TexasCHLforum.com

I sent a lightly edited copy of my original post to our corporate security department yesterday. I also included this short paragraph at the end:

"While I want you to know I abide by our company policies, I hope TX manages to get that law passed that protects CHL holders storing guns in vehicles on company property. My feelings are those of us who go through the extensive CHL training on safety and legal aspects, not to mention complete FBI background check pose no threats. Yet we would have the ability to protect ourselves in these situations. Unfortunately, these situations seem to be occuring with greater frequency in Houston. "

I was interviewed this morning. These guys are Ex-LEO and one Ex-Delta, very pro gun and pro CHL. Turns out they have been urging Legal to exempt CHL's from the policy with little to no success. They are developing a database of close calls employees experience to build their case. They loved the last paragraph I added.

I would hope this may provide the wife ammo should I get killed or injured by hoodlums while traveling to and from work unarmed.

Phaser maybe but not a taser. Just where is Captain Kirk and Spock when you need them?

IMHO 4:1 odds call for JM Browning designed accessories, not electronics or spray.

Anyway, their insurance told me today they are covering all repairs at the shop of my choice, they will cover my medical bills, pay for a rental while my truck is in the shop and pay for interior detailing since my extra large cup of jave went flying on impact.

Doc said today my injuries seem limited to muscle strains. Gave me some meds and told me I'd be feeling worse tomorrow then start getting better.

Finally sent an email detailing the whole incident to a couple of my contacts in our corporate security department. One of whom is ex-Delta, the other is ex-LEO and both seem to be not in agreement with the policy and are big proponents of CHL.
My hopes are it may help dissuade reps from my company from continueing to lobby agains parking lot exemptions for CHL holders. However, being a realist, I know HR and Legal weenies run the corporate world.

Baseball bat (and glove) added to back seat tonight when I got home. New Kimber pepper spray ordered. My CRKT folder is a 5" and therefore is considered a "weapon" under the policy. Need to pick up a decent 4" blade at the next gun show.

Funny how 4" is considered a tool and 5" is an evil weapon under the policy.

Was contacted by the other vehicles insurance providor this afternoon. Sounds like they will cover and keep me from paying the $1 grand deductible. That would be a God send as I am having Ed Vandenberg build me a custom 9mm 1911 Commander for IDPA. That money would be much better spent there. Just dropped off all the parts at his shop last week after I made that last truck payment.

Pepper spray is OK by the policy. I do not have much faith in it though. It would have been very tough to deploy in the given circumstances today. Especially if it turned out to be 4 against 1.

In the past few months, I have bought a few of those new kimber designed spray units. But I seem to keep giving them out to various female family members to carry in their purses. Have not seen them at the area gun shows of late. Currently did not have one on hand in the truck.

I am thinking of starting to park in the randall's grocery store lot a few blocks from my building. Wonder how long before my truck would get towed?

May need to take up softball again and carry my bat on a regular basis too.

Oh, I was telling 911 all about the fight and the knife. Did not help the response time one bit. The first responder told me the dispatcher had incorrectly advised the units I was being attacked rather than the bangers mixing it up. I would have been long dead had that been the case.

Sitting at a red light by the Galleria mall this morning in my Tacoma. ( The Tacoma I just paid off last week) Then WHAM! I get smashed from behind and pushed almost through the intersection.

Four Hispanic youths emerge from the Malibu. They look stoned and have all the garb on that spells hoodlums.

I am totally unarmed. I can't carry due to a stupid company policy outlawing guns and knives in vehicles on the parking lot. They search our garage with dogs trained on dope and gunpowder. I am 50 and have worked there almost 30 years...too old to quit...need more 5 years to retire. These stupid policies are realatively new.

Anyway....these four guys are really agitated. Turns out one of the passengers had borrowed the car from his aunt while the roughest looking of the little snots was the driver. While I call HPD on 911, these two get into a knock down drag out fight right there in the intersection. They litterally beat the crap out of each other while traffic goes by.

I put my truck between me and the youthful frolics.

The punk driver gets the worst of it. He gets up wiping blood away and pulls a knife out of his pocket. It is one of those curved wicked looking folders they sell in flea markets. He does not open it but he is sure as hell thinking about it. He is also glancing over at me while finger fiddling the knife. He pockets the thing after a couple minutes.

The four of them gather by their car and argue. I hear "I am not going back to jail" more than once. The two from the back seat walked up the block to hide something, then came back and engaged in more argueing with the other two, then went back to retrieve whatever they hid and took off.

Cops take at least twenty minutes to get there. It is 7:30 AM and shift change is under way. ( the old seconds/minutes when you need a cop thing has gone thru my head a hundred times by then.) I approach the cop and warn him about the one with the knife.

They lied and said I was sitting at a green light when they hit me. They also lied saying that knife boy was not driving. ( I did not correct that in the faint hope the aunt's insurance might cover the $1000 deductible I am facing.)

The cop searched the knife guy and he was handcuffed and in the back of the cruiser in short order. No ID and carying a weapon. Driver gets mouthy with the cop because he just has a learner's permit, no picture ID and no one 21 or over in the car with him. He gets cuffed and has a seat in the cruiser too.

Three more cruiser show up to look for dope, weapons and the two youths that ran. All were long gone by then.

Cops let me go on my way. They took the two misguided youths to jail.

My Tacoma is drivable, their Malibu was totaled. I was shocked my truck took a hit like that and still ran. If I was in the mustang I drove a up till a few months ago, I would be in the hospital or worse right now. That truck is built like a tank. Cargo area and bumper are heavily damaged and the spare knocked off but the passenger compartment saw no damage.

Likewise I feel very lucky they turned their drug amped agitation toward each other rather than my way. I would have been well bled out long before any help arrived.

Hope TX manages to get that law passed that protects CHL holders storing guns in vehicles on company property. These stupid company policies are getting people killed.

Rick