Always Carry...ALWAYS!!!!

[Purplehood]

I can understand being alarmed. But I get the impression from my first read that you were about to go high and to the right on him. If this is indeed the case, I would strongly suggest you try to stop and take a deep-breath. Sudden situations like that that take you unawares can bring out the worst in both parties involved.
Glad to hear nothing further seems to have come from this incident.

[billfromtx]

I can understand being alarmed. But I get the impression from my first read that you were about to go high and to the right on him. If this is indeed the case, I would strongly suggest you try to stop and take a deep-breath. Sudden situations like that that take you unawares can bring out the worst in both parties involved.
Glad to hear nothing further seems to have come from this incident.

Your right sir, I felt violated and was very very angry. If he had reached for what ever was under the towel I was absolutely going to go mid-evil. Not sure what else I could have done. The Marine in me sometimes comes out. Not sure what else i could have done if he had went for something but to go high and to the right. Doning nothin may have jeapordized things more precious to me than my own safety...Doped up losers scare me more that anyhting due to the fact they are being drivien by something they cannot control and will do anything to get what they need.

[LedJedi]

Thanks for sharing this, I sent it over to my wife as a reminder than evil can, indeed, knock on your very door... or at least show up on your front lawn.

Don't beat yourself up too much about the situation. You handled it well. Hindsight is always 20/20 and you learned valuable lessons without anyone getting hurt. That's a excellent opportunity.

Years ago I had a similar situation. I answered my front door in the middle of a rainstorm only to find a very large man in a trench coat asking for money. I think the only thing that saved me in that situation was the fact that I was holding an electric drill with about a 10 inch long bit. He looked down at the drill, looked back at me and then apologized for bothering me.

Now, my 45 is ALWAYS withing arms reach of the front door.

[karder]

He probably saw that you had a child with you and thought you would give him money to go away. Glad it worked out ok for you.

[Lano]

I am so glad this turned out well. Looks like a person has to be aware all the time. Thank you for sharing.

[Katygunnut]

Hindsight is 20/20, but given the situation, I might have been tempted to tell him that my wallet was in the house, then hustled myself and my family inside and called the police (while also taking the chance to arm myself).

I have been approached twice by aggressive pan handlers saying "give me $20" or something similar. One was outside a store, and the other came up to me as I was walking back to my car from an ATM. Fortunately in both cases I did not have kids with me, so I just said, "sorry, Man, I can't help you" and kept walking. Both times, they uttered a few choice words, but did not try to stop me from leaving.

The funny thing is that I usually do give $5 or $10 to the people I see at intersections who are asking for money. It's not the money that bothers me as much as the attempted intimidation.

[OldCurlyWolf]

Hindsight is 20/20, but given the situation, I might have been tempted to tell him that my wallet was in the house, then hustled myself and my family inside and called the police (while also taking the chance to arm myself).

I have been approached twice by aggressive pan handlers saying "give me $20" or something similar. One was outside a store, and the other came up to me as I was walking back to my car from an ATM. Fortunately in both cases I did not have kids with me, so I just said, "sorry, Man, I can't help you" and kept walking. Both times, they uttered a few choice words, but did not try to stop me from leaving.

The funny thing is that I usually do give $5 or $10 to the people I see at intersections who are asking for money. It's not the money that bothers me as much as the attempted intimidation.

That really gets my hackles up.

Took a personality test many years ago during a management seminar. The person giving the seminar told me that he did not want to be even in the vicinity if some one made me think they were threatening me. It seems, according to that test, I have a tendency to go from friendly nice guy to "I'm going to rip off your privates and shove them down your throat and wait to see if you choke or bleed to death" or something similar to that. I don't know for sure. I haven't ever done that to someone.

[techgiant28]

I broke my own rule today...

I got home from work grabbed the grand daughter and went outside to let her play. When i changed after work I took my xd 45 off and left it on the safe in my room. Usually I stick my little smith 38 in my front pocket, this time I did not... Im at home so Im good to go right?...wrong!

After about 20 minutes of chasing my grand-daughtger around in the yard a car pulls up at my house and honks. I told my wife to watch the baby and I walk to the window of the car, I thought I knew who it was. Wrong again!
Inside was a Black mad in his late 20's who began rambling about his mother in Austin who had had a stroke and he needed $20 bucks to go see her. He kept telling me " you know me , you know me...Im the baddest dude in Town" In his lap was towel covering something I assumed was a pistol because his hand never left it. He said your going to give me $20 bucks...Anger and rage took over and I told him he was not going to get $20 bucks...he wasnt getting anything from me but hurt...I was ready to grab what he had in his lap and beat his sorry rear to death with it,,,:mad:
At the time it was not just big talk I meant every word of it knowing this situation could get very ugly and I was in a bind. I was missing my XD45 Compact real bad right then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I backed away from his car far enough to let him drive off but not far enough to keep him from grabbing what ever he was hiding if he went for it. and he said a few cuss words and drove off....

I live in a small town and this does not happen!!!!!!!! Proof enough garbage is everywhere...dont let your gaurd down and be ready...It could have been my wife or kids in the yard and things may have been different.

Even if I had had my gun thing would have went down the same, he didnt need shot. He was an obvious dope head that was looking for some help. I was just not the one to give it to him. In my little town this kind of trash just doesnt happen...Lessoned learned, I will be more prepared next time...I just got lucky!:o Thank God!!!!!!!!!!

Carry always!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

His name wasn't Leroy Brown was it?

[TexasAggie09]

Something I found out going to college in Atlanta was that most homeless people there of a certain ethnicity either demand money, or scoff at you or worse when you don't give them anything. It's like they EXPECT me to give them money for nothing. At least certain other people who hang out behind Home Depot ask me WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR MY MONEY.

I was in a potentially bad situation once walking home from a football game on campus to my apartment off campus. Granted I was under 21 so a CHL didn't apply anyway, but this can happen to any 21+ year old in college in a bad part of town. Walking back a black male approached me and asked what the final score was. I told him then he introduced himself and shook my hand. He began telling me some sob story that I've heard before and said he needed bus money to get home. Not having any cash (I never have cash), I told him "Sorry sir but I don't have any cash on me". Then I proceeded to continue my walk and he walked next to me talking about his sob story again. He asked me again and I told him I didn't have anything. Then he gritted his teeth and got a look on his face like he was about to get aggressive. He looked around to make sure no one was looking before he made his move. Luck would have it, an Atlanta PD car drove by RIGHT then and that scared him off. I then high-tailed it to my apt, cutting into the complex so he couldn't see what unit it was. I'm convinced that patrol car rolling by saved me a robbing, a beating, or worse. Had I had my CHL, I would have of course done everything possible to diffuse the situation but I would have felt safer knowing I had a last resort.

Live and learn, thanks for the anecdote!

[jmra]

Hindsight is 20/20, but given the situation, I might have been tempted to tell him that my wallet was in the house, then hustled myself and my family inside and called the police (while also taking the chance to arm myself).

Carrying a weapon is only one element of "being properly armed" to deal with a situation. Removing ourselves and our loved ones from harms way is almost always a better alternative than an altercation.

One of the reasons I read this forum is to prepare myself for these type of situations. In this case retreating to the safety of the house under the pretense of aquiring what the individual seeks gives me the best chance of protecting my family and alerting authorities in a timely manner.

To the OP - thank you for sharing your story. In doing so you have helped each of us to think ahead of time what we would do. Hopefully this helps us all become more "properly armed".

[rp_photo]

The funny thing is that I usually do give $5 or $10 to the people I see at intersections who are asking for money.

As I see it, freely giving money to unknown people at intersections is never a good idea, as all it will do is embolden them and make them more likely to be agressive when others don't do the same. Also, the feeding hand could easily be bitten.

Not unlike that dangers of feeding wildlife.

There is nothing that makes me more angry than seeing a motorist meekly allow a "window washer" to do their thing and then pay them. We should all make their efforts as futile as possible withn the bounds of common sense and the law. Typically a loud "No thanks!" when they approach should do the trick.

[kjolly]

Some great responses. I especially agree with the part on feeding wildlife. I drive the same intersections every day and if they start expecting they may be voilently disappointed. they live on the very edge of society and can become really desparate.

I try to always carry but there are exceptions. Last week I was taking some trash out and a door to door person stopped me in the yard. I set the box I was carrying on my truck to get my hands free and casualy kept the truck between us.

I figure to always carry when legal and hope to carry twenty years with never a need, but if you don't carry all of the time the odds may be against you.

[rp_photo]

I figure to always carry when legal and hope to carry twenty years with never a need, but if you don't carry all of the time the odds may be against you.

Deciding whether a place or situation is worthy of carry forces us to be judgemental and possibly make a dangerous assumption.

For example, assuming that Bob's neighborhood warrants carry and Tom's doesn't is a judgemental decision. It's better just to carry in both without question.

[speedsix]

...too many corner begging creatures get into a nearby Lincoln or Lexus at the end of a day, after untying their leg from behind their back...or similar shenanigans...around Dallas it's an organized scam...I've given "poor homeless hungry will-work-for-food" types my lunch a coupla times...only to see them toss it into the weeds as I drove off...I've offered a gal with her 7 year old daughter in the median of an intersection in 90+ degree weather to go sit in the Dennys and I'd pay for whatever she ordered for her "hungry" daughter and her...she started off about "just ate but I do need a few bucks for medicine"...MOST corner begging types are scam artists, and where traffic is heavy making $200 a day is not unusual...I don't give them a penny...I will buy anyone claiming to be hungry a meal in a restaurant...but no money...

[fulano]

...too many corner begging creatures get into a nearby Lincoln or Lexus at the end of a day, after untying their leg from behind their back...or similar shenanigans...around Dallas it's an organized scam...I've given "poor homeless hungry will-work-for-food" types my lunch a coupla times...only to see them toss it into the weeds as I drove off...I've offered a gal with her 7 year old daughter in the median of an intersection in 90+ degree weather to go sit in the Dennys and I'd pay for whatever she ordered for her "hungry" daughter and her...she started off about "just ate but I do need a few bucks for medicine"...MOST corner begging types are scam artists, and where traffic is heavy making $200 a day is not unusual...I don't give them a penny...I will buy anyone claiming to be hungry a meal in a restaurant...but no money...

I watched a car of nuns give a begging guy bags of chips and bottled drinks instead of money. He was totally perplexed and just set the stuff on the curb and continued to hold his "hungry need help" sign.

This is a legitimate business in some countries.