Stay alert...potential situation last night

[Sport Coach]

I fully agree that only you can make that assessment. Better to be thought of as a jerk than a victim at times when things don't seem right. You mentioned only one BG but in that situation be sure to quickly check the shadows for BG backup.

[tarkus]

I agree with both Excaliber and Mark F. I think it's valuable to discuss situations based on the perception of the person who was there. I don't think there's lots of value to second guess if the perceptions were correct unless we were there and witnessed the whole thing and even then two people can see the same thing and have different perceptions.

[Mark F]

I think ForTehNguyen did just fine. He acted on what "he perceived" as a potential threat and took evasive action. We should all be so fortunate.

[Mark F]

For what it's worth, I have practiced "situation awareness" all my life simply to avoid conflict. But like anything, a person can go too far. In my opinion, there is a fine line between situation awareness and paranoid. I do not encourage anyone to be paranoid... as this creates situations that don't really exist.

As in the event brought to light here. I was not there, nor do I have any idea what the circumstances were. However, as a "general rule" perpetrators try to use the element of surprize for an attack. That certainly wasn't the case here. ON THE OTHER HAND, ForTehNguyen saw something that appeared "not right" to him and he had ample opportunity to leave the situation without conflict. You simply can't do any better than this.

Remember what you learned in your CHL class... you normally have less than a second or two to defend yourself.

[Excaliber]

Remember what you learned in your CHL class... you normally have less than a second or two to defend yourself.

This is true only if you allow yourself to be surprised.

As this and many other posts here clearly show, there's a good deal more time and many more available options if you detect a potential situation as it begins to develop instead of waiting for the moment of attack.

However, as a "general rule" perpetrators try to use the element of surprize for an attack. That certainly wasn't the case here.

There may be some misunderstanding of the "general rule" here. Perpetrators of crimes are not invisible until the moment of attack. Instead, they use various means of make their attack setup look as much like nonthreatening behavior as possible until they achieve final positioning to initiate the attack. That's where the surprise comes in - when apparently normal behavior suddenly turns threatening.

In the situation described in this post, a subject making his way across a large parking lot directly toward a single isolated vehicle in an otherwise unoccupied area of the lot would fit a possible preattack profile. The subject may have had something entirely different in mind - like just making a polite request for spare change. The only way we'd know for sure would have been if the original poster had let the situation develop at the initiative of the suspicious subject, which would give a most unwise priority to curiosity over safety.

there is a fine line between situation awareness and paranoid. I do not encourage anyone to be paranoid... as this creates situations that don't really exist.

Paranoia is being unreasonably afraid in circumstances where there is no threat. An example would be feeling that one is about to be attacked whenever it gets dark. While it may be conducive to some threat scenarios, darkness in itself is not a danger. Heightened awareness for signs of potential criminal activity in limited visibility situations is good situational awareness. Reflexive terror whenever it gets dark is not. Proper use of situational awareness is to take evasive action when an articulable potentially threatening situation is recognized without waiting to find out if you're going to be actually attacked or not, as the original poster did here.

[DoubleActionCHL]

Since Castle Doctrine law has changed I think I need to start carrying in my XD9 SC in my vehicle. Couldve been bad last night. Stay sharp

I'm fairly certain you mean "Motorist Protection Act" (HB 1815). The Castle Doctrine has nothing to do with carrying your gun in your car, other than broadening the definition of 'habitation' to include your vehicle. The Motorist Protection Act, effective September 1, 2007, allows you to carry in your car without a CHL, provided the weapon is concealed, you are eligible to posses a handgun, you are not engaged in criminal activity and you are not a member of a street gang.

[Mark F]

I believe everyone has done a fine job in providing excellent feedback regarding this topic.

[ForTehNguyen]

I dont see how I was paranoid. Paranoid wouldve been panicking rushing my relatives in the car, making a scene etc. I did some MS paint work to better illustrate. The red line indicates his walking path from left to right in the drawing, and the green stuff is just grass. With a walking vector directly at the drivers side door and the pace of his walk, yea it was suspicious. Yes he did change his walking path to the side walk pretty close to the car. Sorry for any racial comments

[Mark F]

ForTehNguyen,

I don't believe anyone (including myself) claimed that you were being paranoid regarding this situation. In fact, I you were commended for your awareness and evasive actions. I firmly believe "if" other people were as observant as you were, there would be a lot less assults going on. With Texas CHL gaining popularity (it's up about 43% this year) there will be a whole lot less BG's trying the parkinglot assult gig.

[Rockrz]

Dont make yourself look...well...less than educated. Say "hispanic", i know its difficult, but some brown skinned males may actually be from Argentina, Colombia, San Salvador, etc. etc. :)

Its kinda like someone saying "I saw a lone Chinese guy...", when they may in fact be Vietnamese, Korean, etc :)

That's pretty funny, considering what these folks call white people.

People of all races are WAY to sensitive about what others are calling them.
No matter what you say, somebody is going to be offended so just be yourself
and talk respectfully to others and you'll be OK.

I don't go ballistic when they call me "cracker", so they can do some chillin
them own selves up in there like all that

[TexasAggie]

Dont make yourself look...well...less than educated. Say "hispanic", i know its difficult, but some brown skinned males may actually be from Argentina, Colombia, San Salvador, etc. etc. :)

Its kinda like someone saying "I saw a lone Chinese guy...", when they may in fact be Vietnamese, Korean, etc :)

That's pretty funny, considering what these folks call white people.

People of all races are WAY to sensitive about what others are calling them.
No matter what you say, somebody is going to be offended so just be yourself
and talk respectfully to others and you'll be OK.

I don't go ballistic when they call me "cracker", so they can do some chillin
them own selves up in there like all that

Oh my God....it's utterly ABSURD when we have to speak in generalities just to avoid "offending someone." It has NOTHING to do with his "education." The creepy guy approaching the car looked like a Mexican. Knowing Houston, he was probably one of 7 million illegals that just left the hospital for another free child birth. If that's offensive, too bad.

Ugghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[phddan]

Dont make yourself look...well...less than educated. Say "hispanic", i know its difficult, but some brown skinned males may actually be from Argentina, Colombia, San Salvador, etc. etc. :)

Its kinda like someone saying "I saw a lone Chinese guy...", when they may in fact be Vietnamese, Korean, etc :)

That's pretty funny, considering what these folks call white people.

People of all races are WAY to sensitive about what others are calling them.
No matter what you say, somebody is going to be offended so just be yourself
and talk respectfully to others and you'll be OK.

I don't go ballistic when they call me "cracker", so they can do some chillin
them own selves up in there like all that

Oh my God....it's utterly ABSURD when we have to speak in generalities just to avoid "offending someone." It has NOTHING to do with his "education." The creepy guy approaching the car looked like a Mexican. Knowing Houston, he was probably one of 7 million illegals that just left the hospital for another free child birth. If that's offensive, too bad.

Ugghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan

[dihappy]

Dont make yourself look...well...less than educated. Say "hispanic", i know its difficult, but some brown skinned males may actually be from Argentina, Colombia, San Salvador, etc. etc. :)

Its kinda like someone saying "I saw a lone Chinese guy...", when they may in fact be Vietnamese, Korean, etc :)

That's pretty funny, considering what these folks call white people.

People of all races are WAY to sensitive about what others are calling them.
No matter what you say, somebody is going to be offended so just be yourself
and talk respectfully to others and you'll be OK.

I don't go ballistic when they call me "cracker", so they can do some chillin
them own selves up in there like all that

Oh my God....it's utterly ABSURD when we have to speak in generalities just to avoid "offending someone." It has NOTHING to do with his "education." The creepy guy approaching the car looked like a Mexican. Knowing Houston, he was probably one of 7 million illegals that just left the hospital for another free child birth. If that's offensive, too bad.

Ugghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are definitely entitled to your opinion, however, this is NOT "Absurd", this has everything to do with EDUCATION and RESPECT.

So what does a "Mexican" look like, because i can guarantee you that i can describe just the opposite and the person will still be a "Mexican"

And if Mexicans offend you for being mexican, then thats just too bad. Maybe you should move somewhere you dont have to see anyone but your own race.

[Rockrz]

He's probably upset at the illegal Mexicans that come here to mooch off of the American taxpayer while working here and not paying their fair share into the socialist system the liberals are building here in the US where the government pays for everything and nobody has to be responsible for their actions because it's always somebody else's responsibility.

I'm thinking that's prolly what has him ticked off.

Some of the people that are against ILLEGAL (not legal, but illegal) immagration the most are Hispanics that were either born here in the US or came here legally...so this is not a gringo versus Mexican situation...it's a legal versus illegal situation.

[NcongruNt]

That's pretty funny, considering what these folks call white people.

People of all races are WAY to sensitive about what others are calling them.
No matter what you say, somebody is going to be offended so just be yourself
and talk respectfully to others and you'll be OK.

I don't go ballistic when they call me "cracker", so they can do some chillin
them own selves up in there like all that

Oh my God....it's utterly ABSURD when we have to speak in generalities just to avoid "offending someone." It has NOTHING to do with his "education." The creepy guy approaching the car looked like a Mexican. Knowing Houston, he was probably one of 7 million illegals that just left the hospital for another free child birth. If that's offensive, too bad.

Ugghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are definitely entitled to your opinion, however, this is NOT "Absurd", this has everything to do with EDUCATION and RESPECT.

So what does a "Mexican" look like, because i can guarantee you that i can describe just the opposite and the person will still be a "Mexican"

And if Mexicans offend you for being mexican, then thats just too bad. Maybe you should move somewhere you dont have to see anyone but your own race.

Just to clarify, since we ARE talking about education...

The word "Hispanic" is a linguistic term. It has nothing to do with race or genetics. It is a term that refers to Spanish-speaking regions of the world and the people who live in those places. It can refer to someone from Spain, Gibraltar, Equatorial Guinea, Argentina, Nicaragua, or any of the other Spanish-speaking countries of the world. The color of one's skin or physical features are irrelevant to the proper definition of the term.

Now, referring to an unknown person as "Mexican" is just as appropriate as describing someone as "Italian" or "Irish". Would you have been offended had the OP used one of those terms? Not likely. The OP was simply making an approximation of appearance to the common visual appearance of those of Mexican nationality, just as I would expect someone to describe my appearance as "German". I find no offense at that description.