Tactical Decision Game - Road Rage

[JimFloyd]

Copyright 2009 by James M. Floyd, Jr. All rights reserved.

Tactical Decision Games (TDG) are utilized by the military and public safety agencies as a low tech, yet effective, means of experiencing and discussing the practical application of decision making skills to situations.

Below is a TDG I created to stimulate your thinking. To participate, please read the TDG, and then make your decision, based only on the (intentionally limited) information provided, within 10 seconds. Then post a reply stating your decision and your rationale.

The goal of a TDG is not to seek "the only" or "the correct" answer but instead is intended to create a social learning environment, so please do not hesitate to participate. If you find this useful, I will be happy to post additional TDGs.

Here is the scenario:

Road Rage

TIME: 10:19 p.m.

PLACE: Parking lot of a movie theater

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, 68 degrees Fahrenheit

LIGHTING: Parking lot pole lights

SITUATION: You are a legally armed citizen who, along with your significant other, has just left the movie theater one evening. Two men in a truck pull out in front of you as you are driving in the parking lot. The driver suddenly slams on the brakes, the truck stops and both men exit the truck and begin walking towards your car as they scream that you are an idiot driver who almost hit them. There is something in the hand of the passenger but you cannot make out what it is. They are now at the front bumper of your vehicle.


What is your selected course of action? Make a decision within the next 10 seconds.

 

[42769vette]

draw and try to figure out whats in his hand

 

[WETSU]

I'd get my wife up and running on the Mk19 and start slinging golden eggs all over the fookin parking lot, blocking their possible routes of egress. Then I'd draw my brace of desert eagles from my tactical dropleg holsters and vaporize them in in a hail of .50 AE death. I'd drag them back to their truck, stuff the bodies and goo inside and drop a thermite grenade duct taped to a gallon of gasoline inside.

 

[Hammer]

Back up the vehicle as I tell the wife to get down and call 911. All the while watching them closely for any rapid movement. If he continues to approach the vehicle on foot,I will continue to move the the vehicle closer to the building which will be more populated thus hopefully reducing their desire to be seen.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Put the car in reverse and the long skinny pedal on the floor. The best way to avoid a fight is to not be there.

Drive to a police station, with 911 on the phone. The pistol is my last line of defense, not my first.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[jontheturboguy]

Throw that 3000lb iron bitch into reverse and get out of there ASAP.

 

[indytechnerd]

TIME: 10:19 p.m.

PLACE: Parking lot of a movie theater

WEATHER: Partly cloudy, 68 degrees Fahrenheit

LIGHTING: Parking lot pole lights

SITUATION: You are a legally armed citizen who, along with your significant other, has just left the movie theater one evening. Two men in a truck pull out in front of you as you are driving in the parking lot. The driver suddenly slams on the brakes, the truck stops and both men exit the truck and begin walking towards your car as they scream that you are an idiot driver who almost hit them. There is something in the hand of the passenger but you cannot make out what it is. They are now at the front bumper of your vehicle.


What is your selected course of action? Make a decision within the next 10 seconds.

This is the Kobayashi Maru, right? Given the bolded parts of the above quotes, the 2 men should be walking directly into my headlights. That means if I can't make out what's in the passenger's hand, there's a reason. Also, I have to assume that there are cars behind me trying to leave the complex as well. That means no backing up. Third, I have a friend who lost both front teeth in a similar situation when he opened the car door and stood up with one hand on the door and the other on the roof of the car. Sucker punch FTL.

So, my actions, probably done simulaneously...
1. rearview mirror to verify whether I can back up.
2. lock the car down. The car automatically locks the doors at 15mph or something, the van does not.
3. leave the vehicle in drive if I can't reverse.
4. unholster, tucking my piece under my right leg, resting my arm on the console.
5. re-evaluate

If I can reverse and exit, I will. If I can reverse but not exit, I'll reverse as far as possible and hit the brights on the headlights. If they continue to advance, I'm afraid bad things might be about to happen.

 

[Bubbajms]

Reverse and run - they're out of their vehicle which gives me quite a bit of advantage as far as time goes!

 

[dburkhead]

I say we dust off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. (We need a nuke smiley.)

Okay, that out of the way:

1) Why can I not see what's in the person's hand? As mentioned uptopic, they'd be walking into my headlights so I should have a quite good view.

2) Depending on the answer to #1, I'd want to see if I can reverse and leave.

3) If I can't just depart the scene (blocked in from the rear--and is that just because of other traffic or has another car/truck moved to block me in? I will

3a) draw my gun, but keep it out of sight behind my back (no sense escalating if I don't have to)

3b) dial 911 on my cell. If I have time, I'll tell them that a truck has blocked me in and two men are approaching my car. In any case, cell will be left on during the encounter.

4) I will speak loudly (so that it can be picked up by the Cell) telling the men to step away from my car.

4a) if, at any time, I identify what the one person is holding as a weapon, I will loudly, verbally identify it and order the person to drop it.

4b) if, at any time, I believe that a weapon has been aimed at me or anyone with me (I may still not have a clear view of whatever is being pointed), or if anyone attempts forcible entry into the car, well, aim center of mass and booger hook on the bang switch, and shoot until the threat stops.

Is there anything I missed?

 

[colt45er]

Check mirror to get the heck out of there, tell wife to dial 911, have her see if she can get the licence plate while taking mental note of phisical charactersits of vehicle and rough description of BG's (I know in a high stress stituation, details will be forgotten but I can get the basics)

Draw weapon and have tucked between right leg and seat of car where I can draw easily.

After I am across the parking lot, see what the police say, and see what the BG's do next.

 

[techres]

WOOPS MISREAD!

Try this again...

Backup. Get wife on phone. If weapon is visible, use my vehicle to find an alternate exit. If not possible then prepare to fire from sitting position.

 

[Joe Williams]

Reverse, and get outta Dodge.

 

[Rookie]

I would make sure the doors are locked and windows are rolled up. If I have an escape route behind me, that's what I'm taking. If I don't, my gun would be in my hands as I tried to figure out what the person's intentions were. If he wants to beat the crap out of my car, I'm not going to like it, but he can feel free. As soon as possible, I would be dialing 911.

 

[The Meach]

Assuming I can't back up and GTFO

I'd Draw Mine and lay it on my lap. Lay on the Horn and tell my girlfriend to get down. Shout for the passenger to show me his hands. brandishes or doesn't comply I put my front bumper in his Crotch and level mine at him and ask again nicely

 

[jeremy]

I say we dust off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. (We need a nuke smiley.)

Okay, that out of the way:

1) Why can I not see what's in the person's hand? As mentioned uptopic, they'd be walking into my headlights so I should have a quite good view.

2) Depending on the answer to #1, I'd want to see if I can reverse and leave.

3) If I can't just depart the scene (blocked in from the rear--and is that just because of other traffic or has another car/truck moved to block me in? I will

3a) draw my gun, but keep it out of sight behind my back (no sense escalating if I don't have to)

3b) dial 911 on my cell. If I have time, I'll tell them that a truck has blocked me in and two men are approaching my car. In any case, cell will be left on during the encounter.

4) I will speak loudly (so that it can be picked up by the Cell) telling the men to step away from my car.

4a) if, at any time, I identify what the one person is holding as a weapon, I will loudly, verbally identify it and order the person to drop it.

4b) if, at any time, I believe that a weapon has been aimed at me or anyone with me (I may still not have a clear view of whatever is being pointed), or if anyone attempts forcible entry into the car, well, aim center of mass and booger hook on the bang switch, and shoot until the threat stops.

Is there anything I missed?

1st off. I will rep you when I can. I have to spread the love around before I can do that. Sorry.

2nd off. That is the best response I can think of. The cops are notified and dispatch is aware of the situation that is unfolding. My only change would be to have the wife to place and handle the call to 911 on speaker phone.

 

[pinshootrs]

push the panic button on my remote to draw attention, have the wife dial 911, try to retreat if possible, if trapped, and in fear of our lives, do what ever is neccesary to survive

 

[RogerB]

I say we dust off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. (We need a nuke smiley.)

Is there anything I missed?

....press the "On Star" button and call in a fire mission danger close fire for effect...slide down as close to the floorboard as possible and wait for the steel rain.



sorry couldn't resist....carry on.

 

[jeremy]

....press the "On Star" button and call in a fire mission danger close fire for effect...slide down as close to the floorboard as possible and wait for the steel rain.



sorry couldn't resist....carry on.

You can do that with OnStar...

I may have found the reason to switch to GM!

 

[Flintlock]

Lock doors, draw, flip on brights, make sure there is no one behind me, and back the hell up fast. If backing up is not possible, draw and make the hell sure they see I have a gun, pending recognition of what they have in their hand. I turned on the brights in order to better see what is in the mans hand. If the item in their hand isn't a weapon, I won't flash mine.

 

[jennybird]

I'd get my wife up and running on the Mk19 and start slinging golden eggs all over the fookin parking lot, blocking their possible routes of egress. Then I'd draw my brace of desert eagles from my tactical dropleg holsters and vaporize them in in a hail of .50 AE death. I'd drag them back to their truck, stuff the bodies and goo inside and drop a thermite grenade duct taped to a gallon of gasoline inside.

You, my dear, have played WAY too many video games.


Hey ya'all, Wetsu has an x-box for sale... any takers?