Posted on 08/10/2004 7:53:35 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana
I don't normally post many vanities, but I somehow feel unsettled and that I didn't do the "right" thing this morning. Whether I did too little or too much is up in the air, and I'd like feedback from FReepers.
I'm here on FR almost daily, and almost daily, I read about the war on terror and how we should all, as U.S. citizens, be on our toes and aware of our surroundings.
I was running late this morning, and at about 8:15, as I parked my vehicle and was crossing the parking lot to my building, I saw a young man of Middle Eastern origin exit our building and run very quickly all the way across the parking lot.
I immediately slowed down and pretended to fumble with my bag, but I didn't stop as I proceeded toward the building, since I didn't want him to think I was watching him.
I was 3 feet from the building, when I finally saw him (in the reflection of the glass doors) get into his vehicle (parked, oddly, at the far end of the parking lot when there were plenty of open spaces closer to the building--although some folks do it for the exercise), grab his wallet, and run just as swiftly back into the building.
It appeared he had simply forgotten his wallet and was running late much like I was.
The thing that's left me unsettled is, WHY did I keep walking toward the building? WHY did I just slow down rather than stop altogether until seeing him re-enter the building? My initial reaction was that this was a middle-eastern type RUNNING from a downtown building, yet I KEPT GOING TOWARD THE BUILDING. WHY did I care whether he thought I was watching him? Has the media and the left so brainwashed us into political correctness that I kept right on walking toward what could have been a dangerous situation this morning? Am I crazy, or just stupid? Or, was I wrong to suspect him in the first place?
If this was my reaction (a generally un-PC and "wily" FReeper), are the rest of ttoward the slaughter in total blindness?
Why do I feel so unsettled?
Yeah, tough call. Not sure what I'd've done under those circs.
But I think it's virtually certain that there will be an attempted attack before November and the elections.
You should have yelled, "Where's the fire buddy?" In my little village it woulda happened.
Don’t beat yourself up though. It’s the society we live in. Draw back on this episode in the future.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
I'd report it to the police/FBI. We have to, racial profiling be damned. You might save a life or two...thousand.
I don't see anything suspicious about running to your car to get your wallet and running back into the building. I think everyone has done it before.
Now, if he was fumbling with something or it looked like he was carrying something odd then i'd understand, but merely because this guy ran to his car seems out of whack.
The simple fact that you became cautious upon seeing a potential perp, means that you're GETTING IT.
You're becoming alert to your surroundings, looking for things that are out of place, and you're that much harder a target.
You're no longer a defenseless sheep. Be proud of yourself.
I am.
Since he ran back INTO the building methinks you are over reacting to nothing.
Two to the chest and one to the head?
Yeah, but I kept walking TOWARD the building even before I saw HIM turn back TOWARD the building. That's the main "What if" that's making me slap my forehead.
racial profiling is not racial profiling if it is toward foreign nationals. why are we so stinking co-dependent on this issue? i work in DC....every parking garage and gas station it seems is owned by MEs.
Ask John Kerry. He has a PLAN.
You recognized the circumstances and realized the potential. That's good.
You are unsettled because in hindsight you think - "What should I have done differently? What could I have done instead?"
I'm unsettled because - given your circumstances -I don't know if I would have done anything either.
With hindsight on our side:
1. Take in all the details of the suspect's activity and appearance. Take written notes.
2. Follow him to the car. Get color, make, model and (if possible) license information.
3. Press "9-1-1" on your cell phone and be ready to press "Send" if he drives away (or anything else happens that confirms your suspicion.)
Take comfort knowing that your experience was a lesson to me. Pase buen dia!
I had the same feelings after I had a confrontation with an aggressive drunk on a street. I dispatched the guy without a scratch to me, but I had the same type of indecision and questions cross my mind. Lucky for me my sub-conscience took over and I came out well.
My answer to my situation was to take a hand to hand combat self defense course. I now have a generic plan and feel much more comfortable.
Back to your situation, I don't know where or how to get the proper plan for terrorist activities.
If you remember the article about the 14 Syrian "musicians" on the plane, even confrontation by the woman didn't deter them from their task. My guess would be minimum confrontation "Hi, can I help?..How are You? any problems?"
Then follow up with observation of how they behave and call police if they behave strange after or during the confrontation.
"Anybody running" period is suspicious in my family. My family's immediate reaction at joggers is generally "Who's chasing them?" LOL.
Not many folks park as far away as possible. Also, most of us carry our wallet in a pocket. I cannot recall ever leaving the house for work with my wallet in my hand. You were right to be concerned. But probably wrong not to inform someone of what could reasonably be considered as suspicious activity.
It's the same reason I nearly had a panic attack Friday morning on AirTran flight 184 from Dallas to Atlanta.
There were about a dozen ME males on our flight. I was in business class so I couldn't see their activities. I just loaded up on the Bloody Marys. When we got to Atlanta, they said continuing passengers would have to change planes for security reasons.
>>You're no longer a defenseless sheep. Be proud of yourself. <<
I agree!
If you had made it known that you were watching, you may have tipped of a potential terrorist attack, but also, made it just the next day or somewhere else.
The government may not be willing to profile, but we are.
You know the saying, "Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean someone is not watching you." Just because this time he was just running for his wallet, doesn't mean that next time someone else may be running for his life.
Stay safe, stay alert and good job!
I don't get on subway trains if I see a ME man onboard. Call me a "profiler", I don't care. We live in Bklyn, NYC in a heavily Arab neighborhood and we have our antennae way up.
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