CPT Nervous
Grandmaster
I've always told myself that I should carry a light. I know I should, and I had something happen last night that made me actually do it.
I went out with some friends and my girlfriend last night, we had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. (I'm a fan of Logan's, my buddy wanted me to try Texas, definitely not going back. Steak was mediocre, potatoes sucked.) We met up at my friend's house, and rode together.
Anyway, it was a long day, and we went out late, and we returned to my friend's house and talked for a bit. It was about midnight, and my other friend and the GF and myself were about to leave. We got into our vehicles and were about to leave. He was parked behind me in the driveway, so I was waiting on him to back out so I could get out. As we were getting into our trucks, we noticed a man pull up in the neighbor's driveway. The friend behind me was watching him, and I noticed the guy was carrying a baseball bat. He walked to the front door, and started knocking pretty hard with the bat. The friend behind me called me, and we were both watching this guy, phone in one hand, gun in the other. The man then hit the windows with the bat, not hard enough to break anything, but he kept hitting the windows and yelling for the occupants to come out.
Then he looked at us, and walked back to his car. He put the bat in his backseat, and walked to the trunk. Then he looked right at me, and pulled something small out of the trunk, and held it waist level right in front of him. He looked back at me, and my friend behind me couldn't see what he was getting, and my first thought was it looked like a handgun. I told him I thought it was a gun, and then the man got back in his car, and backed out of the driveway. He pulled up on the curb kind of blocking in my friend's truck, and started yelling at me, telling me that it was his cousin's house, and not to get involved. I cracked my door and looked back at him, gun in my hand, ready to go. I told him he needed to leave, and that we weren't involved. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to do anything stupid.
He eventually drove off, and then came flying down the street in the other direction. My buddy still had his G26 in his hand, I had holstered my 19. My GF was carrying a G19 as well, but she never drew it. My other friend was at his front door, and we told him what happened, and that he needed to keep his gun close. Then we all left.
Now, fortunately that was then end of that, but damn, I wish I had a flashlight on me! I carry a 600 lumen Terralux on duty, and I have some Olight and Surefire lights, but they stay at home. No more! I didn't want to approach this man, but it would have been nice to light him up while he was on the porch, and confront him verbally. He didn't know we were armed, but I bet he would have left sooner if he did. Who knows, any number of things could have happened. I really thought he was going to fire some shots at us. One drunk versus three competent, trained people would have yielded pretty good results.
The friend who lives there talked to the neighbor this morning. He says it is indeed his cousin, and he gets drunk and does this from time to time. Some family!
I am now carrying a tac light wherever I go. I urge all of you to do the same. Whether or not I would/should have used it is of little important. It would have given me more confidence, and that can make a difference.
Stay safe.
I went out with some friends and my girlfriend last night, we had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. (I'm a fan of Logan's, my buddy wanted me to try Texas, definitely not going back. Steak was mediocre, potatoes sucked.) We met up at my friend's house, and rode together.
Anyway, it was a long day, and we went out late, and we returned to my friend's house and talked for a bit. It was about midnight, and my other friend and the GF and myself were about to leave. We got into our vehicles and were about to leave. He was parked behind me in the driveway, so I was waiting on him to back out so I could get out. As we were getting into our trucks, we noticed a man pull up in the neighbor's driveway. The friend behind me was watching him, and I noticed the guy was carrying a baseball bat. He walked to the front door, and started knocking pretty hard with the bat. The friend behind me called me, and we were both watching this guy, phone in one hand, gun in the other. The man then hit the windows with the bat, not hard enough to break anything, but he kept hitting the windows and yelling for the occupants to come out.
Then he looked at us, and walked back to his car. He put the bat in his backseat, and walked to the trunk. Then he looked right at me, and pulled something small out of the trunk, and held it waist level right in front of him. He looked back at me, and my friend behind me couldn't see what he was getting, and my first thought was it looked like a handgun. I told him I thought it was a gun, and then the man got back in his car, and backed out of the driveway. He pulled up on the curb kind of blocking in my friend's truck, and started yelling at me, telling me that it was his cousin's house, and not to get involved. I cracked my door and looked back at him, gun in my hand, ready to go. I told him he needed to leave, and that we weren't involved. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to do anything stupid.
He eventually drove off, and then came flying down the street in the other direction. My buddy still had his G26 in his hand, I had holstered my 19. My GF was carrying a G19 as well, but she never drew it. My other friend was at his front door, and we told him what happened, and that he needed to keep his gun close. Then we all left.
Now, fortunately that was then end of that, but damn, I wish I had a flashlight on me! I carry a 600 lumen Terralux on duty, and I have some Olight and Surefire lights, but they stay at home. No more! I didn't want to approach this man, but it would have been nice to light him up while he was on the porch, and confront him verbally. He didn't know we were armed, but I bet he would have left sooner if he did. Who knows, any number of things could have happened. I really thought he was going to fire some shots at us. One drunk versus three competent, trained people would have yielded pretty good results.
The friend who lives there talked to the neighbor this morning. He says it is indeed his cousin, and he gets drunk and does this from time to time. Some family!
I am now carrying a tac light wherever I go. I urge all of you to do the same. Whether or not I would/should have used it is of little important. It would have given me more confidence, and that can make a difference.
Stay safe.