Some POS Followed My Wife Home

[Seabeejason]

My wife was on her way home from Walmart in Maryville tonight and she was followed by some younger fellow in a 1990's white Chevy or GMC van. He repeatedly got within a foot of her bumper and even got into a pit maneuver position a couple times. I live out in the country, which is about 10 miles from Walmart. This guy followed my wife 10 miles all the way to our driveway. Then when she pulled in and got out he proceeded to cussing her out because she supposedly cut him off at a four-way stop. When she told him to get off our property he told her he was in the street and that he didn't have to leave. When she went to the front door and started banging on it to get me out there he got in and his vehicle and yelled some sort of threat and then took off. By the time I got to the door I only heard his van leaving and never seen it. He left in a hurry. I got in the car and tried to chase him down, but I could't find him. The punk was already gone.

My phone was on vibrate, so I didn't hear the wife trying to call me when this idiot was following her. I really wish I would have gotten the opportunity to scare the tar out of that punk. She said he was younger, maybe even under 18 years of age. We have a two year old. What if my kid would have been in that car and he would have caused my wife to wreck?

The wife called the Sheriff and filed a report. That way if he does come back our bases are covered. This stuff makes my blood boil.

What concerns me is the fact that if he had the balls to follow her home he may have the balls to come back when I'm not there. I am putting a gun in an easy to access (but safe) place for the wife in case she needs it when I am at work. If he does come back (which is unlikely) she will have easy access to something for self defense. We normally keep all the guns in the safe because we have a two year old. But, that does no good if a criminal breaks in and you're on the other side of the house. I am going to shop for a small gun box this weekend that has a key pad. That way we can keep a gun near the center of the home.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Seabeejason

[DaveTN]

She should have called 911 and led him around until they got him instead of going home.

Glad everything is okay.

[Stegall Law Firm]

Don't go confronting people. Even if they started it. What would you have done if you found the guy? What would he have done? This is how people become the lead story on the 10:00 news.

[Seabeejason]

She should have called 911 and led him around until they got him instead of going home.

Glad everything is okay.

That is the first thing I told her. I told her that she could have led him straight to a Sheriff's Deputy. The police told her the same thing.

[Seabeejason]

Don't go confronting people. Even if they started it. What would you have done if you found the guy? What would he have done? This is how people become the lead story on the 10:00 news.

I would have never pulled a gun or anything. I know better (even when I'm angry). I just would have said a few words and got his plate number (which is what the wife should have done). The Sheriff said that it is odd that he followed her all the way home. They get these calls all the time, but a road rager following someone home is rare. She told the Sheriff that I had a carry permit and he said that the guy was likely just young and dumb. An older man would have enough sense not to follow someone home (not sure if that's true).

We're going to watch for him out in town. He is a local person, so we'll see him again eventually.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Seabeejason

[BrasilNuts]

We're going to watch for him out in town. He is a local person, so we'll see him again eventually.

Be sure and check down by the river.

[RobertNashville]

I'm truly very glad your wife is okay but you really need to have a serious conversation about how she should have handled this.

[Dennis1209]

Don't go confronting people. Even if they started it. What would you have done if you found the guy? What would he have done? This is how people become the lead story on the 10:00 news.

^^^^^ The best free legal advice you're ever going to get!

[Jonnin]

got a shotgun? Its really hard to shoot yourself with a long gun as a small child, and generally safer IMHO if little hands are around.

[Seabeejason]

We definitely had the conversation. It is also the first thing the police told her. DO NOT GO HOME IF SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING YOU. They'll know where you live. He was likely just some young punk being a dirt bag. It really freaked my wife out. She said he just had "this look" about him that made her really uncomfortable. She said he just had a blank evil stare. I have seen people like that and they are the ones you need to sometimes watch out for. I am not scared of these type of people, but the fact he followed my wife home makes me uneasy. I am going to stay home from work tomorrow. If this a$$wipe comes back he'll do it tomorrow when the man of the house is supposed to be at work. Then at least the weekend might serve as a good cool down period for the prick, so this can hopefully just blow over and become a lesson learned for the wife.

Jonnin, I thought about the shotgun thing, but I still don't want a loaded gun around the little one. I will likely just get a small key pad operated lock box for the hand gun and keep it in a drawer. I have already been shopping for one.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Seabeejason

[Seabeejason]

Be sure and check down by the river.

Where? Which river and what area? We have lots of them here.

The wife said he looked to be about 18-19 years old, Caucasian, with blonde hair. He is approximately 5'9" in height, with an average build. He was clean cut, with no facial hair, and wearing a white T-Shirt. The van was a mid to late 1990's Chevy or GMC passenger van (one of those boxy ones), white in color. The front bumper is white (body colored). The front license plate area had no bracket or anything, just the inset area for a plate. She said the van was very clean for an older van. If anyone see's a van and driver matching this description in the Maryville, TN area please let me know (and get a plate number).

Edited August 10, 2012 by Seabeejason

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you see him again just go on about your business. Do not confront him. Sometimes it is best to let things go. And what do you expect to win by confronting him? To me it is a loose, loose situation. In his feeble mind the situation is likely over and he won.

We have all read about it where one person confronts another and it ends in a shooting. 9 out of 10 times it is the person who started the confontation who pays the legal price. Trying to scare him is only going to escalate a situation that is likely over and done with by now. If you do try to confront him you may find yourself in a place where you can't protect your family, be it in jail or in the ground. For me I would rather be able to protect my family.

Now if he comes to you and escalates then deal with it but going looking for a confontation will put you as the aggressor. And if anything happens it will be viewed as your fault.

And honesty there is nothing wrong with having a healthy fear. It is an instinct that is there for a reason. Nothing bad about it as long as it doesn't rule your life. I have been scared plenty of times and that fear has saved my life.

Dolomite

[Jonnin]

Stay alert for a month though, if he is going to be back, it will be within a few weeks.

[peejman]

What they said.... call 911, drive in circles until the cops get there.

[hornett22]

Glad she is OK. That Wal Mart is full of bad news. I hate going there.

Road rage is picking up around here. I live off Wildwood Rd. and the tailgaiters are getting bad here. I've had two issues with people this week.

Gotta love our Sherriff's Dept though. Good folks there. Always helpful and talk to you like you're a real person.

[dats82]

Where? Which river and what area? We have lots of them here.

The wife said he looked to be about 18-19 years old, Caucasian, with blonde hair. He is approximately 5'9" in height, with an average build. He was clean cut, with no facial hair, and wearing a white T-Shirt. The van was a mid to late 1990's Chevy or GMC passenger van (one of those boxy ones), white in color. The front bumper is white (body colored). The front license plate area had no bracket or anything, just the inset area for a plate. She said the van was very clean for an older van. If anyone see's a van and driver matching this description in the Maryville, TN area please let me know (and get a plate number).

I think he may be referring to this...

[Seabeejason]

Glad she is OK. That Wal Mart is full of bad news. I hate going there.

Road rage is picking up around here. I live off Wildwood Rd. and the tailgaiters are getting bad here. I've had two issues with people this week.

Gotta love our Sherriff's Dept though. Good folks there. Always helpful and talk to you like you're a real person.

Yeah, they are good folks. They will go out of their way to help.

If I see the dude I will just get the plate number and keep him in view until an LEO gets there.

Edited August 10, 2012 by LagerHead

[LagerHead]

got a shotgun? Its really hard to shoot yourself with a long gun as a small child, and generally safer IMHO if little hands are around.

Not too hard for them to shoot someone else with a shotgun though.

[Jonnin]

Not too hard for them to shoot someone else with a shotgun though.

Nothing is foolproof and I certainly would not trust leaving a loaded gun of any sort in a room with a child and no supervision. I was just saying a gun that the child cannot lift nor point at himself nor easily operate the (pump, bolt, whatever) to chamber it is safer than a handgun which is easily lifted, easily pointed at oneself, and all too often, easy enough to operate. Safer, but still not exactly safe, if you will.

[peejman]

Nothing is foolproof and I certainly would not trust leaving a loaded gun of any sort in a room with a child and no supervision. I was just saying a gun that the child cannot lift nor point at himself nor easily operate the (pump, bolt, whatever) to chamber it is safer than a handgun which is easily lifted, easily pointed at oneself, and all too often, easy enough to operate. Safer, but still not exactly safe, if you will.

You'd be surprised how easily a kid can operate a gun. I brought home a new rifle a while back. My 4 yr old ran up and begged to hold it. I knelt down and held it across my knee for him to see. The first thing he did was grab the trigger and squeeze. The 2nd thing he did was grab the bolt handle and rotate it open, pull it back, push it back forward, and start to rotate it back down. I've never shown him how to operate a bolt gun, he just grabbed the handle and did it. My wife and I were both amazed. She claims it's inherent in boy DNA.

[A.J. Holst]

Be sure and check down by the river.

Now that's funny, wonder if the punk was thrice divorced...

[Glenn]

Now that's funny, wonder if the punk was thrice divorced...

Give him time. He will be.

Glenn

[Guest BungieCord]

Man or woman, drive in circles until you're satisfied you're not just being paranoid, then call the police. Unless they're dumber than a mud fence, they'll notice they're being led in circles and they'll know they're burned. So if they continue to follow, your Spidey sense should turn into a case of the shingles. If you don't have a cell phone, drive to the nearest police station.

The beginning of this scenario, and one that doesn't get much press, is how to reduce your target profile just crossing a public parking lot to get into your car. I try to impress this on women especially but I think it's also sage advice for men.

We all tend to reach for our car keys as soon as we walk out the door at Kroger or Wally World. The problem is, if there's a creep cruising the parking lot looking for a mark, they probably can tell either from your car keys or your key fob what brand of car you drive. If you're driving a Caddy or a Mercedes, those keys don't just jingle, they go Ka-Ching! And even if you drive a POS that's not worth carjacking, that gives them one more detail they need to head you off and be waiting for you at your car.

So what if you didn't pull out your car keys but when you got to the car, they still were waiting for you? At that point, it's probably either a rape, a robbery or a carjacking. In all three cases, what they want from you is either in your pants or your purse.

If it's a robbery (a mugging), they'll demand your wallet. Without getting into a discussion regarding the merits of off-body carry, this would be an ideal situation for a woman to have a CCW arm in her handbag. It's also an ideal use for a hammerless revolver because you don't have to draw it to employ it. Just promise her you'll pay for the new Dooney & Bourke if she blasts holes in it.

I carry my wallet in my strong side trouser hip pocket, which is directly beneath my IWB CCW holster. I practice drawing and dropping my wallet, then producing the pistol in the same stroke. My hunch is the mook's eyes will follow the wallet to the pavement and won't see the pistol until it barks.

If it's a carjacking, they'll demand your car keys. And women also tend to carry their keys in their purse, do they not? I carry my car keys in my weak side front trouser pocket, which is the same pocket I carry my BUG in.

If it's a rape attempt, hopefully you'll have opportunity to plead and offer your wallet or car keys, which gives cover to reaching for a concealed SD weapon.

Long story short, leaving your keys in your pocket or purse until you're standing at the door of your car reduces the chances you'll be singled out. And once you're at the car, it gives you more options for making an armed response without giving early warning to the attacker.

Speaking of Road Rage, does anybody make a concealed video camera for the car? I'm thinking something that you could hide (rear-facing) in the third brake light or (front facing) on the rear view mirror? The cockpit voice recorder in an airplane runs on a 30 minute loop, writing over the same tape again and again, so you don't need huge storage, but you do have to remember to turn it off if something needs preserving. I'm thinking a video camera that works the same way, wired into the car's electrical so it comes on with the ignition so it's always available to record evidence of road rage (or an abusive traffic stop). If they don't, I think GoPro is missing a juicy potential market segment.

Edited August 11, 2012 by BungieCord

[plank white]

One thing Ive noticed about myself in the last almost ten years of marriage is that I can blow alot of stuff off and let alot of things fly but when it comes to my wife I just cant help it ,I have came completely off my rocker on folks just for speaking to my wife in the wrong manner. I can completely understand you trying to chase the guy down I wouldve done the same thing and in the back of my mind probably wouldve known it wasnt the smart thing but wouldnt have cared .

I think maybe right after basic training a good while back when my wife had just gave birth to my son I became so over protective for some unknown reason , It just seems like all common sense goes out the window if my wife is threatened and/or treated disrespectfully. I allways try to be respectfull to most everybody I come across and its usually pretty hard to upset me but when it comes to my wife There is just no overcoming the fact that I will stop at nothing keep her safe and treated with respect Its kind of wierd that I dont think I was ever like that about girl friends or anyone else just her .

As for the asshat who followed her home I hope he doesnt try it again but if he does I hope you bust his ass and teach him some respect.

Edited August 11, 2012 by plank white

[Seabeejason]

One thing Ive noticed about myself in the last almost ten years of marriage is that I can blow alot of stuff off and let alot of things fly but when it comes to my wife I just cant help it ,I have came completely off my rocker on folks just for speaking to my wife in the wrong manner. I can completely understand you trying to chase the guy down I wouldve done the same thing and in the back of my mind probably wouldve known it wasnt the smart thing but wouldnt have cared .

I think maybe right after basic training a good while back when my wife had just gave birth to my son I became so over protective for some unknown reason , It just seems like all common sense goes out the window if my wife is threatened and/or treated disrespectfully. I allways try to be respectfull to most everybody I come across and its usually pretty hard to upset me but when it comes to my wife There is just no overcoming the fact that I will stop at nothing keep her safe and treated with respect Its kind of wierd that I dont think I was ever like that about girl friends or anyone else just her .

As for the asshat who followed her home I hope he doesnt try it again but if he does I hope you bust his ass and teach him some respect.

Well, I probably would have caught up to him if it weren't for my neighbors kids down the road playing in the street. I had to slow down to about 10 mph while going through there. I was mad, but I wasn't about to run over a kid. By the time I reached the county road he was gone. I still tried to catch him anyway though. But it was still too late. I think when he seen my wife banging on our front door to get me out there he realized he was about to bite off more than he could chew. He was already out of view before I even opened the front door. He definitely got out of there in a hurry.

Honestly, I am kind of glad that I didn't catch him. I was so angry that I likely would have pulled him out through his window and beat the hell out of him. Someone who does something like that to a woman needs his face re-aligned and a couple scars to remind him of why he needs to show some damn respect.

I am still glad I am not sitting in jail with assault charges. That would definitely outweigh the satisfaction I would have gotten from beating his ass. I do hope I see the guy out and about though. Because I am going to get a LEO there and watch them dish out some legal punishment instead.