Road Trip

[glocklvr]

I had a bum hit me up at an atm 1 time which did not appeal to me at all luclily anytime I have to use an atm I put my gun on the center console and keep my hand on it while I take care of my business with my other hand. I don't know what the intentions of this guy were but he sure lost interest when he looked in my window and realized that I was armed and ready. I did tell him that he was very lucky that I keep a pretty cool head but approaching people at atm's can be hazardous to your health and no I did not give him any cash.

[stevie_d_64]

Generally I believe you did a nice and compassionate thing...And since you feel like it wasn't a big impact on you, I see no reason to fault you for your action...

I would though be critical of the "planning" these goobers did, to end up "stuck" at a rest stop...How convienient...

Whats $20 going to do for them in a rest stop??? that couldn't wait till they got to the next town and more facilities and services to help them out, rather than such a transient facility like a rest stop...

I believe you got hoodwinked...

But, if the second guy didn't see you give his partner $20, then maybe they now (or at that time) had gass money, and a few bucks for food...

Hopefully this is what the situation was, and that this was the last time they'd end up in this precarious situation...

[Dirt Dauber]

Generally I believe you did a nice and compassionate thing...And since you feel like it wasn't a big impact on you, I see no reason to fault you for your action...

I would though be critical of the "planning" these goobers did, to end up "stuck" at a rest stop...How convienient...

Whats $20 going to do for them in a rest stop??? that couldn't wait till they got to the next town and more facilities and services to help them out, rather than such a transient facility like a rest stop...

I believe you got hoodwinked...

But, if the second guy didn't see you give his partner $20, then maybe they now (or at that time) had gass money, and a few bucks for food...

Hopefully this is what the situation was, and that this was the last time they'd end up in this precarious situation...

I agree mainly on the hoodwinked part. I had a similar deal happen to me in the Austin area. Looking back and being caught of guard and giving up the couple of dollars the man got from me, I got off cheap and lucky.Later thinking about it I was just relieved to be gone from there and figured I got taken, but it was worth it. Chalk it up for a lesson learned!! DD

[KBCraig]

Today's Mike Adams column had some good tips on dealing with bums.

http://townhall.com/Columnists/MikeSAda ... _panhandle

[TX Rancher]

I don't know what the intentions of this guy were but he sure lost interest when he looked in my window and realized that I was armed and ready.

I would be a little more careful about letting folks see my weapon. If I read the codes right, you were effectively breaking the law by intentionally failing to conceal your weapon.

You also stated you did not know what the guy's intentions were, so it would be hard to claim self defense for displaying the weapon.

Think about it this way, dispatcher receives a call from a guy who was threatened by a person sitting in their car with a handgun, and at a bank! Now lets further assume he gives your tag number, description of you, and an accurate description of the hand gun. You would have a lot of explaining to do

Keep it handy, but keep it concealed...

[AV8R]

Most of the folks who panhandle for "gas money" are professional bums who hit every parking lot in town, every day, working at their "job", as they themselves will explain it. (A friend and I asked one working a lot a while back, and got a lengthy explanation of the career). These folks aren't often dangerous, but don't slow down to visit with them.

ATMs are a different matter. If someone suspicious approaches you, it's often for an armed robbery, condition "orange". Use the cell phone and fall back to a safe distance, even if you are not yet finished. A young man here in Lubbock was murdered at an ATM a year or so ago. Legitimate folks don't make you nervous at ATMs.

On the road, you never know. Could be a serial killer, escaped con, man on the run, or just a bum. Tell them up front that you don't have cash, but you'll call Texas Roadside Assistance for them. (Number on back of DL). In any case, call 911 with description and plates. It could save someone's life.

[txinvestigator]

I don't know what the intentions of this guy were but he sure lost interest when he looked in my window and realized that I was armed and ready.

I would be a little more careful about letting folks see my weapon. If I read the codes right, you were effectively breaking the law by intentionally failing to conceal your weapon.

You also stated you did not know what the guy's intentions were, so it would be hard to claim self defense for displaying the weapon.

Think about it this way, dispatcher receives a call from a guy who was threatened by a person sitting in their car with a handgun, and at a bank! Now lets further assume he gives your tag number, description of you, and an accurate description of the hand gun. You would have a lot of explaining to do

Keep it handy, but keep it concealed...

I agree 100%. Perhaps he should avoid ATM's in areas where he feels the need to have his gun at the ready while using the machine

I don't know that poster, but it reads like someone scared out of his wits or hoping for an encounter; neither a good thing.

[Piney]

Greetings--

My response to an aggressive panhandler is a firm NO and move on. For a more aggressive person, I've tried this-- Ask THEM if they could spare some cash for YOUR family. That seems to throw folks off a bit, giving me the chance to move away.

We had a IDPA scenario where the assistant on the stage "accosted" the shooter-- verbally harassing the shooter for money. The BG target was to the shooter's rear. As the verbal harassment was going on, the SO yelled GUN ! Behind you ! as the signal to start.

As the assistant was "accosting" me, I responded with my How about YOU give me some money response. He stopped-- and they both forgot to give the signal to begin the stage . So-- it does seem to work- eh . Anything to throw the BG off his pace and give me time to react.

[Liberty]

I don't know what the intentions of this guy were but he sure lost interest when he looked in my window and realized that I was armed and ready.

I would be a little more careful about letting folks see my weapon. If I read the codes right, you were effectively breaking the law by intentionally failing to conceal your weapon.

You also stated you did not know what the guy's intentions were, so it would be hard to claim self defense for displaying the weapon.

Think about it this way, dispatcher receives a call from a guy who was threatened by a person sitting in their car with a handgun, and at a bank! Now lets further assume he gives your tag number, description of you, and an accurate description of the hand gun. You would have a lot of explaining to do

Keep it handy, but keep it concealed...

I agree 100%. Perhaps he should avoid ATM's in areas where he feels the need to have his gun at the ready while using the machine

I don't know that poster, but it reads like someone scared out of his wits or hoping for an encounter; neither a good thing.

Anyone approaching a person while they are at an ATM should be concidered a likely robber, and warrents a condition orange. At such times my gun will be very close at hand even if can be concealed until it is needed.

[stevie_d_64]

Being able to admit you feel you may have made an error in judgement is not a damning thing in my opinion...We obviously learn from it and adjust so that it is unlikely that we will make the same mistake again...

One thing I do when realizing I need to stop off and get cash from an ATM...(after I smack myself on the forehead)...

First, I do not think there is a "safe" ATM anywhere...

Second, if I have too, I'm the one who goes and gets the cash...No need for me to "cover" my wife if she wants to go, I'm the one who does it...Call it cavalier, but I am more hyper-aware of whats going on around me during that time more than she ever will be...And thats being nice...

If there is a crowd of cars, or people queued up to punch numbers, I wait...Or find a less populated ATM...

All I'm saying is I wait till no one is walking up to the machine before I venture up there...No need for someone to feel I am a threat to them by standing behind them while they are conducting their business...

This is why I like the ATM vestbules at places where you use your ATM card to access a locked area to the ATM...

Number one it tags your card, and access (big brother arguments aside here ), and #2, sometimes until you leave, no one, even the ones with access have to wait till you leave (or finish your business) to enter the vestibule...(I personally like those proprietary access ATM vestibules)

I actually think we need some more discussion and ideas about this particular ATM issue when we go out into public...

These places are ripe with criminal exploitation and opportunity for someone to take advantage of, even folks like us...Of course they'll never know what they are getting if it actually was one of us...

[Mithras61]

I find that ATMs make me increasingly nervous to use, and that I generally carry less cash than ever, but when I do need to use an ATM, I prefer to use the drive-up ones.

I drive a full-size van, and I pull up so that the driver's side door opens just past the ATM, and step out of the vehicle and leave the door open. I'm now semi-concealed from 3 sides but since I'm standing I can see what's going on around me. I can now safely conduct my business and still see if anyone is approaching. There is no call for ANYONE to approach me on foot, and other drivers tend to stay well back and not crowd me.

I prefer this method to using any other type of ATM except those enclosed ones mentioned above that grant access based on the insertion of an ATM card and restrict access to one person at a time.

Yes, I have been approached at an ATM by a panhandler. It was close to 15 years ago, and my response was then as it tends to be now... "NO! Get away from me" in a loud voice. It may seem callous, but I simply do not give anything (except maybe indications that I will fight back) to anyone who approaches me on the street.

[kw5kw]

Now-a-day with the debit card why not do this:

Instead of stopping at one of these exposed ATM that are making you feel so vulnerable, why not stop at a drug store or a supermarket or Target or a Wal-Mart and buy something, anything, i.e.: a stick of gum, a box of 9mm, anything, and use your debit card with the cash back option.

You could even do this at a home improvement store or a bookstore.

Sure beats the heck out of using the ole, isolated ATM.

Just my humble thought on this.

Russ

[Crossfire]

anytime I have to use an atm I put my gun on the center console and keep my hand on it while I take care of my business with my other hand.

I would be a little more careful about letting folks see my weapon. If I read the codes right, you were effectively breaking the law by intentionally failing to conceal your weapon.

I don't see this as a failure to conceal. He stayed in his car. The gun stayed in the car. He wasn't waving it around. What business did the intruder have coming up to the car and looking in?

[TX Rancher]

llwatson:

I don't know what the intentions of this guy were but he sure lost interest when he looked in my window and realized that I was armed and ready.

It just didn't sound concealed to me if the guy looking in the window saw it...And it didn't sound like an accidental flash/print, the wording sounded intentional.

Question: Does being in your car exempt you from 46.035?

§ 46.035. UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE
HOLDER. (a) A license holder commits an offense if the license
holder carries a handgun on or about the license holder's person
under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,
and intentionally fails to conceal the handgun.

I could be wrong, and you being a CHL instructor you're probably better informed then I am, but it's the way I read 46.035...Do I have it wrong??

[Crossfire]

Well, now we've opened up a whole nother can of worms.

Yeah, I think if you are in your car, and you aren't waving your gun around, then it's concealed. Your mileage may vary.