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I really want to kick myself. Since this is a pretty much G-rated forum I will refrain repeating the names I called myself last night after this situation. Back in April my CHL expired. Due to my schedule I had to wait to take my renewal class. Well I got it done and got my CHL a few days ago. I had been feeling naked for a few months with no firearm on my side. While this encounter is not as heart pounding as the post TXBassGuide made...after reading his post a few minutes ago I thought I would share this.

My son is 10. Since he is out of school we like to get out and do things. Movies, shop, etc. I think its important to do little things for him for him because the simplest things make everlasting memories. All sounds nice right? Just around the corner from our house is an arcade. This is a family place and pretty nice. My son loves this place and I do too. They stay open till midnight during the summer. The best time we found to go is in the evening. So last night we take the 3 min trip in my truck over there. The stupid thing is I INTENTIONALLY left my handgun at home. I was rushing to get him over there and I had been use to not carrying for a few months due to the lack of a CHL. We had a great time. Stayed a while and played games and at the end had the whole place to ourselves. So its about 11:00 PM and we head out. Now normally I dont have my son out so late. I was pretty hungry so I wanted a late night snack and drove to the Jack In The Box that was around the corner from the arcade. Its on of those places attached to a gas station.

We are chatting away in my truck as I pull up to the drive thru sign to order. At this location they have trees and bushes along the front part of the drive thru area and its pretty dark until you get up to the sign to order. As I am stopped I see in my driver side mirror a black male in a dirty red shirt and shorts step out of the bushes and is at the rear of my truck. My tail lights had him well illuminated. He starts yelling something at me and starts approaching my rolled down window. At this point time seemed to slow down for me. Im hyper-focused on this guy approaching me. Is he going to rob me? Beg for money? Kill me or my son or both? Then i realize I am NOT carrying. I have my son with me. Im strapped into my truck and cant open the door even if I wanted to. So what do I do? All this ran through my head in a second.

Yes i pay attention to body language and how he is carrying himself. One hand is open and one is balled into a fist. He is moving up close against my truck working his way to my rolled down window. So I take my foot of the brake and hit the gas and take off. Thankfully there were no cars in front of me. My son at 10 years old knew something was up with this guy as he saw it to. But as I pulled away I saw the guy move like he is going to run after me but then I see him slink back into the bushes. I already have my phone in hand calling the police but the guy goes across the street and disappears. I also called the store and told them this guy was hiding in their bushes. No clue what happened after that. I drove home.

So Im driving home and mentally kicking myself for not carrying. Im thinking about Murphy's Law and all kinds of bad things. Mainly Im thinking about my kid. Even if I had to repeat that situation and even IF I had my firearm I still would have just drove off.Granted this moron could have been trying to catch a lift someplace, been drunk or whatever but its NOT normal for someone to hide in bushes and come out like that. The point is what if I had not been lucky and had cars boxing me in so I could not pull away? This situation occurred all in a few seconds. And the simple fact is I could have been better prepared and i was not. Im the one preaching to people that want or have CHL's to carry your handgun. Its no good at home. And look what i do. So yea...never again.

To digress a bit I carry (normally -_- ) a XDm 3.8 in 9mm or my HK P30 in 9mm. While I think there is good 9mm self defense ammo and I usually carry it....my next handgun purchase for carry is going to be .45, .357 Sig or something with more punch. Just makes you think. But at least I take a little comfort in having 20 rounds of 9mm in my XDm. For now it will get me by. And maybe Im being paranoid some. Rather be concerned than not.

You just never know...

MPA

I'm glad that you and your son walked (drove) away from this without any trouble. Thank you for another reminder that we should carry as much as possible.

I used to carry a Colt officer's acp but had some comfort issues w/ a cheap holster so I currently wear a Bersa .380. I really need to invest in a good IWB holster for my .45.

I had no idea that the XDm's had that kind of capacity. I might be investing in more than just a holster soon.

Glad to hear it worked out well JP.
It's a good reminder for the rest of us also.
For me, driving off sounds like the best solution regardless but it's nice to have your firearm.
JW

Thanks for sharing, its another reminder to myself to practice drawing from my pocket holster while seated in my car. I carry a Keltec 380 in my front left pocket 80% of the time (XD the other 20%), if I was in your position I would have done the same thing as its pretty difficult to get to a holstered gun from your pocket while seated.

That said, make it a habit to carry 24/7 because you never know..............

RedRaider wrote:

...its pretty difficult to get to a holstered gun from your pocket while seated...

It's beyond difficult, you and all of your passengers could be pumped full of lead by the time you draw a pistol from your pocket when seated; especially, if you're restrained by a seat belt/shoulder harness.

Enough macho cowboy talk. I lay mine on the seat under the fold down console gizmo between the front seats when driving. It's handy and it's out of sight.

Another thought: you would only be boxed in at the drive-through if you put yourself in that position. How close you are to the car in front of you is almost entirely up to you. Leaving yourself room to respond to unexpected moves by others doesn't apply only on the road--take it into consideration when stopping or standing as well.

Kudos on getting out of there, staying safe, and on calling the police and the store!

You handled it perfectly. You saw him - someone else might not have. Your awareness allowed you to take action to prevent a confrontation. Your decisiveness in simply leaving eliminated the need for conflict. Your son is alright, you are alright, he saw you assess, take decisive action, and save the day - to him you are a hero.

Having your pistol with you would not have changed anything except your adrenalin level - it might have been reassuring to have, but it would have been inappropriate to pull in the situation as-stated. Had you been boxed in, it might have been very, very useful.

Congratulations on seeing the situation develop and short-circuiting it.

And... my opinion only: a double-stack magazine of 9mm ought to be comforting. A .45, or shorty AR with a .50 Beowulf upper might have been more comforting, but your little 9x19 will do.

bayouhazard wrote:MPA

The OP has an active CHL, but chose not to carry this time. There is considerable debate over whether or not a CHL can carry in the car under the authority of the MPA and I'm aware that the penalty for not showing an LEO our CHL has been removed. However, IANAL, but IMHO there is a difference between not showing our CHL when asked for ID and not being able to show it because we don't have it with us. I would have carried, but I also wouldn't criticize the OP for not doing so. He handled the event as well as he could and everyone was okay.

Nothing wrong with your 9mm pistols p30 and xdm are excellent pistols. With JHP rds placement of your shots is what count. I just watched on the first 48hrs one dude's wife was killed with single shot of .22 from an old cowboy revolver. More rds will give you more chances to survive

Since you were able to do so safely, driving off was the best thing to do even if you had been armed with a handgun (vs putting it into reverse and running him over if he had drawn on you).

Hoi Polloi wrote:Another thought: you would only be boxed in at the drive-through if you put yourself in that position. How close you are to the car in front of you is almost entirely up to you.

You're assuming a wide-open drive through. Taco Bell here, in particular, has a lane barely wide enough for one vehicle, with high curbs that my Blazer would barely clear; most passenger cars wouldn't have a chance of getting out if cars were in front and behind. To make matters worse, it's grass for at least several car lengths if you do clear the curb, so in wet weather you might still be stuck.

BobCat wrote:And... my opinion only: a double-stack magazine of 9mm ought to be comforting. A .45, or shorty AR with a .50 Beowulf upper might have been more comforting, but your little 9x19 will do.

Absolutely. I'm a .45 guy at heart, but lots of people have been put down by a 9mm, and I'm not volunteering to step in front of one. My wife carries her Glock 19 on occasion, and that makes me happier than when she carries her .38 snubbie.

agreed... but the .38 is not to be despised either. For quite a few years the S&W Model 10 .38 Special was a standard police sidearm. Not arguing it is optimal, just that it is still formidable.

The important thing is she carries. Well... not exactly... the important thing is she is aware and accepting enough of the realities of life that she carries. My wife has a .38 Model 60, she can certainly shoot it, but she feels the odds of her needing it with her are small enough that she does not carry it. The old "it isn't the odds, it is the stakes" doesn't sway the outcome.