BLUF: Head on a swivel, all the time.
Armchair QB version... if someone is approaching me in my parked vehicle, chances are I "made" them a long time back and have already done a quick threat assessment. If not, quick assess - throat tats and general grabastic appearance? I'm starting the vehicle and driving away. Whatever they have to say isn't outweighed by my personal safety. If you need to engage in convo (which, let's be realistic, is almost always benign) do so safely, also keeping head on a swivel and checking for possible accomplices approaching from another direction. Hopefully you've parked facing out so you can make a quick getaway. At the point where the gentlemen felt the need to "show his stuff" would be the point that I personally simply drove off and called my wife to check on her. Meanwhile having a plan to rapidly escape if needed and FINALLY IF ALL ELSE FAILED AND IF JUSTIFIED, engage in deadly force, not brandishing. To go from a guy talking to you and maybe trying to con you to brandishing a firearm is several orders of magnitude of escalation with all kinds of steps skipped.
I pulled into the parking lot at work downtown early one morning. I parked way out because I was towing a trailer.
I noticed an older SUV coming across the lot and thought it was kinda weird that an employee would park way out when there were plenty of closer spots.
A guy got out and I immediately knew that he wasn’t an employee.
He acted like he was on his phone and said “ maybe this guy is local and can help us”.
He then says “I’m with the crew that’s rebuilding all the sea walls in Gulf Breeze. We are pulling our equipment with Z-71s and one broke down on the I-110 off ramp.
The DOT said if we don’t move it, we will
get a $1,000 fine. I found a towing company called Fletcher’s but Bob, who has the money, got called to the hospital cuz his wife is going into labor. I’m $30 short and wondering if you could help me out?
If you want to follow me back, I’ll let you hold a piece of equipment as collateral.”
I told him I didn’t have $30. He then loudly yells the F word and left.
The detail this guy went into was ridiculous. That immediately threw up red flags.
I guess I was supposed to think his offer of collateral made him legit and I wouldn’t actually hold him to it.
He approached co-workers in various parking lots downtown in the following few weeks.
Another time I got approached by a well-dressed man in the parking lot of Sam’s Club who asked me for $30 for a part for his car so he could get it running and get back home.
His spiel - “I’m from Foley, my wife is a school teacher over there…….”
More unnecessary details.