Less-offensive EDC Tools

By Tom Mchale. Mar 1, 2023

The parking garage was darker than normal. That light at the top of the stairwell was busted. No surprise, if the public bathroom on the ground floor is any indication, maintenance in the city’s public parking garages takes a distant second place to fixing that pothole at the end of 2nd Street. No reason to panic … yet. Nothing unusual about the light being smashed given the copious scrolls of graffiti on the walls.

Halfway from the stairwell to my car, I spot a man kneeling on the concrete, leaning one hand against a parked car. I’m guessing he’s drunk and returning his last few drinks to the floor. As I ponder his situation, another man appears from the opposite side. He asks, “What’s with that guy? Drunk?” I reply in the affirmative; it sure appears to be the case. To get to my car, I need to pass fairly close to Mr. Bourbon Breath. As I continue forward, I notice the second man angling to intercept my path on his way to the drunk’s location. I also notice he’s moved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

At this point, my hackles are going into hackle-up mode. Is it go time? I haven’t seen a weapon, and neither man has made any kind of direct threat. The drunk starts talking to the second man when suddenly it occurs to me he doesn’t seem very drunk for someone supposedly getting sick from a long night out.

It’s decision time. I can’t get to my car without walking past these guys and I’m a good 50' from the stairwell. I’m carrying a concealed pistol, as always, and a pocketknife, again as always. Don’t leave home without either, right? Here’s the problem. If I draw my gun, even pointing it at the ground, I’ve brandished a firearm. Not only a legal no-no, but I also couldn’t prove in a court of law I was facing imminent bodily harm. A reasonable person would likely agree it was a suspicious situation, but no rational, law-abiding citizen would condone drawing a weapon at this point. Besides, bringing a weapon into a still benign encounter might escalate a non-event into something far more serious. .....