The VERY first time I carry, I almost had to pull it.

This is a story about nothing. Nothing, but I couldn't believe it while it was unfolding - to become nothing.

Backstory. Friday night in the DFW area. GREAT downtown area, very clean, very safe, very patrolled. Walk 6 minutes from apartment to the Symphony hall to a cool Celtic concert. Walking back at 10:30pm. I'm wearing a sport coat. I'm healthy. I'm alone.

Equipment: Ruger LCP. Brand new CHL license. Very first time carrying. It's in a pocket holster. As an interesting aside, the gun weight felt like it darn near doubled once you actually load it. And even this tiny little guy had a real tug on the pants. In a mirror, I think it prints personally, though no one gave me a second glance. Guess it looks like a cell phone bulge as much as anything else.

Feeling a little different carrying - not bad or anything, just, it's new. Hoping that wears off quickly and it's just something I don't think about it. I'm very conscious of it tonight.

Back to the story. There's a small area, like 1/2 a block, near the apartment, that's... safe, decently lit, but only sort of, surround by good stuff. Never had cause for concern walking it, no vagrants hang out here. Well, a large pick-up is slowly driving in front of me, probably lost or on the phone. It's ahead of me, going the same way. Nice looking truck. As I'm walking, it stops in front of me. So I go to the other side of the street. I'm on the phone with my wife, but my spidey sense is mildly tingling. Door opens up, and a Hispanic dude jumps out. (what difference does it make that it's a Hispanic dude? Shouldn't make any, but it's a detail. He's a male minority around 20-30. Hispanic and black male minorities around 20-30 have a disproportionate amount of criminal representation. Sorry, but it's a detail I'm going to note when assessing a night time situation) Well dressed, nice truck; Good detail. Passenger in the vehicle, looks male (surprised I was noticing all these details); Bad detail. Passenger staying in the vehicle (good detail).

Guy gets out and says "Excuse me, can you direct me to 35?" (It's 10:30 pm? Who doesn't have a cell phone GPS with a nice truck like that?). I notice this detail.

"Hold on honey" I say into the phone (she doesn't hang up. Good woman that.)

I look at the guy, thinking to self "Is this really happening?" This could be a guy asking for directions, but this is also a pretty classic intro for worse.
Thinking to myself still "For real? I must be jumpy.."
So I mutter "not sure..."

The guy then starts approaching me.

I immediately put my hand in my pocket while moving my right leg back an inch and at the same time say clearly "Woah, what are you doing"? while holding the phone slightly in his direction as a stop. My eyes also tracked passenger out of periphial (who was still static). While I'm doing all this, my mind is racing: "Is this really happening?? The very first time I carry??"

Guy IMMEDIATELY stops. Don't know what his life experiences were, but he knew (better than I did I think) exactly what the details of our visit were now. He then said "woah it's OK, I'm just trying to figure out how to get to 35!"

In less than 1/2 a second I take in him, his stance, his attire, his passenger, his passenger behavior, his vehicle, and his vehicle condition, direction of the vehicle, proximity and road system (that can lead people to this lonely corner actually). And conclude: "OK, this guy really is lost and just trying to head to 35." So... I smile, de-escalate, and give him great directions. All the while keeping my hand in my pocket, and enough distance to feel non-threatened. Send him on his happy way, and resume convo with the wife as I watch his tail lights.

I'd bet anything it was just a guy having a nice date (could have been a stocky girl), or dinner with a friend downtown, not familiar, and just going home. I'm glad I didn't draw, or do or say anything silly. But I'm not apologetic about how I handled it either. In retrospect, I'm actually pretty stunned at how well I handled it, and how freaky fast my mind was collecting and processing data.

If I hadn't had a gun, nothing would have happened. By having a gun in my pocket, nothing happened. I'm real glad we all had a nice night and he got great directions. In the end, the entire transaction probably took 15 seconds.

Seems like you handled yourself just fine. Guy approaches you while you're alone at night and you have every right to go on defense mentally, set up a game plan and execute it. I've had my CCW for about 6-8 months and luckily nothing has really happened where I went Condition Orange. Details are good. Everything you pick up will help you after the fact if something does go down. Everything you pick up will help you decide where/when you set that trigger that puts you in Condition Red if it comes to that. You didn't mention how long ago you took the class (if your state requires it) but i know the second I set foot outside that classroom, my outlook changed completely. I have to force myself to take in the details around me, but luckily for you it seems like its almost second nature.

Now you have an opportunity to asses yourself and see if there are any changes you can make. I know I was constantly tweeking how I carried the first few months. I changed quickly from a full size to a compact, moved my holster location two or three times and have tried about 5 different holsters and upgraded to an actual gun belt recently.

Good stuff.

let me see here: Dark, late at night, and some guy –– the DRIVER–– gets out of his truck and asks for directions?

OP, you certainly had the right to be concerned. You behaved correctly.

BTW: Check on Texas' laws regarding 'brandishing.' In some places in the US, simply putting your hand on your gun is considered brandishing.

All in all, you did the right thing.

Hey man my garmin was busted and i had no service on my phone!

Seriously, I probably would have just hollered at you if I really needed directions. Getting out and approaching, that would have raised a flag with me too.

yeah him getting out is odd, if i have to ask somebody something i roll the window down and maybe pull up a little closer. but there are people when they talk to someone, that want to be right up in your face close. either way, night ended good for both of you, and its better to be paying attention than get hit from behind.

Thank you.

In Texas we take a 12 hour class, which I did. The class was pretty good, but had to cater to the lowest common denominator. I've been shooting long enough, and am traveled enough, that it really didn't do much for me. What really helped me the most, and I know this is silly, is the below AR15.com post. After reading that, I had a lot more confidence on assessing threat escalations in a street confrontation.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1285487_Street_robberies_and_you___The_Basics.html&page=1


Edit to Add: I'm glad I went with the Ruger LCP as my carry choice. It's a very light gun, that's dead-nuts reliable, and simple to use. It's purpose built for this. There's no safety to fiddle with. It's small enough to conceal in easily accessible holster. If I hadn't gotten the LCP, I would have relied on a 1911. A 1911, that probably would have been at home. Or a 1911 in some kind of deeper more awkward position. With a lot of mass and a slow draw. That either would have had to be racked, or the safety disengaged. With the LCP, I knew I could have that gun out of my pocket and firing in a fraction of a second. And that when I did so, when I pulled my finger, it would work. That helped give me confidence. Confidence helps me not look like a lamb.

I've lived in Texas (near Houston) most my life and am a CHL licensee and until I moved out of state for a couple of years, a CHL instructor. There was nothing illegal that you did in putting your hand in your pocket so no worries there. Based on the encounters I've had myself, assaults I have observed on tape, and students and police officers I have spoken with, you were about to be mugged. This was very unlikely to be nothing. The two guys behavior was classic opportunity mugging. You did a nice job - except for standing on a street talking on your cellphone at night. That was probably what attracted them to you in the first place. They selected you thinking you were distracted and were easy prey. They have done this before many times and recognized something was off and aborted it early. They count on the fact that they know what this is about and you don't.

About 5 years back, I was walking down a Houston street at night towards my car when a guy approached me and asked for the time. 20-30 y.o. male. When my eyes did not immediately go towards my watch we stood there for about 2 seconds just looking at one another in the eyes. I was carrying a G23 in an IWB holster. After 2 seconds, with me not answering his question or looking away from him, he said "never mind" and retreated to go stand back on the street.

These muggings start with a distractor - time, directions, bus fare, whatever. During that time they are assessing you as a target. If you behave "normally", you just got selected. If you don't, an experienced criminal will likely beg off and select someone else.

I'm curious about that. The vehicle was a nice vehicle, and the driver was well dressed. I assumed that de-escalates (but doesn't eliminate) threat level. Do you have experience or knowledge of incidents where the perpetrator was well dressed in a nice vehicle? Not trying argue - I'm trying to update my calibration. But don't want to do so unless there's data to support.

In such and similar situations your brain will (for all intensive purposes) "slow time" to allow for more intake and deciphering of data. When the second feels like an hour, as far as your brain cares, it was. Time doesn't actually slow (obviously) but your brain speeds up, taking in information up to 10 times that of average.

Fascinating stuff the human mind.

And good story, glad everybody got to go home.

OP you did just fine. I've had one similar incident (except it was panhandling rather than directions). In before the CSB posts.

ETA: I drive an Audi, I don't have GPS of any kind.

well done

The truck could be stolen and the thugs are on their way to party just stopping for some quick cash.

All I could hear while reading was Peter Griffin narrating the parts about the detail (good detail for detail)
Sounds like you did good though! Nice to hear you were on alert, sounds like you have the mindset going to keep yourself safe.

ETA: Speaking of asking for directions. A friend of my wife's, who is a sweet lady from TX. And for the purpose of this little story I'll tell you she is a white woman....

...there she was driving down the main street of the new town she had just moved to in North Carolina, New Bern. And she realizes she cant find where she is going, so she pulls up to a black man walking down the street and asks him for directions to the place she was looking to go "Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the unemployment office?"...."F*** You!" exclaimed the helpful local gentleman.

Just goes to show you that your not the only one who feels on edge by random drivers remarks!

Yes. Thugs use camouflage too. Think back to when you were 20. If you have 2 x 20 year olds in a car, who is going to stop a random stranger on the street for directions? Nearly everyone has GPS, cell phone, etc - especially those in nice clothes and truck. The thugs understand more about predator/prey relationship than most give them credit for. They are sizing you up. This is a common occurrence on the street. I made more calls than I can count for this kind of behavior as a paramedic and have experienced it first hand around a dozen times.

As Clint Smith says, "If you look like prey, you will be eaten."

"no sir" move on

Yup, good response, OP. Based on your response you were not selected.

OP, do you carry a good, bright tactical flashlight? A light shined in the (potential) threats eyes
Can give you a few extra seconds to better determine friend or foe and/or take action. I carry a Surefire E1B for this, but there are other options.

[

OP, do you carry a good, bright tactical flashlight? A light shined in the (potential) threats eyes
Can give you a few extra seconds to better determine friend or foe and/or take action. I carry a Surefire E1B for this, but there are other options.
[/quote]

Excellent advice!!!

I have worked some robberies exactly like that. One of my favorite robberies of all time was just that––––two siblings were in stolen car heading out to see a movie and go out for the evening, and decided to hit someone in the university area so the older brother could, and I quote the younger brother's statement here, "have some paper is his pocket."

Unfortunately for the guy wanting "paper," the "drunk college kid" heading home from the bar they selected as a target was actually the bartender leaving the early shift at The Boot and walking a few blocks to his truck. His S&W 4006 full of Hydra-Shoks beat the thug's unloaded (he didn't even have a magazine for it,) .25 POS handily. Three shots fired by the bartender, three hits, and doofus expired on the sidewalk after running about 18 feet.

(Even unloaded, the two had pulled off a couple dozen robberies and a few rapes with that one unloaded pistol over the preceding few months.)

I like the ending to that story. On that note I can go to sleep, thanks!

I cant fault you at all. If youve told the person that you dont know how to get to 35 and then he starts toward you its not good body language. Perhaps he didnt even realize it but thats pretty textbook robbery action right there.
He didnt handle himself very well and as a result you had a right to be suspicious and handle yourself accordingly.

Fear really is a gift.

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