Robbers set trap for Cedar Park drivers.......

[AggieMM]

http://www.kvue.com/news/Robbers-set-a- ... 12084.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So, "scenario time", you come upon rocks in the road late at night, what do you do? I definitely would not continue, being late at night, there is no traffic, so reversing out of there would be my best plan I think.

Sounds like she was in condition white, didn't have a plan "out". Be careful out there!!!!

Ryan

Edit 4/28: Alleged robbers arrested
http://www.hillcountrynews.com/news/art ... 03286.html

[The Annoyed Man]

The man with the shotgun took a step back, and that's when Rego made a move.

"I just hit the gas pedal and hit the bricks and went as fast as I could down the road," she said.

So.... why didn't she do that as soon as she saw the assailants? The answer: she, like most people, was living in Condition White. She hasn't learned yet how to back it down to Condition Yellow, where she can be alert and obvservant, but still relaxed; so she is currently struggling with a touch of PTSD.

More importantly, if she was able to drive forward over the the bricks, wouldn't that be the faster way to extricate yourself than coming to a stop and trying to back out of there? Most cars will go faster with better control in a forward gear than in reverse. I drive an SUV with 4WD. If I see an unexplained "obstruction" like that, without any "roadwork ahead" signage or accompanying traffic cones, etc., I'm going to drive right over it and keep on going to get out of dodge.

[WildBill]

Rego’s description of the men is vague. She believes they were either teens or in their early 20s. She is not able to determine a race.

Probably the thing she remembers best is the big hole of the barrel of a 12 gauge pointed at her.

I agree that she could have been more aware of her surroundings. I am sure that she was tired and just wanted to get home and the bricks threw her for a loop because it was out of the ordinary. This is a good reminder for all of us.

[flintknapper]

"They've embedded this element of fear in me that will probably never go away,” she said.

Thats because you have CHOSEN to be helpless.... lady!

Maybe this incident will wake her up.

[PappaGun]

If I see an unexplained "obstruction" like that, without any "roadwork ahead" signage or accompanying traffic cones, etc., I'm going to drive right over it and keep on going to get out of dodge.

That pretty much describes many neighborhood road projects in Dallas.
I'm not kidding.
I can't tell you how many times I come upon something that is not marked.
I have a Miata and it bottoms out easier than I can say "dang it". I once had to go over a rock in the middle of the road and it punched a hole in my oil pan. Driving over anything like a brick is out of the question.
In this case, I would have my weapon out and there is a good chance I would have started defending myself.
With a stick shift, reversing and firing at the same time is likely out of the question.

In her case, she should be worried that the guys would pay her a visit.
She gave them her wallet, presumably with her ID in it.

[Hoi Polloi]

http://www.kvue.com/news/Robbers-set-a- ... 12084.html

So, "scenario time", you come upon rocks in the road late at night, what do you do? I definitely would not continue, being late at night, there is no traffic, so reversing out of there would be my best plan I think.

Sounds like she was in condition white, didn't have a plan "out". Be careful out there!!!!

Ryan

You know, if I were turning into my neighborhood just like I had a gazillion times and I came across limestone pavers across the street, I would first be struck by them being out of the ordinary and would then start going through all the possible ways they got there. My first thought would be a prank by teens. I'd assume it is the same kids who put soap in the water fountains. By that time, I'd have a gun in my face like she did. Then what? Even if you have a CHL, your best course of action is probably using the car as a getaway. Floor it from a stop and hope to go over the pavers or put it in reverse and be an easier target for a longer period? Tough choice, especially if you're in a little car, and particularly since there are gun men on both sides.

I most likely wouldn't have made the connection from out-in-the-open suburban area with no one apparently around to it being a trap in the 5 seconds she had--and I was once the victim of a similar attempted crime. The road block element and it being a general neighborhood entrance would have seemed more like a prank than a robbery. I would have likely been quick-thinking and impatient enough to have just moved on to an alternate neighborhood entrance in that time, though. Not everyone has alternate entrances or, especially at that time of night, would be impatient enough to have moved on that quickly. Obviously, I'll now be aware of road block situations other than a car blocking you on a deserted rural road, but this lady sure paid a high price for showing the way.

[WildBill]

I have a Miata and it bottoms out easier than I can say "dang it". I once had to go over a rock in the middle of the road and it punched a hole in my oil pan. Driving over anything like a brick is out of the question.

I don't drive a Miata, but my car doesn't have much ground clearance either, so I won't be driving over any bricks unless I see someone coming and there's no other way out. Getting stuck and having a disabled car is an extremely bad situation.

[The Annoyed Man]

Well I admit that with an SUV with shift on the fly 4WD, I have a distinct advantage over a low slung sedan or sports car in that type of scenario. I have pretty decent ground clearance and a (admittedly cheap) bash plate under the front of the motor, not to mention a big brush guard mounted in front of the grill. It would take a pretty significant barrier to stop my car—certainly not some impromptu affair cobbled together in a couple minutes from bricks stolen out of somebody's planter.

I've paid a bit of a premium in gas for driving one all these years, but I've also taken a small amount of comfort knowing that my car will handle most things thrown at it by bad weather, earthquakes, and people with bad intentions. It's not a H1 or a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It's just a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE; but it has been a fairly capable off-road explorer and comfortable highway cruiser. And being mid-sized, it is still nimble enough to maneuver a bit. I love my car, and although it has about 130,000 miles on it and looks a bit dated, it is still in very good condition and still runs like a champ, and I'm going to drive it until the doors fall off.

My wife drives a 2000 Toyota Camry that still only has about 45,000 miles on it and looks great, but she has been making noises lately about what she would like to drive A.T (after Toyota), and more and more she is talking about a vehicle with 4WD or AWD and more ground clearance. It seems to coincide with her decision to start belt carrying instead of purse carrying, and her acquisition of a new AR15 carbine—all of which is hilarious if you've met my wife and know now reserved and ladylike she is.

But on a more serious note, the need to have even a modicum of preparation for goblins and the disintegration of infrastructure becomes more and more self-evident. We all carry guns for exactly these kinds of reasons. Maybe, just maybe, the day is not too far off when the well prepared person also drives a vehicle that will carry him or her away from trouble as quickly as it brought them there. I realize that we all can't rush out and buy new cars—which is why The Annoyed Woman is going to be driving that Camry for a while—but maybe the next time you all look at buying new transportation, give the mid-sized SUVs a look.

Just a thought...

[A-R]

TAM, if you weren't already, I'm certain now that you are officially no longer welcome back in Kalifornia. Touting SUVs in the age of the electric car? pfft ... redneck!

Takes one to know one ...

[The Annoyed Man]

TAM, if you weren't already, I'm certain now that you are officially no longer welcome back in Kalifornia. Touting SUVs in the age of the electric car? pfft ... redneck!

Takes one to know one ...

Kinder words were never spoken.

[speedsix]

...ARMED with an SUV...state jail felony in the big KA, isn't it?!!!

[The Annoyed Man]

...ARMED with an SUV...state jail felony in the big KA, isn't it?!!!

It's fixin' to become a federal offense....

[speedsix]

...I drive a half-ton GMC...as long as THEY refuse to drill for our own oil...I refuse to drive a bedroom slipper...there's merit in what you said about driving something you can drive over or through a road hazard...inert or two-legged...times are getting rougher...

[MadMonkey]

I have a Miata and it bottoms out easier than I can say "dang it".

Me too, last time I drove over to east DFW I hit so many potholes I thought I was going to lose some teeth.

Even then though, unless the bricks/rocks were just too big to make it over, I think I'd plow through them to get some distance between me and what I'd perceive as a trap.

Although I've practice getting into reverse quickly since the last time someone backed into me...

[speedsix]

...when I first came to Tx, in the 80s, I had a customer who lived in Grand Prairie...had a fine new sportscar...and an old primer-gray 65 Chevy...I asked him why he kept the junker...it was his "Dallas car"...wouldn't take his good car to Dallas to work...between the drivers and the roads...didn't blame him...