real life knife situations

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pineywoods

Joined
Jul 14, 2003
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14
What would you guys do?

On my lunch break yesterday I was in a rush to get across the city. I am zipping through traffic when a white car that I pass swerves at me a little. Hmm. I was not driving like a nut (I'm 35 with two kids, which qualifies me as an old fart). I begin to slow down with traffic and the white car pulls near in the other lane...these two women were HUGE and yelling something at me. I raise my hands up, "what?" Light turns green and I think nothin of it. Two miles down the road at the next light I am piled up in heavy traffic. While I am sitting there, I look in my side mirror to see some guy get out of his car five cars back and begin stomping up my lane. The dread locks seemed familiar. It was no women, it was a 350+ lb dude and suddenly I realized he was stomping toward's my car RAVING mad.

Uh oh. I'm stuck and this guy is going to kill me, seriously. I look around and grab a long umbrella with a long spike on the end. I decided it was two flimsy. Then I remember that the night before I put my Chris Reeve Green Beret knife under the front car seat for my wife. I get a grip and basically get ready for something really bad to happen. By now, I can see the guys face clearly and he was in a rage. He looked like a gang banger. Just as this guy gets to my bumper...the light turns green and I pull away.

Wow. What would I have done if that guy had reached in my car to attack me? I am a combat vet, and have had training. Because of that I know to avoid a physical confrontation at all costs. That CR is so wicked sharp. Man, I am glad it did not come to that. Peace
 
What Gollnick said. Didn't Louisiana pass a law a few years ago that made it legal for people to use deadly force against car jackers? If that's the case, and if you hadn't been able to pull away, then you may have been justified in using the knife..Though truthfully, I'm not sure how much good a knife would have been in that situation against someone that size, while you're sitting in a car...
 
Lock your doors, roll up the windows, and lay on the horn (like Gollnick said). Windows are fairly tough unless he has a hard object (he had a weapon officer). While he's ranting and raving outside, you can make faces and give him the finger. Just kidding!
 
Chances are, the guy had a weapon of some sort on him. Leaving was the right move.

All the other alternatives involves violence, bruises, fractures, blood loss, disease, trauma, shock, memory loss, emergency rooms, police officers, handcuffs, phonecalls, fingerprinting, jail cells, law offices, arraignments, bail bonds, grand jurys, trials, prisons, prison hospitals, prosthetics, calostomy bags, dialysis, prescription drugs, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy, wheelchairs, coroners, morgues, funerals, burials, lawsuits, financial ruin and at best potentially spending a couple of years to straighten it all out.

In a survival situation, there are no winners, only survivors.
 
good thing the light changed! If it hadn't, I would pretend to be unaware of the guy, while rolling up all windows. If he starts banging on the car, look at him like "what?" while hoping for the light to change. Then start honking to attract attention. Keep the knife close. If he breaks through a window, cut his arm deep with the knife and by that time the light should have changed, in which case you drive directly to a police station. When describing the incident, leave out the part about the prior traffic interaction - as far as you knew, some huge crazy guy was attacking you for no reason, which makes the police more sympathetic to your story. If they get his side of the story, you can say you didn't make the connection before because you thought the other car contained women.

The problem is that you may be in trouble for having the knife, if not for using it. But that's the price you pay for defending yourself if it becomes necessary. You would only use it if he broke through the window, in which case self-defense is justified. As a former prosecutor I can tell you that I would be very reluctant to prosecute you for battery, etc., under these circumstances, unless I had reason to believe that you were the aggresor.

But use of a KNIFE is still a problem, because it is a dedicated weapon. It makes you look like someone who carries a weapon around in search of trouble - sorry, but that's the way it is. You might do better to keep a crowbar & tool belt in your car, with a couple other tools. Jamming the sharp end of a crowbar into someone, or smacking them with it, will be less likely to be questioned than use of a knife, especially if you can give a reason you just happened to have the tools in your car at that time.
 
Sounds like the big guy that got the wood shampoo by those police officers and then later died. I think when someone out weighs you by 100 pounds, maybe 200 pounds in this case, deadly force should be acceptable if they are attacking you. I think when someone is bigger, espeically a lot bigger, than their victim they should be held to a higher expectation not to use force against the smaller person. Especially when the smaller person isn't being aggressive towards the larger individual.
 
Sounds like the big guy that got the wood shampoo by those police officers and then later died. I think when someone out weighs you by 100 pounds, maybe 200 pounds in this case, deadly force should be acceptable if they are attacking you. I think when someone is bigger, espeically a lot bigger, than their victim they should be held to a higher expectation not to use force against the smaller person. Especially when the smaller person isn't being aggressive towards the larger individual.
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while i don't think that someone being bigger than you should necessitate (sp?) deadly force (unless it is his intent to kill, rape, etc.), the police weren't using deadly force, just batons. the coroner report even stated that the impacts were all below the waste. the man died because he had a bad heart that the conflict tramatized psychologically. well if you have heart problems, maybe you shouldn't attack police offers. the case against the officers is total BS, but i'm sure the "victim's" family will be awarded a lot of money.
 
This is what I have decided to do. Get a canister of pepper spray, although it would have not done a thing in this case. And there is a 357 smith wheel gun that I have had my eye on. I think it is time I kept it in the car at all times.

You know, I hate having this attitude of fear. The media pumps it in our minds non stop. I am a "let live" kind of guy who likes to think I don't need that kind of self defense. So I'll do it in the name of prepardness.

Louisiana did pass a law that allows a citizen to use deadly force when being carjacked. Your car is an extension of your home. Peace
 
Think about 'Defence in Depth':

the first layer of your defence is time/distance
the second layer is the mobility of your car
the third layer is the body of your car
the fourth layer is your knife
the fifth layer is your limbs
...and so on

Cars kill more people every day then knives do in a year (I just made that up, but you get the point)

Red lights are more of a guideline than a rule.... if you try to pull into a moving traffic flow (CAREFULLY!!) you will force cars to slow down, attract attention and make it very dangerous for you attacker to be anywhere near your vehicle - there are many options to exhaust before combat - I nearly always leave at least a couple of car lengths space when stopped at lights, especially at night, it multiplies my options.

Also, bear in mind that the people sometimes appear angry for various reasons - could he have been trying to warn you of something...?
 
You didn't leave your dog tied to your bumper and drive off did you?! :p
 
Get yourself a 2 million candle power handheld spotlight for the car. When the guy goes next your window, shine him in the face. That should buy you some time.

I saw them onsale at Costco for about $35 bucks.

I am really into the tactical flashlight approach.
 
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