I will add something. If the person you are there to save, doesn't want saving, or suddenly wants to 'wait for something'. It is time to GO. Tell them you are leaving, and they can 'stay here and die'.
Some people who put themselves in dangerous situations are incredibly stoopid and/or naive. They don't really understand what's about to happen (or they wouldn't likely have gotten into the situation in the first place). So unless you're willing & able to pick them up and go, just... GO.
Hopefully survival will kick in and they'll leave with you.
(In my case, it did and they left with me - but I was in no way about to take a possibly fatal beating because they had a case of the ass. Personal survival always trumps other people's stupidity).
I treat it like I do Confined Space training for work. If somebody’s in the hole and they suddenly pass out, I’m not going in after them. Hopefully, that individual was smart enough to don a sniffer before they went down (so we can alert them of a toxic atmosphere before they pass out) and rescue equipment so I can winch them out; if not, they’re gonna have to wait until the fire department comes in with their rescue gear. If I go in after them, we’re just gonna have two dead bodies to pull out.
Some advice I got before leaving for Iraq as a contractor on a medical mission: wear clothes that don’t melt when exposed to fire and shoes you can run in.
-Make sure your car is nice & nonpolitical. If it's got political stickers all over it, don't take it. If it's a Tesla, doubly so.
-Be willing to agree with the mob, if cornered. Give them the power fist, chant along with them, agree with them- whatever to make them thing you are one of them. It's not a good time for a political argument.
-Be polite.
-Don't drive in a way that would draw attention from the mob.
For the sunglasses, consider getting a safety rated pair rather than the El Cheapo. Yes, pricier, and requires a little bit of preplanning. But ... Improved, probably much improved, impact resistance, and if they fit well they will also provide some protection against dirt and stuff being blown in from the sides. Most any industrial supply place will carry some options to choose from.
If the crowds have decided it's "fun with lasers" week, you can get laser safety glasses with high optical density in various common laser wavelengths. This will take even more preplanning, though, but again something to keep in mind. Here, I'd probably start looking with ThorLabs.
And it's also very possible that the best thing for your friend in an endangered urban area is to just sit tight, barricade themselves, and wait a few days for things to blow over.
It's a risk, but so is trying to move through an angry mob. If you can't get out before the mass exodus, it may be better to shelter in place- better than being trapped in a car, stuck in a traffic jam, and subject to the full fury of the thing you are trying to get away from.
My preference would be something low key, but classic- like a M3 Lee tank, because there would be space inside, and the extra guns could be an asset. I suspect 'a taste of grape' out of that 75 would disincline a mob from getting too close.
If the kind people that are mostly peacefully demonstrating request you unass your vehicle through the window they are beating on, remember Reginald Denny.
Keep tabs on college, business, government buildings if you see group leaving in a controlled way, early evacuation might be happening. Managers might say leave early, do so. College social media or campus police.
Know alternative ways to get home.
Have a go bag at work.
Stay away from staging areas. Don’t announce it either.
Find out routes protestor are taking, again social media helpful here, avoid area.
Please write one of these if you are at work.
Sort of happened to me.
Be situational aware of what is going on around you at all times.
There's a subtle but noticeable shift in the people on the street when things are getting ready to go wahooni shaped.
It's a good reason to keep your head out and eyes open when driving. And it's a good reason to have that alternative way to get out of town that avoids any traffic chokepoints. Which you should have worked out well ahead of time.
I would add, *plastic frame* Dollar Store sunglasses, sans separate nose pads.
Having had amd seen metal framed (or nose pads with metal stalks) snap under unanticipated kinetic inputs and then gouge the ever loving Jesus out of the face, this is not a place for the $15 aviator clones... the failure mode of the cheap plastic typically used in such frames is better for the intended purpose of "ID concealment" and a modicum of eyepro, if things go physical in your face.
Because you won't see blood on black gloves. When you're assessing for injuries, you run your hands along the body as well as look. Tear gas, pepper spray, and/or adrenaline may compromise your fine visual acuity.
Red blood on black gloves will probably be missed. Red blood on light blue gloves will stand out.
If there's a possibility of being separated, you might want to take in some FRS (Family Radio Service) radios. There's several that are FRS/GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) And those are fine. But GMRS does require a license which is a potential identification point. I doubt that the FCC is going to go after people in that situation, but it's easier to not deal with it.
If you are using radios, practice using them first. Do not try using them to communicate for the first time in the emergency. There are people who buy cheap Baofeng ham radios (Baofeng is the Hi Point of ham radio, if I have to explain Hi Point, what are you doing here?) and store them without getting licensed or using them first.
While it's true that the way that the law is written that any means of communication is permissible to save life and/or property, if you're going into the situation without having practiced before you're not going to know what to do.
Also be familiar with local laws. In AL, for instance, it is illegal to be armed within a certain distance of a public demonstration, 1000 ft if memory serves me correctly.
Do they make any concessions for the "public demonstration" rapidly closing in on your location?
As in, supposing you're sitting a fat mile from the "demonstration", but then they - unbeknownst to you but knownst to them - decide that another place closer to you is The Place To Be, and you quickly find yourself within that 1000-foot Safety Circle, are you at fault?
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a law enforcement officer, to have in his or her possession or on his or her person or in any vehicle any firearm while participating in or attending any demonstration being held at a public place.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a law enforcement officer as defined in subsection (a) of this section, to have in his or her possession or about his or her person or in any vehicle at a point within 1,000 feet of a demonstration at a public place, any firearm after having first been advised by a law enforcement officer that a demonstration was taking place at a public place and after having been ordered by such officer to remove himself or herself from the prescribed area until such time as he or she no longer was in possession of any firearm. This subsection shall not apply to any person in possession of or having on his or her person any firearm within a private dwelling or other private building or structure.
(d) Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided by law.
Interesting. I'm assuming that's a copy-paste of the actual statute, yes?
IANAL, but if so, then:
1. There's no allowance for "moving demonstrations". That's unfortunate but understandable; the drafters of the law probably did not envision such things.
2. There IS an allowance for "flash mob" demonstrations that you didn't know would be in the vicinity.
It's interesting that the law specifies "having first been advised by a law enforcement officer" and "having been ordered by such officer". Basically treating it like trespassing; you have to have been told to leave before it's enforceable.
So if you find yourself in the middle of the "demonstration" -- however you got there -- if you keep your head down and avoid notice by law enforcement (which is a good goal anyway, if you're not part of the "demonstration"), *in theory* you should be fine.
And if you are stopped by law enforcement and "advised" and "ordered", *in theory* you can say you're trying to comply and leave -- which is true.
BA, I've been retired from the Troopers for 29 years. As you noted, it requires an officer to advise what the law is and be told to go secure your firearm outside of the 1000 foot radius if you want to return and participate in the demonstration. True, the Legislature did not envision a moving demonstration, but that would make it easier in my mind to explain to an officer who discovered you were armed that you were complying and are now trying to get away from the demonstration. Hopefully your encounter with an officer would be with one who is fully aware of the requirements of the law and reasonable enough to let you get away. Unfortunately, not all officers today are fully aware of the specifications of laws, nor reasonable enough to consider all the aspects of the law or their actions.
On a side note, AL also has a "no masks in public" law, but it is just a violation and not even a misdemeanor.
The right to self-defense is a right, which is to say, no matter how bizarre you or anybody else feels it to be, it inheres in every individual simply by the fact of his existence.
Also, the stats you know conveniently leave out the number of lives saved simply because a potential victim was armed. The number of mutants who nope out of a criminal action when they see possible consequences is enormous, and rarely recorded, let alone reported.
I will add something. If the person you are there to save, doesn't want saving, or suddenly wants to 'wait for something'. It is time to GO. Tell them you are leaving, and they can 'stay here and die'.
Some people who put themselves in dangerous situations are incredibly stoopid and/or naive. They don't really understand what's about to happen (or they wouldn't likely have gotten into the situation in the first place). So unless you're willing & able to pick them up and go, just... GO.
Hopefully survival will kick in and they'll leave with you.
(In my case, it did and they left with me - but I was in no way about to take a possibly fatal beating because they had a case of the ass. Personal survival always trumps other people's stupidity).
Listen to John. Set a limit for hanging around, and make it stick.
I treat it like I do Confined Space training for work. If somebody’s in the hole and they suddenly pass out, I’m not going in after them. Hopefully, that individual was smart enough to don a sniffer before they went down (so we can alert them of a toxic atmosphere before they pass out) and rescue equipment so I can winch them out; if not, they’re gonna have to wait until the fire department comes in with their rescue gear. If I go in after them, we’re just gonna have two dead bodies to pull out.
You have wisdom, young padawan.
Some advice I got before leaving for Iraq as a contractor on a medical mission: wear clothes that don’t melt when exposed to fire and shoes you can run in.
Lord, feral humans adore their fire.
Some other thoughts:
-Make sure your car is nice & nonpolitical. If it's got political stickers all over it, don't take it. If it's a Tesla, doubly so.
-Be willing to agree with the mob, if cornered. Give them the power fist, chant along with them, agree with them- whatever to make them thing you are one of them. It's not a good time for a political argument.
-Be polite.
-Don't drive in a way that would draw attention from the mob.
More wisdom here.
In case you missed this by Robert Avrech from 2013 - https://jpfo.org/articles-assd03/jew-without-gun.htm
For the sunglasses, consider getting a safety rated pair rather than the El Cheapo. Yes, pricier, and requires a little bit of preplanning. But ... Improved, probably much improved, impact resistance, and if they fit well they will also provide some protection against dirt and stuff being blown in from the sides. Most any industrial supply place will carry some options to choose from.
If the crowds have decided it's "fun with lasers" week, you can get laser safety glasses with high optical density in various common laser wavelengths. This will take even more preplanning, though, but again something to keep in mind. Here, I'd probably start looking with ThorLabs.
And it's also very possible that the best thing for your friend in an endangered urban area is to just sit tight, barricade themselves, and wait a few days for things to blow over.
It's a risk, but so is trying to move through an angry mob. If you can't get out before the mass exodus, it may be better to shelter in place- better than being trapped in a car, stuck in a traffic jam, and subject to the full fury of the thing you are trying to get away from.
Of course, if you have something like this,
https://youtu.be/ZQ4sDY4xkW8?si=tt_7UndxDKXLL287
you may be able to get in and out easier.
My preference would be something low key, but classic- like a M3 Lee tank, because there would be space inside, and the extra guns could be an asset. I suspect 'a taste of grape' out of that 75 would disincline a mob from getting too close.
If the kind people that are mostly peacefully demonstrating request you unass your vehicle through the window they are beating on, remember Reginald Denny.
Then apply pressure to the pedal on the right.
Keep tabs on college, business, government buildings if you see group leaving in a controlled way, early evacuation might be happening. Managers might say leave early, do so. College social media or campus police.
Know alternative ways to get home.
Have a go bag at work.
Stay away from staging areas. Don’t announce it either.
Find out routes protestor are taking, again social media helpful here, avoid area.
Please write one of these if you are at work.
Sort of happened to me.
Be situational aware of what is going on around you at all times.
There's a subtle but noticeable shift in the people on the street when things are getting ready to go wahooni shaped.
It's a good reason to keep your head out and eyes open when driving. And it's a good reason to have that alternative way to get out of town that avoids any traffic chokepoints. Which you should have worked out well ahead of time.
Burner phone with you?
I would add, *plastic frame* Dollar Store sunglasses, sans separate nose pads.
Having had amd seen metal framed (or nose pads with metal stalks) snap under unanticipated kinetic inputs and then gouge the ever loving Jesus out of the face, this is not a place for the $15 aviator clones... the failure mode of the cheap plastic typically used in such frames is better for the intended purpose of "ID concealment" and a modicum of eyepro, if things go physical in your face.
What’s the reason for not using black nitrile gloves, versus blue ones? Is it because folks will think you’re a fed, or is there another reason?
Because you won't see blood on black gloves. When you're assessing for injuries, you run your hands along the body as well as look. Tear gas, pepper spray, and/or adrenaline may compromise your fine visual acuity.
Red blood on black gloves will probably be missed. Red blood on light blue gloves will stand out.
Ah. Good to know, thank you
If there's a possibility of being separated, you might want to take in some FRS (Family Radio Service) radios. There's several that are FRS/GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) And those are fine. But GMRS does require a license which is a potential identification point. I doubt that the FCC is going to go after people in that situation, but it's easier to not deal with it.
If you are using radios, practice using them first. Do not try using them to communicate for the first time in the emergency. There are people who buy cheap Baofeng ham radios (Baofeng is the Hi Point of ham radio, if I have to explain Hi Point, what are you doing here?) and store them without getting licensed or using them first.
While it's true that the way that the law is written that any means of communication is permissible to save life and/or property, if you're going into the situation without having practiced before you're not going to know what to do.
https://www.fakenamegenerator.com/ is a tool authors and others sometimes use to generate random names and addresses that are plausible.
Also be familiar with local laws. In AL, for instance, it is illegal to be armed within a certain distance of a public demonstration, 1000 ft if memory serves me correctly.
Do they make any concessions for the "public demonstration" rapidly closing in on your location?
As in, supposing you're sitting a fat mile from the "demonstration", but then they - unbeknownst to you but knownst to them - decide that another place closer to you is The Place To Be, and you quickly find yourself within that 1000-foot Safety Circle, are you at fault?
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a law enforcement officer, to have in his or her possession or on his or her person or in any vehicle any firearm while participating in or attending any demonstration being held at a public place.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a law enforcement officer as defined in subsection (a) of this section, to have in his or her possession or about his or her person or in any vehicle at a point within 1,000 feet of a demonstration at a public place, any firearm after having first been advised by a law enforcement officer that a demonstration was taking place at a public place and after having been ordered by such officer to remove himself or herself from the prescribed area until such time as he or she no longer was in possession of any firearm. This subsection shall not apply to any person in possession of or having on his or her person any firearm within a private dwelling or other private building or structure.
(d) Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided by law.
Interesting. I'm assuming that's a copy-paste of the actual statute, yes?
IANAL, but if so, then:
1. There's no allowance for "moving demonstrations". That's unfortunate but understandable; the drafters of the law probably did not envision such things.
2. There IS an allowance for "flash mob" demonstrations that you didn't know would be in the vicinity.
It's interesting that the law specifies "having first been advised by a law enforcement officer" and "having been ordered by such officer". Basically treating it like trespassing; you have to have been told to leave before it's enforceable.
So if you find yourself in the middle of the "demonstration" -- however you got there -- if you keep your head down and avoid notice by law enforcement (which is a good goal anyway, if you're not part of the "demonstration"), *in theory* you should be fine.
And if you are stopped by law enforcement and "advised" and "ordered", *in theory* you can say you're trying to comply and leave -- which is true.
BA, I've been retired from the Troopers for 29 years. As you noted, it requires an officer to advise what the law is and be told to go secure your firearm outside of the 1000 foot radius if you want to return and participate in the demonstration. True, the Legislature did not envision a moving demonstration, but that would make it easier in my mind to explain to an officer who discovered you were armed that you were complying and are now trying to get away from the demonstration. Hopefully your encounter with an officer would be with one who is fully aware of the requirements of the law and reasonable enough to let you get away. Unfortunately, not all officers today are fully aware of the specifications of laws, nor reasonable enough to consider all the aspects of the law or their actions.
On a side note, AL also has a "no masks in public" law, but it is just a violation and not even a misdemeanor.
This article was worth the subscription price. Thanks!
The right to self-defense is a right, which is to say, no matter how bizarre you or anybody else feels it to be, it inheres in every individual simply by the fact of his existence.
Also, the stats you know conveniently leave out the number of lives saved simply because a potential victim was armed. The number of mutants who nope out of a criminal action when they see possible consequences is enormous, and rarely recorded, let alone reported.
Stay where you are for the next 4 years. Don’t leave. We got this. You should keep wearing your mask also.