I was traveling home from a conference in Cleveland today and stopped at a PA Turnpike rest stop near Pittsburgh, mid afternoon, broad daylight. As I was coming out of the building some tall guy in a hoodie was talking on a cell phone outside the building in a corner. As I walked by he said, "Hey, how far East are you going?" I just acted like I didn't hear him and kept walking. I lived in Philadelphia for four years and learned not to talk to panhandlers. This guy had trouble written all over him. I was traveling alone and since I had been out of state in Ohio I was not able to exercise my CCW rights on this trip and had no intention of picking up a hitchhiker. He started following me into the parking lot. He said again, "Hey man, how far East are you going?!?" I never made eye contact and kept walking and simply shook my head no. He continued to follow me and screamed at me, "Hey! I'm talking to you! I said, how far East are you going?!?" He stopped following me about halfway to my car after I refused to acknowledge him or his shouts and he went back inside the building. I waited and watched from my car for several minutes to make sure he wasn't harassing anyone else then got back on the road. My wife asked me if I should have called the State Police but I told her all I could have told them was that someone yelled at me in the rest stop parking lot. I don't think they would have done anything. I'm 6'2" and 300lbs. I have no idea why this jerk chose to harass me. Simply talking to a stranger does not impose any duty on that stranger to listen or respond. How far East I was traveling was none of his damm business (I was getting off the Turnpike at the next visit) and traveling alone I was not going to pick up a stranger. All I had on me was my assisted opening Kershaw. Its a good stout easily and rapidly deployed blade but I'm told old and slow now for that kind of nonsense. In my misspent youth I was a bouncer in a large nightclub but those days are long gone. I became lazy about CCW years ago. Its time to go back to being vigilant. Be careful out there everyone. The trouble makers are getting bolder and itching for a fight.
Glad you made it home unscathed. Maybe some quality pepper spray might be in order. I have heard of people that put a flare gun in the car for safety reasons. Not really practical to carry, but if someone is trying to harm you or car jack you, nothing says " leave me alone" like a flaming ball of phosphorous to the chest. Plus no CCW is needed. Sounds like you are situationally aware which is great.
Always good to be aware of your surroundings. Also good to have a personal "safe" zone around yourself. If he had gotten to close to your zone it's better to turn around, acknowledge him, and loudly let him know you've had enough. NEVER let a threat get near you around your car if possible. Glad your safe Brian and glad to hear you were at least carrying knife. Mine is like a part of me, i don't walk out of the house without it.
Definitely. I was real close to that point when he stopped and went back inside. I'm just glad this went down in broad daylight with a lot of bystanders. I think that changed the dynamic.
Glad you were aware of the potential, Brian. Drugs and total disrespect for human life will embolden desperate people. I'm not saying that this particular situation was caused by either, but a rational person would have stopped asking you the second attempt. The fact that he starting yelling at you said otherwise to me.....
Yep. I have a CCW in WA and OR, 99% of where I drive. I also carry locked/unloaded in CA with a magazine in the glove box (which is legal there, as long as I am taking the gun to show it to someone). Never know when mayhem will happen. Was camping/off-roading with my brother some years ago on Southern Oregon and got a call from the sheriff in that county when I got back. They wanted to know if we saw some guy that was at the campground we were at that had killed 2 people the next night after we left. The guy was despondent after his GF dumped him, and he went on the rampage. They had him in custody and just wanted information on when he arrived there and if we saw him. We had not, but that was good info for them to pinpoint when he had arrived on scene. I thought my brother and I were paranoid carrying 3 handguns and an AR rifle just camping. Nope... if you are not paranoid, you are not paying attention!
Traveling alone can be really risky. If I can't park near the building is don't park. We have a handicap card that helps a lot with that problem. A small fire extinguisher can help if someone is bothering you at your car. I don't carry a wallet in my back pocket. My wife doesn't carry a purse and wears little to no jewelry. Glad you are safe.
Even though the goverment officals think they know whats best for me and won't allow anything close to CCW up here, I am lucky as 95% of the time I chauffer around 115lbs. of " don't screw with me or the chauffer". He is about twice as effective as bear repellant. Glad your home safe and sound. A number of years ago a friend of mine was enroute to visit his sister in Florida. He pulled off the interstate to call his sister (before cell phones), was approached by three A/A's in a gas station parking lot who were bent on making him dinner. He blasted out of the lot, flattening one of them and back onto the interstate, About a mile down he found a Georgia Trooper on the shoulder. After explaining the situation to the trooper, who went to the trunk of his cruiser and got out his trusty 870, he was advised that the situation would receive his immediate attention. Have a safe trip, Sir.
Considering your size he was crazy to yell at you like that. I had an uncle who was a big guy and looked like Mr Clean. He would have strung that guy up and left him with broken bones. Guy was lucky you didn't have a short fuse. I just got my LTC but I'm not comfortable carrying yet. I do however carry Sabre One pepper spray and a Spiderco Tenacious. Much rather use the spray than the knife if I need to defend myself. Glad you escaped trouble.
Both my wife and I have ours and we are religious about carrying. My motto is the day I forget will be the day I need it and if you don't have it when you need it you will probably never need it again. I am not some paranoid person either but let me tell you I walked out of a store years ago that was robbed minutes after I left and three people were shot and I thought to myself I never want to be in that situation. This is the whole reason I have a couple of carry guns also so that I can have one that works for any type of clothing situation.
Glad you made it out of that situation unskaved and gave everybody a reminder to always be vigilant of the surroundings.
When I was driving over the road I was mugged twice and my truck broke into 4 times. I think because I am skinny I look like an easy target ( I am not ) ! The worst was a man doing just that Brian he followed me right to the truck and yelled the whole way " don't ignore my you bastard you #?|€^{?%! " . I got the door open and was getting in when I realized he was running at me. The next thing I knew I had my king pin release puller in my hand ( 3ft of 1/4" steel rod with a hook ) in my hand and was swinging. That guy ran like I pulled a gun on him right out of the parking lot and across the street. The funniest was a drunk lot lizard crawling through my window explaining she needed money and I wanted to pay. My response get out of my window ! Who the heck are you and I am married and disease less ! She found herself on the pavement crying MY LEGG ! It happens unfortunately and all we can do is pray then defend ourselves. Glad your ok Brian.
I carry everywhere I go. Never had to use it, but if so, its there. Glad everything went down ok for you Hrian. People are nuts these days!
I had a few encounters during my trucking days. The 70's were the wild west… hookers and dope dealers in most truck stops and rest areas. I used to sleep at my customers dock in Harlem… run produce into Hunt's Point… haul cars out of a wholesaler on Jerome Ave in the Bronx… never had much trouble but my buddy did get hijacked by the mob in Jersey and found himself at the wrong end of a .38… they spared his butt and wound up tying him to the toilet in a flophouse on Flatbush Ave. Things started to quiet down in the 80's… the last ten years was pretty incident free for me but I found myself staying away from my old east coast big city haunts in favor of running the rural south and midwest. My son runs NYC almost every week… he spends his Sunday nights in western Jersey then heads into the city before dawn. He has a good head on his shoulders but I still worry about him...
