Posted on 08/21/2005 6:02:36 AM PDT by CholeraJoe
"Never, ever leave home without it." No, not your American Express card, your sidearm.
This morning, I woke up about 4:15 and was hungry, so I decided to drive to the local 24-hour beanery. The only other customers were a table of 10, intoxicated 20-somethings making alot of noise.
There were 7 muscular young men and three loud-mouthed young women. After listening to their raucous laughter for 10 minutes, I politely asked the waitress to ask them to hold down the noise. All I wanted to do was eat my breakfast in relative peace.
Her request for quiet lasted about 45 seconds, then the noise and laughter resumed. At that point, I decided to do something.
Bear in mind that I am not an imposing figure. I'm 5'9", mid 50's, and slim. I walked over to the table, and walked completely around it twice. I said, "I'd like y'all to hold down the noise for a while, please." One of the young men started to give me trash-talk but within seconds was elbowed by the guy next to him, who whispered something in his ear. Then everyone at the table said, "Yes, sir, or OK."
What made the difference? Open carry. I was wearing a 9mm semi-auto on my right hip. I never touched it and I made no threats, but it was nevertheless visible.
Not in my state. Retreat is not a prerequisite to use of deadly force. Furthermore, use of deadly force is allowed by any citizen to prevent a crime.
And a nice big cup of at that!
Good work, Joe!
On second thought I'm not sure that walking around the table twice was prudent or necessary. Simply speaking in a firm, clear voice should be enough.
I think you were right to ask them to quiet down though.
No need to involve the manager.
If it's in the eatery's advantage to accommodate the loud customers rather than the quiet ones when the two can't get along, you'd be a fool to expect them to welcome the latter.
So what are you saying? Guns are for insuring politeness? Guns have a magical property of making people polite? The Swiss have nothing to do with being polite?
You're right about the possible intimidation.
Common sense.
Ask any police officer if he would walk around a table full of drunk Crips or Bloods with a holstered gun.
Do you think a fifty something’s reflexes are as good as a twenty year olds?
You do realize that at every second of his little jaunt his back had to be exposed to one of them.
Do you think members of MS-13 would have warned him before plunging a knife in his back and give him a chance to draw first?
Training is not a substitute for brains. Like I said, even a trained police officer would not have done what he did had they been suspected gang members.
I am sick and tired of individuals believing they have a right to make life miserable for everyone around them. We seem to have lost all sense of control and decency. The world does not revolve around just YOU.
LOL!
Can you give that some thought?
But how does the fact that you took the first escalating move figure in that calculus?
WalMart opens at 5am.
And 'what if' the manager had been a burly 6'10" packing a .357 on his hip and had told you that you needed to hit the road...
That's exactly what the jury would think too. Claiming self defence would be a tuff defence when you had other options.
I doubt a jury would buy it.
Walmart schmalmart, think something like a Safeway or even a White Hen.
You remind me of those "garratroopers" in Viet Nam …
I do not disagree....but the eatery should have told the quiet one to leave....if he didn't want the noise....and not charged him for the meal. Make it clear at the door that noisy obnoxious customers are tollerated...in fact welcomed...and that customers expecting a quiet peaceful meal need not enter.
Er, um. I think case law and the US Civil Rights code would state that any establishment open to the public is not private property.
"What you did was wrong. - A bunch of drunk kids? - Leave them alone"
What he did is probably help them learn a lesson on civility.
If you are NOT civil, you may have to pay the consequences. I will guarantee the next time these punks were out they will think twice before acting like a bunch of boors.
Maybe they will all meet in your front yard, then you can enjoy all their crap all by yourself. Your neighbors may have a different opinion.
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