Do You Carry A Weapon/Craigslist Meet

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Damn right.

99.99999% chance everything will be fine and virtually ever sale I've conducted ended with smiles and handshakes and the thought of "what a nice guy".

However, there's that 0.00001% chance that someone might just be looking to shake you down, steal your car, whatever. Or that an opportunistic third party might see the cash transaction happening and decide to go get it for themselves. There are some effed up people out there and the security of a CCW makes me MUCH more confident that if I'm ever in the wrong place at the wrong time I'll end up in control of the situation rather than along for the ride...

[BernieP]

Take some one with you to watch your back. Both should be armed. Today $900 cash is a lot. I would be more concerned about other people noticing the transaction.

BernieP

[masraum]

I'm sure there are lots of dead folks that thought their killer seemed nice at first.

999 times out of 1000 you'd probably get home and think "that was silly, I didn't need to take that at all." What about that 1 time?

[Rick Lee]

Hey, I was carrying when I met all the Houston Pelicans.

[Tervuren]

Does my car REALLY need front brakes to come to a stop? I can use just the rears to slow it in a reasonable amount of time in most situations. Its only a rare situation I would actually need those front brakes, so I don't care that my brakes lines look like they are about to fail.

That said, carrying only helps you if you KNOW how to use it in a stressful situation, otherwise you could end up in more trouble than if you didn't have it. Just having a gun does not equal protection.

[Rick V]

To answer the question yes I carry and you should as well, just because you don't know. The sad part is that we have allowed our society to fall to the level where questions like this are even asked.

[Baz]

[MRM]

Originally Posted by jyl

Yes, I would be armed. I would also arrive before the appointed time and reconnoiter the area. Identify cover and egress routes. From concealment, I would watch the other party arrive. Make sure he comes alone, look for any accomplices. Make him wait as you observe. Look for any sign that he is armed, as well as indications of agitation. If he appears to have come alone and unarmed, proceed with the meeting. I'd be armed with a primary weapon, and a backup. Not sure what you mean by small caliber, at least the primary should be a sufficient defensive round, no less than 9mm Parabellum. Ideally the backup is the same caliber and uses the same magazines. For example, my primary is a Glock 19; a good backup would be a Glock 26. Wear clothing that allows rapid access to your weapons. During the interaction, be careful about body positioning. Don't turn your back on him or let him approach you with the sun at his back. As you are looking over the wheels, walk around so that you are behind him, if he maneuvers to prevent this, that's a clue that he's a threat. Maintain a protective radius, which means keep a minimum distance away from him - I use ten feet. Don't shake hands or pass keys, papers, etc hand to hand. Telling people you have a cold is a good way to keep your distance. Good luck. Next time, use eBay and avoid in-person transactions.

This is reasonably good advice, but misses one essential element of the tradecraft required for pretty much any face to face meeting. After identifying the person you're meeting and keeping him under observation for 15 minutes or so, you have to call his cell phone and move the meeting someplace nearby but some place he has to go to immediately or he'll be late. Wait as he leaves, make sure no backup team follows him, and go to the new location. Then complete the rest of the steps as outlined above.

[svandamme]

If you are worried about the transaction, then arrange for the transaction to be done near a police station. Tell em you have to be there anyway for some other business. Don't mention details.. let their imagination do the rest.


If they are legit, they will agree to meet there
If they dont' agree, i guess they aren't legit. Don't do the transaction.

[jyl]

Do you have a ballistic vest? Wear it if you do.

[john walker's workshop]

you don't have the money in this situation, just the wheels. do you think someone is going to rip you off for the wheels? i'd probably suggest that you stay home if you're that paranoid.

[Evans, Marv]

Ther is a trial starting in this area concerning this. A guy advertised a comuter on CL and agreed to meet in a neutral place. When he got there, he was met by 3 thugs who took his computer. He followed them and ended getting shot to death.

[varmint]

i've gone to the watts towers after dark to buy motorcycle parts. turners out the seller was a black retired bike cop. we sat around and talked for hours.

of course i was armed.


but the better option is still to meet in a public place and bring a friend.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by jyl

Yes, I would be armed. I would also arrive before the appointed time and reconnoiter the area. Identify cover and egress routes. From concealment, I would watch the other party arrive. Make sure he comes alone, look for any accomplices. Make him wait as you observe. Look for any sign that he is armed, as well as indications of agitation. If he appears to have come alone and unarmed, proceed with the meeting. I'd be armed with a primary weapon, and a backup. Not sure what you mean by small caliber, at least the primary should be a sufficient defensive round, no less than 9mm Parabellum. Ideally the backup is the same caliber and uses the same magazines. For example, my primary is a Glock 19; a good backup would be a Glock 26. Wear clothing that allows rapid access to your weapons. During the interaction, be careful about body positioning. Don't turn your back on him or let him approach you with the sun at his back. As you are looking over the wheels, walk around so that you are behind him, if he maneuvers to prevent this, that's a clue that he's a threat. Maintain a protective radius, which means keep a minimum distance away from him - I use ten feet. Don't shake hands or pass keys, papers, etc hand to hand. Telling people you have a cold is a good way to keep your distance. Good luck. Next time, use eBay and avoid in-person transactions.

Originally Posted by MRM

This is reasonably good advice, but misses one essential element of the tradecraft required for pretty much any face to face meeting. After identifying the person you're meeting and keeping him under observation for 15 minutes or so, you have to call his cell phone and move the meeting someplace nearby but some place he has to go to immediately or he'll be late. Wait as he leaves, make sure no backup team follows him, and go to the new location. Then complete the rest of the steps as outlined above.

Lot of effort for the sale of a $900 car. The world is a dangerous place and all, but I'd just trade it in if I was worried.

I don't carry and I probably have a very dull life compared to some of yours, so I always find these threads interesting.

Then again, I've been to Rick's (new) part of the country and was surprised to see panhandlers outside the CVS in what I considered suburban Phoenix.

[azasadny]

Do you only have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen when you expect a fire? I view a gun just like a fire extinguisher. If I need it, I better know how to use it and have it available!

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by 74-911

Absolutely

Long story here but in summary: middle of the day at a major intersection, both drivers armed, throw in a little road rage when one of the drivers bumps the other and a bunch of lives ruined forever.

North gets 70 years in prison for murder of Austin David » Abilene Reporter-News

And no, I'm not anti-gun and have more than my share but for the above reason I choose to not carry one around with me. There are just to many armed hot-heads running around..

Road rage and other issues takes two. If you're not a hot head and you're carring a gun you're not the victem if things go wrong. Now if you're a raging a-hole lunatic, you shouldn't carry a gun.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by azasadny

Do you only have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen when you expect a fire? I view a gun just like a fire extinguisher. If I need it, I better know how to use it and have it available!

Thank you!

So many posters on this thread do not get the simple idea that you have no way of knowing when protection of various means might be needed, but if you have it and are allowed to carry it, why not???

This seller might go to the sale and have no problems at all, but then need something at the restaurant on the way home. You just never know...

[speeder]

Crazy-ass idea: Use your brain instead. I buy and sell lots of stuff on CL and use several common sense precautions that make everything safe. You are correct in never meeting at your residence, only in some public place. Can't be too careful these days. I never, and I mean NEVER do any business w/ someone w/o speaking to them on the phone for a bit and having a working # for them that I've called and reached them on. That alone would prevent any of the crazy murder stories linked on this thread. I guarantee those were done 100% by email through CL.

If someone gives me any indication that they are so much as wasting my time, much less planning on murdering me, no business will be transacted. Someone who has other plans than buying your item will seriously balk at phone communication or meeting you in a public place. Criminal shyt bags absolutely cannot disguise themselves as human beings on the phone, it's impossible. If you cannot tell this much about someone by their conversation, do not ever leave your house for any reason and for god's sake don't ever try to buy anything.

I've bought and sold many rims and tires on CL w/ no issues and no gun. There is always a 1-in-a million chance of getting murdered in this world, if your solution to this is to always be armed and scared, that's up to you. If I get a slight whiff off someone in a CL deal and still decided to do the deal, I'd strap-up but you don't need to announce it on the internet. Use common sense.

[ZLP]

Bad things never happen in public places so you are fine without carrying.

[Turbo_pro]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

you don't have the money in this situation, just the wheels. do you think someone is going to rip you off for the wheels? i'd probably suggest that you stay home if you're that paranoid.

+1
The next question might be: would you really kill a person to protect some wheels?