Ideas for Dealing with Odd/Suspicious People & Scenarios

[DapperD]

If you are the attacker you deserve to be stopped by whatever means. If you are the attacked, you have the right to defend yourself by whatever means. In today's society you probably need to be more concerned about being sued! I don't think the good ole friendly bar fight exists anymore if it ever did!

Well Jody, I think about the being sued part, yes and no. There are a lot of people who really don't have anything to get from if you were to sue them, and they even don't work the type of job where their pay could be garnished, etc...they will just up and move away. The fact of the matter is bars serve alcohol. And where alcohol is served, trouble can easily occur. Many people can have a few drinks and remain rational. Other's can drink and become irrational, abusive, even dangerous. Alcohol is a funny thing. Some refer to it as "liquid courage" in that normal, decent, law abiding folk become nasty after consuming too much of it. Just because someone can be sued doesn't mean they cannot hurt or injure other's, starting fights, etc...especially when they have allowed themselves to become intoxicated.

[pixel]

when you start to step into an elevator with someone and you get a "bad" feeling, DON'T tell yourself you're just being silly. same in the woods. if you get a "gut feeling" change course! so what if you're wrong. you can learn from it. but if you're RIGHT and you don't act on it - it may be too late. nature hasn't been taught "social graces" - it has no idea what it means to be "polite" when it feels nervous about a situation. when a deer senses danger it innately moves quickly to a safer place. so should we.

[Old River Rat]

weary . . .

you keep asking . . . give me an example of someone who has had to use a gun on a trail to avoid harm . . .

there may not be an example . . . does that mean that there will never be?

in our present terror situation in the world . . . has a terrorist every used a "dirty bomb" in an incident? No . . .

given your logic . . . since it has never happened, we need not be vigilant to the possibility.

until 9-11, no one flew a plane into the WTC.

bottom line . . . you cannot bury your head in the sand and expect all will be well.

[sevensixtwo187]

I've never said you do not have a right to defend yourself. Defend yourself even with guns in places where carrying is legal.

Nor do I doubt that "There is a great deal of evidence that suggests that regions of the country where concealed carry is the norm have much lower crime rates." However, I also don't think it is a meaningful statistic. Rural states like Maine have pretty easy permit requirements. Rural states like Maine also have very little gun related crime, and very little violent crime.

Lovers and ex lovers in Maine tend to shoot each other, and make up a big percentage of violent crime. More recently drug dealers have tended to shoot people who have bought drugs and then refuse for whatever reason to pay up.

I somehow doubt if arming the entire population of the state would do much to eliminate either crime category.

But all this is beside the point. Lovers and ex lovers are not a major part of the AT population. There are even fewer hikers who have bought drugs from hikers, and then refused to pay up.

The bit of evidence that is missing is a message from any hiker who has found it useful to use a gun on the Appalachian Trail to fend off someone bent on doing him or her harm.

Weary

I actually do see the point you are trying to make. I really don't see how that statistic is not meaningful. With that said, I think ... no I really hope you are correct about the trail being an exceptionally safe place. I do believe that and I hope that neither of us is wrong about it. Perhaps because of that, there will never be very many cases where someone uses a firearm to defend them self on the trail. However, I for one do not wished to be unprepared if I should happen upon that rare case on the trail.

By the way, I have alway wanted to visit Maine so very much. My best friend in the Army was originally from there.

[TD55]

This thread was funny as heck for awhile. Than all the paranoia, insecure, scardy cat stuff showed up and put a damper on the whole thing. Sort of like what happens when a gun toter shows up on the trail.

[SassyWindsor]

From a recent, really bad, experience I've begun toting my .380 PPK if in a small group or alone. I haven't got the time to be afraid or try to hide/avoid from some predator on a trail, but I will take the time to defend myself, using deadly force if necessary. I guess it's the bad economy and/or bad drugs bringing out all the loons to the woods.

[weary]

....I guess it's the bad economy and/or bad drugs bringing out all the loons to the woods.

I don't know of any evidence that there are more "loons" in the woods than ever. Or that the economy has much to do with in one way or another.

There always have been a few. A sad fact of life that guns have little chance of avoiding, unless the villain is so loony as to announce his intentions in time for you to shoot him.

Any way, I spent four days in Baxter Park last week, hiking and camping on the slopes of Katahdin. I didn't see any loony behavior, unless one considers attempting to climb the mountain in a heat wave loony.

Weary

[Pedaling Fool]

More recently drug dealers have tended to shoot people who have bought drugs and then refuse for whatever reason to pay up.

I somehow doubt if arming the entire population of the state would do much to eliminate either crime category.

Weary

Weary, sounds like Maine needs to get some laws on the books banning drugs, that should fix the problem. But if it doesn't then I guess you'll have to ban the guns, I'm sure that'll work

[Blue Jay]

I guess it's the bad economy and/or bad drugs bringing out all the loons to the woods.

A bad economy would drive scumbags away from the trail because there is even less money out there. Drugs (other than small amounts of weed) are also much more rare on the trail. If anything these factors would drive the scum AWAY from the trail.

[superman]

I have no problem with carrying a gun to protect myself from obnoxious people. As a New Englander I reserve the right to say "oops" after finding out the person was only joking.

[Gray Blazer]

weary . . .

you keep asking . . . give me an example of someone who has had to use a gun on a trail to avoid harm . . .

there may not be an example . . . does that mean that there will never be?

So far I've done a pretty good job of concealing the evidence.

[sevensixtwo187]

This thread was funny as heck for awhile. Than all the paranoia, insecure, scardy cat stuff showed up and put a damper on the whole thing. Sort of like what happens when a gun toter shows up on the trail.

I just love ad hominem rebuttals. I mean, when you can't successfully argue your point of view, just start name calling. I guess that makes me paranoid, insecure, and ... {horror of horrors} a SCARDY CAT! But, I will gladly be all of those things and retain the right to defend myself and family wherever I may be.

[JJJ]

This thread was funny as heck for awhile. Than all the paranoia, insecure, scardy cat stuff showed up and put a damper on the whole thing. Sort of like what happens when a gun toter shows up on the trail.

OH! the obvious solution.
Don't know why we didn't think of it sooner!
Water Balloons

[TD55]

I just love ad hominem rebuttals. I mean, when you can't successfully argue your point of view, just start name calling. I guess that makes me paranoid, insecure, and ... {horror of horrors} a SCARDY CAT! But, I will gladly be all of those things and retain the right to defend myself and family wherever I may be.

My post was not meant to be a rebuttal and I did not call anyone a name. If you attached yourself to my comments, thats on you. My opinion is based on over four decades of hiking the AT. My experience has been that if a hiker shows up with a weapon they are the one that may be viewed as weird and suspicious and cause other hikers to move on.
I have no problem or objection to a person that is trained and has the proper permits and good sense to conceal the weapon. There are certain people who I would appreciate their carrying a weapon and some that I would encourage to do so. I just don't think general discussions about the pro's and con's of 2nd amendment rights is particularly relevant to hiking the AT.

[JJJ]

Did someone say 2nd amendment?

[kanga]

My post was not meant to be a rebuttal and I did not call anyone a name. If you attached yourself to my comments, thats on you. My opinion is based on over four decades of hiking the AT. My experience has been that if a hiker shows up with a weapon they are the one that may be viewed as weird and suspicious and cause other hikers to move on.
I have no problem or objection to a person that is trained and has the proper permits and good sense to conceal the weapon. There are certain people who I would appreciate their carrying a weapon and some that I would encourage to do so. I just don't think general discussions about the pro's and con's of 2nd amendment rights is particularly relevant to hiking the AT.

wait. so what you're saying is that if i take a weapon out on the trail, people will leave me alone? ****, i'm bringing every gun i own next time!

[IceAge]

Someone shoot this thread, it needs to die.

To all gun-toters, you win. Enjoy carrying your gun. I hope you never need it

To all non gun-toters, you win. Enjoy the peaceful woods. I hope you never need a gun, either.

To everyone else, you win. Enjoy not having to read this non-argument anymore.