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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 10, 2015 10:49:11 GMT
For the second time this week I was accosted by a fine individual who is lacking a proper dwelling. My tale of woe began yesterday.... I get to my parking spot in the empty lot of the church where I park. Fantastic. I properly stow my trusted Glock 26 and walk across a 4 lane road. I pop my phone out to check the daily goings on and I hear someone running. I put my phone back into my pocket and turn to look at who's running. Well, it's a fine young man running directly towards me on the same path I've used to cross the street. Great, I've neglected to bring my knife, my pepper spray or my flashlight. There are a good amount of street lights so seeing him wasn't an issue. He sees that I've seen him and takes about a 15ft insta-detour around me and trots around the corner of a parking garage that had cut ins every 50 feet or so. I'm like, wise ass, like I don't know you're going to hide in that cut out and wait for me. So I take the corner about 30 ft wide and there he was, on his morning run lighting up a cigarette. I stop and look at him. He knows I've noticed and he jets off p the street. Well, after a year of me complaining the parking garage had fixed their light so my path is well lit. I see him run up the block and looking around for another spot to cut into. He finds no where and when he arrives at the next corner he cuts a quick left. Oh RLY? Well, when I arrive at the corner I take this one wide as well and here comes jackass up to the street where you'd push the button to cross. For a guy who just jay walked a 4 lane road he's quite interested in using the proper way to cross a road. He feverishly smokes his cigarette while I hold back about 20 ft keeping a cable between me and this fine young fellow. He doesn't wait for the green man to indicate it's time to cross and bolts. He gets across the 4 lane and waits on the other side until I get half way across the street. I stop in the middle, screw this I say I'm not going any further until this troll is gone. He waits, and waits, I see he's becoming inpatient. See that I'm not coming he bolts up the street in front of the federal building.
I swear to myself not to leave my kit at home ever again.
Day two on the saga.
I pull in again. I put the Glock away and as soon as I shut the door here's jackasses brother. I step no further and keep the corner of my vehicle between him and myself. Ok, what's this jackass want as I palm my kimber lifeact.
"Scuse me, bossman" I say nothing. "Yeah, scuse me, bossman, let me ax you sumfin." I say nothing. "Yeah, let me git sum money fo' de bus." "Please leave me alone." was my response. I only responded because he was blocking my only exit. the was a fence to my back and my truck to my left. I could have gone right but the entire parking lot is encircled with a fence. "What, motherfucka! Oh, you got the wrong mother fucker fo dat!" was his well reasoned reply. I open the door of my truck and retrieve my Glock and stuff it back into my appendix carry. I have more of my truck between him and me now. He continues to enlighten me on his current state of affairs. He'd just been released from jail, he informed this motherfucker, for a vacation of 20 months for attempted murder and how I'd selected the "the wrong one". I give no response. He slowly walked away from me informing me how I'd better not try him or it would be on. Well, fine man, you have no idea how close you'd come to a less than pleasurable event. He continues his one sided berating of me as he walks of. I wait a good solid 5 minute to ensure he does not do a circle around and stow my blaster. I immediately report the incident to the only competent law enforcement agency in the area and I move on. I palmed my spray the entire way to work.
Well, I've about fucking had it with this bullshit. Can I walk to work? Can I peacefully interact with my surroundings? Nope.
This is my big wake up, again, I need to be constantly vigilant and remember my kit daily. I seriously need to get some body armor. |
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Post by LowKey on Sept 10, 2015 12:52:31 GMT
... you need to transfer to somewhere that isn't quite so populated with such dirtbags. Or at least a jurisdiction where ending said dirtbags isn't frowned upon and as a result said dirtbags learn to keep thier distance.
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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 10, 2015 13:21:28 GMT
Yes, I spoke with the federal guards this morning and they'll be out there ASAP in the morning. I'm so glad I got the nudge yesterday to carry my spray and light. This morning could have been way different.
Another thing he did was he never turned his back on me. Not once until he was about 100 feet away. This guy was hardened.
As far as transferring, well, not really an option. I could but I'd have to physically move out of Columbia which would require selling my home and moving. It's an option but I really don't want to move again.
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Post by as556 on Sept 10, 2015 14:06:14 GMT
Dude lucked out. I dont carry a gun at work (anymore) but am never, ever without a folding blade and gel mace. I don't think you'd have been in the wrong to mace him and get a couple stomps in while he's writhing around. Then again I don't think much of those types.
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Post by LowKey on Sept 10, 2015 14:11:23 GMT
Sorry GBM, I wasn't trying to be dismissive or flip. You'd recognized your one error (having left your gear at home) and have taken steps to prevent repeating the error. The "just move" suggestion wasn't made to be a smart ass or without understanding that doing so isn't a fun proposition. It's simply that I think consideration of what the area is likely to be like in 5, 10, 20, 50, and perhaps even 100 years needs to be taken. It's not so much a case of "can this sort of social decay be stopped and repaired" but more along the lines of" given current and past trends of social and legislative behavior, which is most likely...that the social decay will be stopped and repaired without further decent, or is it more likely that the social decay and decent into thuggery will continue for the forseeable future ? " When you think about it, consider what things will be like for your grandchildren. People tend not to move far from where they were raised, even when the area turns bad. Not trying to put this on par with the rise of nazism in 1930s Europe, but a whole lot of people from a particular ethnic group would have avoided a heap of trouble, misery, and misfortune if they'd have just looked around, recognized and accepted that the society that they'd been living in wasn't going to defend them from thugs, or support thier right to defend themselves from thugs, or treat them fairly under the law. The time to get out is early on before most people clue in, when you can set the terms... not when it's gotten so bad that you have to liquidate for whatever you can get just so you can get out. To me on the outside, it looks like the whole east coast, all of Cali, and most of the bigger mid-west cities are going to be toilets within 10 years. "Hands up, don't shoot" and "Hands up, give me your wallet motherf©¢€r"are going to be the only two phrases you'll need to understand.       Anyone else seeing some similarities? Really, all we need now to do this right is find a fat bastard in a toga to play the fiddle for us. |
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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 10, 2015 14:13:35 GMT
I don't think much either but I don't know if he's got hidden associates. I don't know if he's got some resistance to spray. Loads of guys in jail have been sprayed a lot and can fight through it.
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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 10, 2015 14:18:09 GMT
I hear you and it's a long term plan to get to Utah or somewhere like that. Somewhere much, much more mellow. Right now it's not horrible and I was fully ready to shoot this guy, he was very close to getting shot. I'm not down with that and do not want the hassle.
There are some serious social swings going on. But like I said, if it gets really bad, I'd walk away from this place, no problem. Right now, it's just because it's dark out and warm. Once it cools off, they'll go away.
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Post by as556 on Sept 10, 2015 14:36:12 GMT
Oregon's pretty nice, GBM. I digz it. That said that shit is everywhere. I almost had to shoot a hobo last February. He was milliseconds away.
Basicically I was walking down the street with my lady and dude walks up quickly towards us and yells "hey! I've got something for you!" with his right hand shoved deep into his jacket pocket. My eyes go right to his hands and he brings his hand up quickly in a drawing motion to reveal..a middle finger in my face. "Fuck you!"
I stiff armed his face football style out of our path and told him to get the fuck back. I don't think he even realized how close I was to drawing into retention and letting him have it. I'm just glad there was nothing in his hand or who knows how that would've played out.
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Post by nxp on Sept 10, 2015 14:45:14 GMT
Maybe an obvious suggestion, but what about rotating your parking locations?
Might sound silly, but I know I do it myself - I've never had an experience to mimic what you had up here in rural farm country, but when I lived in much more populous areas of the south I made it a point to change up my parking/routes often. Kept the morons guessing, as like most animals of opportunity they'll pattern something that looks easy and go after it. It's harder to pattern something that's not consistent.
Of course up here we're also constitutionally allowed open carry (unless you live in MKE/MAD at which point - why?) so I don't think I'd have one issue at all making sure that my grip was exposed and easily accessible regardless of what the opposition thought. Fastest one to the bang usually wins...
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Post by LowKey on Sept 10, 2015 14:45:51 GMT
Dude lucked out. I dont carry a gun at work (anymore) but am never, ever without a folding blade and gel mace. I don't think you'd have been in the wrong to mace him and get a couple stomps in while he's writhing around. Then again I don't think much of those types. GBM would have been in the right, but good luck proving it in court. "All I did is ask the man to loan me some busfare, next thing I know he's macing me. I wasn't looking for no trouble, I'm on parole and got to keep my nose clean..you think I want to go back in? <sniffle> People won't give a man a chance to change... " |
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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 10, 2015 15:00:52 GMT
Can't rotate spots. The lot is full and there is a waiting list to get in. Spots downtown Columbia are scarce.
I'm going to start carrying my Cold Steel walking cane with me. That's it, I've had enough, no malice but I have a right to not be threatened.
I think I could have easily proved it. He was at my vehicle, I'm a federal employee with a spotless record vs a aggressive pan handler. And the lot has video surveillance.
ACS, Oregon is on the list too. Really, somewhere with a better climate and a smaller city. Definitely outside a city.
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Post by LowKey on Sept 10, 2015 15:13:54 GMT
Really, somewhere with a better climate and a smaller city. Definitely outside a city. There are places on my island for sale as well, and we don't really have a homeless problem here. They can't afford the ferry fare  Salmon. Venison. Crab. Shrimp. No property or sales tax. OC or CCW wherever. |
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Post by scbrian on Sept 10, 2015 22:12:24 GMT
Sucks GM, are all weapons out for you? no knives, etc? What about a kubotan key chain, etc?
/Off topic
Been working your way up in Irmo and Lexington and passed an accident last night on I26 / Cayce exit ~9pmish, east bound, looks like 5+ vehicles, with one being flipped, What's the fall out from it? Couldn't find anything on it when I got back to CHS. Didn't stop as I wasn't driving, and there were plenty of folks running around. I passed through there within a minute or 2 of it happening.
/Back on topic
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Post by red on Sept 10, 2015 22:43:57 GMT
Lowkey one question what is the job market like up there? I know GBM works for a 3 letter fed agency so do they have an office up there he can transfer to and not lose anything work related.
GBM not much to say other then you did good. You are not hurt and not in jail, but the trash in your area is disheartening.
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Post by Gingerbread Man on Sept 11, 2015 1:13:44 GMT
I can carry a knife under 2", pepper spray and a flashlight.
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