Lotsa Lessons

A lot of lessons to be learned from this story of a self defense shooting referenced at Tam's.  One important one is the tried and true warning:

"Never let a bad guy take you from the primary crime scene to the secondary crime scene if you can help it at ALL.  Nothing good ever happens to the good guys at the secondary crime scene."

In the linked example, the primary crime scene is on the stoop outside the building.  The secondary crime scene is the conference room Mr Sumdood with the revolver walked everyone back to.

Primary scene:  At the cash register of the Burger Czar (where the burgers are).  Secondary:  The freezer at the back.  (You and the robber aren't gonna be sharing an ice cream sammich back there...)

Primary:  By the elevators where the bad guy orders: "Don't scream lady, or I'll cut you!"  Secondary:  The stairwell off to the side.  Sticky things happen there.

Primary:  The sidewalk of a sketchy part of town where the driver tells you to "Get in the car!"  Secondary:  The warehouse the car drives to 3 miles from where you got in.

Hey, I googled Secondary Crime Scene and found this!  Neat.  I knew I had seen it somewhere relatively recently.  James Rummel's blog.  Avoid the secondary crime scene like your life depends on it.  It does.

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I think people willingly walk right into that secondary situation despite knowing that nothing good can happen if I walk into that freezer for many reasons: 

• I'm boned... There is a chance the bad guy is merciful and I have otherwise relinquished control, and I will come out of this without extra holes.  Please be a nice evil monster, Mr. Monster.
• I'm boned... I need more time.  With time an opening may present itself that will allow me to extricate myself from this bad situation.  I'll wish in one hand for more time, and poop in the other and see which one fills up first.
• I'm boned... and in condition white and just can't believe this is happening.  It's a bad dream.  I'm in shock.   This isn't civilized and I am programmed to be civilized.  Does not compute.  Wake me when it's all over.  Hopefully I won't be dead when it's all over, but I'm not thinking rationally enough to consider that. 

None of these coruses of action/inaction are really a good idea when you sit back and consider it.  So, think about it ahead of time.  You try to not be in Condition White?  Try to remember to be in Condition Yellow?  Well also try to remember that you don't willingly go to the secondary crime scene.