Yuma

[GJM]

My wife and I are down in Yuma to shoot a match. Last night after dinner, we decided to drive up close to the border with Mexico and take a look. Near the border but certainly not over it!

We were navigating with Apple maps, and followed a road that turned to dirt, county road 9 through an agriculture area, that ended at a levee on the border. Approaching the end of the road we saw a bunch of Border Patrol vehicles, stopped and were amazed to see numerous people walking up to the Border Patrol agents, hand them their luggage, and get in white vans like it was the hotel shuttle to the Holiday Inn. Apparently, it is a common place for “asylum seekers” to cross into the US, as their is a levee that eases their way, at which point they get processed, released, and given a court date some years in the future. Like some hundreds of people a day — we were just flabbergasted.

Tonight, coming out of Texas Roadhouse after dinner, I saw this homeless looking guy in the parking lot speak to us and approach with a knife in his hand. I gave my wife the “popcorn” heads up bringing her to full alert, and then gave the guy the palm up and a negative shake of my head. He stopped, bent down and then used his knife to pry something out of the asphalt. Poor initial victim selection on his part, although he seemed to figure that out prior to seeing matching PVD finishes.

[Clusterfrack]

Well, that’s not good. Glad it resolved easily.

[the Schwartz]

My wife and I are down in Yuma to shoot a match. Last night after dinner, we decided to drive up close to the border with Mexico and take a look. Near the border but certainly not over it!

We were navigating with Apple maps, and followed a road that turned to dirt, county road 9 through an agriculture area, that ended at a levee on the border. Approaching the end of the road we saw a bunch of Border Patrol vehicles, stopped and were amazed to see numerous people walking up to the Border Patrol agents, hand them their luggage, and get in white vans like it was the hotel shuttle to the Holiday Inn. Apparently, it is a common place for “asylum seekers” to cross into the US, as their is a levee that eases their way, at which point they get processed, released, and given a court date some years in the future. Like some hundreds of people a day — we were just flabbergasted.

Tonight, coming out of Texas Roadhouse after dinner, I saw this homeless looking guy in the parking lot speak to us and approach with a knife in his hand. I gave my wife the “popcorn” heads up bringing her to full alert, and then gave the guy the palm up and a negative shake of my head. He stopped, bent down and then used his knife to pry something out of the asphalt. Poor initial victim selection on his part, although he seemed to figure that out prior to seeing matching PVD finishes.

As the situation grows worse on our southern border, I fear that occurrences like yours will become more frequent.

The Democrats/Liberals can play games with the nation's security all day long, but in the end borders keep our nation sovereign and our numbers safe.

Glad that you and the Mrs. made it out of what could have been a really bad day for all as no one really wins when the hardware has to come out for business.

[Duelist]

Problems are all over, not just in Yuma sector.

Some years ago, I was hiking in some mountains in Cochise County, and as I came around a bend in the trail, a man stepped out in front of me, about 10 yards off.

He had no shoes, just socks on his feet.

“Odd,” I thought. I had my dog on a leash, where she usually ran free when we hiked, due to bears in the area, and an open-carried pistol. He did not approach me, but wanted to talk.

He spoke no English, but we came to understand each other that he wanted to know how for the nearest house was. I told him in miles, he didn’t understand, I told him a rough KM conversion. He got a completely disgusted look on his face, sat down in the middle of the trail, and pulled a sock off. His ankle was huge, bruised, and was was the worst sprain/ankle break I’d seen since my freshman year of college when a guy I knew blew out his ankle in a class 4 sprain when he stepped in a gopher hole while playing soccer. Dude wasn’t going to get anywhere fast.

I asked him where his shoes, friends, and gear was - I was more than a little worried he was a distraction for others around to come up behind me, but my dog didn’t seem to think there was anyone around but him. He said that he took off his shoes when he got hurt, that he was alone at the time, and he didn’t remember where his gear was. I translated that as pure BS and said, so they took your shoes and gear and abandoned you up here without any food or water. He sheepishly agreed, except they left him a little Gatorade bottle full of water that he’d been filling from the creek. For two days.

I still just SMH when I think about that guy. Surface water in that area you just assume all has giardia. And he’d had no food or other water for two days. I gave him a banana and waited with him while other hikers who came along went down the mountain to call for help as soon as they got cell service, since none of us had any service at all. This experience is why I got my HAM license and a Yaesu handheld radio.

Eventually, BP field agents and a couple of paramedics carried him off the mountain on an orange plastic stretcher. They hooked him up to an IV right off.

There is always debris and trash in those mountains and the surrounding desert scrub, and if you look at the labels on trash and clothing, it is all Mexican brands we recognize.

I love this area, and love working with the kids from south of the border, but the border itself and legal and illegal immigration here is just a mess.

[HCM]

As the situation grows worse on our southern border, I fear that occurrences like yours will become more frequent.

The Democrats/Liberals can play games with the nation's security all day long, but in the end borders keep our nation sovereign and our numbers safe.

Glad that you and the Mrs. made it out of what could have been a really bad day for all as no one really wins when the hardware has to come out for business.

There is no basis for your assumption that the guy in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot has anything to do with the situation on the border.

Yuma is a sketchy place, period.

[GJM]

There is no basis for your assumption that the guy in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot has anything to do with the situation on the border.

Yuma is a sketchy place, period.

I don’t believe the guy in the parking lot was an over the border person.

[the Schwartz]

There is no basis for your assumption that the guy in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot has anything to do with the situation on the border.

Yuma is a sketchy place, period.

And your assertion is equally without basis since I never said that the person that GJM encountered was an illegal or had any connection with the situation at the southern border.

You can try to put words into my mouth but fallacious arguments reflect only upon the one engaging in such a fallacious assignment.

(hint: It's considered rude)

[Clusterfrack]

It doesn’t have to be pleasant. Just not too frozen. There’s plenty of sketch here in Portland, unfortunately.

[Gun Mutt]

...I gave my wife the “popcorn” heads up bringing her to full alert...

Kudus to you and your wife for having a plan.

Bonus points for anything related to Grosse Pointe Blank. I was just reading a book by an Irish comedian and one of the characters experienced shakubuku.

[Tensaw]

... prior to seeing matching PVD finishes.

noice!

You know, sometimes I think we give the crooks too much credit with regard to the effort/thought they put into the "victim selection process." GJM and the missus were no doubt feeling all fat and happy after their steak dinner, but in no way do I suspect that either of them were putting off the vibe that they would be an easy lick. GJM ain't the biggest dude out there, but then again, I seem to recall that some fool squared off with Paul Howe(!!) a while back.

I suspect that frequently, the victim selection process goes something like, "I think he has something I want. Let's go see." If the intended victim rolls over, all good. If not, the crook can, as he did in this case, just play it off. Problem is, I guess, sometimes the GJMs and Paul Howes of the world don't see it coming soon enough, and then things get bloody.

Glad you caught this one when you did.