What would you do?

John Baker

John Baker

Final Approach
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John Baker
Note: This is a purely hypothetical situation, it is not real.

A crazy looking character is walking toward you, he is about twenty five feet away when you first notice him. He is angry, he is glaring at you, and he is carrying a baseball bat. You do not have a gun.

Your best option in this situation and your best chance for survival is to:

1. Call 911 on your cell phone

2. Run, except you do not think you could outrun him due to your bad leg.

3. Try to reason with him.

4. Pick up the four foot long 2 X 4 that is laying on the ground and start advancing toward him with your own angry glare.

5. Ignore him.

6. Pray.


-John​
 
7. Ask yourself WTF did I leave the house without my sidearm.


But given your choice. I'd pick up the 2x4 and also run.
 
Smile and greet him. Never fails, except if you're chicken****.
 
I'd be glad that it's just a hypothetical. In real life, my little dog trumps his bat.
 
Flight or fight or in that order. if you can't run, prepare to defend yourself.
 
Wait. He may just walk by. If he comes close and swings quickly adjust for distance and block right at where his hands are on the bat while driving your other hand which is inverted and curled to the second knuckle with your thumb tucked securely alongside into his adam's apple as hard as you can. Then as he is writhing on the ground trying to breathe call 911. Do not administer help unless your First Aid is current. :D
 
4 is the only answer.

Something similar happened to me in Worcester, MA. I was a former CCW holder when I lived in NC, but I had moved to WI - no CCW in WI at that time. We were traveling to visit our daughter.

My wife and I were unloading our car at the hotel at about 11:00pm and two guys walking on the sidewalk turn 45* and headed straight for our car. They weren't carrying anything, but clearly had bad intent. I was lawfully unarmed. :mad2:

I told my wife "Heads up." When they were about 40 feet away, I opened my winter coat, reached back to my non-existent small of the back holster and grabbed my home-bound but currently invisible Glock 27, assumed the position that I was ready to draw, and yelled at the top of my lungs "Stand Back!" They startled, but then kept coming and I yelled "Back Off!"

They stopped, mumbled something, and turned 90* and crossed the street. I sensed that they thought I wasn't worth the trouble, or that I definitely refused to be a victim.
 
John Baker said:
Note: This is a purely hypothetical situation, it is not real.

A crazy looking character is walking toward you, he is about twenty five feet away when you first notice him. He is angry, he is glaring at you, and he is carrying a baseball bat. You do not have a gun.

Your best option in this situation and your best chance for survival is to:

1. Call 911 on your cell phone

2. Run, except you do not think you could outrun him due to your bad leg.

3. Try to reason with him.

4. Pick up the four foot long 2 X 4 that is laying on the ground and start advancing toward him with your own angry glare.

5. Ignore him.

6. Pray.


-John​
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7. show him the 1911 ACP and wait, see if he requires you use it.
 
nddons said:
4 is the only answer.

Something similar happened to me in Worcester, MA. I was a former CCW holder when I lived in NC, but I had moved to WI - no CCW in WI at that time. We were traveling to visit our daughter.

My wife and I were unloading our car at the hotel at about 11:00pm and two guys walking on the sidewalk turn 45* and headed straight for our car. They weren't carrying anything, but clearly had bad intent. I was lawfully unarmed. :mad2:

I told my wife "Heads up." When they were about 40 feet away, I opened my winter coat, reached back to my non-existent small of the back holster and grabbed my home-bound but currently invisible Glock 27, assumed the position that I was ready to draw, and yelled at the top of my lungs "Stand Back!" They startled, but then kept coming and I yelled "Back Off!"

They stopped, mumbled something, and turned 90* and crossed the street. I sensed that they thought I wasn't worth the trouble, or that I definitely refused to be a victim.
Click to expand...

Very lucky your bluff worked.
Good nerves too, not much else to try really.
 
Put as much distance between him and you in a non-panicking manner while planning to defens yourself with whatever means possible. If he continues to walk by you've just avoided the situation. If he continues to close the distance in a menacing demeanor, then prepare to defend yourself with the 2x4, while continuing to retreat, and avoid.

The more time, and distance you can put between you and him the better chance you may come across people that may deter any violent action from him. It also may buy you time to get to cover and/or concealment. Entering a store, or public place would be my goal.

Avoid, avoid, avoid. Retreat, retreat retreat. This is my policy and what is taught in every CCW (concealed carry) course even when armed.

Oh yeah, get a dog and carry a walking stick, and pepper spray if you can't or don't want to arm yourself with a handgun.
 
What is wrong with you people?
You have to ask why this guy is angry. Perhaps it isn't his fault. He may have been abused as a child. Nobody gets angry and hurts anyone else for no reason. He obviously needs help. You should approach him and asks him if needs anything and find out what you can do for him. Maybe there is some rich guy nearby from whom you can take some of that money he stole and doesn't need and give it to this poor fellow.

Either that or pretend not to notice him, then when he gets close kick him in the crotch and run.
 
Work the corners until I am ahead in the count, then take him down with my splitter. Nobody can hit my splitter.
 
25 feet is enough to put an automobile or other large object between you and the Aggressor. Grab the 2x4(and a hand full of dirt if available) and maintain or increase the distance. Attempt to get to the bottom of the aggression by asking questions. If the distance can't be maintained nor a confrontation avoided, dirt to the face and swing for the knees with the 2x4.
 
I would first ask myself WTF was I doing in colorado springs again.

Hypothetically though: Stay clear of the crazy guy. Get stationary objects between you and him and try to get out of there. If he gets close enough to swing, stay clear of the stick and while he's recovering from the first swing, punch him viciously hard in the side then in the throat at the first opportunity.

Do not administer help unless your First Aid is current.
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Screw him. He set the ground rules. If he is unable to breathe or is having other serious health issues, it's his problem. He can either fix himself or die.
 
John Baker said:

1. Call 911 on your cell phone
​
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Yea, and after the half hour is takes officer dudly to show up you're looking like hamburger meat, PASS on that

John Baker said:
2. Run, except you do not think you could outrun him due to your bad leg.
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Bad leg, so you get overtaken as you try to hobble away, PASS on that one

John Baker said:
3. Try to reason with him.
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Aint no reasoning with stupid or crazy, besides not worth the risk, PASS

John Baker said:
4. Pick up the four foot long 2 X 4 that is laying on the ground and start advancing toward him with your own angry glare.
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BINGO, I'd pick that thing up, yell at him to F' off, if he advances, batters up!

John Baker said:
5. Ignore him.
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Back to hamburger status for your face.

John Baker said:
6. Pray.
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God's worse then tech support, keeps you on hold too long, back again to hamburger status for your face


Threefingeredjack said:
Do not administer help unless your First Aid is current. :D
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One of the first thing they teach you in EMS, is to determine if your scene is safe, if not, LEAVE

IF crazy wanted to advance, it's just like baseball, swing for the fences and RUN.


​
 
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Try to stay within the bounds of the scenerio, answer as best you can with the intel given. Remember, this is a hypothetical situation.

-John
 
John Baker said:
Try to stay within the bounds of the scenerio, answer as best you can with the intel given. Remember, this is a hypothetical situation.

-John
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Hypothetical? I thought we were talking about history, as what you really do.
 
7) Pull my pants halfway down my thighs, grab my crotch, and sway from side to side as I walk, trying to act as gangsta as possible. Imma get mad respect from this man!
 
Too many dynamics at play here. Depends on the available weaponry. If I didn't have an out, I would clinch my key ring in my fist with the largest key protruding through the knuckles. If he gets aggressive, I'd dodge his swing, charge him and put the key through one of his eyeballs. And the second if I had the opportunity. I would then subdue him with the bat, inform 911 that they need to pick him up (assuming they even answer the cell phone) and be on my merry way.
 
I posed the exact same question on three other boards.

A picture framers forum

An Army Rangers forum.

A paratroopers forum.

-John​
 
I agree with Jeru and Henning to some extent. I would put myself on alert, watch every move, and if he turned his attention to me I would get something between myself and him. A car is better than a tree because it is farther to get around it. Distance is your best defense in this case with what you have given us. If you are caught in the open, I agree with Henning, but with twenty-five feet between you, you have time to maneuver unless he just decides to charge you
 
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I actually teach a lot of people with exactly the same question :)
There is Chinese saying : "my opponent doesn't move - I don't move. My opponent starts moving but I arrive to target first. " That approach would work with the mad guy holding a bat:)
 
sdflyer said:
I actually teach a lot of people with exactly the same question :)
There is Chinese saying : "my opponent doesn't move - I don't move. My opponent starts moving but I arrive to target first. " That approach would work with the mad guy holding a bat:)
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With anyone holding a bat or a staff, once you commit to an attack and make a move, you want to get in as close as possible, as quickly as possible. Once you have his wrist or forearm, the bat is more or less useless.
 
25' is plenty for me to change my trajectory to remain outside the reach of a baseball bat. Even with a bum leg. Without any other info (daylight, night, people around, alone, had any close-range self-defense training, anything you can angle to put between you and the wacko, the list goes on and on) the scenario is too vague to bother with an answer.

Loved the Colorado Springs joke, though. Haha.
 
denverpilot said:
Loved the Colorado Springs joke, though. Haha.
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That's no joke. I've been attacked in that city a few times. Once wasn't a whole lot different than the hypothetical scenario. That warzone is on my unconditionally prohibited area list for all eternity.
 
fgcason said:
That's no joke. I've been attacked in that city a few times. Once wasn't a whole lot different than the hypothetical scenario. That warzone is on my unconditionally prohibited area list for all eternity.
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Eh...I'm a Springs native....to each their own I guess, we're a heck of a lot better than a lot of other places even though we're far from perfect (which is precisely why I pack a .45 daily)
 
Sigh... I've been the bad guy.

Inadvertently, of course. It's just that when you're a 6'4" male, everyone in the world seems to be afraid of you.

I can't tell you how awful it made me feel when a pair of older women saw me coming down the sidewalk (opposite directions) at night and one said to the other, "RUN!" and they took off. :(
 
Tonight coming out of our local hardware store, I was loading the jeep, and a lady came up to me and said thank you.

I didn't know why, she looked at me in a knowing way and patted the 45 ACP. and walked away.

I don't know how she knew, it's always covered.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Too many dynamics at play here.
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Yup. Life is not a multiple-choice question. I tend to think on my feet and use whatever resources I can in any given situation.

* Couldn't find a way to get off the airport one night - The promised people-gate was not visible anywhere I looked. Found a fuel truck, grabbed a ladder, ran it over the vehicle-gate sensor to let my friend out. (I guess if I needed to get out myself I'd have had to leave the ladder behind instead of putting it away on the truck.)

* Dad's holding a huge piece of glass that's the largest part of a broken coffee table, and can't get it in the trash. Walk just outside the garage, grab the nearest sharp rock, use it to make a score line down the middle of the glass, tap, and put the now-two-neatly-cut pieces in the can.

I've had a couple of other "MacGyver moments" around my fiancée that impressed her, but now I can't remember what they were. :rofl:

So, I'll do whatever the situation warrants with whatever tools are available to me, and I'm sure anyone else here would do the same. Sorry that doesn't fit into your convenient little Cosmo quiz scenario.
 
Assume interview stance.

Announce: "I CAN'T HELP YOU SIR!".

Prepare for combat.
 
Tom-D said:
Tonight coming out of our local hardware store, I was loading the jeep, and a lady came up to me and said thank you.

I didn't know why, she looked at me in a knowing way and patted the 45 ACP. and walked away.

I don't know how she knew, it's always covered.
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You must have either been "printing", or you raised your arms when loading something and your jacket rose up to reveal your concealed pistol. You're lucky her intentions were benign.
 
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