If for no other reason than to establish my good intentions should the situation escalate further.

[baldeagle]

Somebody banging on my vehicle would go to jail.

We can't do that unless we have our CHL badge.

[gthaustex]

Somebody banging on my vehicle would go to jail.

[stevie_d_64]

You didn't mention anything about calling the police...

An aggressive (inebriated?) vagrant roaming my neighborhood definitely would warrant a call. If for no other reason than to establish my good intentions should the situation escalate further.

I thought about that...

But he got to steppin' off pretty quick...I figured that as soon as he was agressively engaged and knew he was being watched, he was not stupid enough to hang around so I gave him a pass...I may regret it, but since the guy knew where I lived, and contact with Law Enforcement would give him a reason to make a poor decision to come back to this nieghborhood and do something really stupid...

So I diffused the situation and he went on his way...

Believe me, I thought about it, and was ready to make the call...Since I live on the corner of a residential street and a semi-main drag of a road splitting our neighborhood, I watched him head off into the distance, he knew I was watching and he never dilly-dallied...

But to address the "others", I have noticed...I do watch the folks running around wanting to paint the street addresses on the curbs of some houses up and down these blocks...Most are just looking for a few bucks, and I can empathise with that...It all has to do with their delivery, and time of day they are doing their work...

Yes, the potential for bad stuff to happen gets greater everyday in our neighborhoods...It has become a fine line where we make our stand and when we give it a pass...

Like I have always said...Those of us who carry a firearm for lawful, self-defensive purposes, very much have the power to end ANY situation very decisively...How we govern our passions is a big step in how we conduct ourselves with that power...So in a sense, this guy really didn't do much to garner anything but a stern conversation, and that was enough to get him to go on his way...

I am sure of this because if the time between the first encounter, and a few minutes later, if he was not sharp enough to figure out he was approaching the same vehicle, and the same guy...I am sure by the time he got down to the end of the road, and made a turn towards the Beltway...

He had already forgotten about the whole thing...

That doesn't mean I am forgetting...

[The Annoyed Man]

You guys get all the fun down there. The only thing we ever have to deal with here in Grapevine is keeping the riffraff from Southlake, Colleyville, and Euless out. It's kinda boring......