Keeping yourself safe

Was reading the competition thread about the encounter with another scrapper that almost got violent and had a few thoughts.
1. People are getting desperate these days., if you have a valid carry permit always carry!
2. If you have a knife make sure it is legal to carry, most states switch blades and gravity knives are illegal. If you ever had to use it and it is illegal to possess you are in as much trouble as the guy who tried to harm you. Know what is legal to possess in your area.
3. I answer and pick up a lot of things from Craigslist. Before leaving the house I ALWAYS tell the wife the address of where I am going and how long it should take for a round trip. I also always have two friends with me, mr Smith and mr Wesson. Too many crazys out there on line and realistically you don't know who you are dealing with.

Hope everyone stays safe and remember no amount of scrap is worth your life!!!!

Good ideas! Esp the telling the addy to your wife.

Keeps her mind at ease and at least you know the cavalry is coming in case the chit hits the fan.

Great tool to have that can be clearly seen....framing hammer

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Originally Posted by easyrecycle

Great tool to have that can be clearly seen....framing hammer

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yeah, makes knocking on the door lots easier too! lol

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Originally Posted by Bear

yeah, makes knocking on the door lots easier too! lol

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I father always told me.....if something is not working or doing what you want....you need a bigger hammer.

I carry a Glock 23 with me all the time.

I carry my lil 32 with me. Have never had to fire it but have had to show it. the knowing that someone will shoot back is more offten enough to stop them. I am a life time member of a local shooting range and have my ccw. I have taken and passed my deffensive shooting course several times. Im not john wayne or clint eastwood but shoot I can lol. And my truck is lowjacked lol.

I always have a .32 with me as well. Usually, though, if I am out working I have either my XD9 or Bersa Thunder with me too.

The KelTec .32 is great because it has become part of me. When I change into pajama pants, it comes along. It is usually with me 24/7.

Indianapolis is far from America's roughest city, but the side of town I live in (East) has the most crime and most murders. It is very common to be approached in parking lots, gas stations, etc for "bus fare" or "gas money". Any scholar of the streets will tell you that this approach is 98.5% of the time the pretext to "read" you and size up a variety of factors; the likelihood that you are holding valuables, your awareness and street knowledge, your perceived physical ability, and the presence or likelihood of weapons. The way you carry yourself can prevent confrontations 90% of the time. If you look like an aware and difficult target crooks won't even mess with you. Most of the time this can be accomplished by being "in the moment". Don't play with your phone while pumping gas, don't look at the ground or the clouds aloofly. Work on your "1000 yard gaze", and take in the action around you.

If you are being approached, show your awareness before they get very close. Remove anything from your hands, and get your back against your car or a wall so that you cannot be flanked. Don't let anyone get too close! If they are within 30 feet of you and haven't said anything, you need to initiate the encounter by "greeting" them. This shows that their mere presence hasn't intimidated you, and puts the move on them. if they keep approaching physically, you need to keep your 5h!t together and get assertive. Straight up tell them that you have nothing for them. If they keep approaching, tell them to back off. At this point, if you carry a weapon your hand needs to be on it. Believe it or not, if you carry a gun and it is IWB (in waist band), with a shirt and jacket over it, a determined assailant can cross 20 feet and deliver a fatal stab wound before you can draw, aim, and fire.

I have never had to draw, and I hope I never do.

If you do carry a firearm, it is a really good idea to carry a business card of a lawyer who is experienced in gun law and defending self defense shooters. Program the number in your phone as well, and also make sure your spouse or significant other knows who to call.

I hope nobody here ever has to use a weapon in self defense, but if you do: 1. Call 911 and tell them that you were attacked and shot a person in self defense. Give the location and ask for an ambulance. SAY NOTHING ELSE. 2. Call your lawyer and leave a message saying that you shot in self defense and need immediate assistance. 3. Keep your weapon accessible but holstered/ laid down/etc. 4. Administer first aid to the person you shot if possible.

When the police come, tell them very little. Tell them that you were attacked and that you WERE IN FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE. Say nothing else about the scenario and the shooting. Speak to nobody but your lawyer! You will be taken to receive any medical attention you require, and then you will be taken to the police station for an investigation. Be very polite, but very insistent that you do not wish to make any statements without your lawyer being present.

Good luck to all of you gentlemen and ladies out there. I 100% believe that every able minded and adequately skilled adult should be armed, but everyone needs to recognize that a gun is not a talisman or magic wand. It is a tool, and hopefully one that never is urgently needed. It demands as much respect as any other dangerous and powerful tool, and should never be touched by anyone not familiar with its safe use.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...t/BA230462.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...t/1D720162.jpg

Nice spread sheet there Enoch.

Enoch,
Thanks for the tips.

Copycat

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Originally Posted by Enoch43

When the police come, tell them very little. Tell them that you were attacked and that you WERE IN FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE. Say nothing else about the scenario and the shooting. Speak to nobody but your lawyer! You will be taken to receive any medical attention you require, and then you will be taken to the police station for an investigation. Be very polite, but very insistent that you do not wish to make any statements without your lawyer being present.

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Someone posted this on Facebook. Has some good points. Long video though. I opened it then let it run in the background while browsing SMF and what not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo2GG...ature=youtu.be

It's always a good idea to carry if you can legally do so because, lets face it, many scrappers are also drug addicts looking to get money for their next fix. There is nothing more dangerous than this type of scrapper. I've seen my share of them at the yard.

A couple weeks ago I get a call @ 10 pm a guy says he is cleaning out an office building and needs a lot of metal picked up the next day, and its in east oakland ca, the worst part of the worst city in california. I said sure as long as you don't call anyone else and he said ok. So I go to get the metal he shows me what he wants gone and leaves about a half hour later two black guys (I'm not racist but there wasn't any one else around except me and my worker were in oakland they have sideways hats and gold teeth) so I'm a little nervous they say they got called to for the metal, I had given the guy who called me $40 for letting me have the metal and told the two guys. They walked away but left their truck I thought they were plotting on me so I secured my truck and kept an axe near by. They came back and said well in this game its first come first serve and I said yeah thats what i thought I hope you didn't drive far. The guy who called me came back and I was kind of pissed and so were the black guys. He ended up hiring them to fill a big dumpster with trash, and i gave them about 500 lbs of metal that i didn't want and everyone was happy, but at one point I was really nervous goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover.

You did well MrVictor, glad it worked out for you

I had never thought about it before but where I live/scrap I haven't run into any kind of problems except with a dog once. now, when my mom and I go out I guess we would be the most vulnerable and I don't have a gun and don't think something like that is necessary but I do carry a hammer in my truck but its behind my seat, I did move it to the holder on the door after this thread went up because I guess you just never do know but I've never encountered or heard about any scrapper run ins here. Now, if I were scrapping in the big city closest to me I think a gun might be warranted but not out in the countryside where I live. heck, I guess for that matter my 73 year old dad isn't all that much protection either but at least he's bigger and stronger than me! Thanks for the reminder OP.