hooray for fights!

[Elfrosto]

I live in the belief that I would rather take that bullet than be somebodys punk. And it's stupid, and gonna get my killed one day, but I refuse to let someone take control of my life from me like that. Last time I got mugged, I took his knife from him and kept it.

I'd rather fight, in any circumstance.

[Nekky]

re: Mali.

I wasn't really talking about a home invasion or rape scenario. I don't know the proper course of action in those types of situation. I was talking mainly about a street mugging to explore the usefulness of having a gun carrying license and having a weapon with you in the street. I agree that if someone tries to 'lure' you somewhere, running away is probably the best idea.

I'll make my scenario more exact.

You're walking down the street one evening, and some guy jumps out of a doorway with a gun and points it at you.

"Gimme your wallet and watch, mother******!"

Do you:

(a) Give him your wallet and watch.

( Try to draw your gun and shoot him before he shoots you.

© Give him your wallet and watch, wait for him to turn away, then shoot him in the back.

(d) Run.

In my opinion the best option is (a), the second best option is (d). My point is that having a gun on you doesn't matter in either of those options. That's just my opinion, and anyone is free to disagree and say that one of the other options is a better one.

[Sandbox]

re: Mali.

I wasn't really talking about a home invasion or rape scenario. I don't know the proper course of action in those types of situation. I was talking mainly about a street mugging to explore the usefulness of having a gun carrying license and having a weapon with you in the street. I agree that if someone tries to 'lure' you somewhere, running away is probably the best idea.

I'll make my scenario more exact.

You're walking down the street one evening, and some guy jumps out of a doorway with a gun and points it at you.

"Gimme your wallet and watch, mother******!"

Do you:

(a) Give him your wallet and watch.

( Try to draw your gun and shoot him before he shoots you.

© Give him your wallet and watch, wait for him to turn away, then shoot him in the back.

(d) Run.

In my opinion the best option is (a), the second best option is (d). My point is that having a gun on you doesn't matter in either of those options. That's just my opinion, and anyone is free to disagree and say that one of the other options is a better one.

(a) give him your wallet, get turned around kicked in the ribs a few times and hit in the back of the head with a gun ( or shot ) depending on how nervous they are, maybe even die from internal bleeding. or get stabbed in the head/back/ribs/leg/arm/shoulder 17 times like my friend did and spend 3 months in the hospital...

( stay out of creepy places and be prepared to use a firearm if you cannot avoid places where you are vulnerable to an attack.

[Ali_gmud]

I think one of the most worrying things about these sorts of situations where you bump into a criminal or thug alike - is that you know NOTHING about them.

He could be a excellent shooter, or a horrible one. His knife skills could be 110% or it could be on 80% and can't get it past that because he is only level 10.

[Nekky]

I forgot to mention what Sandbox correctly points out.

The real (a) is don't get in that situation in the first place.

[Sandbox]

I forgot to mention what Sandbox correctly points out.

The real (a) is don't get in that situation in the first place.

bravo. 92% of victims placed themselves in a position to be exploited, as 92% of victims know their assailants.

the only person who has control over your fate is you. When you lose control you become a statistic.

[L-A]

bravo. 92% of victims placed themselves in a position to be exploited, as 92% of victims know their assailants.

the only person who has control over your fate is you. When you lose control you become a statistic.

Humbling statistics to be sure. In that vein my martial arts instructor (ex-law enforcement) said that he did see a study where a busy street was video taped. This tape was then shown to a number of prisoners who had been found guilty of violent crimes. These prisoners were asked to point out (if they were on the street) which people they would choose as their victims.

99% of all shown picked the same people.

Thugs and scum (usually) don't just pick people at random - how you look, walk and act is definately the first line of self defense. Part of this - as Sandbox correctly points out - is NOT being down that dark alley are 3am in the morning asking for something bad to happen.

Nekky - to answer your scenario (assuming I'm in that situation which I hope I never am):

a) followed immediatly by d): The guy has my wallet - so if he decides to shoot me I'm already running in the opposite direction. Statistics say that if the thug actually decided to shoot at me as I run he has about a 1/10 chance of hitting me. Of that 1/10 chance only 1/10 of those shots would be fatal.

That's a 99% chance of my survival.

The only situation to resist in (assusming a robbery or threat on the street as described) is when you are told to get told to get into a car or walk somewhere. +300% chance of you never coming back if you do as you're told - you fight them to the last in this situation. There was a case here in Australia - a man walked up behind to a lady outside a shopping centre and put a knife to her throat and told her to get into the car. She didn't - she put her hand up and grabbed the (blade) of the knife to get it away from her throat and put up a fight. The thug ran off (as someone said, most thugs aren't prepared for any resistance. Once you take away their perecieved power of fear they mostly run). Two months later the same guy tried the same thing with a different person - except this time the police were nearby and apprehended him. The guy ended up showing the police what he was going to do - in a piece of bushland he had already dug a 6 foot hole and had a rope and shovel there waiting.

Worrying indeed.

L-A

PS - home invasion is VERY different to this. With someone in your house somone MUST get out and get help. While it would go against my instinct to leave my gf or someone else if you don't and are overpowered the grub has you all locked up with no chance of help. They get to do whatever they like during this time - I assure you this could be far worse than if you run and summon assistance.

[L-A]

Also, for those who don't understand about the difference in gun laws in different places - in Australia (I believe, I'm not a firearm owner):

* You can have a firearm - however, these are almost certainly restricted to rifles. You must have your shooting licence. You must have it registered. It must be of a type you are allowed to own (no semi-auto except in special circumstances - mostly farmers. No fully auto's etc).

* The firearm must be stored in a security locked place separate from its ammunition. Ammunition is generally (from the people I know who own firearms) is not kept even in the same room and some people actually lock it up as well in a different place.

* Handguns are genearlly only allowed for competition shooting. The last time I checked there was no other reason you were allowed to be licenced for a handgun (as an average citizen). Again, there are rules about how to store and security.

* If you get convicted of a crime (duh) or even have a DVO (domestic violence order) against you - you will not be granted a licence. If you have firearms and this happens the police will come and take them from you. You cannot own firearms (legally) within five year (I think? - Nekky?) from this happening.

L-A