Lynn Givens seems to have avoided being mugged, either for her electronics or her prescription drugs (or perhaps both). Lynn shared her experience on Facebook, both recounting the event and numerous learnings points. She’s fine and safe, and we’re thankful for her sharing so we can all learn.

What follows is a copy/paste of Lynn’s posting, which she has encouraged us to share.

I have been asked to repost this AAR to include the lessons I learned. I have done so. Share if you would like to.

Just The Facts Please:

Today, around 12:40 pm, I left Tom at home while I ventured out to Walmart. My intent was to pick up two prescriptions and look at their IPod selection, as mine had died.

I parked halfway out in the parking lot; did not want a dent in the ZBULLET; and entered the store near the pharmacy area. I went directly to the pharmacy area and waited in line. As I picked up my two prescriptions, the cashier informed me that I would need to show my driver’s license for ID, because my script was a controlled substance. I gave her my license and she pulled out a 3 ring binder and logged in my name, script number, DL and date. This transaction was done right there at the check-out register. I was going to pay for it later after I was done shopping.
I then headed back to electronics taking a very convoluted path, browsing at merchandise. In the midway, a young man came up and while standing within about 2 feet of me, started texting. As I tried to walk by him, he engaged me in conversation by saying to me, “that was my mom, she was just checking on me again.” Being polite, I said “that’s nice of her”. I then continued onto electronics.
When I got back there, he was waiting there and kept looking in my direction. I continued to look for the Apple Products and eventually asked a salesgirl for assistance. She showed me where they were, I said thank you, and continued to look at the selection. He walks over and asks me if I ever had an IPod before. I told him yes, mine was broken. He then just loomed around in the area watching me intently. If I moved, he moved. I even left the area, he moved away but showed up again where I was. I then went to the salesgirl and asked to check if they had a particular one, she then left to get it out of some far away place that took about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the thug watched me and if I moved, he was there again. I finally, took my prescriptions out of my cart, went to another department, struck up a conversation so as to not alarm the sales women. In a discrete manner, I asked for them to call security, that a man has been stalking me in the store for the last 30 minutes and it has become unnerving. She called for security and seconds later, the stalker was within 3 yards of me again. Fortunately, I had worn my sunglasses to the store, so as I was intently watching him over the top of the glasses, he thought I was unaware of him. If I lifted my head up and looked in his direction, he would disappear for a moment behind a display.

Finally a sales person arrived with my IPod. I told him what was going on and that security never showed up. I described the thug, took 3 pictures of him while pretending to text on my phone. The sales person saw him and got all upset. I told him to relax and just ring me up.

He rang up my scripts and IPod and I began to head for front exit by pharmacy. It occurred to me, that there may be some assistants with him. As I reached the front exit, a young man came walking very fast paced, texting someone, and headed to the back of the store. I had already asked the front store clerk to walk me to my car, he said certainly. I gave him the description of the thug and he was headed back in to get a manager.

Arrived home on orange red.

He either wanted the prescriptions or the electronics, or both.
Many lessons here. Most important one for me; having to give DL to pick up controlled substance. Anyone can watch from afar and know what you got. Makes you a huge target. Lesson learned.

HUGE RED FLAG FOR THUGS TO TAKE PRESCRIPTIONS FROM YOUR CART OR GET YOU IN PARKING LOT.

• I was carrying my S&W M&P 9C in a belly band with extra mags and OC.

I owe my seeing the signs early to Tom Givens, Craig Douglas and William Aprill. Each one has taught me something that gave me the ability to see the signs early.

FIRST, he kept showing up close to me from out of nowhere

SECOND, overly friendly, trying to engage me to get my guard down

THIRD, he displayed a lot of grooming behavior, stroking chin, crossing arms, rubbing forehead, pacing, constantly texting as if communicating with a partner

FOURTH, he had on shorts, tank top, flip flops, it was quite cool in the store, but his shirt was soaked under his armpits

FIFTH, he was walking around with nothing in his hands to buy and never stayed at any display to look at something, just followed me and kept disappearing behind displays when he thought I noticed him

SIXTH, don’t count on anyone but yourself and what is physically on your body to handle the situation; I had already moved my purse to my left shoulder and had access to my OC

SEVEN, THERE WAS NO SECURITY THERE TODAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, NOR DID A MANAGER COME TO MY AID

EIGHT, I knew there could be more than one person and not to go to my car alone

NINE, as leaving the store, I was watching for a accomplice, and wouldn’t you know, as I left, a young man entered the store walking very fast, headed in his direction texting–coincidence–maybe, maybe not

TEN, alertness and awareness are key. I had electricity going all through my body as this unfolded.

ELEVEN, don’t ignore what your body is telling you. Use that sixth sense.

TWELVE, be aware when you are picking up a script that must be signed for. I may as well been walking around with a sign on me that said, get your drugs here.

That’s all for now.
July 5 at 9:13pm • Unlike • 3
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Lynn Givens Thanks everyone. I post this for others to read and learn. I have had unusual life experiences, this is fourth time in being able to navigate through possible disaster. I hope my experiences will help others to do the same.
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Lynn Givens I think I am done.

More lessons as I ponder today’s encounter

THIRTEEN, I used the plastic packaging of merchandise to see down the isle where he was avoiding being seen, but he could not see me. I was trying to keep distance between us.

FOURTEEN, I was making a plan of what I was going to do. It did include just leaving the store and giving my basket to the door greeter on the way out.
July 5 at 9:42pm • Like • 2
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FIFTEEN, ALWAYS PAY FOR SCRIPTS RIGHT AWAY. This way you can take your scripts and leave.
July 5 at 9:43pm • Like • 2
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Lynn Givens I think I am done.

Wow. A lot to digest.

In fact, because it’s a lot to digest, I recommend you come back and read this a few times. You just read it, come back tomorrow and read it again. Do the same again in the future. You will read, you will ponder, you will digest, and you’ll gain more from revisiting it (no, this isn’t about getting hits to my blog… save it off to your own records to read offline and carry with you, I don’t care — it’s about being able to really learn from this experience, because there’s a great deal in here to learn).

There are a few things I want to point out.

Point 7 – there was no security, and no one came to her aid. Your personal safety is your responsibility.

Points 6, 14 – she was planning, always planning. In fact, I’d say this includes Point 0: already having a gun and OC spray on her person — that was pre-planning. Heck, going even further, getting some training and acknowledging events like this can and will happen to you so you can be prepared and handle them when they unfold; pre-planning.

Be honest. If this happened to you, how would you have taken it? If some guy was being so nice to you, would it have set off any alarm bells? And even if it did, would you have acted on them? or tried to shrug them off (a lot of people do this; see Lynn’s Point 11).

Going back to Point 14, notice Lynn’s willingness to leave everything. So you don’t get your medicine, and it’s going to be a huge hassle to get it again (it’s a controlled substance, going to probably be difficult to get it “reissued”). Whatever. Totally willing to abandon all her shopping, her basket full of stuff, whatever, because her personal safety is more important.

Points… well, just about every other point. The common thread here is awareness. She paid attention and was constantly vigilant.  She used tricks to keep an eye on him (Point 13). She observed out of place behavior (Points 2, 3, 4, 5). She made a fair assumption there would be more than 1 thug (Points 3, 8, 9).

But here’s the bigger point that stands out.

None of this was solved with a gun, or OC spray, or any other sort of weapon or “hard skill”.

It was all solved by being alert, aware, and having prior acknowledgement that bad things can happen to you so you must be prepared ahead of time to handle them. Lynn gives credit to Tom Givens, Craig Douglas (SouthNarc), and William Aprill for giving her the skills she needed to get through that encounter. Yes it was good she had her gun, yes it was good she had OC spray (and it seems she was looking to use the OC as her first line of defense, see Point 6). But the key thing that kept her safe was being able to manage these unknown contacts.

It’s great you want to get your concealed handgun license, but I see so many people that think once they get that, they’re done and good. No, a concealed handgun license is merely your entry ticket into a larger world of personal protection. It’s the minimum entry fee, folks. Yes, you should work on hard skills to become proficient with it, but it’s more important to get these “soft skills”. You should seek out both types of instruction and training.

It’s great you want to carry pepper spray. But have you ever used it? Some people think that buying the canister and putting it on their keychain is done and good to go. But is it really? Are you really able to handle yourself? Will you be able to catch the cues and avoid the situation entirely (the best defense, the art of fighting without fighting… whatever you want to call it), or will it all happen “out of nowhere” and be over before your mind can unfreeze itself and you begin to react?

There’s much to learn from Lynn’s experience, and I’d like to express my gratitude to her for sharing. There’s much to learn here, but you have to swallow your pride and be honest with yourself — your life is worth it.