[spittinfire]

Glad to hear it all worked out alright and nothing got ugly.

[Kage0113]

Originally Posted by Jess

most of the places I go are "pistol free zones" my work (medical care facility) my school, my kids school...so my pistol has to stay locked in the car. This drives me bonkers. Especially considering a prof was murdered in her classroom a few years ago at my school. Shattered my sense of security there.

I hear ya there. IT seems that people don't want us carrying on college grounds, which sucks. School shootings don't happen very often, but when they do, they are tragic. IF the students that could get a CWP could carry on school grounds, a lot of lives could be saved. Take the Appalachian Law School for example.

[NGIB]

Here in GA it is a 10 year felony to carry on school grounds. The BGs know that the students are not armed so it makes for an effective and safe hunting ground. The schools in downtown Atlanta, Georgia Tech for example, are very popular with criminals...

[Puff]

I hadn't had my cpl for very long before I drove to NY to visit family.

Here I thought I was still in the "getting used to carrying" mode.

But when I had to pull over onto a wide shoulder at the PA/NY state line and render my firearm inoperable - WOW - I sat there in driver seat as the knowledge that I was completely vulnerable again washed through my entire body.

Yeah - going back home again - back to the set of car keys in the ignition as my best means of protecting myself and my daughter from an assault.

Back home to wits & alertness ONLY, back to keys, high heels, rocks, dirt, sticks, screaming, a purse with a heavy object in it, finger nails, the plastic gun case my useless gun was locked up in at the back of my SUV...

That was the 2x4 hitting me that I was actually completely use to carrying and totally naked without my gun.

[c3shooter]

FWIW, I am rarely unarmed, except in the shower (the rubber duckie and the bath brush are of limited use in defense)

However, I am frequently in places that I cannot carry a firearm. Yes, I miss my Smith & Wesson. Remember the most effective weapon you ever carry is about a 1/4 below your hairline.

Situation- you are running down to the local Stop-N-Rob to grab a gallon of milk. It does not matter what time of day. Really, it does not matter. You pull up to the stoplight, and are fooling with the radio when a stranger pulls open the passenger side door of your car. STOP

1. How did this person approach close enough to grab your doorhandle without you being aware of it? 2. Why was that door unlocked to begin with?

Having survived the "Hey, spare change, man?" panhandler, you continue to the mini-mart, park, notice that you also need gas, and walk in to the store. You walk past the register (nobody there) and grab a gallon of milk from the cooler- and come face to face with a man with a ski mask and a knife. (Note- you are in Florida, where folks rarely ski). STOP

3. You walked into the store without looking at what you were walking into- No staff visible, register unattended. No customers visible.


The person in the ski mask is Singh, who has been opening cartons in the freezer. You pay for your milk, and head home. Just as you pull off the main drag, your car dies. Out of gas. (So shook up at Singh, you forgot to get gas) Your cell phone is not working at that location. You walk to the video store 2 blocks down, call home for a ride, and walk back to find your window broken, your GPS and stereo gone. STOP

4. Let your vehicle get below 1/4 tank, and you put yourself at risk of HAVING to stop at the station you don't want to. 5.Leaving valuable items visible in a car, even for a short time, is likely to result in vacuuming broken glass from under the seat.

Sorry, really do not mean to preach, but the average person getting mugged is 2-3 seconds into the mugging before it sinks in. Use your brain, stay aware of what is going on around you.

[JoshX3Magazine]

You guys in here talking about the importance of situational awareness and such are absolutely positively right. Your gun is by no means a free ticket out of a dangerous situation, and in this current sue-happy, anti-gun world, even using your gun to protect yourself or a loved one could end badly for you.

I'm by no means old (at least that's what I keep telling myself) but even I remember a time when the doors on the family house were either open or unlocked at almost all times. Times have sure changed...

Josh

[Louisville]

Originally Posted by JoshX3Magazine

I'm by no means old (at least that's what I keep telling myself) but even I remember a time when the doors on the family house were either open or unlocked at almost all times. Times have sure changed...

Josh

We still leave our doors unlocked. But that is only because it is really hard to get through our yard what with all the land mines and pungy pits.

[Jusselin]

Originally Posted by JoshX3Magazine

You guys in here talking about the importance of situational awareness and such are absolutely positively right. Your gun is by no means a free ticket out of a dangerous situation, and in this current sue-happy, anti-gun world, even using your gun to protect yourself or a loved one could end badly for you.

I'm by no means old (at least that's what I keep telling myself) but even I remember a time when the doors on the family house were either open or unlocked at almost all times. Times have sure changed...

Josh

this happened to my brother (google elton richard in new mexico) but the guy broke into his house and while his wife and new born were sleeping, my brother wrestled with him trying to hold him there until the cops could make it, they ended up struggling for about a quarter of a mile down from his house when the guy took my brothers gun off him, (if my brother wanted to ultimately kill this guy he could have done it as soon as he saw the man) but he tried to let the police handle it) and my brother then took it back and put a bullet in this gang bangers chest...sorry but its dog eat dog when that stuff happens its kill or be killed, and my brother served 6 months in prison for murder and is out on parole now and he lost his job as a federal agent and can never be in law enforcement again, he also had to get rid of all his fire arms...8 year marine vet. served our country for 8 FU#*$& years as a sniper and he went to prison for defending his wife and new born

[Wolf1066]

Here, situational awareness and improvisation are the only weapons we are allowed (grudgingly, I suspect - if the govt could find some way to make even more people into unimaginative, oblivious idiots they would... as evidenced by what they're doing to our education system).

We cannot carry any weapon for personal defence, not even a knife or baton. The law does allow us to use "reasonable force" to protect ourselves and people have successfully defended themselves against murder/attempted murder charges by reason of self-defence, even when firearms have been involved, but it gets very messy and nasty really fast.

Our firearm storage and carriage rules make it very rare that a person would legitimately have a firearm in a state of readiness at the time of the encounter - which usually leads to knotty questions about how you came to be able to use a firearm at all, given that it should have been completely disabled unless you were in the woods or at a range...

People have also been jailed for defending themselves - it depends on your lawyer and the jury.

The crims don't care about the law, of course, and happily carry stolen/smuggled firearms, knives and other weapons and violent crime has been steadily on the rise, as have violent turns to traditionally non-violent crimes such as burglary (when the burglar is surprised in the act).

When I go out at night, I have to be extremely mindful of my surroundings and the situation as my options are very limited.

I've been in some bloody knotty situations where I've been at real risk of anything from a severe beating to potential loss of life or permanent maiming. I've gotten out of thosu situations on wits alone - and wondered later what the hell I would have done if I hadn't noticed the situation when I did.

I also wonder what would happen if some intruder entered the house while my kids and I are sleeping - and what if the intruder is armed?

My rifles and shotguns are - as per the law - locked away, the bolts and ammo are locked away separately. I do not yet have a pistol licence (time and money do not permit) and if I did, the pistol would be even more securely locked away.

It may be a good exercise for some of you - if you don't already do it, that is - to imagine that, for whatever reason, your firearms are inaccessible in the middle of the night when some SOB armed with a knife, stick or firearm enters your house.

What are your contingency plans, what steps do you take to protect life and limb, what do you have lying around that can be pressed into service as an improvised weapon?

[c3shooter]

what do you have lying around that can be pressed into service

Don't screw with us old guys that use a walking stick. Some of us know how to use it.