The mental exercise of "what ifs"

[kelcarry]

Now that I have weapons and have a CCWP, every so often I think about a "what if" as I go about my life. Home defense is a lot easier than being out in public. Castle Doctrine in SC is pretty clear, even if the issue of deadly force for protection of property and not self is arguable.
How about the following scenario? You have a CCW and you are on a highway at say 10PM and you have a flat. You pull over and call AAA for assistance and are standing around waiting. A "good samaritan" stops behind you and yells out that he can help you and proceeds to come up to you. His conversation then turns to comments like "boy this being alone out here sure puts people in a vulnerable position" and "I do this all the time and it would be nice, sometimes, if the person I'm helping would at least offer me something for my time"--get the point?---the comments are beginning to get around to "gimmee your money suckah". What do you do, at what point do you do something, at what point do you show your CCW, and at what point would you actually use it? You cannot retreat and are stuck in a situation. Comments?
Second scenario: Although I was not in a car at the time, I was waiting to open a coffee shop in a fairly dark and obviously deserted shopping mall except for a 24 hour supermarket several hundred feet away and it was 5AM in the morning. Next thing I know there is a creepy kind of guy standing next to me asking if he can buy one of the newspapers wrapped up and waiting to be placed in the shop. I tell him that he can pay me and take one since I work in the store. He then asks me if I have a cigarette and I tell him I do not smoke. At that point I get the feeling that he getting up his courage and the next question is "how much money do you have?". After I told him I did not smoke, I quickly walked away from him toward the supermarket in the shopping center telling him that I saw a friend of mine. End of story. I did not own any weapons at that time and did not have a CCWP but I believe that even if I did, I would act the same way again.Sure I retreated and in SC did not have to but it was easily done with no further problems.Comments?

 

[Wolfling68]

Situational Awareness, Trust your instincts, Avoid danger and conflicts.

If your instincts are saying something is wrong, leave the area. They are probably right. Keep you eyes open for the guy's (or girl's) friends, predators often travel in packs. Predators usually do not attack the (perceived) strong. Create distance and de-escalate if possible. Timing can be important in determining a response. Showing your fangs after the charge has begun will often escalate the violence, while a little growl during the stalking phase can often make a predator change his mind.

Watch The Dog Whisperer for some very interesting insights into behavior, alphas, betas, predators, and prey

 

[kelcarry]

Hey Wolfling68: As I have said in previous posts, I am 67 years old and in all that time, most of it in the NYC area (not exactly shangrila for peace and harmony), I have never been in a situation that required the possession of a CW. Good sense and not putting myself in a "situation" served me much better. That does not mean that there are not "what ifs" but, as I said in my second "what if" comment, using my head and walking away toward people and the lights of a supermarket served me much better than standing there, waiting for the guy to ask for my money, not retreating, and then having to bring out a CW for protection.

 

[Wolfling68]

Walking away was the right thing to do, maybe even hand him a paper for free, if appropriate to the situation. The guy on the side of the road, I would have given him a $20, a smile, and a thank you.

No need to get defensive, the answer is generic. Some people don't know the most basic avoidence skills. Some people are culturally conditioned to be polite, and put themselves in bad positions so as not to be rude (done this one myself). Some people know, but feel invulnerable because they are armed, and so they let their guard down or watch, waiting for the trouble to start (probably not conciously). Some people project victim, some get agressive (when they are armed) to overcome a lack of confidence. We are all guilty, to a greater or lesser degree, from time to time, of some of the above. Most of the time it does not lead to a bad situation, but sometimes it does (YMMV).

Never hesitate to go back to basics, your foundation can always be improved. Improving your basics will improve everything else. This is true in knowledge, skills, and life in general.