Earlier tonight I discovered that I was out of spray starch…a minor disaster around here! I pulled on some tennis shoes and a coat…and since I was just going out for a minute I tucked my little .38 spl in my waistband and dropped a 5 shot speed loader in my pocket: I may be in a hurry but I’m not stupid enough to go out at night unarmed!

Riding in a car with a gun in your belt is uncomfortable so on the way I dropped the gun into the center console….you know, a reasonably bright person would keep it on him or just leave it at home…well, brain damage!

Anyway when I got to the all night store (they call them “STOP N ROB” stores around here-guess why?) there was a new-looking silver or gray Ford Probe parked out front with the engine running…not in a space but close to the front door. There were two male subjects inside of it-one behind the wheel and one in the back seat. The passenger side was closest to the front of the store. I got out of my car and had started walking up to the front when I realized three things: 1) I’d left that gun in the center console. 2) The occupants of the car were staring really hard at me as I approached. 3) The right rear window of the new car was broken out.

Like an idiot instead of turning around and getting back in my car I decided I was imagining things and went on into the store. There were two customers inside and one female clerk. The customer who matched the pair in the car age-wise had a pile of little items that he had gathered from around the store and he was delaying checking out…he looked up and gave me “the look” as I came in. I don’t know how to explain “the look” but I’ve seen it in the eyes of scumbags of all ages. I looked back and while I have no idea what he was thinking I know exactly what I was thinking:

Uh-oh! I’m a dumb bast@rd!

The clerk looked up and asked: “Anything I can help you find?”

I said “No…you ain’t got it.” or something equally lame and walked out…as I went back to my car the scumbags in the Ford were still staring and I felt like someone who’d left his pants at home as I walked back to my car. I got in and quickly dug my belly gun out and tucked it back where it belonged.

No one can see below my dashboard from where they were but in retrospect the couldn’t have missed the fact that I went straight for something and put it in my waistband.

The driver honked the horn and both people in the car started waving to the guy inside. A moment later he trotted out without buying anything exchanged words with the driver of the Probe and they left together…no peeling out, but quickly!

I went back in and before anyone said anything I noticed the wide eyes on the clerk and the remaining customer…we all agreed that those three guys were up to something-and they were waiting for the first customer to leave. When I got there and then went back to my car so suddenly..for whatever reason they decided to leave. I’m trying relate this fairly, but I’ve certainly made up my mind about what was going to happen! Unfortunately I was so concerned with getting myself armed again (like I should have been to start with!) I didn’t get the license number on the Ford…we called up SAPD and gave the district cops all the info that we had. So far, obviously we haven’t heard anything else…

I have no idea if my being armed had any impact…I don’t even KNOW for a fact that they were up to anything…not that I’d testify to anyway. I do know I’m not leaving my gun in the car anymore when I don’t have to!