To bring Sasha home we had to drive 2000+ miles to Georgia and back. Spending about 37 hours on the road, we saw many interesting things.

Before we left town, I checked our travel route to see what states I’d be rolling through and what the local laws were with regards to concealed handgun carry. All was good, no problems nor real issues for me to contend with. Good.

Whenever we’d be out and about, especially when we’d pit stop, Wife and I always worked as a team and minded things. While we didn’t expect any problems, why risk inviting problems especially on the road so far from home? Plus we had a specific purpose for this roadtrip, and we didn’t need to have anything get in the way.

I did realize at one point I had been using my “predator” face. Eyebrows down, stern look, piercing eyes, being big and emanating “don’t fuck with me, else I will fuck you up good”. I caught myself and changed from monkey brain “bash skull with rock” mode to a better strategy: ABC, Always Be Cool. I would smile most of the time, but sometimes you have to just “be cool” and give a nod (downward, not the upward “tick”), look folks in the eye, be friendly, say “Howdy” or “Evening”, but still be strong. Stand up straight (and with my cowboy boots on I was 6’5″ tall), emanate strength, but not “asshole”. This was especially important for me because well… let’s be honest. I’m a big tall half-Asian guy with long hair — I look out-of-place in the rural Deep South of the USA. So I’m already going to attract attention and stares, I should emanate that I’m friendly, deserving of respect and will return respect in kind, and there’s no reason to bother me nor my family. Basically, leave me (us) alone.

However this all changed in Tyler, Texas on the drive home.

It was around midnight. We needed gas and bathroom break (including some place that would have grass for Sasha to use). Most of the gas stations lacked one of the 3 criteria so we kept moving on, but we were quickly running out of town and opportunities so I took the next place I could. When we pulled into the fuel bay I noticed a person at the payphone outside. I couldn’t tell if male or female (tho likely male from their size). Hoodie pulled up, very “urban” in dress. They were on the phone, back to the doors, but sideways leaning into the little payphone box so people taking the main traffic route in and out of the store couldn’t see them, but they could watch everything.

I kept my eye on “the dude”, and my suspicions got worse. He wasn’t acting right. If someone was truly on the payphone, they would be using the payphone… you know… talking on it, not just holding the earpiece to their face. While I couldn’t actually see what the dude was doing, you couldn’t hear dude’s voice (you could hear the voices of others walking in and out of the store), nor were there any other mannerisms of talking like use of hands or just animated body movements. So, something was just wrong.

We did have children in need of a pee, so Wife kept her alert up as did I, and they all went into the building to go to the bathroom (other people were around and it was pretty well lit). I kept watch over dude. As soon as I finished filling up the tank, I immediately took Sasha out of her crate so she could pee and poop. I kept watching dude. Maybe he was listening to someone drilling a hole in his eardrum… I don’t know, but it just didn’t sit right.

As soon as Sasha finished her business, it was right back into the car. However, just as I was opening the door for Sasha to get into the car, I see Wife and the kids coming to exit the store. I stopped Sasha and told her “Look! Here comes Momma!”. Sasha turned and started barking. Girl has a big bark, and while I could tell this was a “Hi Mom!” bark, it’s still scary.

Dude jumped.

Big time.

I know Sasha was doing her business, dude was watching us. I wanted him to see big dog. I wanted him to see strong dog. I wanted him to second guess anything he might be thinking.

And I certainly had my sheepdog mode active.

While I got Sasha into her crate, Wife kept an eye on dude. I had to focus on Sasha, and Wife told me while I did that, dude “hung up” and went around the corner of the building. We had seen a car there (a typical “urban” pimpmobile sort of thing) and figured it was his. No…. the car remained, but dude was nowhere to be seen.

We quickly finished up in the car and bolted out of there.

My guess? Drugs. Maybe he was on the phone and making a deal. Maybe he was waiting for someone to sell to, or waiting for someone to buy, or waiting for a pickup. Or maybe he was mentally off. Or maybe he was acting and we were on Candid Camera. Who knows for sure.

But it doesn’t matter.

He raised the alert level in both Wife and myself. And while nothing serious happened, I tell you…. doggie started earning her steak right then and there. 🙂

Lessons?

Always trust your gut. Better to be safe than sorry.

Always Be Cool, except when it’s not time to be cool. (yes yes, paraphrasing Dalton).

And big bad-ass dogs are great. 🙂  Trust their gut.

Updated: Talking about this situation with the kids, I learn that Oldest was watching dude too and had observed he was not talking on the phone at all. He said he saw the receiver was still hung up on the phone, dude’s hands were in the hoodie’s front pocket. So like I said… dude was doing his best to act one way and make people think he was doing something, but in reality he was doing something else. He was acting “not normal”, and that was reason enough to go code orange.

And, I’m glad to see that Oldest is taking to things too. He’s always been a defender, so it’s great to watch him honing his skills, especially of awareness and observation.