360 awareness while pumping gas

[JodyH]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/194753...s-pump-robbery

Distraction followed by a sneak attack at the gas pumps.

[Corlissimo]

How brazen can you be? Walk into the store, get caught on tape. Absolutely minimal awareness on the victim's part for sure. Hope the vic is okay. He didn't appear too badly hurt as he came back out of the car and looked like he was checking for damage to his ride.

This is exactly why I am always "fidgety", as my wife puts it, when I'm in similar situations. I'm always moving around, turning my body to scan all around. And that's in broad daylight. At night, in some areas I "get stuck" going to, I usually even have my strong hand thumb under my shirt and hooked over the grip while scanning. Just seems the prudent thing to do in those places.

[JodyH]

This is why I always have a j-frame in the car when I'm travelling.
If I'm out pumping gas (especially after dark) the j-frame is in my hand.
In the summer it's hidden in my cargo shorts pocket, in the winter it's hidden in my hoody handwarmer pocket.

[bcauz3y]

There are actually a few things you can do while you are pumping gas to minimize your attack surface.

For one, leave your driver door open, and position the car so that the driver door closes off the front avenue to the space between the car and the pump.

Hell, in this case, situational awareness would have been enough, given that they fanned out, and surrounded him.

Perfect case for lethal force based on disparity of force, or had he noticed early enough, he could have left the scene.

[Ed L]

Gas stations seem to be grazing area for criminals and panhandlers and criminals pretending to be panhandlers. They have access to potential victims and those victims are often pre-occupied.

This happened after midnight in a gas station in a bad neighborhood. Crimes in gas stations happen at all times, but at the very least one should try to avoid going to the gas station at night in bad neighborhoods.

[Kyle Reese]

This is why it is best to fuel up during daylight hours (if possible) and keep your head on a swivel.

[EMC]

This is why it best to fuel up during daylight hours (if possible) and keep your head on a swivel.

Great point. It goes along with the other preparedness habit of filling up when you reach half tank. That way you can have flexibility in when you fill up (and where) instead of being forced to fill up somewhere unplanned when the fuel light comes on.

[TCinVA]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/194753...s-pump-robbery

Distraction followed by a sneak attack at the gas pumps.

During the storm a couple of months back I was fueling up and two guys pulled up in a truck from West Virginia and I was sufficiently distracted that they could have run a similar game on me. It wasn't until the second guy suddenly ended up out of my line of sight that my "Oh ***CENSORED***" meter went off and I started to correct it.

I've been more careful since.

[JodyH]

Notice there was no planning or discussion prior to the attack.
These two have done this before.

[NETim]

There are actually a few things you can do while you are pumping gas to minimize your attack surface.

For one, leave your driver door open, and position the car so that the driver door closes off the front avenue to the space between the car and the pump.

Hell, in this case, situational awareness would have been enough, given that they fanned out, and surrounded him.

Perfect case for lethal force based on disparity of force, or had he noticed early enough, he could have left the scene.

I dunno about the car door thing. An open door may slow down an attack from that direction, but I can sure see it making for a good corral should it come from the other direction.