We'll be telling this story at dinner parties forever.
Big A and I were on our usual walk to Sparty through the MSU campus when a car careened around the bend and barely screeched to a halt at the stop sign. There were a lot of student-pedestrians around and I have a big mouth on me, so I yelled out, "Slow down!" I guess someone in the car had a big mouth too, because they yelled out, "Boo, Bitch!" This upset Big A who took off running after their car, and they sped off.
Except they looped around and screeched to a halt next to us again. And three of them (two of them sans shirts) got out of the car. As they got closer: Big A asked for an apology; I told them they were going to hurt someone if they didn't slow down; they accused us of looking at them (which we had been). Then the older guy in his twenties said he was going to get his gun, and... reached between the car seats, got his gun, and tucked it into the waistband of his shorts. I thought I was going to burst into giggles at that point, because this very white guy with a gun kept advancing on Big A, liberally using the N-word, and telling him to get "stepping to it." And then everyone was just staring at each other--we didn't want to get shot, and they didn't want to shoot us, I guess? We told them it wasn't right, I threw in a final instruction to slow down for good measure, we said we were walking away, and so we did.
They took off in the opposite direction... but then they looped around again and pulled up about ten feet ahead of us. That's when I pulled out my phone and called 911. And they took off again, this time for real, when they saw me dialing. And we never saw them again. But we did have to wait for campus police to show up and make a formal report. And then we stayed on the lookout on our way home and snuck our way through the woods just in case their car was still around somewhere, laughing with the adrenalin of it all.
Big A is nice because, I asked, and he said that I hadn't escalated when I yelled at them to slow down--I was doing the right thing and speaking up. I am not so nice, because I told him that I didn't need my honor protected just because some rando called me a bitch, and that he should not have escalated by running after them yelling "What did you call my wife?" etc. Anyway, it was an unlooked-for Saturday adventure.
Pic: Brilliant sky, brilliant Red Cedar--the view from the bridge shortly before it all went down.
14 comments:
Take care
WE CALLED 911 this weekend on a violent bar fight! ALso white boys using the N word. WHAT A LIFE.
Maya! Oh my god. This is actually terrifying. It's so scary in America, there are so many guns and it sounds like that one was in the hands of someone kind of unhinged. I'm glad that this is as far as it went.
Wow. I'm sorry that happened to you. It sounds very scary.
That sounds terrifying!! What is even with this world?
This is scary! I've never been involved in a situation like that, as a matter of fact I've never seen anyone with a gun. Which is surprising, because as Nicole pointed out, a LOT of people have guns here. Glad everyone was okay!
Thanks, Gillian.
Seriously!!!!!!
Nicole--The more I think about it, the crazier it seems... OMG.
Steph--It was strangely calm in the moment, but looking back, I can see how it could have gone horribly, horribly wrong so easily.
Jenny--This is our first time having a gun pulled on us. He didn't actually brandish it at us, but still. I have seen people with guns at Panera... Panera!
Engie--This is on the same walk we took...
I'm in shock. A gun changes everything. I'm glad you both are okay. What a scenario!
Nance, I honestly think it sounds way worse than it felt. He did not brandish the gun, so it did not feel super threatening. But it's possible that I'm in denial.
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