The Mrs. Almost Needed That Parking Lot Bill

[cowboymd]

Thursday night, Mrs. Cowboy had to go to work to take care of some of her 3rd shift employees. Unfortunately her employers have the “no weapons” on the premises rule. (with loss of employment if caught) so she had no protection. Sure enough on her way home around 2:30 in the morning an incident happened. She had got off the major highway for the 9 mile stretch on a (pretty desolate but nice 4 lane FM road) between one town and ours. Went past the local Wally World and noticed there were quite a few cars there for that time of morning. Well about the time she got to a barren stretch of the road a car comes up on her pretty fast and gets close. She speeds up a little since they didn’t seem to be wanting to pass. They speed up also. She turns her blinker on and changes lanes, they follow. She then changes back to the original lane. They follow. A little panic starts to set in. She speeds up some more, they do too and get close enough she loses sight of their headlights from time to time. At this point she considers turning around to go back to Walmart, but thinks she’s closer to our town and keeps going where she knows there is a 24 hr stop and shop that will be open. She speeds on into town and there is a guy pumping gas at the store. She whips it in there and pulls up beside him telling him the car has been following her. The car actually pulls up beside her at a little distance and my wife asks the driver what is the deal? They start rolling down the window and it is some spaced out looking girl (drunk and/or high) who just kind of gives her a blank stare. She again asks what’s the deal? The girl rolls up the window and just kind of putters off in no hurry. Luckily, it must have just been a case of mistaken identity. I realize, and she does too now, all the mistakes made here. Starting with the panic, not calling 911, and speeding up to try to get away, confronting the person at the store, then not getting the license plate as she drove off. I’m thankful for the way it turned out, but we realize it could have been much worse. Just goes to show you really don’t know how you will react until the time comes.

[USA1]

i'm glad it ended up OK for her .

like i always say ..nothing good ever happens @ 02:30
that's usually when the drunks get kicked out of the bar because its closing time .

[bdickens]

Send that story to your State rep and senator.

[buffalo_speedway_tx]

In my opinion, I would have taken the gun with me if I knew I was going to be out that late. Even if the company has a rule against I suspect they wouldn't be doing vehicle checks at that time of night. I do respect the fact that your wife knows her company better than me.

Glad that it turned out OK!

[A-R]

Glad your wife is OK. Not second-guessing anything she did, but I agree with above that, at that time of night, heck with company policy, I'd be armed. I'd even take the gun with me INSIDE the premises unless I'd been given proper 30.06 warning.

And agree that y'all should mention this story to your local politicians so they understand just what is at stake with the current manner in which companies can make you choose between your job or you safety. They need this story on their minds next time a parking lot carry bill comes up on the Legislature.

This kind of thing - companies prohibiting their employees from exercising basic self defense - infuriates me and is one of the major reasons I left the corporate world to try to make it on my own as a Realtor.

[txbirddog]

Glad she made it out ok. But,,,,can't she keep a gun in the car for her protection to and from work? I don't believe that companies can search your car.

[karder]

Sure glad things worked out ok. I have been unsuccessful in getting my wife to get her CHL. She simply believes that nothing bad is going to happen. When she has to go out at that hour, I end up going with her. I am going to show her your story as I keep working to bring her around to the concept of carrying a gun. Thank God your story had a good ending.

[Purplehood]

Send that story to your State rep and senator.

They would probably look at this incident as simply "overreacting" and demonstrating no "need" for legislation. After all, nothing bad happened.

[The Annoyed Man]

Send that story to your State rep and senator.

They would probably look at this incident as simply "overreacting" and demonstrating no "need" for legislation. After all, nothing bad happened.

Yep. Somebody has to die for it to mean anything to some politicians; and even then, it's about "getting guns off the streets" for them, and not about personal safety for the law-abiding.

Not that I have much of an opinion about politicians...

[gregthehand]

They would probably look at this incident as simply "overreacting" and demonstrating no "need" for legislation. After all, nothing bad happened.

I agree. Unless something actually happened they won't care.