Posted on 02/20/2005 1:44:42 AM PST by Avenger
Ok, tonight I was at Barnes&Nobles with a couple of my classmates. We were sitting in the coffee shop reading Unte Reader with all the other Leftists (kidding!) Anyways, this guy walks in, and immediately my spidey sense starts to tingle. He kinda walks around the coffee shop and looks around a bit and then leaves - I was of course eyeing him the whole time. About 5 minutes later him comes in again. This time he draws out of his pants pocket a small white plastic spray bottle and starts spraying it around the room - trying to be discrete as possible - I don't think my friends even noticed at the time. As he was leaving the room he noticed another guy watching him and he sprayed the bottle in his direction as if he was threatening this man. After I saw this I immediately informed B&N security guard and an employee. Me and my buddies later went outside but the man was gone. This was the B&N in Santa Monica on the 3rd st Promenade for any LA Freepers. I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought if I thought he was a homeless person because we have alot around here and they seem to like to go to the bookstore cafes and enjoy some reading and free milk, but he didn't appear to be a homeless person by his dress. What should I do? Should I report this? If so, to whom?
Was it Potpourri or lilac fragrance?
There, but for the grace of God, go you, he told me.
Next time, knock the sonuvabitch down then 'excuse' yourself, and grab the damn bottle and say, "oh, what a shame, you spilled all your air freshner, HERE - I'll buy you a new one" (while the B&N security guy is HOPEFULLY calling 911 due to the 'disturbance' in their store). Give the bottle to the cops and tell them what the scumbag was up to IN PERSON. That way they have to take a report, and you can bet they won't put the plastic bottle into the evidence room, they'll send it over to forensics to have it tested, and not only that - they'll have the name, address and stats of the perp.
"It'd still freak me out though. Who does stuff like that without being a nutjob? I'd feel the same hesitation before reporting it, I'm glad this guy did."
No question he was a nutjob. He was acting very strange. I spotted it immediately. It was clear that he had a purpose in being there and it wasn't to buy coffee or books. He was keeping the spray bottle close to his leg and pumping it without raising his arm so as not to attract attention. After he left the Barnes & Nobles he loitered near the entrance (in the rain) for a couple minutes at least and then left.
No Cooties™ Travel Spray contains a blend of these medicinal quality essential oils that are known for their anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-infectious properties. When spritzed into the air, No Cooties can aid in cleansing and purifying the immediate environment against the transmission of airborne microorganisms. This being said itll probaly make you feel better to report it. You also shouldve brought it to the attention of the store's manager.
BTW, why don't you give us a description ?
What exactly did he look like ?
"Guy sounds like a paranoid. You say he sprayed the bottle AT a guy who spotted him , that doesnt sound very discrete."
Well, as he was leaving the coffee shop he saw this guy watching him - before this his was just spraying when no obvious target but when he saw this guy watching him he seem to make a point to spray in his direction - but still he tried to do it in discrete manner. It was like this: he made eye contact with that dude, then averted his eyes, redirected his spray bottle and sprayed in this guy's direction. It seemed to me he had a clear intent to intimidate this guy but not overtly. I was sitting with my buddies in a dark corner so thankfully he didn't see me watching. The guy that was sprayed left shortly after that - didn't seem freaked out but also didn't seem very pleased about the matter either.
"Probably just a germ freak."
No, the clear impression I got was that he was doing something that he knew was risky and he seemed agitated or nervous. Again he was not there to buy coffee. He didn't buy anything. He came in there once, scoped the place out, left, then came back 5 minutes later and started spraying. Then left the store altogether.
Physical description ?
Tall , short, fat , skinny, old, young, white, black, indian, east indian ?
He was caucasian - probably mid-30's.
Leni
"Assuming you are a guy, why wouldn't you have kicked his ass?"
Uh, because I would have probably gotten my ass kicked, tough guy. Besides that, if the guy really had something hazardous, then I don't see how it would have been prudent to go rolling around on the floor with him thus exposing myself to even greater concentrations. Actually, I am more afraid of my wife than this guy - she would have killed me if I did something as stupid as you suggest.
...Of all pieces of advice that people have lavished on me--oh, discreetly, courteously, almost without seemingly to do so--I have retained only one, and it's advice that I never follow: "Be prudent!" It would seem that because of present circumstances, as they say, I should be prudent. According to my way of thinking, however, the best way to learn to be prudent is to realize just how imprudent one can be... Prudence is the virtue of happy days, of prosperous periods. When you find yourself well sheltered, why the devil go outdoors to look for trouble? But when trouble is looking for you, it's primarily a question of facing it, since it would be still more dangerous to turn your back on it. In that case, prudence is only the alibi of the cowardly.
"According to my way of thinking, however, the best way to learn to be prudent is to realize just how imprudent one can be..."
According to my way of thinking I really couldn't care less about your way of thinking. I think the best way to learn is to look at the mistakes dumb people make; its a pity I don't know you.
It is a pity. It is truly amazing, that not only do you let someone take advantage of you. But then you defend your far from stellar actions. I'm not you enemy Avenger, look inward. That part of you that is feeling shame for not acting. It might hold the clue.
Avenger: noun 2 : to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer
Irony: 2 a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning
"It is a pity. It is truly amazing, that not only do you let someone take advantage of you. But then you defend your far from stellar actions."
I noticed the white object in his hand about 4 seconds before he left the cafe. I realize its a spray bottle and what he is doing with it just as he was leaving the cafe (when he sprayed in the direction of this guy who was sitting near the entrance of the cafe.) As soon as he leaves the room I follow him. He goes outside. I inform the security guard standing near the exit of what happened. Of course, I'm sure you would have handled all this so much better - kicked his ass, saved the girl and all that. Good for you.
"I'm not you enemy Avenger, look inward. That part of you that is feeling shame for not acting. It might hold the clue."
Thanks Yoda, I'll do that.
Hopefully the store/cafe has video cameras. Maybe you could call the store security and ask them if they might have tape of this incident?
Since you reported it, I'm sure the authorities have already looked into this, but it would be interesting for us to know if this guy might be on tape.
That is because hardly anyone in LA says HI to anyone anymore....everyone avoids eye contact and keeps their heads down.
Have you been to the People's Republic of Santa Monica lately?
>>>You mean what should you have done? Assuming you are a guy, why wouldn't you have kicked his ass? You sat there while this guy sprayed whatever all over. And then you asked what you should have done. Simply amazing!
Tackling that guy would only have gotten you arrested, and I am sure the last thing you need is an arrest record.
This situation was ambiguous enough, that you did the reasonable thing: you did alert the guard, who should have been the one to confront this guy and call the police.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.