What do you do?

[TLoK]

You're leaving the range as it's closing. After getting into your vehicle, you pull out your phone to look up a nearby restaurant. Suddenly the back door opens and someone jumps in. What do you do next?

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[Danoobie]

I wonder "When did my coupe become a sedan?".

So, they're holding a knife or a gun to your ear, and have the drop on you.
Pretty much anything they want.

 

[niceshootintex]

I wonder "When did my coupe become a sedan?".

+1

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[Bikenut]

I'm going to be wondering how they got past my locked doors. Preventative measures go along with that situational awareness thing. Y'all do lock your doors immediately after getting in your car..... right?

 

[TLoK]

I wonder "When did my coupe become a sedan?".

So, they're holding a knife or a gun to your ear, and have the drop on you.
Pretty much anything they want.

Can't see if they're holding a gun or knife. A stranger just plopped down behind you.

This just happened to me. I pulled my gun. I didn't shoot it, but just the reality of pulling it has been a real shock. Just wondering how badly I overreacted compared to everyone else

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[Sean Woods]

Can't see if they're holding a gun or knife. A stranger just plopped down behind you.

This just happened to me. I pulled my gun. I didn't shoot it, but just the reality of pulling it has been a real shock. Just wondering how badly I overreacted compared to everyone else

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I don't know why you'd think for even a split second that you overreacted! Did they later give you a reasonable explanation for why they were getting into your car? I can't think of how that can happen without the guy who's getting in having very, very bad intentions.

 

[XD40scinNC]

Can't see if they're holding a gun or knife. A stranger just plopped down behind you.

This just happened to me. I pulled my gun. I didn't shoot it, but just the reality of pulling it has been a real shock. Just wondering how badly I overreacted compared to everyone else

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Was the guy an actual threat?

 

[TLoK]

Was the guy an actual threat?

No. He was high. You got in my car thinking I was an Uber driver. I yelled at him about 6 times to get out of my car with my gun drawn but held it retention and he just sat there grinning at me from the back seat. Then he said, "Relax," to which I did the exact opposite. His buddy was about to try to open the other door, and that's when I jumped out of the car. The whole thing lasted about 4 minutes before either one of them could get out that day thought I was an Uber driver that was sent to pick them up. Before that, the dude who is grinning didn't say much, and the other guy was just saying a bunch of nonsense. At one point, he pulled up his shirt and I pointed the gun at him thinking he was about to draw on me. He dropped it and said he was just reaching to get his phone and so I told him to get it slowly. He put it on the hood of the truck and told me to call his brother. I didn't, but I gathered that his brother called an Uber for them because they were too trashed to get home on their own. I felt terrible, and I probably wouldn't have freaked out if I had had my guard up. Normally I do, it just so happens that the one time I wasn't paying attention, someone got the drop on me. I think we all learned lessons that night

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[rdiorio]

No. He was high. You got in my car thinking I was an Uber driver. I yelled at him about 6 times to get out of my car with my gun drawn but held it retention and he just sat there grinning at me from the back seat. Then he said, "Relax," to which I did the exact opposite. His buddy was about to try to open the other door, and that's when I jumped out of the car. The whole thing lasted about 4 minutes before either one of them could get out that day thought I was an Uber driver that was sent to pick them up. Before that, the dude who is grinning didn't say much, and the other guy was just saying a bunch of nonsense. At one point, he pulled up his shirt and I pointed the gun at him thinking he was about to draw on me. He dropped it and said he was just reaching to get his phone and so I told him to get it slowly. He put it on the hood of the truck and told me to call his brother. I didn't, but I gathered that his brother called an Uber for them because they were too trashed to get home on their own. I felt terrible, and I probably wouldn't have freaked out if I had had my guard up. Normally I do, it just so happens that the one time I wasn't paying attention, someone got the drop on me. I think we all learned lessons that night

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You reacted perfectly (assuming it was legal in your state). In my state, your car and workplace are an extension of your home. I'm sure your adrenaline had your heart rate going through the roof if it was your first time pulling. I know the first time I drew, I was a little freaked out for the next hour. Thankfully, I didn't have to shoot either.

You handled it well, and everyone went home - you can't ask for much more.

 

[Bikenut]

No. He was high. You got in my car thinking I was an Uber driver. I yelled at him about 6 times to get out of my car with my gun drawn but held it retention and he just sat there grinning at me from the back seat. Then he said, "Relax," to which I did the exact opposite. His buddy was about to try to open the other door, and that's when I jumped out of the car. The whole thing lasted about 4 minutes before either one of them could get out that day thought I was an Uber driver that was sent to pick them up. Before that, the dude who is grinning didn't say much, and the other guy was just saying a bunch of nonsense. At one point, he pulled up his shirt and I pointed the gun at him thinking he was about to draw on me. He dropped it and said he was just reaching to get his phone and so I told him to get it slowly. He put it on the hood of the truck and told me to call his brother. I didn't, but I gathered that his brother called an Uber for them because they were too trashed to get home on their own. I felt terrible, and I probably wouldn't have freaked out if I had had my guard up. Normally I do, it just so happens that the one time I wasn't paying attention, someone got the drop on me. I think we all learned lessons that night

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Once you were out of the car why didn't you simply walk away while calling the police? Walking away would take you out of immediate danger.

I would prefer to protect my life by getting away from the situation instead of getting into a fight trying to protect my car or my dignity/ego.

If the individual(s) were to threaten my life in some manner and I couldn't get away then a much different response would be needed.

I will pass on the very best advice I ever heard:

The best way to win a gunfight is to not be there when it starts.

 

[lukem]

First thing I do when I get into my truck is lock the doors since they don't automatically lock until I put it in drive and then take my gun from my IWB holster and put it into the holster I have mounted along the center console. I also do my best not to sit in the truck after getting into it. As Bikernut said:

Preventative measures go along with that situational awareness thing.

 

[niceshootintex]

First thing I do when I get into my truck is lock the doors since they don't automatically lock until I put it in drive and then take my gun from my IWB holster and put it into the holster I have mounted along the center console. I also do my best not to sit in the truck after getting into it. As Bikernut said:

Situational Awareness. Learn it, love it, live it. I had it taught to me but there are scores of good books on it.

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[WmGardner]

I'm going to be wondering how they got past my locked doors. Preventative measures go along with that situational awareness thing. Y'all do lock your doors immediately after getting in your car..... right?

Yes, this. Exactly.


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[WmGardner]

Can't see if they're holding a gun or knife. A stranger just plopped down behind you.

This just happened to me. I pulled my gun. I didn't shoot it, but just the reality of pulling it has been a real shock. Just wondering how badly I overreacted compared to everyone else

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Oh, so NOT a hypothetical..... I would have done the same. As I carry (cross) at 10:00-11:30, I would be turning counterclockwise towards my “guest” and the weapon would likely be concealed by the seat, jacket, darkness, etc. I still would have most likely drawn, exited vehicle if needed.

Edit- Saw some of your replies to other questions. I think the initial response was right on. The only questionable part was whether you stick around to sort things out yourself or extricate yourself to a “known” safe location and let the cops deal with it. As I now know more about the particulars, I think I would have let them know (with weapon drawn) they are in the wrong vehicle and then call the police. Cops get paid to deal with this **** and shooting someone over mistaken intent when his drunk ass is reaching for a phone is just not a risk worth taking in my book.


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[Danoobie]

So now we have the OTHER HALF of the story. Which, BTW, would have come in handy, in the first post. If you make us GUESS
the details, OP, you're going to get crappy answers.

Try that whole "lock your doors" thing. That way, you won't have people hopping in your car, guns being pulled, hysterics, etc.

 

[Sean Woods]

So now we have the OTHER HALF of the story. Which, BTW, would have come in handy, in the first post. If you make us GUESS
the details, OP, you're going to get crappy answers.

Try that whole "lock your doors" thing. That way, you won't have people hopping in your car, guns being pulled, hysterics, etc.

The other half of the story isn't really relevant to what you would do, because the other half of the story isn't something you'd know until after you'd done it.

 

[rdiorio]

So now we have the OTHER HALF of the story. Which, BTW, would have come in handy, in the first post. If you make us GUESS
the details, OP, you're going to get crappy answers.

Try that whole "lock your doors" thing. That way, you won't have people hopping in your car, guns being pulled, hysterics, etc.

I think he left it vague on purpose to compare what he did against what others would do in an ideal situation like this one (when we have time to think about it). Like a little social experiment to validate his reaction.


I think the comments prove that he didn't overreact, others would have even escaped the situation after drawing. Also, situational awareness failed in this case, I'm sure OP won't let that happen again. Also, locking your doors right away is probably a great piece of advice that OP will hopefully take away from this.

Thought-provoking posts are the best ones IMHO, thanks OP!

 

[rdiorio]

The other half of the story isn't really relevant to what you would do, because the other half of the story isn't something you'd know until after you'd done it.

This^

 

[TLoK]

A lot of good comments, guys. I know I screwed up situational awareness, but here's the thing. Generally, I'm really good at it. I'm careful that how I walk around corners. I'm always looking over my shoulder. This was one of the few times I slipped up and of course Murphy showed up.

So yeah, that was my first mistake. My second mistake was staying in the vehicle as long as I did. I should have jumped out of the vehicle once it was compromised. I've only been carrying for less than a a year and I still have a lot to learn, but I'm always watching videos and reading to try and understand situations better before they happen. Honestly, I just never imagined someone getting in my vehicle since my doors are normally locked. Next time, I will exit the vehicle immediately.

One thing I don't think has been pointed out that I thought about in hindsight was the fact that I was standing out in an empty parking lot with my gun drawn on the guy in my vehicle. If anyone had seen that, they may have drawn on me which could have been a mess. So lesson learned there too

As far as calling the police, like someone already mentioned, this was my first encounter like this and my adrenaline was through the roof. I had to constantly keep my finger off the trigger because I could feel my hand dancing around the pistol grip and I knew I would accidentally pull the trigger and I wasn't careful.

Also, the guy who was sitting in my truck grinning at me had me on edge with the grin. I kept thinking there might be a third person I couldn't see. It's funny because I generally don't scare. But this was like a a five-year-old old's fear of the boogeyman in the closet after he heard something settling. So I was moving around to try to see as much as I could without taking my eyes off of the two guys in front of me. In hindsight, I realized the guy with the goofy grin was probably grinning because he didn't register the severity of situation since he was high, and not because there was some Sinister plot that involved a third threat.

I appreciate all of your comments. The most important thing is I didn't shoot anyone. LOL

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[Danoobie]

Somebody on drugs, it takes their eyes a long time to adjust to bright light. So, if you are carrying that Tac-Lite, hit them
with 600 plus lumens. It takes them out of the fight for a few moments, and if they are not hostile, there is no permanent injury.
Light in the darkness is also going to help you figure out what's going on.
The gun is just a tool, so is the light. Use all of your tools.