In 2010, I was living in the ghettos around Buenos Aires as a missionary. I was at that time robbed at gunpoint, and the totality of my experience taught me to be a little more aware on the street.
This morning, as a foreign exchange student in the city proper, I was robbed at gunpoint once more.
It is foggy today in Buenos Aires. Tuesday mornings at 6:30 local time I go to my church for a bible study-type class. I got off the bus on one of the major streets of the city, and started the four block walk to the chapel. Still dark and very foggy, though there are a few people on the street. I made it to block two when I became aware of a young man walking in my direction, about twenty-five yards out. He isn't particularly dressed like the gangster types I knew from my days in the hood, but I decide to keep an eye on him anyway. And I do--right up to the point where he stops about five feet in front of me, pulls a semi-auto out of his waistband (high polish bright finish, from the size probably an Argentine-made Bersa .380), racks the slide, and says "dame todo tu dinero" (give me all your money).
For a split second I consider drawing the 15cm fixed-blade I carry AIWB (in traditional Argentine fashion; CCW of firearms is strictly illegal and even the knife could possibly cause me problems, depending on the cop I run into, though it is not strictly illegal), but decide it's too risky.
I reach into my pocket and pull out a wad of bills amounting to some $25 Argentine pesos (less than four dollars using the real exchange rate). "Dame el celular," (give me your cell phone) he continues. I give him my el-cheapo Samsung that a previous foreign exchange student had left in my room. "La billetera, dame la billetera" (Your wallet, give me your wallet). "No tengo billetera, pero tengo tarjeta SUBE si querés," (I don't have a wallet, but I have a bus card if you want) I respond.
He doesn't want it. "Vení... seguí caminando que te pego un tiro" (Come here... keep walking or I'll shoot you). He sends me on my way. I keep walking in the direction I was headed--church is only two blocks away--and warn two oncoming female joggers without turning my head: "Chicas, doblen que recién me robaron" (Girls, turn now because I just got robbed).
Lessons learned: being situationally aware is not the same as being prepared, and being prepared is not just having a weapon or even knowing how to use it, but having a plan and being prepared to do so.
I was completely situationally aware, and had my eyes fixed on the mugger for several seconds before he became an explicit threat. I was prepared in the sense that I had the best weapon legally available to me and was physically able to draw it very, very quickly (at least in practice). I am starting to train with a teacher in traditional Argentine knife fighting. But when the threat energy ceased to be potential and became kinetic, so to speak, I was left without effective options, because I had only managed to recognize and observe the threat, not prepare a plan of action to deal with it.
Also, it is important to note that this was one of the city's nicer neighborhoods--lots of wealthy houses, a large Catholic school and the Australian and South Vietnamese embassies on the same street or nearby. Crime can happen anywhere.
In the end, I lost almost nothing in monetary value, was completely unscathed, and did not have to file a police report for self-defense. But I did learn some valuable lessons from this experience that I want to put into practice immediately. Even being 100% prepared, I might decide, based on the situation, to just hand over the money. But in the case that is not the best course of action, I want to have the option of defending myself effectively.
Final thoughts: one of the main factors in my decision not to draw my knife was the fact that I would have to go through the whole draw process: lift cover garment, grab knife, draw, thrust. A small revolver in the pocket (I usually carry a 1911 IWB at 3:00) would have, on the other hand, been easily accessible as it was into that very pocket that I reached--without the mugger batting an eye--to retrieve the small wad of cash I handed over. I believe it would have been feasible to produce from that pocket not cash, but a weapon, and come out firing. For now, it might be convenient to carry a pocketknife, considering legal consequences. When I return to the States I might begin carrying a pocket gun in addition to my main sidearm.
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Originally Posted by Rubio Negro
