JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Messages
89
Reactions
3
Please forgive me as I tend to ramble on... But I realize I screwed up tonight. I was waiting at the McDonalds Drive Thru at Weidler and Grand in Portland tonight. (Not exactly the best neighborhood) at around 1230 this morning. I had ordered my food and was waiting what seemed like forever. When I observed a person who appeared to be "residentially challenged" Making her way down the passenger door side of the drive through line asking for money. When she approached my car the window came an 1/8th of an inch and it was made abundantly clear that I had nothing for her. So this in and of itself wasn't all that big of deal. Then it hit me... had it been someone of ill repute or wished to cause me harm.. I would've been absolutely screwed....

Why you ask?

Because I got complacent.. And when I moved forward in line, I wasn't paying attention... And this is exactly where I stopped.

I didn't leave myself an escape route.. I had absolutely no where to go.. I would've had to defend myself, in place, from a sitting position...

So anyway... This is a reminder... Dont be me....

[/soapbox]

test.jpg
 
Would you be in a better defensive position had you decided to park the car and walk into the restaurant? Probably not. I think a person is in a pretty good defensive position while inside of a locked vehicle. Your vehicle might suffer damage in an attack, but it will afford you precious seconds to unholster your weapon and defuse the situation before any harm could come to you. Still, its always a good idea to minimize risk. Nothing wrong in figuring out ways to make yourself safer.

Keith
 
Look face reality. This is just an example ok. But If I wanted to get you I could anytime of the day. You can protect yourself 24/7 it is impossible unless you sit in your Lazy Boy with all your blinds shut with steel bars on them facing the door. No matter what you do.

I felt safer in Iraq then I do here. Look at the murder rate here in one and compare that since 2001 with American deaths.

You just never know and and can't always besafe. So enjoy life instead of thinking about escape routes every time you drive as that will drive you insane.

Nothing wrong with being alert but you can't let dictate your life and mental status.............. Plus chanses are very low............
 
Were you armed? Were the doors locked? Window on that side up? If so, you were in a pretty good position to hold your ground. If it had gone further and some one was trying to get in, Pull your defensive hand gun, hit the horn and be prepared to defend your self. The horn would prob make them leave.
Dave

JMHO
 
Look face reality. This is just an example ok. But If I wanted to get you I could anytime of the day. You can protect yourself 24/7 it is impossible unless you sit in your Lazy Boy with all your blinds shut with steel bars on them facing the door. No matter what you do.

I felt safer in Iraq then I do here. Look at the murder rate here in one and compare that since 2001 with American deaths.

You just never know and and can't always besafe. So enjoy life instead of thinking about escape routes every time you drive as that will drive you insane.

Nothing wrong with being alert but you can't let dictate your life and mental status.............. Plus chanses are very low............
 
Look face reality. This is just an example ok. But If I wanted to get you I could anytime of the day. You can protect yourself 24/7 it is impossible unless you sit in your Lazy Boy with all your blinds shut with steel bars on them facing the door. No matter what you do.

I felt safer in Iraq then I do here. Look at the murder rate here in one and compare that since 2001 with American deaths.

You just never know and and can't always besafe. So enjoy life instead of thinking about escape routes every time you drive as that will drive you insane.

Nothing wrong with being alert but you can't let dictate your life and mental status.............. Plus chanses are very low............

This.
 
If this is the riskiest situation you've ever been in (I'm guessing it ranks "up there" since you bothered to take a picture, and post the story here) I'M AMAZED! You've never been in a drive-through where the landscape boxes you in? You've never stopped at a stoplight where there are cars all around you? You don't have to go outside to get into your car? Or get out of your car to go into where ever you are going?
 
i can guarantee you that you're failing to properly risk assess... McDonalds is literally many times more likely to kill you than somebody walking up to your car as you wait for your food.
 
In contrast to the other respondants, I thank the Original Poster for his intentions and understand his point and appreciate it. I too suddenly found myself in a similar surprise of suddenly being menaced at a drive-up line. It's a particuarly odd position to get into: window down, wallet out, boxed in, seatbelt on, etc.

In my case it was broad daylight with no sketchy characters anywhere near. I was just about to make my order when seven big angry young men boiled out of the rear emergency door of the restaurant. They had just been kicked out for annoying and panhandling other customers. They gave me the traditional neighborhood greeting of, "YOU GOTTA DOLLAH!!!", as they surrounded my window and shouted abuses into the drive-up microphone, oblvious to it all being recorded on videotape by the business. They seemed confused in that I was not immediately terrified by them, as if that was what they were used to and I was not reacting normally. It could have gotten ugly real fast, but nobody touched my truck door. I did have to realize that the two guns in the truck would have needed a couple of long seconds to deploy. I told them, "My money is not for you." and they rambled off without further ado, an no diminishment of bravado.

The point is that you can be surprised, even when you are "aware and prepared"--- even you. When driving I now often wear a sheath knife tucked in front of my belly button for an instant "get-off-me" response to "surprises".......................elsullo
 
But I think you are right in actually assessing your risk and surroundings like that.
A drive thru isn't escape friendly by any means .Most have high curbs as to keep people from cutting in.Or the business next door is RIGHT next door
If you're not in a truck,you probably can't push your way out or jump curbs

I always walk in for some reason.
 
Wanted to respond to a couple points on here...

No, this been the most dangerous situation I have ever been in.... I drive cab for a living.

I wasn't trying to come off as a super paranoid who doesn't live life because I'm to busy being scared of everything..

The point I was trying to make was that I think its a good idea to have good situational awareness and give yourself room to maneuver. Don't put yourself in a position where you have backed yourself in to a corner unnecessarily.

Anyway, ymmv, take it for what its worth... And all that jazz... Etc etc

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk
 
I see a prefect escape route, it's called turn the wheel hard right and floor it. You'll be able to push the car out of the way in front of you and even if there is a curb or flower bed, keeping it buried will get you over or through. Problem solved.
 
If you just pushed the vehicle in front of you ahead,you would be better off.Even if it's a truck and you have a medium car,you can get it moving.Unless they are the problem,they will move when you start shoving their car.
Going over curbs doesn't always pay off.Everything has a certain amount of ground clearance and most vehicles only have one tire propelling the car.(right rear or right front)

Heck if you drive a cab and it's a Crown Vic,get a set of cop push bars.Or that pit maneuver set up.

Yeah,get out the way NOW
 
I was thinking about this last night. You have tons of options! If forward won't work, try reverse. If they've approached on the drivers side, a hard left turn will pin them to the building, backing up to the right will do the same thing. You've always got a weapon is some is standing in front of your door, the door itself. Open it with the force of your shoulder or kick it with your leg. Come to think of it, you're sitting in one of the nations most deadly weapons. Sure you may not have had access to a traditional weapon, but there are plenty to get your hands on. **** you could even rip off the rear view mirror and beat someone with it, those damn things are heavy!
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top