Am I paranoid or were they trying to rob us?

It doesn't sound paranoid to me. In fact it sounds fairly reasonable that they were considering you both as targets.

Their reaction to you turning around to face them only further strengthens my suspicion that their intentions were not benign.

The important thing is clearly you both went home safe that night. Possibly due to your actions.

 

You're married so she may have picked up on more subtle hints about your current demeanor than you may have realized you were giving.

Someone like myself or the suspected robbers wouldn't notice, but since she knows you so well she did notice.

 

She has great situational awareness. You married WELL!

 

I think that maneuver was a clear signal that something was about to happen and she didn't want to be near it. Obviously, they saw her move a safe distance away and decided they didn't want to be near it either.

 

you handled it well. The other thing I might have considered was ducking into a business establishment. As for their intent, I do not have the DNA necessary to divine that

Well done!

 

BTW, yes, your wife is a smart cookie. I need to have this conversation with my wife as well, as well as the possibility of her creating a distraction if necessary.

 

One other thing, and it wasn't real clear, you wouldn't want her moving an unsafe distance away. Where she might become a hostage if they kept walking but split up, dividing your attention. If one walked toward her and the other walked to the opposite side of you, you would end up with one at your back and one too close to her.

Fortunately, that didn't happen, but who knows how much planning they put into these things.

 

I would assume that you and your wife discuss firearms and self defense fairly often. I also assume that some of your situational awareness that you keenly use on a daily basis has rubbed off on her. Your visual cues and body language indicated to her that something might go down and it would be best to move out of the way and this isn't surprising to me in the least. I think wives are pretty smart at reading the intentions of their husbands; our body language gives it away (as the might be perps also picked up on). I can't offer a similar tale (thankfully) but we were once near an approaching large crowd that was getting very unruly...as the possible threat got closer, I put skin on grips (concealed since this was in San Antonio, TX) and at the same time, my wife smartly got behind me; it was like a well oiled machine. We made a beeline across the street to gain distance on the mass of craziness.

As to your original question...were you about to be robbed? No telling. The signs were there, for sure. When I am out and about, I always assume the worst. This is probably a bad attitude to have as a human, but as someone who likes to be alive, I think it's a wise way to carry myself. If I don't know you, and you are near me...you are a threat...until it's proven otherwise.

 

First off stop wearing cashmere. Id rob you if i saw you wearing cashmere. Secondly it definitely was a little fishy.

 

good lookin out. you prevented whatever it was (and i think it was definitely something), and didn't initiate force. sounds like a good day to me.

 

My guess is most victims would hand over their purses and wallets if a perp merely claimed to have a weapon. I think it's super easy pickings down there with all the tourists. I was just there two weeks ago and carried as well. Bourbon Street at midnight was a cesspool of vomit, piss and s***, and there were drunks laying in it passed out on the sidewalks. I had at least two street-dealers approach me and offer "marijuana, cocaine". So I said to myself: well, you only live once. J/K about that last part. Yeah, probably the most sketch I had experienced in a long time, but I was super glad to have been armed during the trip.

 

I commend both you and your wife for your situational awareness and how you both handled that situation. My wife laughs at me because I won't sit with my back to a door.

 

She did better than mine probably would - mine would have probably yelled at me not to shoot them...

I've had a similar situation at one time. It ended like yours - uneventful. Thankfully. But I'm reasonably certain that the people meant to do me harm and/or rob me.

 

Darn Ed, I've called you many things. But soft target? Sounds like these gentlemen need glasses. Even in the days before you started working out you would never be a soft target. Leigh Ann is a smart lady. Glad you two are safe.

 

You acted in the same way i would have.

The most obvious thing that indicates they were up to no good is the fact that they were positioned in a way to be in front of you and behind you.

The man who passed you was a scout of course, get close enough to make a decision based on your appearance.

Than meet up and plan the robbery....I'm sure they did not expect that reaction out of you...so you took the element of fear out of it.

I agree that them running exudes guilt.

Wonder how many targets they have a day....asses.

 

It is obvious that they were up to something. Robbery is the most probable conclusion, but they could have been out to abduct your wife after sticking a knife in your side...it happens. A true case where being armed saved your belongings and/or your lives. I do think you would never have been messed with if they had seen a gun on your belt. We can't have liberals feeling uncomfortable at the sight of your gun, now can we?