How To React To Getting Robbed At Gunpoint

The one thing that is really helping me with various life trauma induced issues is that I train martial arts. Vigorous exercise in general helps. One of my buddies that saw combat says that Tai Chi helps him a bunch.

originally posted by: TheSpanishArcher
a reply to: recrisp

First, thanks to all who have responded as I greatly appreciate it.

Now, to your post, I now actually get what PTSD is as I've never experienced it, really, in this fashion. I'm still feeling something but I don't know what. I think I'm in the anger process, if you think of the five stages of grief, and I haven't yet gotten to acceptance.

But how to accept it? How do I get there? I'm thinking right now that I'm Batman and can go rouge and deal with this thug - certainly the stupidest thought I've ever had and also I won't - but I WANT to. The frakking gunman robbed me of a hundred bucks, took my wallet, all with a damn gun for what? Seriously, who has to use a gun to rob a pizza guy?

I'm a peace loving kind of guy, lived almost fifty years on this crazy planet and never had anything like this ever happen and I have lived most of my life in Las Vegas, where crap like this is routine. How it never happened to me before is kind of amazing now that I think about it. I guess I'm just still shaken a bit and processing it all and having my boss not tell the customer to frak off and giving me crap for it has a lot to do with it. He should have supported me better than that when it's his greedy ass that put me in that situation.

Each person reacts differently to any incident like this, so it can be traumatic, or maybe not. The thing is, a LOT of the robbers now days don't need any reason at all to shoot you, they just do it, no matter if you are not trying to stop them, I am sure that you see what I mean in the news if you watch.

Going through all of the emotions is probably pretty normal, I'd think, when you said, "Batman", and "rogue", I remember that same feeling, I had actually forgotten I felt that way. Like Jim said about not getting to the point of it controlling your life is a good thing, but it will probably always be with you. I know I don't live in fear even after all of the horrible things that have happened to me, I'm not Batmen either. =) When I am in a store or any enclosed place I always make a plan and an escape, it's just natural for me (after the fact) to do that and think of an out of a bad scenario.

I will say that I had nightmares or bad dreams about the shooting though, where I was walking in a dark place, like an alleyway, then someone shoots me in the stomach, and I start to die. That could have been from me having an ulcer though, I had major problems from that for years, so pain in my sleep may make me think of getting shot. Who knows?

Maybe I should mention that I lived in some government housing projects then, it was rough from the day I moved in, to the day I left. 12 years of my life was spend dodging 'something', gangs were the norm, shootings in front of my house every weeks, etc. I really didn't think I was going to make it to be a teenager, much less the next day. My first robbery I was only 10 years old.

You REALLY ARE very lucky that you have not had something like this in your life, I wish that was the case for all of the people that have crap like this happen to them.
I will say that I would not EVER take a job that dealt with the public (like a pizza guy) or in a store where you can get robbed. (That's just me) No amount of money is worth my life. I (helped) convince my 50 year-old sister-in-law to stop deliver pizzas, she had a few encounters that scared her enough, I guess.

I agree that your boss sure should've supported you on this, that's crazy that he didn't.
For you to have to go through getting robbed AND that, well, it's kind'a akin to a woman getting raped and asked if she enjoyed it when being grilled by the police.

I really hope that this doesn't have a major lasting negativity on you, being cautious is one thing, but it being controlling is another.
You mentioned talking to someone, you can call me if you want, I'll listen and not talk or whatever, I sure don't mind if you think it'd help. I don't have a plaque on the wall saying I am an expert, but I am a pretty good listener. =)
I'm serious too.

Giving SOME robbers/muggers your wallet doesn't equate to not getting shot/killed.

originally posted by: pirhanna
The one thing that is really helping me with various life trauma induced issues is that I train martial arts. Vigorous exercise in general helps. One of my buddies that saw combat says that Tai Chi helps him a bunch.

That's really a very good idea!
Personally I carry a gun now, but to train to help your mind overcome, that is the real key, I can see where Tai Chi could bring you peace where I feel more confident when I am carrying, it doesn't bring me peace, if that makes sense. =)

Good post!

a reply to: recrisp


Recrisp, good points. I lived in a very nice college town 6 years ago, and there was an incident in broad daylight of a pizza delivery person getting robbed at gunpoint.

originally posted by: KTemplar
a reply to: recrisp


Recrisp, good points. I lived in a very nice college town 6 years ago, and there was an incident in broad daylight of a pizza delivery person getting robbed at gunpoint.

Robberies and things of that nature happen a lot in the better neighborhoods, that's where the money is. =)
I lived in Dallas when I was at the age of all of my stuff, it's not a good area then or now. I know of several robberies just in the last couple of years where it was daylight. Jogging trails are a good place to get robbed there, or the train station, or lakes where people go to get away from the crazy life they lead.
People can just be crazy for no reason now, drugs were not a big thing when I was a kid, I mean, yeah, it was around, but not like 'krocodil', or whatever that drug is, meth, or crack.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

I don’t like calling people out over personal stories.. to be fair you never really know..

But that story SCREAMS “ This is what I wish would happen!”

First off just imagaine the set up...

Somebody pulls a gun and demands your wallet..

Then you reach for your wallet and instead pull out a 357..

And no one fires????

You didn’t fire because you just assumed this person willing to rob you , wasn’t willing to shoot?!?!!

And the same goes for the robber...

He had you deadbang, then sees you have a gun and chooses to trust you will not shoot him as he turns to run?!?!


That’s a whole lotta trust for two people who are presently pointing gunsat each other?!?!


So I would ask anyone reading this to actually think about the reality of the way that almost certainly plays out..

a reply to: recrisp


So true, the drugs nowadays are so bad. Flakka, spice, the ones you mentioned are turning people into zombies. Scary world now for sure.

I grew up in Boston, I love Boston, but the burbs here are now the most dangerous places to be for sure.

a reply to: KTemplar

And only on the market because of our insane decision to outlaw anything that changes your mood.. except alcohol.. arguably the worst drug of all.

Ask any rehab what group is the worst off when sobering up, and they will instantly reply alcoholics.

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: mysterioustranger

I don’t like calling people out over personal stories.. to be fair you never really know..

But that story SCREAMS “ This is what I wish would happen!”

First off just imagaine the set up...

Somebody pulls a gun and demands your wallet..

Then you reach for your wallet and instead pull out a 357..

And no one fires????

You didn’t fire because you just assumed this person willing to rob you , wasn’t willing to shoot?!?!!

And the same goes for the robber...

He had you deadbang, then sees you have a gun and chooses to trust you will not shoot him as he turns to run?!?!


That’s a whole lotta trust for two people who are presently pointing gunsat each other?!?!


So I would ask anyone reading this to actually think about the reality of the way that almost certainly plays out..

If someone pulls a weapon (gun) on you and you also have one, that is YOUR choice to do what you feel is necessary in that situation. You know 'you', and I am sure that you feel as though you can assess the situation. If you feel as though you are going to die you should take action and do what your heart tells you.
The only thing I can say is that anytime that you pull a gun on anyone, be prepared to use it, and in this case I would've shot the guy. I wasn't there, but in my mind I am at the point that if I was in that exact situation AND I pulled my pistol out I would've not thought I was safe UNLESS I shot first, IF I was lucky. =)

I have only pulled my gun out one time in my life, maybe 20 years ago, someone broke into my house while I was asleep. Making this short, I saw the guy opening my glass sliding door and I pulled my gun on him and told him to, "Freeze!", or something like that. I KNEW at that point I am no killer, just to get revenge. Although I chased him from that door to my 6' wooden gate where he was climbing over I could've shot him, but I didn't. I shot 3 times into the ground instead, or, tried to.
The thing is, back then it was not legal to carry a pistol in a car, so I always had it unloaded and put bullets back into it after I arrived at my destination. This time I had forgotten too, it seems. =) (I learned a lesson then though)
This break-in really got to me though, I felt VERY violated, it made me really upset for a long time. I had my pick-up stolen TWICE after that. Now, if anyone does me wrong and it is legal and I feel the need I will not be as nice, I am sick of being a victim, I am sick of people taking advantage of strangers, I'm just flat out sick of the way the world works.
The next time I will not fire into the ground, this is the way I feel now, years ago I didn't.

So, if someone pulls a gun on me, or tries to stab me, I will then, and only then make a decision according to my situation. Maybe I will succeed, maybe I won't, but I will at least try.
I ain't a bad ass at all, I am not a gun nut, I am a victim, and until you have been in certain situations you cannot say what OTHERS should do, they should do what the feel is the correct thing for the situation at hand.

People can say what they want, and some may have real meaning, but like what was said earlier about having a bad back and comparing it to another person, that is exactly the way I think. (By the way, I have a bad back, I have heard that said to me a million times, NOBODY has an identical bad back, so they shouldn't compare and tell you how to 'cure it') =)

I would also ask yourself what you feel the situation needs, if you are up to it, do what your gut tells you in the really long few seconds that could change your life.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

i had a gun pulled on me once, when i was 18. told him he had to do what he had to do and walked off. he never shot just talked # as i walked away. never had any emotional problems for it. but i did get a foid card after that and have been carrying every since. now days i can conceal carry legally.

a reply to: recrisp

That was my point as well..

If your being robbed and have a gun pointed at you, but unknowingly to the robber you are armed as well...

When you reach for your wallet, You have two options..

1) pull your wallet and give it to him.

2) pull your gun.


If you are making the choice to pull your gun, are you just going to pull your gun and point it???

When your opponent is armed as well?!??

HELL NO!!!

(I THINK)

Once you decide to pull the gun instead of the wallet. Your shooting..

I would..



The poster’s story requires for both the poster and the robber to have both made the insane decision not to shoot. When both men would HAVE to assume the other would fire!

Imho that story just screams “ This never happened , but I wanna seem like a tough guy, with my super manly 357. You don’t wanna mess with me! “


Lmao..

In my experience real stories tend to be more than a little depreciating.. with the author pointing out how lucky they got, or how they thought they were screwed, exc..

Atleast all mine are like that lmao..

a reply to: luke1212

Man, I’m not anti-gun or anything, but I doubt you being armed helps you in that situation lol..

Hindsight you know you weren’t really at risk, but in that moment you being armed likely starts a shootout.

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: recrisp



When you reach for your wallet, You have two options..

1) pull your wallet and give it to him.

2) pull your gun.

Actually, the other option is to get your wallet out and 'accidentally' drop it, when he is distracted that is when I'd make MY move, everybody's different though, and things don't always play out as we tend to do in our mind.

a reply to: recrisp

Either way your shooting when you pull though right???

That’s my point.

In that situation, when you KNOW the other guy is armed, YOUR SHOOTING..

And the same goes for the robber..

If I’m robbing someone at gun point. If they start to pull a gun , at that point I HAVE to fire..because I Have To assume the victim will be firing too..

Homie’s story requires that both people perplexingly do not shoot...

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: recrisp



Imho that story just screams “ This never happened , but I wanna seem like a tough guy, with my super manly 357. You don’t wanna mess with me! “


Lmao..

In my experience real stories tend to be more than a little depreciating.. with the author pointing out how lucky they got, or how they thought they were screwed, exc..

Atleast all mine are like that lmao..

I don't know the guy that posted that, but in my mind I don't think myself as heroic. I had a Corvette I bought new, I could not bear to call it a, "Vette", and I don't name my boats or cars/trucks, I have a small belt buckle if I even wear a belt, so I do agree with you on that point.
I don't act tough but I can take care of myself, (so far anyway) and I have talked myself out of many situations that if I wanted to I could have won by fighting. For some reason I have this knack to attract people that want to fight me, and I guess rob me too! =)
I know of a LOT of people in my past that thought they were a tough guy and are either no longer around or they paid their price at some point in time. One of the guys that threatened me with a pistol AND who also put a knife to my throat (from behind) at a bar when i was 18 is a quadriplegic after being shot in the neck.

I guess what I am saying is that some people are a bad ass and may talk and be that way, I am not.
Now I live in a fairly small Texas town now that has an overabundance of TALL 4-wheel drive trucks, they have really large western buckles, so I cannot even imagine how small most of their penises are. =)
We sometimes try to make up for the lack of things we have no control over.

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: recrisp

Either way your shooting when you pull though right???

That’s my point.

In that situation, when you KNOW the other guy is armed, YOUR SHOOTING..

And the same goes for the robber..

If I’m robbing someone at gun point. If they start to pull a gun , at that point I HAVE to fire..because I Have To assume the victim will be firing too..

Homie’s story requires that both people perplexingly do not shoot...

All I can say is that, yes, I would be shooting, but after I assess the situation I will know if I think it merits me pulling my gun out, that is ONLY after I make the judgement call on how dangerous the bad guy is. You take a chance either way, darkness, closeness, cover, that all takes a place in any situation. I hope to God I never have another thing happen to me, but I am not that same guy as I was then, I might risk it, or, if my mind tells me it's not the time, I wouldn't. I am not looking for a fight, EVER.

Any and every time that I am accosted by whomever I will always take the easy way out, if a robber seems to not be a type (in my mind at that time) that might kill me, I wouldn't try and retaliate, if I think he is, I sure would.
In almost every instance each guy had an attitude, one that pretty much told me that they were dead serious, (except for my break-in) and a couple of others. The guy in my convenience store robbery that shot my manager was a born killer, I could see that, no question. He had me point blank though. He asked for, "Long Kools, man", and when I turned to get them, then back again there was a gone on my nose. Had I fought back I would've been shot, no doubt, even then I knew I was doing the right thing. Nobody's money in that store that night was going to make me die for it. =)
Immediately after he pointed the gun at my face he pulled back and without any warning he shot the manager in the recess in his throat right above the collarbone. The manager hadn't made a noise, a move, nothing.

Had I taken a chance I would've for sure been killed because immediately after the manager was shot two 7 foot accomplices burst into the door putting on their hose and took over.
I made the correct choices that night and so far every other time.

So even in my stupid teen-aged years I knew when to do some things and when not to. =)

Things like this are why I am always armed,not always with a gun though,but I always have my multi-tool and my quick wit.
I know getting robbed sucks,but so does having any weapon pointed at you,if you can learn to remain calm under stress like that then you will be ready to react the next time. React,meaning fight back effectively,though commonly overlooked a quick distraction can give you enough time to escape or to draw and fire your weapon before they even could see it coming.
Robbers are expecting an easy victim,they do not expect anyone to fight back,no less do they expect someone to distract them while under such stress.

A lot of times robbers don't even use loaded guns,they just use the gun for intimidation purposes for the most part.
I'd personally be willing to call their bluff,I'm not afraid of death and I won't let some punk get some freebies off me.
If someone is pointing a weapon at me with intend to potentially do harm they better be prepared to fight to the death,because I will not be an easy victim and I won't allow anyone in my presence to be either.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

So I took my girlfriend to this familiar but seedy little
town n country liquor store around the corner from her
mom and dads house. I was around 22 years of age, as
we pull up and park this black dude I never seen
before is hang'n out front.

No big deal but as I jump out of my truck he hits me
up about some weed. Didn't really appreciate his
assumption of my ignorance or lack of street smarts,
so I fired back," And how am I supposed to know you
aren't five 0?"

He was standing right at the front of my truck when
he whips out this nickle plated 357 ruger double
action revolver. Puts it down gently on the hood of
my truck. Finger on the trigger and pointed right
at my sternum and says,"If I'm a cop then this is my
badge!"

I stood there beside the drivers front fender and
my girl sit'n in the passenger seat for maybe three
seconds and said," Motha F@#!%# man that's a nice
ruger you got there!" And it really was.

So black guy lifts the weapon up off my hood and
looks it over say'n " Damn sure is isn't it?" I said
you gotta let me check it out? And straight away
he hands it over." Go ahead man check it out!"

I cop a feel throw open the fully loaded chamber
close it and hand it back to him. Sorry I don't have
what you're look'n for. I'm just here for the beer.
He said alright be cool and walked off into the
dark.

Out of five times I remember that one the best.

a reply to: JoshuaCox

I never saw a weapon, nor did they produce a visible weapon...only hands in their Punk-ass-low-life pockets. About a year or so later...I believe it was them while I was at work that robbed my wife , in our driveway and this time she reported they produced guns...and robbed her of her purse, wallet, credit cards.

It was in our relatively nice west side suburb. Never were caught, but they threw her purse and empty wallet into a postal mailbox on the corner, and she got it back.

I didnt shoot...though I was a milisecond away from it. No point to shoot anyone running away. I still carry concealed to this day....and work for Emergency Services, Search and Rescue, Police and Fire.

Restraint is far better than shooting and killing them when I saw no weapons as they ran away.*

*Responsibility of carrying a firearm is moreso when NOT to shoot.... as it is when you have no other option

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: JoshuaCox



*Responsibility of carrying a firearm is moreso when NOT to shoot.... as it is when you have no other option

That's taught in class when taking gun training or your concealed class. It's just also the right thing to do too. =)