RandMan,
I want to thank you for your reply. It was measured, and well thought out,
and good advice.

A firearm is not what I will be getting. Although, I would like a firearm,
I am not a hunter, and I have no real use for one (?). That, and my wife
hates the thought of one in the house. And, since I like my wife a lot
more than I like shooting, for now she wins.

I was probably being stupid in that part of town at that time of night.
But, maybe not. My wife, really appreciated your comment "You have a
family to consider!". That I do. And I love them dearly. I am surely glad
that he did not have a gun (although he kept muttering about how he wished
he had one).

As for reporting it to the police. I kinda wish I did have a picture of
the guy. Just for that purpose. After all, by raising his bike lock over
his head as if to strike, could he be charged with attempted assault with
a deadly weapon? I don't know. There was a police car that stopped by my
car as I was taking notes about the cache just afterwords. I could have
stopped him and discussed it with him. Instead I just waved, and he went
on. If I did report him, and charges are brought to court, then I would
need to get involved again. Would that make him seek revenge afterwords?
Not a pleasant thought. But, the other side of that is if I don't stand
up, then will the next guy, or the next? For that evening, I am OK, so I
am leaving well enough alone and thanking the Lord for my safety.

As for being nice to him. I don't know how to utter profanities. They just
don't work out of my mouth. So, by being polite, I was staying strong, "No
sir, I will not!", but still not making him more angry. At least that was
my goal.

The situation is still strong in my mind. I don't have a clear mental
picture of his face, or even his clothing. But, I am still mentally
mulling the occasion over and over. The other end of the evening was a
joyous one. Gazing at the stars, and Saturn, and I wonder at the creations
of God. So, I see the baseness of man, and the glory of Gods creations on
either ends of a single evening. Talk about your lows and highs put
together! Again, I thank God for my safe passage through this, and believe
I will soon have peace in my heart again. He certainly gave me some peace
a little later that night.

This is a strange game that we play. It brings me and my family to places
we would otherwise never have been before. I get to join a community of
other cachers with a wide range of backgrounds, talents, beliefs, and
hobbies. And, it broadens my understanding. I see the world in a somewhat
different light now (does that park need a cache - or where is it hid if
there is one already there?).  But it mostly gives me experiences that I
would not have had otherwise.  It requires a community of kind, sharing
persons, who freely give, without expecting a financial gain, just an
emotional one. That has been a community that I have really enjoyed being
a part of for the last year. Thank you all.  This has been a really fun
year for be because of Geocaching, and the AZ community of cachers.  No, I
am not stopping my caching activities. The rewards are too great to stop.

Thanks
Steven Stringham
StringCachers


> Steven,
>
> "Penguins In Sonora" must have been quite a rush for you!  I'm sure the
> issue with the guy on the bike wasn't about you snapping a photo of him ..
> it was about whether he could intimidate you into giving up your camera
> and running off.
>
> I don't think I would have been as nice as you were to him.  Criminals
> like him feed on intimidation and the weakness of their victims.  You
> stood your ground and that was enough to dissuade him.  Evidently he
> wasn't looking for a confrontation - if he were he would have attacked
> you.
>
> You asked: "with nighttime caching, do I need to reconsider where and how
> I cache?"  I think you are the only one who can answer that!  How
> uncomfortable did the experience make you feel?  Do you have enough
> confidence in yourself to handle someone who may want to get physical?
> Evidently you stood your ground against someone who tried to intimidate
> you; but are you willing to take a chance against someone who may pull a
> weapon?  You have a family to consider!  If you do decide to do nighttime
> caching alone, you may want to consider carrying a gun for protection.
>
> The individual you encountered may have a history of robbing people in the
> area.  I would have notified the police of the situation.
>
> I do want to congratulate you on standing your ground.  You did good!
>
> Take care,
>
> Rand (RandMan)
>



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http://stringham-family.org/