Self defense at the gas station

[ISCS Yoda]

I think situational awareness and firearm readiness helped avoid a bad situation. I also think "Bob" needs a credit card, but that's probably not going to happen.

Good job for situational awareness and being armed. I love that! BUT!!!!

There are many things that cause me to be what is known as a "Luddite". You can look that up. Not carrying credit cards is not one of them.

Not carrying a credit card is an old man's obsession with privacy, or his fright with respect to identity theft, or fear of Big Brother and the Feds, or just being old fashioned to the extreme, or all of the above. In the 21st century it's a stupid methodology to try to pretend you're off the grid. Ain't nobody off the grid unless you live in a cabin in the woods and hunt and fish and grow your own crops and have some kind of generator, etc., etc., etc. No phone, no recognized home address, and the car is in his wife's name, I suppose. So she's on the grid, he's not, yippee, good for him.

One presumes that at age 78 he has refused Medicare and Social Security, too. He got paid in cash or kind his whole life and nobody has a clue who he is, where he goes, what he does, etc. Oh, and his home is only in his wife's name.

And he hasn't purchased a firearm since before 1968.

I guess his $100 bill came from his wife's bank account.

It gives Luddite new meaning.

 

[RGPM1A]

Good job for situational awareness and being armed. I love that! BUT!!!!

There are many things that cause me to be what is known as a "Luddite". You can look that up. Not carrying credit cards is not one of them.

Not carrying a credit card is an old man's obsession with privacy, or his fright with respect to identity theft, or fear of Big Brother and the Feds, or just being old fashioned to the extreme, or all of the above. In the 21st century it's a stupid methodology to try to pretend you're off the grid. Ain't nobody off the grid unless you live in a cabin in the woods and hunt and fish and grow your own crops and have some kind of generator, etc., etc., etc. No phone, no recognized home address, and the car is in his wife's name, I suppose. So she's on the grid, he's not, yippee, good for him.

One presumes that at age 78 he has refused Medicare and Social Security, too. He got paid in cash or kind his whole life and nobody has a clue who he is, where he goes, what he does, etc. Oh, and his home is only in his wife's name.

And he hasn't purchased a firearm since before 1968.

I guess his $100 bill came from his wife's bank account.

It gives Luddite new meaning.

Could be for another reason.

I stopped using my credit card at gas pumps years ago because I used to get my credit card number stolen all the time. Since I stopped using it at gas pumps hasn't been stolen once.

 

[haywood]

I keep my back to the car but, close to the hose. My hand is in my pocket holding my gun if I feel the need. I just stay aware of what's happening around me. I like the idea of pointing the gas hose at someone threatening/approaching. If you pull a gun you should report it. Someone could possibly call in reporting a man with a gun. To be First one reporting on the Phone is best.

 

[Old cop]

I've been approached by aggressive panhandlers at a gas station a couple of times. My hand is usually goes to the EDC in my L/F pocket and I tell them "I can't help you" in a stern voice. So far that's worked, but not before I get some colorful language directed at me but I don't engage any further.

 

[murphydog]

Two comments I haven't seen yet (I think):

Perhaps Mr Hatchet Man was trying to steal the open carried handgun?

And sadly, in this situation even having a credit card at the pump reader makes you a potential robbery target. If it gets stolen the victim won't be responsible for any bogus charges but it's still a pain in the aftermath.

But still glad he resolved the situation without bloodshed.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Admittedly, I spend no time worrying about losing credit cards or fraudulent charges. I got Lifelock to handle such things and it has never happened, anyway.

I do like the idea of staying near the pump handle because you can put that handle out and spray gasoline on any thug who gets too close or, alternatively, hand in pocket on the EDC. I use both methods.

If you pull a gun you should report it. Someone could possibly call in reporting a man with a gun. To be First one reporting on the Phone is best.

Anytime, anywhere, if you pull your weapon then when the dust clears you call yourself in to 911 and say you pulled your gun. First is best and then you put it away and can discuss it with the gendarmarie when they arrive.

 

[Warren Sear]

I am not aware of anyone, anywhere, who got in any kind of legal trouble for not calling 911 in such a situation.

Post links otherwise if you have them.

Where I live, there is no kind of legal requirement to call the police even if someone has to defend their life with a gun.

I am not convinced that police are stupid enough to believe the first version of a story they hear.

 

[RGallaher]

Don't forget, the gas pump nozzle is a large caliber deterrent. Getting gasoline sprayed all over you is NOT a picnic.
If things are getting really bad, you can just flick your cigarette on them, too. You do smoke while filling the tank, just in case, right?

I recently saw a security cam video of someone doing that very thing (minus the cigarette). The perp reversed course very quickly after being drenched with gas!

 

[Magnum_PI]

The world gets crazier and crazier.

From my perspective, Bob acted appropriately to what was a probable threat to his safety and I'd have reacted the same. I'm not waiting until the hatchet wielding nut is within feed of me before drawing down. The perp is lucky Bob didn't feel the need to ventilate him.

If Bob is open carrying, sounds like he is in a non-woke state that would most likely support the defensive use of a firearm, especially since no shots were fired.

I'm glad your friend is okay and lived to share the story. People these days are nuts. Never underestimate the unknown factors of strangers.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I have a friend-we'll call him Bob for the post- who is 78 and has open carried as long as I have known him ...

Bob is 78 and bad guys look for women, disabled and seniors to rob first. Bob opens carry and bad guy decided Bob was not bluffing.

When I was a cop I did several reports were bad guys robbed security guards of their handguns because they knew Barney will not draw or put bullets in them.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Good going Bob. And many thanks to Onomea for the mute post. That blaring noise makes me nuts. All I see on my local gas pumps are Joe Biden "I did that" stickers pointing at the price.

 

[steelslaver]

as an aside, try to light gasoline on fire with a cigarette. Even on a hot day with lots of fumes. Gasoline has an ignition temperature of 535f IF the fuel air mixture is perfect. 95% air and 5% gasoline vapor. To rich or 2 lean and the ignition temp goes up.

Mythbusters tested it extensively, using different types of cigarettes with different papers, even optimizing the air-fuel mix to make the burn conditions perfect, they just couldn't get it to ignite. It appears that a smoldering cigarette just isn't hot enough enough ignite gasoline vapors under most circumstances. When you're actively smoking a cigarette, it can get just hot enough that it might ignite the vapors (if the fuel air mixture is just right), but if you just toss a lit cigarette into the gas, it will almost certainly just go out.

"don't try this at home",

 

[Guevera]

Rayland Givens had the same sort of problem: Justified: "Yeah. I'm Stealin' Gas. ****! Ya Caught Me" - YouTube

 

[local_dirt]

The guy with the hatchet is so misunderstood! He's just getting his life back together. He had finished delivering a load of bundled firewood to the convince mart. He'd been paid in small bills from the register and was going to ask bob if he could use the small bills to buy the larger bills to lighten his wallet's load. The hatchet? Oh, That's all a small misunderstanding.

Good job Bill!

Ivan

He was just going to the store to get Grandma a gallon of milk.