Are You Ready? Three Scenarios
By Greg L | 12 May 2008 | Uncategorized | 30 Comments
With the recent spate of bad weather in Virginia, I hope folks have been thinking about ensuring they’re prepared for the vicissitudes of nature. A nature-related scenario in Virginia such as we’ve seen lately tend to cause few casualties and it’s almost guaranteed that an adequate response by public safety resources will quickly arrive to deal with the situation. But what about some potentially more common scenarios where time isn’t such a luxury? Are you ready for them?
What would your reaction be to the following?
SCENARIO ONE: Carefully driving one early morning down a heavily fogged in two lane divided highway with extremely limited visibility, you narrowly avoid a vehicle accident that has blocked the left-hand lane. No emergency response is evident. One car has overturned and the other appears to have significant damage. You do not observe anyone outside of a vehicle. There is a wide grassy area on both shoulders, no guardrails, and woods set back about fifty feet from the highway. How do you respond?
SCENARIO TWO: It’s about 6:30PM, you’ve just finished dinner, and you hear a commotion in front of your house. Looking out the front window to see what the noise is, you see a couple arguing in front of your house. The confrontation appears likely to turn violent very soon. What do you do?
SCENARIO THREE: You’re driving back from the store on a sidestreet a little after 9PM in darkness and you see a group of young males attacking another young male on the sidewalk. A group of young females is watching this spectacle. Do you intervene, or do something else?
Perhaps more important than what you think you should do in these scenarios is how you think you might be able to do now to better prepare yourself to deal with them should you encounter them. I’ve been through two of these, and the third is something a good friend of mine dealt with a few years back. Your chances of encountering one of these in my view is a lot more significant than dealing with a tornado or flood, in which the biggest concern might be whether you’ve got bottled water stored. These are much harder choices to make.
Sometimes the decision you make is heavily influenced by the equipment you have on hand, your experience, your physical capabilities and whatever preparations you may have undertaken to be able to deal with emergencies. Thinking about possibilities now might help you be able to handle these more capably should you ever be faced with one of these moments, and the interval between now and the possible then gives you an opportunity to make sure you have what you might need to make the difference between some lives being saved and some lives being lost.
I’d be interested to see what readers might do, and what they might choose to do beforehand considering things like this can and do happen.
The opinions expressed here are solely the views of the author, and not representative of the position of any organization, political party, doughnut shop, knitting guild, or waste recycling facility, but may be correctly attributed to the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. If anything in the above article has offended you, please click here to receive an immediate apology.
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Things to keep in your car:
1) First aid kit.
A set of tools
2) Bright flashlight.
3) Colt 1911 with three magazines.
4) 2 Gallons of water.
5) Ramon noodles, portable propane stove, small pot
6) Snow shovel
7) 90 ft of hemp rope
9) CB radio
10) Cell phone
Anyone have something to add?
Nick, don’t forget coffee, matches/lighters and Sudoku.
For all three, I’d call 911.
First scenario: Turn on hazards and start lighting flares. Offer assistance until emergency help arrives.
Second scenario: Ask what the problem is and let them know law enforcement has been called.
Third scenario: I’d hit the high-beams and lay on the horn… maybe drive close to the group and flash my rifle.
Yeah, I definitely have matches and a lighter, good call, though, that stove would have been hard to get lit!
Also, I do Red Bull, instead of the other caffeinated products. I think that always having a peculator on hand is kind of too much.
For the first one, I would pull off of the road and stop so that my car was not blocking any of the travel lanes. I would call 911 and then see if I could help in anyway before the authorities arrived.
With number two, I would call law enforcement, take my gun and poke my head out the door to let the folks know law enforcement was on the way, and if the situation escalated to a physical confrontation, I would seriously consider coming to the aid of the person that was on the losing end.
For the 3rd case, I would call 911, and If I had my gun, which is very highly likely, I would come to the aid of victim, given that Commonwealth law allows one to intervene as a 3rd party using superior force to what is being used.
Nick, add a thermal blanket.
All answers cool, however I wouldnt let them know law enforcement is on the way. otherwise they’ll leave and continue the argument when they are gone OR come after you. best bet is to remain anonymous and let them duke it out unless they are killing each other. When you play the good samaritan you take on the risk of the unknown and if it comes, you pay the piper. Let the pro’s handle it, they get paid to take the bullet if necessary. as for the gun, by all means no unless I was absolutely sure the person would be killed. best bet, leave the gun and look out the window and call police. be a good witness, not a good statistic.
the cops will not let them know you called them unless you tell them. The last time I reported on neighbors fighting they turned their frustrations on me when I informed them of impending law enforcement action. They had some choice words for me, stopped fighting and after LE came they were back at it and a couple weeks later my car was messed with and I suspected them (couldnt prove) them doing it.
let them catch them in the act so they wont do it again.
Josh
Josh,
If I was on the beating end I would want someone to come to my aid, and if that person had a gun that would be even better. Yes, it does involve some risk, but if you are also a witness and you stand by and do nothing, you risk running into trouble as well.
Since they are likely all illegals and I hate my local police, I do nothing. Just run away with my tail between my legs….
We had #2 happen in front our house about 4 years ago. My husband witnessed a 20ish woman screaming and throwing things at a 20ish neighbor, a man, at the curb in front of our house. Hubby stood on our porch and yelled, “We’ll have NONE of the here!” She got in her car and left, and he went inside. No trouble since.
As for me…I’ll call 911 in each and every case. Taking care of #2 himself is fine for my husband, but I don’t have a booming voice, menacing countenance, nor the build of a California redwood! I am no match for a warring couple, and certainly no match for a gang fight. I WOULD stop, parking well away from the road, for #1, and check for injured people in addition to calling 911.
Lm,
All the better for you to take a gun safety/training course, and then purchase a gun in the event that you might just need to it in the future.
1. Wrap yourself in plastic and duct tape
2. Same
3. Same
1. Do what you can to summon help and care for the injured. It is your duty as a human being.
2. Call the police.
3. Call the police as you lay on the horn, flash your high beams and generally call attention to what is happening. Most likely, they’ll run. Be a good witness and help the injured, if it’s safe to do so.
CitizenofManassas,
Because of how the laws are structured brandishing your firearm in scenerio 2 and 3 would likely bring the law against you.
While you are authorized to use deadly force to protect your life and the life of someone else; in those scenerio’s you’d be engaging in the confrontation (pressing the attack) and you’d be seen as the aggressor.
You ARE allowed to stand your ground but only after you’ve made it known you are not interested in a confrontation and you have declared yourself a non-combatant.
Yes, the rules suck but thems the breaks.
Keep the pistol in your holster (hopefully you open carry), observe what’s happening and summon law enforcement to deal with the issue. If a person’s life is truly in danger you can engage but be prepared to defend yourself in court.
anchor,
ditto on all. I’m all for helping people in need, but I’m not captain america. I’m also a Concealed carry permit holder but I would think twice in any situation before I come to an aid of a 3rd party. defending myself is one thing, defending another is a story all together. what would happen if BOTH people turned on you? I could take out one person, but what if the other decided to pull out a firearm when I was least expecting. You never know and thats why I would always err on the side of my safety. the CCW permit was issued to permit defense of myself. That’s the one person I know I can protect for sure. the police would tell you the same, for those that protect others..prepare for your day in court, and prepare to be arrested along with the assailant if you shoot someone no matter what the story until it all gets sorted out.
has nothing to do with putting tail between legs, being a coward, etc..it has to do with being sensible and keeping a cool head. I’ve been in law enforcement and those tactics are tried and true if you are not an officer of the law.
I am concerned by the number of people here who advise others to take a fire arms course and get a gun when they have no idea of a person’s age or mental state. I don’t assume all readers here are sane or are of legal age.
I don’t think there are a lot of people here who are under 18. Yes, Virginia that is the age to open carry a loaded handgun.
Also, as far as mental state, if you have ever been involuntarily committed to a mental institution or mentally adjudicated for a crime, you cannot legally possess a firearm.
Anchor,
I do believe the law states you can enter the situation as a 3rd party, and not worry about having or not having stood your ground. That is what is silly about the law, you can enter into a fight you did not start or was not a part from the start of it, but if you use you gun at being attacked by someone using lessor a weapon(s), you run the very real risk of being on the wrong side of the law, unless you can prove you were in fear for your life.
That is why many States have passed the Castle law, which allows one to stand their ground without first having to attempt to run or disengage from the attack.
Josh,
As I said if I was on the beating side, I would want someone to jump in. I have a CHP, but I also open carry when the urge strikes me.
Dolph,
Don’t get your shorts in a bunch. People will be washed out from the process if they meet what you are worried about. Here comes the liberal out of you, just like it does when it comes to the illegals.
citizen,
I intervened into a fight with a few kids kicking the crud out of another about a few years back, I was armed. However I drove my car into the vicinity, and squealed my tires. Kids thought I was PD and split, I called the PD to assist the beaten kid. Not once were firearms involved. There are other ways, never said to not assist someone just to do it prudently and without thinking guns hot all the time.
Scenario three:
Give the men a bottle of whisky, take the females home with you and hope for the best.
Scenario two:
Give the man a bottle of whisky, take the woman home with you and hope for the best.
Scenario one:
Need more information…. Are there any females involved?
Citizen,
Sounds like you carry safely. I just wanted to make sure that everyone here knows the difference between protecting yourself and defense of another and putting yourself into the line of fire (physically and legally).
Dolph, there is nothing wrong with a person taking a firearms course and understanding the mechanisms of how a firearm functions and the legality of it’s use. Personally, when I purchased my first .40 I had 0 training or knowledge of how to use a firearm but I wanted to carry it after the immigration resolution passed. I then learned how to use it, acquired more, and now am much more proficient in the legalities of firearm ownership.
The one thing that the immigration resolution taught me is don’t trust the government. As a latino and as a citizen I now will no longer cooperate with the police and I’m armed to protect myself and family.
Josh,
I think I put in a couple of cavets, and said I would take a couple of more steps first, unless I saw some serious beating going on. I could have said I would just pull out the gun first and then call law enforcment.
Anchor,
Yup, one has to be careful these days.
Anchor Baby,
I never said there was anything wrong with taking a firearms course. I totally believe in them.
As for you no longer cooperating with the police, I seriously hope you don’t mean that. I don’t care what your ethnicity is, we all need to cooperate with the police, otherwise, let’s just go for anarchy.
To all,
What I question is encouraging people you don’t know to go get a gun. If that is liberal….so be it. There are age limits and sanity implications. What people say to people they do know certainly wouldn’t be included in my concerns unless the person has a history of mental illness or is under aged.
Josh, you make perfect sense. Weren’t you raise in AZ? I have found, in most cases, certainly not all, that people raised in the west have much more common sense about gun use and don’t use the gun as an extension of their personal being or to prove a political point nearly so much as their eastern counterparts.
Dolph,
Just go back to flip flopping on your support for illegals.
I very much support the Bill of Rights, which include gun ownership. Now, I suppose if I suggested someone go jump off a bridge, you would have an issue with that, because by gosh, they would do it just because I suggested it.
Common sense says that if one witnesses a fight between 1 and many people, law enforcement is not on the scene, something should be done to include using the right to defend the life of someone on the short end of a fight or rape, etc.
Though, I’ll keep your suggestion in mind and I do hope that if you are ever in a situation of immediate assistance, you will have the clarity of mind to tell any possible onlookers to keep their guns holstered as to avoid making a political point since obviously they would only want to pull their guns for that reason only.
Dolph,
yeah I come from AZ, Guns are tools for the most part out there on the reservation in which I was raised. Not uncommon to see people toting them around open and most people dont care. They are tools, just like hammers and nails. Suprisingly on the reservation most gun issues happen when guns and alcohol mix, which incidentally is the same outside the reservation. I’ve taken multiple fire arms courses, in addition to my professional training and you can never ereally get enough.
COM,
I am not discussing illegal aliens. You and I established a long time ago that we do not see eye to eye on this issue. Why keep bringing it up?
I am discussing telling people you don’t know to go get a gun. I am all for responsible gun ownership by mentally well adults if that is what they chose to do. I do believe in gun laws. If that conflicts with your interpretation of the 2nd amendment that’s ok. We will both get over it. I suggest not discussing it. Remember, I have never denied being anything but a moderate. I expect you probably find that very liberal.
Josh,
Which reservation? I do love Arizona. I haven’t made it out there this year yet. The year is still young though.
“The one thing that the immigration resolution taught me is don’t trust the government.”
I learned that by living in Manassas Park….
salt river indian “community” is what they now call it, just outside of scottsdale. it’s right along Pima road and 110 outside scottsdale. not much too it, just a bunch of land. They still sell cheap cigarettes there if you partake
Scenarios 1,2,3: call the Human Rights Commission and ACLU. I’m sure someone in the crowds can claim victim status. Oh wait, not if they’re Christian or white Anglo males.
Dolph,
Well, there are self described republicans out there supporting Obama. Even though, Obama has not shown one thread of evidence of anything Republican in his life or public office and pretty much stands against anything a Republican would. In other words, I think those people if they were to do a self assessment on their political views they might come up with a another way to describe their political views. Not saying you should, because as we know, you do not like me to make suggestions……
Do you really think by telling someone they should take gun safety course and buy a gun is an endorsement for mentally ill people to do so? You also forget the instant background check that is done and the fact people have to list any mental health issues. If they are going to lie about that to get a gun, I don’t think you have to worry about my suggestion.
since I weigh barely over 100lbs, it would probably be 911 for all three…although in the 1st scenario, I would at least check the occupants of the vehicles to give better description of their injuries to 911, unless I felt I was in danger. I’ve witnessed the second scenario several times when we still lived in an apartment…knew the PW non-emergency number by heart (I didn’t think anyone was beating on each other…I just didn’t appreciate the screaming match at 2am on a Tuesday). Third scenario would strictly be 911 and stay in my car at a safe distance…maybe honk and flash lights to try to scare them off, but I almost rather the authorities nap those jerks.