How Much Of A Role Does Avoiding Trouble Play In Your Overall Strategy?

[Recusant]

My son was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers for having the most DUI arrests in his county for 4 years straight. I used to tell the kids I taught that he hated to see young drivers lose their license for an extended time due to a DUI, but there was one thing that he hated even more and that was having to go with a State Trooper to a family's house in the middle of the night to give bad news. As for me, I know better than to drink and drive. I've seen too many of my son's videos of intoxicated folks right up to the point where my son says, "Please turn around and put your hands behind your back." It's ever more humiliating when he plays it in court for the judge to see.

 

[The Night Rider]

some people are morons and drink ONLY to get drunk.

I used to be one of those morons. That's why I quit drinking 40 years ago. And even to this day I can't imagine why anybody would want to put alcohol in their body if they weren't looking to get hammered.

That's one of the reasons that have stayed sober this long

 

[Hammer67]

I want to be careful how I say this because I don't drink at all. I don't have anything against alcohol I just choose not to consume.

Having said that. another thing on my list of avoiding trouble is I don't understand people that go out in public and get intoxicated. I'm not talking about having a drink with dinner or maybe two over the course of the night.

I'm talking about people who go out in public and get drunk enough to be impaired. I just can't imagine letting my guard down that much.

What concerns me even more are people who carry and drink.

 

[Bassbob]

What concerns me even more are people who carry and drink.

The problem isn't drinking, the problem is not being able to control yourself. That said, even 1 drink is too much for me to drive on because I have a CDL and I'm not taking any chances.

 

[Recusant]

In Virginia it's illegal to consume alcohol in an establishment if carrying a firearm.

 

[The Night Rider]

What concerns me even more are people who carry and drink.

But the topic of this discussion is what we can do to avoid trouble. Someone else carrying while drinking is beyond my control

 

[Hammer67]

The problem isn't drinking, the problem is not being able to control yourself.

Well of course, but the point is that the one can lead to the other.

But the topic of this discussion is what we can do to avoid trouble. Someone else carrying while drinking is beyond my control

I think we can all think of places where people are more likely to drink to excess, and possibly also be carrying. It's not beyond your control to choose to enter those places of greater probability, or not. Unless you work in a sketchy bar, of course.

 

[Bassbob]

Well of course, but the point is that the one can lead to the other.


I think we can all think of places where people are more likely to drink to excess, and possibly also be carrying. It's not beyond your control to choose to enter those places of greater probability, or not. Unless you work in a sketchy bar, of course.

I don’t like people. Therefore I make it a point to not go where they are regardless of whether they’re drinking or not.

 

[Keystone19250]

My father was an alcoholic for 7 years and had an angel on his shoulder that prevented him from killing himself or anyone else while driving during those years.
For that reason I don’t drink alcohol at all, I have it in my apartment for guests but most people (close friends) I hang with also don’t drink anyway.

 

[Onewolf426]

I'd say I try to avoid trouble 99% of the time.

 

[KillerFord1977]

I'd say I try to avoid trouble 99% of the time.

I agree
With the wife as well . Dont go looking for trouble

 

[ECS686]

I spent time as a Municiple LEO outside Memphis and a small town in Indiana. I also retired after 20 years working in a High Security United States Penitentiary with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I have delt with a ton of inmates from urban well know gangs to rural other side of the spectrum.

The main issue is most random folks have no idea how fast trouble can be on them and how real thugs think. As Dave Spaulding has said “They Don’t think like you do”

Simply having a gun means nothing on how prepared a person really is


If going through an area I don’t know I get gas, food breaks etc Where I want to before I’m on E.

For folks that don’t have that luxury (living working in higher incident areas) I really recommend going to a few classes or sometime Departments put on training or lectures that have a decent amount of info for some awareness and spiting signs you might have not thought about.

And if you or a family member carries a firearm you/then should probably also carry some type of Pepper Spray. I have been In several more incidents where I was justified in using OC spray than deadly force. And if you have a bad shoot with OC it’s usually a misdemeanor

Real Thugs know you have rules and they don’t!

 

[CQ-1]

I worked nights since the 60's - bars, clubs, retail, restaurants, & private clubs - and always carried. I think I practiced situational awareness before I knew what it was. I've had to discharge my weapon once, brandish a few times and got very ready to brandish a few more times than that. These days, I do avoid certain parts of town and the awareness thing is now just on auto-pilot.