Blindsided

[WTR]

I carry 130 gallons on board. I just stop at the front door of well lit truck stops for bathroom breaks.

[der Teufel]

An unplanned gas station stop was one of the things that convinced me to get my CHL/LTC.

I was driving from Austin to SE Texas on a Friday evening, and started out with a little over a half tank of gas. I figured that would get me through Houston to around Cedar Bayou where there are some gas stations and truck stops. My usual routine was to stop there and stretch anyway, and I reckoned I could fill up with gas and have enough for the return journey.

There was construction going on on IH-10 in Houston, and traffic was slowed to between 0-10MPH for quite a while. When you're going zero miles/hour your gas mileage is pretty bad, and it became clear that I was going to have to either get gas at night on the east side of Houston or risk running out of fuel. I pulled off at an exit but there were no stations. I continued on through another traffic light and finally found a gas station. I got out, pumped in $5 worth of gas (enough to get me to my original destination), jumped back in my car and hustled back onto the freeway. I spent absolutely no more time out of my car than absolutely necessary!

Soon afterwards I was in a class getting my handgun license.

[Jose_in_Dallas]

Tell me about it. Now that I'm back on a bike I'm a little more exposed and when gassing it up don't even have a door to lock or window to raise to protect myself. I've only filled up three times now, but could tell that my alert level went a little higher than when I'm driving the truck.

When I used to ride is when I felt the most vulnerable at a gas station. I normally would pull up to the pump and unless I had a tank bag on, wouldn't even bother to get off the bike or take off my helmet. I would pull up real close to the pump, unlock the gas cap, swipe my card and start pumping. In hind site, it would have been pretty easy to have robbed me even though I was carrying because I was distracted and I did not have a good situational awareness.

[Sport Coach]

All good info. The gas station I typically use now has "gas station TV," where you can turn to code white if you're dumb enough. Stand by my car filling up with gas watching some stupid mini TV screen on a gas pump? No way! It is enticing but I turn my back to it and tend to walk back and forth to be sure no one is walking up on the blind side of my car. I may even go tell the store manager next time to see his/her reaction. Then again the store may not be in business in Cypress, TX after this storm.

[Redneck_Buddha]

Any gas station, anywhere, anytime….head is on a swivel.

A few years back, I neglected to fill up at my regular spot in Frisco. I ended up at a Shell at Abrams and 635 in Dallas. Not the worst but not the best area to get gas. As soon as I pulled in, I started looking at everyone around. I noticed a man standing around outside the front doors. As soon as I pulled in he headed for me with his head down. I jumped out and took a defensive stance with my right hand on my hip (pistol under shirt), left held out to signal stop, and my heading moving side to side. He made it half way and looked up at me. He stopped in his tracks and returned to the front of the store. I communicated every non-verbal way I could think of to signal to him to stop and turn around and it worked, thankfully. I now make it habit to fill up when half full, in Frisco or Plano, though my head is still on a swivel.

Sooooo....about getting gas in Plano. Remember just a couple of months ago?

http://www.fox4news.com/news/260655435-story

[Oldgringo]

We watched a pretty good NetFlix movie named "Blindsided" last nite. Just thought I'd share this.....

[Pritchical]

One thing I do when getting gas is to keep my driver's door open as a blockade from my left. Stand with the hose on my right (so I don't have to step over it to get back in the car) and keep my back to the pump. That way I can keep an eye out all around the vehicle in front of me, and keep an eye on what's behind me in the reflections on the windows.

I also always leave the car running.

[HadEmAll]

Gas stations are THE perfect place to have your hand on your pocket carry. I have my hand on my pocket .38 or .380 pretty much from the time I exit the vehicle to the time I get back in it to depart. The other larger pistol is always there, but the pocket gun is the fastest into action for a surprise attack at close range.

The head on a swivel works but the easiest time to lose vigilance is those few seconds when you're typing in your zip code to validate your credit card, and looking for the "enter" button on the keypad, which are in different locations at different brand stations.

[2farnorth]

I also always leave the car running.

That would be the easiest car-jacking. Key in the car and running, door open, empty seat, if timing is right a full tank of gas.
Besides if you read the instructions for fueling "the engine must off". If the station attendant is paying attention they are supposed turn off the pump til you shut off the engine. It does happen occasionally. I know at some SAMS stations the attendant will tell you to turn it off. It's in the state fire code.

[Richbirdhunter]

I never stay still for very long while pumping gas. I check the tires, clean the windows just walk around the truck.

[Archery1]

One thing I do is circle around the pumps and get a eye for who may be loitering around, vehicles parked away from the store.
Don't just pull into the first available pump, especially in a unfamiliar area. If it looks shady, try a different station.

I had to make a turnaround late night and using Almeda Mall parking lot. It was empty and darkened. As soon as I turned in, I saw a guy in hoodie walking, not doing anything, just walking.

So, that's what I did. Found the other end of the parking lot to exit onto feeder for turnaround. No one around, no bushes, no buildings, just wide open parking lot. Just as I was stopped and waiting to turn onto feeder, a shadow came running up at my door. I barely had time to confirm door lock. He was at the door before I could even register what was happening. Just came out of nowhere.

Well, his ride stopped right in the middle of the feeder, and he carrying cell phone continued running past my hood and jumped into ride and off. That's all it was, a ride stop.

After I calmed down and realized there was no threat, that's when I realized how vulnerable I can be even when watching out. Had that cell phone been a gun and a real jacking was taking place, I would be the disadvantaged one on reaction time to defend myself.

[RSX11]

Frightening situations can happen most anywhere. I pulled into the local library parking lot a couple years back, in broad daylight. As I was getting out, a large muscular young man who looked like he stepped out of a thug life movie came running over to my car. There was no time to put a hand up or yell stop. I started to reach under my shirt for my gun and held the door in front of me for partial cover. I was about to draw, when he stopped, standing right in front of me and began to enthusiastically compliment me on the classic car I was driving. He was effusive in his praise and knew quite a lot about this make and model. He just turned out to be an overly enthusiastic fan of this kind of car who scared the whey out of me. This time I was glad I hadn't had time to produce the gun, since he turned out to be a good guy, but it underscored to me the vital importance of situational awareness when I pull up and stop the car, anywhere, anytime.

[Deltaboy]

I keep my eyes on a swivel and the wife does too.
My last panhandler was at Target in South Fort Worth!