Alleys, especially long stretches, aren't the safest places to be even in upscale areas. I also try to avoid driving in alleys cause the man sized potholes and debris that accumulates can easily puncture a tire. The 5 min. traffic shortcut isn't worth a flat.

4. I bought locks for my and my friend's back gates?
5. I immediately called the cops and gave them a complete description and last direction of travel?

Seriously, though, it sounds like you handled yourself well in a tough spot and you shared good advice. Thanks and welcome.

That is a very good suggestion. But, in my town, the cops would have basically said, "And you're bothering us with this because????"

Seriously.

"Hello, _____________ Police Department. You say a man came in through your back gate? Did he assault you in any way? Did he threaten you? No? OK, then, you say he showed you a gun. How do you know it was a real gun? Did he point it at you? Did he attempt to rob you? No? OK, well did he.....what, you say he just walked off and left you? He didn't do anything to you? He just left? Nothing else?? Oh, OK. Well, thanks for calling."

"Oh, by the way. Was that your property? What exactly did you say you were doing back there..something about graffiti??"

I'm happy nothing happened to you. Good advice to lock your gate, and not talk to strangers.

One provisio.

Never dress as the cable guy, unless you are the cable guy.

NOTHING is more guaranteed to get you noticed - first from the deadbeats who haven't paid and think you are there to turn off their TV; second from the people with problems and just know you are there to fix them, even though they never called; and third from the people who want free cable.

Learned this one from experience. Had notes left on my windshield, people sitting in the back of my pickup waiting on me.

Hey sotto- agreed. The cops would have not done much. As far as the property. Yes it was my friends home and we were doing graffiti. There have been attempts to legitimize graffiti in the city to try and wrangle it in. Several store owners have paid graffiti artists to produce works on their buildings. Anyway, it's always been and interesting form of art and being an artist myself I can't resist therge to learn different forms. This was NOT a vandilism situation.

Dropout: Thanks, and yes it was clear you were "learning" to graffiti. Without passing any judgment on it personally, in my city, paid for or not, I'm afraid graffiti became so ubiquitous as to have lost it's impact and appeal. Right or wrong, people now pay tax money to paint over it immediately when it crops up.

By the way, my wife is an artist and makes a substantial part of her living at it. Best of luck to you!

if you are talking shtf, I'd try the storm drains. Whether or not you "fit in", you are likely to be a victim if people are desperate. If they are not, why care if you fit in or not? Just be a black belt and a Class A combat shot, and ccw your pistol. Let them try, find out the hard way.

Bear Grylls urban survival. Lesson 2: Personal Safety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbppCf--rNs

Although playing this from a ghetto blaster should be enough to keep away the NEDs whilst walking down Dundee High Street when the SHTF.

Actually a simple anonymous call to police of a "man with a gun" with a description usually gets a ride-by and questioning of anyone matching that description.

Would you like to place odds what the chances are the guy has a permit, a concealed weapons permit? He may have been lying but if his out-of-jail story is true he can't legally carry a gun. Then there is display of a firearm and potentially 'menacing', the combination of asking for money and showing a firearm. At the very least it would be violation of parole and back to hole for you.

Hard to put a positive spin on a guy with a gun walking into people's back yards, people he does not know, and asking if they want to buy his hat and shoes. Could be someone's crazy uncle who lives with his family down the street I guess but likely the police would know about such a character and strongly suggest he not wander around armed.

Odds are he was up to no good and given a few days the police would be involved, along with one or more people injured or dead, anyway. 'He left but the encounter left me feeling uncomfortable and nervous' is as good an ending as that sort of story gets. A false move on either side and it could have gotten ugly. Giving the police a heads-up on the guy would be doing the neighborhood a favor.

A lot depends on the neighborhood. I've lived in a few where reporting every menacing panhandler and out-of-place person would keep you busy. After a while you get a feeling for which ones are dangerous and which are simply a nuisance.

A couple details that were left out of my story.

1. It was in Chicago so I know he didn't have a conceal and carry permit.
2. He was probably ~25-30 years old (not the crazy uncle next door)
3. There is no "next door". The apartment was a three-flat in a small residential area inside a larger industrial area. The buildings around it had been reduced to rubble for some type of development. There isn't even a 7-11 for 5 blocks.
4. It was night time. He was brandishing a gun during the day.
5. I've never been back to this guys house.

I've been fortunate to not repeat a situation like this since. The event happened in 2000 and unfortunately I didn't report it to the police. I guess I didn't think of it. A lot has changed since and to be honest it's taken me years to understand what that situation was all about. I still get shivers thinking about what "could have been".

I guess what I've learned is:

People are desperate even when it's not a shtf type scenario. And sometime survival takes more than cans of food and good shooting skills.

Be good friends.

D