1.) Bob Peck - 10/07/2016

I was returning from an unsuccessful hunt last night and parking my vehicle on the street. We have a 4-car driveway and 5 vehicles in the family. I needed to get out early this morning for another hunt. I don't live in hard core suburbia and by that I mean that maze of humanity where every house looks the same and if you don't live in the neighborhood you need Google maps to get around because the vastness and similarity of street names is numbing. Not hard core because most lots are at least 1 acre or more. No. I don't live in hardcore suburbia but I do live in a small Shenandoah Valley "development" perched atop a vantage point hill. I look out my bedroom window and have a panoramic of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It's after 8:30 and dark. There are no street lights on my street and very few leave their porch lights on. As I unloaded gear onto my front lawn I saw a dark figure out of my periphery maybe 8-10 yards and closing. I instinctively reached for my 9 mm which is as much a part of me as my wallet or the Gaelic cross around my neck. I didn't draw but I did pivot and took a crouch position around the side of my vehicle near the trunk for coverage.

[I]"Hello sir. May I speak with you for a moment?"[/I]
[I]
"No." [/I]was my terse and ready-for-action response. [I]"Hold your ground. Do not come forward."[/I] was the rest of it in the best imitation of my career police officer father. My right hand still firmly wrapped around the pistol grip. My left hand bracing my body up against my vehicle.

[I]"Uh. O.K."[/I] came the startled and halting response from the dark glob.

I crouched slightly fishing with my left hand for my headlamp in my backpack on the ground without looking away. Since I am OCD on where I stow gear in my pack I found the headlamp as quickly as if I was in a treestand, turned it on and lit up the glob.

Turns out to be a college kid going door to door selling something. I didn't bother to ask what that something was. He had a clipboard in one hand, some paper material in the other and a canvas satchel over his shoulder. He's shielding his eyes from the headlamp. I was tempted to hit him with the strobe feature.

I took a couple of deep breaths, analyzed and determined the threat level was low but not off. I released my grip on my pistol and brewed some choice words in my head and let it flow.
[I]
"You do realize it's dark out right?"[/I]

Pause...

[I]"Well, yeah of course."[/I]

I was determined to play the role of Captain Obvious.
[I]
"I don't care what kind of neighborhood you think you're in but you don't approach people in the street and in the dark. In fact, it's probably the best way I can think of to get yourself killed which almost just happened. There's a cop who lives right over there who I'm sure will back me on that. When it's sundown it time to call it quits."[/I]

Pause ...

He stammers a teeny bit [I]"What do you mean killed? You mean by a car?"[/I]

I think to myself, you've got to be kidding.
[I]
"No I don't mean killed by a car. I mean killed by somebody like me who's not as thoroughly trained as I am who would shoot you first, ask questions later and then claim self-defense. Didn't your employer explain all this?"[/I]

Long, long pause. The sound of crickets intervened on the silence. I was determined to let it sink in and process without further explanation.

"Do you mind not shining that light in my eyes?"

My response was immediate. No more pausing.

[I]"Yes I do mind. Get the hell out of here."[/I]

Sad but true.

2.) bluecat - 10/07/2016

Glad everything turned out okay Bob. It does seem obvious not to approach someone in the dark. Jeez.

3.) DParker - 10/07/2016

You're lucky it was just some dumb college kid and not Diemon Dave. You'd have never seen him coming before you got ninja-ed (one of my all-time favorite YouTube classics).

[video=youtube;_j1-xQA_ufE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j1-xQA_ufE[/video]

4.) Jon - 10/10/2016

Sadly, today's young "adults" don't have a flipping clue about the real world and think everything is rainbows and unicorns. I'm glad you didn't shoot the moron but also sad that someday he might breed.
Adrenaline rush Bob?

Glad you're ok

5.) bluecat - 10/10/2016

[QUOTE=DParker;44616]You're lucky it was just some dumb college kid and not Diemon Dave. You'd have never seen him coming before you got ninja-ed (one of my all-time favorite YouTube classics).

[video=youtube;_j1-xQA_ufE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j1-xQA_ufE[/video][/QUOTE]

"This is not a game." :laugh:

6.) Swamp Fox - 10/10/2016

Diemon Dave was ahead of his time, and a great philosopher.



[B][I]Don't go ninja-in' nobody don't need ninja-in'. [/I][/B]


I try to live by that creed every day, especially on-line. :wink


I like it a WHOLE lot better than "I'd like to buy the world a Coke," which was never my approach anyway, but I'm just sayin'.

:-)

7.) Bob Peck - 10/11/2016

[QUOTE=Jon;44621]Adrenaline rush Bob? Glad you're ok[/QUOTE]
I'm being totally honest here. No. No adrenaline rush.

I was on autopilot as my eyes and ears took in hundreds of bits of information without thinking. I don't live anywhere near a high crime, threat-rich environment ... quite the opposite. I was pleased at the outcome. Years of training and practice actually worked in a real-life scenario. The weapon never left the holster and thus my finger was never on the trigger.

8.) Jon - 10/11/2016

Glad to hear, stupidity (in this case) doesn't mean you have to be shot but it could have been very different in a mere instant.