Parking Lot Safety

[Cale]

As a father of a 4 year old and CHL holder one of my safety concerns is when buckling my child into the car seat in a parking lot between parked cars.  For those of you who have children you know that the first thing to do is be aware of your surroundings but you know that at the point in which you are half way in the car trying to buckle up a 4 yr old your vision is very limited and your backside is very vulnerable.  If approached while in this particular position and surprised by a thug with a gun you are trapped between the thug in front of you, your car, the car next to you and the open car door behind you. 

Any suggestions for getting out of this "trap" taking your child out of the danger zone but still defending yourself?  I would like to see this real life situation demonstrated on one of the next shows.

[cooptire]

I have gotten in the habit with my 4 to just get them in the car as quickly as possible and buckle them up after I get in and lock the doors. Once or twice I felt the need to drive the truck to an empty part of the lot and then buckle them in. Also a good  idea when it gets as cold as it is right now! 

[pioneer]

The fact that you ask the question, shows that you are already thinking of a way to avoid the situation and that's a good thing.  It's been too many years since I had a little one to buckle in, but if you could get everyone into the car first and then buckle up seems like a logical solution.  Moving at slow speed to another part of the area would also work. 

[Solus]

Back in.

Or park so that you can move forward when leaving rather than needing to backup before going forward. 

The reasons for backing in are:

1.  Practice a neglected skill
2.  It is safer to back into a parking spot than to back out
3.  It is faster to depart when going forward than backing up first.

[Rastus]

Given a choice and the certainty that I won't get a parking space by an entrance...I park in an open section of the parking lots I park in.  I perceive that my vehicle is more secure being in the open than bunched up a few spaces away from a store entrance or the main traffic lane.

[Sponsor]

[Rob10ring]

Given a choice and the certainty that I won't get a parking space by an entrance...I park in an open section of the parking lots I park in.  I perceive that my vehicle is more secure being in the open than bunched up a few spaces away from a store entrance or the main traffic lane.

I also have a 4 year old and I've gotten in the habit of getting in and closing the door, while buckling her in. The cost of the increased safety of todays buckles is that they are much more complicated than the older ones and they take a fair amount of your attention. Our minivan(limo) has enough room that she is seated in the middle, which allows me to do this from either side. If need be, I can get to the driver's seat from the back too. If you have a more compact car, you may be able to set up your child's seat somewhat similarly. When we go out as a family, we all get in and close the doors first and either my wife or our 16 year-old buckles in the youngest, while I keep eyes up.

[John McCreery]

Cale,

I used to think about that a lot.  What if I found myself behind the curve in that situation.  As much as I like to try to keep a heads up, a screaming kid needing buckled will get the best of our awarness at times! 

I thought I would try to talk my way out of it an give up what the BG wanted as long as it wasn't the car with the kids.  If it escalated, possibly launch myself backwards throwing my head and swinging elbows/stomping on the way.  Another option I thought of but scared me because of possibly becoming a bullet magnet would be to draw, push the gun straight back and plant as many rounds as possible into the lower ab, groin, thigh area in hopes of creating room until I could orient myself better to continue shooting/stomping/clubbing etc. 

[cooptire]

Another thing I try to do is ALWAYS keep my shooting hand unencumbered by child, bags, groceries, etc. I keep my keys in my left hand and carry whatever it is I need to carry, be it child or whatever, in my left hand as well. I make sure that my eyes are looking out and my wife and kids are not scattered all over the south 40. I don't want then available as hostages nor do I want them crowding me tightly either. Needless to say, it is a lot like herding cats most of the time. (No offense Haz!) Of course the confusion can be an advantage, no one knows which way we are heading (including me most of the time.)

[Michael Bane]

Be VERY aware of people around you!

When we did the parking lot kidnapping sequences in TBD, I was amazed that the entire "kidnapping" took 14 seconds! 14 seconds! That tells me AWARENESS becomes your primary tool in minimizing the threat. I now tend to park a little farther away, ideally in an open space where I have a clear view of my surroundings.

Michael B

[ericire12]

Be VERY aware of people around you!

When we did the parking lot kidnapping sequences in TBD, I was amazed that the entire "kidnapping" took 14 seconds! 14 seconds! That tells me AWARENESS becomes your primary tool in minimizing the threat. I now tend to park a little farther away, ideally in an open space where I have a clear view of my surroundings.

Michael B

Head on a swivel