I can not stress enough in today's world that we all need to be more aware of our surroundings wherever we are. Last night proves this point.

 

Wife and I go out to run some errands, specifically to fill up a few small gas cans I have for the mower, trimmer, chainsaw and such. While pumping the gas (into small 1 gallon gas cans so it doesn't take long to fill them and you have to pay attention) I hear a loud "HEY." As I stop pumping gas, and lift my head to look up, 2 feet in front of me stands a grandpa (who was pumping gas on the other side of my pump) with his sidearm in hand, but its not pointed at me. As I look over my right shoulder (where grandpa is pointing is sidearm) there stands a guy, who looked fully baked on some sort of drugs literally on my six. I make eye contact with the guy, he mumbles sorry and walks away. No clue what this guy wanted, ask for money, trying to grab for my wallet which was in that side back pocket, just wanted to say high, who knows.

 

So at this point my head starts racing, damn my sidearm is in the glovebox, no help at all. This could have been real bad. I look into my car, see the wife is face deep in her phone, clueless to the world, she didn't even know anything happened. I look back up at grandpa and said, "guess I owe you one, thanks." Grandpa smirks with a reply of "Son, you don't owe me anything unless I have to pull the trigger." We pumped our gas and went on our separate ways.

 

Several things reinforced last night.

 

1. Always be extremely aware of your surroundings everywhere you are

2. Concealed Carry does no good when your sidearm is not on your person

3. Its always good to have Grandpa around.

Three cheers for this guy!

 

You know you are getting old when your no longer a chick magnet but a zombie magnet!

He probably just wanted to clean your windshield.

2. Concealed Carry does no good when your sidearm is not on your person

@plantmanky

How do you conceal and carry a gun when your wearing a bear suit??

I know that I don't need to tell anyone that panhandlers can be found wandering around gas stations all the time, and I'd be the first to tell you that it can be rather annoying.

 

No doubt that some situations can arise while out in public that feel more threatening than someone just simply asking for change.

 

...And there's also no doubt that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference of someone's intent when they approach you out of the blue.

 

It's certainly a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, no doubt about it.

 

When I'm out I'm forever eyeballing situations doing my best to avoid uncomfortable or potentially threatening situations, and even then people can seem to pop from out of nowhere, and it drives me nuts.

 

Panhandlers also know that you can't conveniently dodge them when you're in the middle of the task of filling up, so you're a sitting duck to them when trying to get your attention.

 

It's scary to think that you really have to have eyes in the back of your head sometimes, and just like in your situation, you had no clue that someone was this close to you, and if someone has ill intent you're in big trouble.

 

Here's the part of my dissertation that will prompt cries that I be hung up in the city square for being too much of a wussy pacifist.

 

With all of that said, what was it about your specific scenario other than an ordinary drunk or drugged up panhandler wanting change that demanded that the situation be escalated to the point that grandpa brings his gun into the situation?

 

No doubt it made the guy move along in a hurry, but did it truly require this type of threat?

 

Is this the world we live in now where so many are so quick to pull their weapon just because they have one? ...And how do we know that grandpa isn't a loose cannon? Honestly I'd be more freaked out by grandpa in this situation than a staggering drunk panhandler.

 

I certainly see that in this situation we don't know for sure the drunk's intent, and I also get the desire to carry for protection. I get that if civilized folks don't carry then only criminals will be the ones on the street with guns.

 

I get all of that.

 

The thing that I worried about when in recent years it became common for the common citizen to carry, is that the more people holding, the more people start using for random situations that don't require a gun, such as road rage, or scaring off a panhandler, for example.

 

And believe you me, It doesn't make me feel any more comfortable than in years past that more common citizens are holding, for I don't have a tremendous amount of trust in the common citizen.

 

This is not meant to be a cry to disallow carrying. While it's most definitely a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, I would also hope that people who carry can dial down their paranoia enough not to think that the weapon has to surface in every questionable situation. Sometimes I get the impression that some just can't wait for the first situation to arise that has them justifying in their minds that it was right to pull.

 

That bad situation you wanted to avoid just might be escalated into a real bad situation far worse.

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by B-Ball-fan

I know that I don't need to tell anyone that panhandlers can be found wandering around gas stations all the time, and I'd be the first to tell you that it can be rather annoying.

 

No doubt that some situations can arise while out in public that feel more threatening than someone just simply asking for change.

 

...And there's also no doubt that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference of someone's intent when they approach you out of the blue.

 

It's certainly a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, no doubt about it.

 

When I'm out I'm forever eyeballing situations doing my best to avoid uncomfortable or potentially threatening situations, and even then people can seem to pop from out of nowhere, and it drives me nuts.

 

Panhandlers also know that you can't conveniently dodge them when you're in the middle of the task of filling up, so you're a sitting duck to them when trying to get your attention.

 

It's scary to think that you really have to have eyes in the back of your head sometimes, and just like in your situation, you had no clue that someone was this close to you, and if someone has ill intent you're in big trouble.

 

Here's the part of my dissertation that will prompt cries that I be hung up in the city square for being too much of a wussy pacifist.

 

With all of that said, what was it about your specific scenario other than an ordinary drunk or drugged up panhandler wanting change that demanded that the situation be escalated to the point that grandpa brings his gun into the situation?

 

No doubt it made the guy move along in a hurry, but did it truly require this type of threat?

 

Is this the world we live in now where so many are so quick to pull their weapon just because they have one? ...And how do we know that grandpa isn't a loose cannon? Honestly I'd be more freaked out by grandpa in this situation than a staggering drunk panhandler.

 

I certainly see that in this situation we don't know for sure the drunk's intent, and I also get the desire to carry for protection. I get that if civilized folks don't carry then only criminals will be the ones on the street with guns.

 

I get all of that.

 

The thing that I worried about when in recent years it became common for the common citizen to carry, is that the more people holding, the more people start using for random situations that don't require a gun, such as road rage, or scaring off a panhandler, for example.

 

And believe you me, It doesn't make me feel any more comfortable than in years past that more common citizens are holding, for I don't have a tremendous amount of trust in the common citizen.

 

This is not meant to be a cry to disallow carrying. While it's most definitely a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, I would also hope that people who carry can dial down their paranoia enough not to think that the weapon has to surface in every questionable situation. Sometimes I get the impression that some just can't wait for the first situation to arise that has them justifying in their minds that it was right to pull.

 

That bad situation you wanted to avoid just might be escalated into a real bad situation far worse.

 

The fact that this guy walked up on my six, close enough to be able to touch me, without saying a word, at a busy gas station. Thats a good enough reason for me.

@plantmanky

How do you conceal and carry a gun when your wearing a bear suit??

@rjs4470, If I would have been wearing the bear suit, grandpa may have pointed at me first, lol.

I know that I don't need to tell anyone that panhandlers can be found wandering around gas stations all the time, and I'd be the first to tell you that it can be rather annoying.

 

No doubt that some situations can arise while out in public that feel more threatening than someone just simply asking for change.

 

...And there's also no doubt that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference of someone's intent when they approach you out of the blue.

 

It's certainly a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, no doubt about it.

 

When I'm out I'm forever eyeballing situations doing my best to avoid uncomfortable or potentially threatening situations, and even then people can seem to pop from out of nowhere, and it drives me nuts.

 

Panhandlers also know that you can't conveniently dodge them when you're in the middle of the task of filling up, so you're a sitting duck to them when trying to get your attention.

 

It's scary to think that you really have to have eyes in the back of your head sometimes, and just like in your situation, you had no clue that someone was this close to you, and if someone has ill intent you're in big trouble.

 

Here's the part of my dissertation that will prompt cries that I be hung up in the city square for being too much of a wussy pacifist.

 

With all of that said, what was it about your specific scenario other than an ordinary drunk or drugged up panhandler wanting change that demanded that the situation be escalated to the point that grandpa brings his gun into the situation?

 

No doubt it made the guy move along in a hurry, but did it truly require this type of threat?

 

Is this the world we live in now where so many are so quick to pull their weapon just because they have one? ...And how do we know that grandpa isn't a loose cannon? Honestly I'd be more freaked out by grandpa in this situation than a staggering drunk panhandler.

 

I certainly see that in this situation we don't know for sure the drunk's intent, and I also get the desire to carry for protection. I get that if civilized folks don't carry then only criminals will be the ones on the street with guns.

 

I get all of that.

 

The thing that I worried about when in recent years it became common for the common citizen to carry, is that the more people holding, the more people start using for random situations that don't require a gun, such as road rage, or scaring off a panhandler, for example.

 

And believe you me, It doesn't make me feel any more comfortable than in years past that more common citizens are holding, for I don't have a tremendous amount of trust in the common citizen.

 

This is not meant to be a cry to disallow carrying. While it's most definitely a good idea to be aware of your surroundings, I would also hope that people who carry can dial down their paranoia enough not to think that the weapon has to surface in every questionable situation. Sometimes I get the impression that some just can't wait for the first situation to arise that has them justifying in their minds that it was right to pull.

 

That bad situation you wanted to avoid just might be escalated into a real bad situation far worse.

 

I'd have told grandpa to put the gun away, I'm probably gonna give the guy some $$. No problem with @plantmanky feeling better, but there are people that do not like this at all. Don't butt into my life with your gun. I don't want it out in a public place when I am there.

 

That's ok @I mostly agree with you. I worry more about those (unless I know them) with guns, as do you.

I'd have told grandpa to put the gun away, I'm probably gonna give the guy some $$. No problem with @plantmanky feeling better, but there are people that do not like this at all. Don't butt into my life with your gun. I don't want it out in a public place when I am there.

 

That's ok @I mostly agree with you. I worry more about those (unless I know them) with guns, as do you.

 

I dont give money to people anymore. If he had need money for gas, I might have went over, swiped my card and put gas in his tank, but thats not what this guy wanted, by the looks of him.

Probably should have shot the guy just to be safe...

Probably should have shot the guy just to be safe...

 

I realize this is sarcasm.

 

But on the practical side, discharging a firearm around gas pumps that are in operation is probably not recommended.

I realize this is sarcasm.

 

But on the practical side, discharging a firearm around gas pumps that are in operation is probably not recommended.

 

Turning the gas station into a bomb is secondary here. Someone was about to ask plantman for some spare change. Priorities...

I dont give money to people anymore. If he had need money for gas, I might have went over, swiped my card and put gas in his tank, but thats not what this guy wanted, by the looks of him.

 

You were there, so in your defense only you can judge how threatening the situation felt, and no doubt some panhandlers can be more aggressive than others. Also, since you were there, only you can determine if the older dude was level headed, which it sounds as if he was. Thankfully nothing bad happened and I can appreciate that under the circumstances you were made to feel safe.

Sometimes I get annoying phone calls and it's very frustrating because there really is no way to use a gun over the phone.