12-16-2013, 07:54 PM
(12-16-2013, 05:41 PM)FunkyBurger Wrote:(12-10-2013, 05:10 PM)Cynical Ninja Wrote: Don't meet strangers online in real life, especially on your own.
I have made several transactions thru Craigslist. Never for "companionship". Regardless, I always go with my trusted waist partner ready to speak if necessary.
Well, no wonder you don't need to answer ads for companionship.
Sure, it's probably pretty scary to most when they learn that you have a talking gerbil velcroed by the tail to your waistband, but that's not likely to be a deterrent for criminals looking to victimize you.
Now, if you had a gun, that could work for or against you, Dirty Harry.
If the on-line advertiser managed to lure you with intent to rob or assault you, chances are high that he or she is armed. Plus, he or she's got the home court advantage. And, criminals often work in pairs - so you could also be outnumbered.
Jim Vester knew he was taking a risk when he went to buy that iPad. When he couldn't get anyone to go with him, he decided to go anyway and borrowed a gun. Didn't help him any. Of the unarmed people robbed by his alleged killers, none was killed. Had he been unarmed, Vester might be alive too. Impossible to know.
A gun can't take the place of common sense and having a safe plan for the transaction, which is communicated by the buyer to the seller in advance and includes a partner(s) for the buyer. If the seller's luring and knows those terms up front, he or she will likely back out and move on to easier prey.
No need to be paranoid nor necessarily armed, smart and cautious goes a long way.