26 Mar 01

This from a recent student:

"While driving west along I-70 last weekend I stopped for fuel at a truck stop in western Kansas. As I returned to my vehicle from the building, I was aggressively approached by a large man. He was heavily bearded, slovenly, and looks like a typical transient. His walk was exaggerated and abnormal.

As I concluded I had been selected and stalked by this individual, I immediately made eye contact and assumed an interview stance. I had my right hand in my vest pocket where I quickly located my canister of Fox OC. He asked me if I was headed to Florida. My reply of, ‘I'm sorry, I can't help you,' was delivered in a loud, command voice that caused heads to turn in the parking lot.

The man became angry and started waving his arms and repeatedly yelling that I was not very nice. He danced around but got no closer. My strong hand came out of my vest pocket wrapped around the new FOX OC spray that you recommended. Before the canister had cleared my pocket by six inches, the man took off at a dead run.

A state trooper, who had apparently watched the whole thing, came over to me and asked me several questions. He wanted to know if I knew the man. I told him I have never seen him before in my life. He then went across the parking lot to interview the man in question.

Since the Trooper had not instructed me to wait around, I took your advice and left immediately.

This stuff really works!"

Lesson: Have a plan. Know what you're going to say, what you're going to do. You'll be consistently deselected for victimization.

/John