[Az-Geocaching] Caching in Tucson Last Night
RAND HARDIN
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Sun, 11 Jan 2004 08:16:00 -0700
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----- Original Message -----
From: Steven Stringham
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2004 12:39 AM
Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Caching in Tucson Last Night
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 respect and understand your wifes desire not to have firearms in the ho=
use. Everyone has their own levels of conscience and fears when it comes=
to having weapons in a home. My ex and I enjoyed target shooting (we we=
re not hunters). We belonged to the NRA and were members of the shootin=
g range out at South Mountain. My daughters were raised around guns, fre=
quently shot them and have a deep respect for them. Of course, even thou=
gh I trusted my children around firearms, I made sure that the weapons an=
d ammo were secure. In our home we felt comfortable around guns. =20
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 wishe=
d
he had one).
Steven, you said you are "not a hunter, and I have no real use for one (?=
)." Guns are not for everyone! There are a lot of gun owners that have =
no business carrying one. Without the proper training a gun can get you =
in a lot of trouble. There are too many hotheads who pull guns out for t=
he wrong reasons. It's a good thing that the nut you encountered didn't =
have a gun (you may not be here today had he had one!). Even though he t=
hreatened you with his bike lock, you must have come across to him as som=
eone who was confident and wasn't going to back off from him. Had he had=
a gun though, the situation may have turned out differently! Then you w=
ould have had a "real use for one." =20
With my situation at 'The Lost Dutchmans Gold!" cache, there was no quest=
ion in my mind that the two young men were about to rob me. Because of m=
y actions as they approached, it was enough to put the thought in their m=
inds that I had a gun. =20
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.
I understand your concern about getting "involved" and the "revenge" fact=
or. You're right! if we as citizens don't get involved when we experienc=
e a crime then we allow the criminal free reign. =20
As for being nice to him. I don't know how to utter profanities. They jus=
t
don't work out of my mouth. So, by being polite, I was staying strong, "N=
o
sir, I will not!", but still not making him more angry. At least that was
my goal.
Evidently, whatever you said and the way you carried yourself was enough =
to put doubt in the guys mind. It worked! :D =20
Rand (RandMan)
Thanks
Steven Stringham
StringCachers
*******************************************************************
Original message (in part) from RandMan. Sent Jan 09, 2004 at 11:45 P.M.
> 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 h=
ow
> 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 nightti=
me
> 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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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV> </DIV> <=
DIV>---<STRONG>-- Original Message -----</STRONG></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style=
=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT:=
#000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4=
; FONT: 10pt Arial; COLOR: black"><B>From:</B> <STRONG>Steven Stringham</=
STRONG></DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, Januar=
y 11, 2004 12:39 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B></B></DIV> <=
DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Aria=
l"><B>Subject:</B> <STRONG>Re: [Az-Geocaching] Caching in Tucson Last Nig=
ht</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <P>RandMan,<BR>I want to thank you fo=
r your reply. It was measured, and well thought out,<BR>and good advice.<=
BR><BR>A firearm is not what I will be getting. Although, <U>I would like=
a firearm,<BR>I am not a hunter, and I have no real use for one (?). </U=
>That, and my wife<BR>hates the thought of one in the house. And, since I=
like my wife a lot<BR>more than I like shooting, for now she wins.</P> <=
P><STRONG>I respect and understand your wifes desire not to have firearms=
in the house. Everyone has their own levels of cons=
cience and fears when it comes to having weapons in a home. My=
ex and I enjoyed target shooting (we were not hunters). =
We belonged to the NRA and were members of the shooting range out at Sou=
th Mountain. My daughters were raised around guns, frequently shot =
them and have a deep respect for them. Of course, even though I tru=
sted my children around firearms, I made sure that the weapons and a=
mmo were secure. In our home we felt comfortable around guns.&=
nbsp; </STRONG></P> <P><STRONG></STRONG><BR>I was probably being stupid i=
n that part of town at that time of night.<BR>But, maybe not. My wife, re=
ally appreciated your comment "You have a<BR>family to consider!". That I=
do. And I love them dearly. <U>I am surely glad<BR>that he did not have =
a gun (although he kept muttering about how he wished</U><BR><U>he had on=
e).</U></P> <P><STRONG>Steven, you said you are <EM>"not a hunter, and <U=
>I have no real use for one </U>(?)."</EM> Guns are not for everyon=
e! There are a lot of gun owners that have no business carryin=
g one. Without the proper training a gun can get you in a lot of tr=
ouble. There are too many hotheads who pull guns out for the w=
rong reasons. It's a good thing that the nut you encountered didn't=
have a gun (you may not be here today had he had one!). &=
nbsp;Even though he threatened you with his bike lock, you must have come=
across to him as someone who was confident and wasn't going to back off =
from him. Had he had a gun though, the situation may have=
turned out differently! Then you would have had a <EM>"<U>real use=
for one</U>."</EM> </STRONG></P> <P><STRONG>With my situation =
at 'The Lost Dutchmans Gold!" cache, there was no question in my mind tha=
t the two young men were about to rob me. Because of my actions&nbs=
p;as they approached, it was enough to put the thought in their minds tha=
t I had a gun.  =
; </STRONG><BR><BR><BR>As for reporting it to the polic=
e. I kinda wish I did have a picture of<BR>the guy. Just for that purpose=
After all, <U>by raising his bike lock over</U><BR><U>his head </U>as i=
f to strike, could he be charged with attempted assault with<BR>a deadly =
weapon? I don't know. There was a police car that stopped by my<BR>car as=
I was taking notes about the cache just afterwords. I could have<BR>stop=
ped him and discussed it with him. Instead I just waved, and he went<BR>o=
n. <U>If I did report him, and charges are brought to court, then I would=
<BR>need to get involved again. Would that make him seek revenge afterwor=
ds?<BR>Not a pleasant thought. But, the other side of that is if I don't =
stand<BR>up, then will the next guy, or the next?</U> For that evening, I=
am OK, so I<BR>am leaving well enough alone and thanking the Lord for my=
safety.</P> <P><STRONG>I understand your concern about getting "inv=
olved" and the "revenge" factor. You're right! if we as citizens do=
n't get involved when we experience a crime then we allow the crimin=
al free reign. <BR></STRONG><BR>As for being nice to him. I do=
n't know how to utter profanities. They just<BR>don't work out of my mout=
h. So, by being polite, I was staying strong, "No<BR>sir, I will not!", b=
ut still not making him more angry. At least that was<BR>my goal.</P> <P>=
<STRONG>Evidently, whatever you said and the way you carried yourself was=
enough to put doubt in the guys mind. It worked! :D &nb=
sp; </STRONG></P> <P><STRONG>Rand (RandMan)</STRONG><BR><BR><BR>Thanks<BR=
>Steven Stringham<BR>StringCachers</P> <P>*******************************=
************************************</P> <P><STRONG><U>Original message (=
in part) from RandMan. Sent Jan 09, 2004 at 11:45 P.M.</U></ST=
RONG></P> <P>> Steven,<BR>><BR>> "Penguins In Sonora" must have =
been quite a rush for you! I'm sure the<BR>> issue with the guy =
on the bike wasn't about you snapping a photo of him ..<BR>> it was ab=
out whether he could intimidate you into giving up your camera<BR>> an=
d running off.<BR>><BR>> I don't think I would have been as nice as=
you were to him. Criminals<BR>> like him feed on intimidation a=
nd the weakness of their victims. You<BR>> stood your ground and=
that was enough to dissuade him. Evidently he<BR>> wasn't looki=
ng for a confrontation - if he were he would have attacked<BR>> you.<B=
R>><BR>> You asked: "with nighttime caching, do I need to reconside=
r where and how<BR>> I cache?" I think you are the only one who =
can answer that! How<BR>> uncomfortable did the experience make =
you feel? Do you have enough<BR>> confidence in yourself to hand=
le someone who may want to get physical?<BR>> Evidently you stood your=
ground against someone who tried to intimidate<BR>> you; but are you =
willing to take a chance against someone who may pull a<BR>> weapon?&n=
bsp; You have a family to consider! If you do decide to do nighttim=
e<BR>> caching alone, you may want to consider carrying a gun for prot=
ection.<BR>><BR>> The individual you encountered may have a history=
of robbing people in the<BR>> area. I would have notified the p=
olice of the situation.<BR>><BR>> I do want to congratulate you on =
standing your ground. You did good!<BR>><BR>> Take care,<BR>&=
gt;<BR>> Rand (RandMan)<BR>><BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></H=
TML>
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