I say dump some of that law suit HOT coffee ( the org not the Prime roast ) on the guys Kibble & bits .

Then disarm him

Then kick his meth rotted teeth out JUST for kicks and the waste of coffee !

Also 99.8899 % of Punks with a hand gun can’t hit jack nor sh&t !

But if it’s a Sawed off 12 ga . Sit & cry b/c that girls Sh*t out of Luck !

God, I’m a tool … especially since I don’t have children under the age of five. I just dig those little babooshka characters … especially the squirrel. LOL

It’s depressing to think that I (or anyone else) would consider whether the girl was a skank … to even have it cross your mind that she deserved to get it … but, after reading up a bit more, you guys are right, it’s human nature. It seems that people really do tend to look at a situation and decide whether it’s worth jumping into the fray.

On the otherhand, UMR’s comment about what we want someone else to do if it was our daughter behind the counter, demonstrates how precarious it is to make such determinations. And after reading the Catherine Genovesee story, I can see how just being a good witness can result in tragedy.

I guess in the scenario I first offered, the ideal situation would be if several people decided to act at once, reducing the chance of someone getting hurt. This might also might make the case for concealed-carry, although I’m very conflicted about the wisdom of such laws.

On a lighter note, I stand ashamed for missing the Fast Times connection to the hot coffee as weapon example UMR mentioned. Thanks to Thirtywhat for pointing it out and Alright Hamilton!

Also, my brother-in-law Rob made a connection to the original “are CWLP workers heroes?” question that was also quite interesting. In light of that, I realize that the original post should have been titled: This Ain’t No Higglytown. Anyone with children under the age of five who watch the Disney Channel should get this reference.

Dan

Is the guy 6′3″, 210 lbs. or is he 5′8″, 160 lbs.?

Does the girl look like a skank? The type who looks as if she doesn’t get whacked by this guy she probably will soon by her next paramour?

It is my belief that one who may be inclined to intervene will suddenly have 100 reasons (like the ones I just mentioned) pop into their head in a split second that reflect their biases which will strongly guide their decision.

But to answer your question I say as long as everyone else has a chance to remove their selves from danger you be a good witness, call 911, and let the thing play out. Good chance he doesn’t end up shooting her. Why should I end up suffering because of horrible life-choices that this girl made in dating such a nut?

>>I’ve never before looked
>>at a hot coffee refill
>>carafe and thought “That
>>could save my life some day!”

Dan, you’ve obviously missed out on one of the greatest films of all time … “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

While waking out of the bathroom in a convenience store, stoner Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) interrupts a robbery in progress. Our hero, Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) grabs the coffee carafe and throws the scalding liquid into the robber’s face … thus disabling the robber and becoming an instant hero.

Off subject, yet still hilareous, Spicoli ends up blowing his share of the reward money on hiring Van Halen to play his birthday … a choice I totally agreed with back in the 80’s. Today, in retrospect, I would spend the money on home improvements. As the Stones would say … what a drag it is getting old.

In any case … is it more noble to save a stranger than a loved one? I think so, yes. Most people wouldn’t hesitate to stop an act of violence against their child. A stranger? Umr’s right … there’s always that possibility that you’re going to choke … or wait too long to act.

In this same line of discussion, did anyone see the TV news segment about “getting involved?” There was a hidden camera on a street where the crew set up a scenario where a child was being abducted. They had the child scream bloody murder. She yelled, “This isn’t my Dad! Help me! Somebody help me!”

They showed people just walking past … not saying anything, not calling 911 … nothing. I was speechless. How can anyone justify that?

That’s aspirational but not a bad place to start.

I think of the guy who pulled the woman out of the Potomac after the DC plane crash. He died. She didn’t. I’ll bet anything he didn’t do a “dependents” or “people left behind” calculation before he acted. He was loving his neighbor as himself.

It’s probably noble and even biblical but that pesky abnormal human behavior hangs there. Would I cower? Would I choke? Could I think fast enough to save everybody?

Damn human behavior is tough stuff.

Also, you can’t discuss heroes for long without evoking Tina Turner.

ThirtyWhat,
I’m not surprised by the credit union’s “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” policy. Do you think it was put in place to ensure the safety of its employees, or to safeguard themselves against liability should an intervening employee get injured or killed?

Were I a singer/songwriter, “If Yoko Ono Was My Grandmother” would be the title of my next album. With your permission of course.

UMR,
I’ve never before looked at a hot coffee refill carafe and thought “That could save my life some day!” You obviously have more highly refined instincts in matters of this sort. This alone could make the case for mandatory military service for all citizens. If I’m ever trapped in a fast-food restaurant with a homicidal maniac, I want you by my side.

All,
One question that I was interested in hearing your opinion on, which I sort of buried in the text, is this: Is it noble to risk your life to save the life of a stranger?

If the girl behind the counter was killed in a car accident on her way to work, you might feel slightly sad if you read about it in the newspaper, but by and large her passing would have almost no affect on your life. Yet in the scenario I’ve presented, you might be willing to endanger your life and shatter the existence of those who love you (especially children) should you die, all to save someone you don’t know. So, do you have more of a responsibility to save your own life* for the benefit of those closest to you who need you to be there for them? Or should you do everything within your power to save the stranger?

*Let’s assume that you can exit the restaurant safely during the commotion and that your safety isn’t dependent on preventing the aggressor from turning the gun on you.

Thanks for commenting,
Dan

I would hope I would respond as I was trained many years ago. “Gun” or “Knife” changes everything. Improvised weapon is better than no weapon. The guy’s not gonna leave any witnesses to murder, so I’m already dead–nothing to lose. Find a weapon, chair, umbrella, hard laptop case, hot coffee refill carafe. Find a freaking weapon and surprise him!

But what makes this delicious is that I might freeze. I might do something stupid like they do on television and try to talk him out of it. She might provoke him and spoil my surprise attack. If it played out a hundred times, I might get it right 80 and people die 20. The most dangerous thing about dealing with abnormal human behavior (including our own)is to believe that we can accurately predict it. How long does it take me to get clarity on what to do this day? Do I have the flu, allergies. Am I fatigued. How do I stack up against this guy, even without weapons? The variables will be, well, variable, each time you table top it.

And, in the words of UBL, we only have to get it wrong once.