Safety
Hi All.. Maybe it is just me but I am getting concerned about our personal safety at camp grounds. Should a camper carry a weapon(gun)in the camper? Currently I do not. Jim2007
Forum Discussion
"This is a serious question......did you, or anyone posting here, ever feel like they had to draw a weapon in a campground? Remember, if you pull a gun, you are prepared to take a life.....kill!"
You really should read the entire thread before posting. Go back to my first post {#7 in this discussion}. Since you asked here are the details:
We were alone in an isolated CG 5 miles from the nearest paved road or dwelling out on the Wyoming/Idaho border {Gravel Creek outside of Soda Springs}. Some fool began repeatedly shooting into the campground putting our lives in serious jeopardy.
After 8 rounds had been fired at us over a 20 minute period by a 30 caliber rifle {yes, I know what a 30 caliber sounds like when it is pointed in my direction with each successive round coming closer and closer}, I fired two rounds into the ground. This accomplished three things... It let the idiot know that we were where he was shooting, that I was armed and that I would drop the hammer as needed.
The shooting stopped immediately and few minutes later some local mouth breather in a beat up piece of junk car came driving through the empty CG looking for us {I presume}. I stood in front of my rig, hand on my holstered pistol and stared him down and he fled.
Yes I was prepared to take a life if that was what it would take to save ours. This clown was a moron, obviously a local who knew there was a CG that he was firing into. Perhaps he thought it was empty, except for us, it was, but there is NO excuse for firing into any CG.
Maybe honking my horn would have discouraged him but what if it didn't? We packed up and got out of there at first light.
The second time I had to display my gun was at an isolated gas station/mini market. As soon as I pulled in to fuel a local made a bee line from his old car at the edge of the parking lot to me at the pumps. I got the old "My wife and kids are sick and I have they medicine they need but I'm out of gas, give me some money" story.
I told him that I carried no cash and that he looked like a local so I was sure someone in the mini market would be glad to help him out. I got several minutes of serious verbal abuse and he retreated to his car where his rather large buddy joined him. They glared and verbally threatened me until I had finished fueling.
I let them see me retrieve my holstered pistol from the trailer and as I handed it to my wife in the truck loudly told her to place it in the center console where I could reach it. We were about to head down 60 miles of isolated 2 lane and I got the distinct impression that I was going to meet these bozo's somewhere down that road. The display, not brandishing, of my pistol seemed to discourage their intentions.
Lordy, Lordy a miracle occurred... that old car that was out of gas burned rubber for 60' peeling out of the gas station and happily I never saw them again.
Twice in 8+ years of travel from coast to coast is probably not too bad but when folks ask if a weapon was ever needed my answer is twice.... that I know of. Stuff happens folks and bad guys don't wear signs advertising their evil intent.
I hope no one ever has an encounter like we have experienced {twice}, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared.
As always.... Opinions and YMMV
:C
You really should read the entire thread before posting. Go back to my first post {#7 in this discussion}. Since you asked here are the details:
We were alone in an isolated CG 5 miles from the nearest paved road or dwelling out on the Wyoming/Idaho border {Gravel Creek outside of Soda Springs}. Some fool began repeatedly shooting into the campground putting our lives in serious jeopardy.
After 8 rounds had been fired at us over a 20 minute period by a 30 caliber rifle {yes, I know what a 30 caliber sounds like when it is pointed in my direction with each successive round coming closer and closer}, I fired two rounds into the ground. This accomplished three things... It let the idiot know that we were where he was shooting, that I was armed and that I would drop the hammer as needed.
The shooting stopped immediately and few minutes later some local mouth breather in a beat up piece of junk car came driving through the empty CG looking for us {I presume}. I stood in front of my rig, hand on my holstered pistol and stared him down and he fled.
Yes I was prepared to take a life if that was what it would take to save ours. This clown was a moron, obviously a local who knew there was a CG that he was firing into. Perhaps he thought it was empty, except for us, it was, but there is NO excuse for firing into any CG.
Maybe honking my horn would have discouraged him but what if it didn't? We packed up and got out of there at first light.
The second time I had to display my gun was at an isolated gas station/mini market. As soon as I pulled in to fuel a local made a bee line from his old car at the edge of the parking lot to me at the pumps. I got the old "My wife and kids are sick and I have they medicine they need but I'm out of gas, give me some money" story.
I told him that I carried no cash and that he looked like a local so I was sure someone in the mini market would be glad to help him out. I got several minutes of serious verbal abuse and he retreated to his car where his rather large buddy joined him. They glared and verbally threatened me until I had finished fueling.
I let them see me retrieve my holstered pistol from the trailer and as I handed it to my wife in the truck loudly told her to place it in the center console where I could reach it. We were about to head down 60 miles of isolated 2 lane and I got the distinct impression that I was going to meet these bozo's somewhere down that road. The display, not brandishing, of my pistol seemed to discourage their intentions.
Lordy, Lordy a miracle occurred... that old car that was out of gas burned rubber for 60' peeling out of the gas station and happily I never saw them again.
Twice in 8+ years of travel from coast to coast is probably not too bad but when folks ask if a weapon was ever needed my answer is twice.... that I know of. Stuff happens folks and bad guys don't wear signs advertising their evil intent.
I hope no one ever has an encounter like we have experienced {twice}, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared.
As always.... Opinions and YMMV
:C
