Real Scenario at my local Wally World

[Blades]

This is a good reason to carry pepper spray.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ksholder]

Anybody that thinks the thin sheet metal shelves at Wally World are cover needs some training.

[varob]

I understand where you're coming from, but I think you're a little too invested in this. It was meant to be a make-you-think moment. The OP was not trying to be a deceitful, malicious smartass as you seem to have just called him. We understand that you originally gave an answer that would have been different had you been given more information. No need for hurt feelings.

Lyz is right
This thread is nothing more than a reminder that things may not be what they initially appear to be.

The key was at the end of the original post were the OP said "more on that later".

[1MoreGoodGuy]

Anybody that thinks the thin sheet metal shelves at Wally World are cover needs some training.

This isn't a gun fight...It's cover from food being thrown...everyone could benefit from some additional training...perhaps you should get some training on reading comprehension.

[suntzu]

This isn't a gun fight...It's cover from food being thrown...everyone could benefit from some additional training...perhaps you should get some training on reading comprehension.

I seriously hope you are just joking......food?

[lyz_grace]

I seriously hope you are just joking......food?

[1MoreGoodGuy]

Lyz is right
This thread is nothing more than a reminder that things may not be what they initially appear to be.

The key was at the end of the original post were the OP said "more on that later".

I've already covered that I am aware that things may not be what they initially appear to be...please go back and read my earlier posts because this has already been explained.

Just so we clear on what was originally written by the OP and so that people like "varob" don't try to rewrite history with their own versions, let's take a look at what was actually written in the original post by the OP:

Real Scenario at my local Wally World
I thought I would pass along something that happened the other day while I was at Walmart. (REAL STORY!)

I just dropped my daughter off for her drama practice and needed to kill a little time, get some gas, pick up some OTC meds & groceries. I decided a trip to WW for allow me to meet my criteria; so off I went.

Everything was going good until I had been in the grocery section for a few minutes. I began to hear a man yelling, cursing & throwing items an isle or two over. At the same time a small panic set in with some other shoppers and they began "hurrying" out of the area and saying; "somebody needs to call the police 'she' needs help!"

My first thought is some guy is beating up on his wife. (Sorry guys, that just isn't going to happen in my presence.)

I look over at the end of the isle & see several brothers (BIG guys!) standing there looking down the isle where the cursing, screaming & throwing stuff is happening. Nobody is doing nothing. Nor, is anyone on the phone. But, it sounds like the woman needs help.

When I get there I can see a BIG white man (6'3" 300+), cussing at this woman knocking stuff off the shelf & threatening to hurt her. (It really looked like it could go bad FAST!)

So what did I do?

I'll let you know later-

After others say what they would do.

The OP never said "more on that later". That statement does not appear anywhere in his post. Your statement claiming he did say it, is inaccurate so it can't be a "key". He did say "So what did I do?" followed immediately by "I'll let you know later-" and "After others say what they would do." The OP is telling us that he will let us know what he did later after other people say what they will do. The OP makes no mention that there are further assessments of the situation that are not being shared at this time nor does he imply that the situation might be something other that what it initially appears to be. In fact the OP does exactly the opposite by implying that the assessment is over and his next comments will be to describe the actions he took and not to describe the additional assessments he observed.

[1MoreGoodGuy]

I seriously hope you are just joking......food?

Yes, "Food"...You do know some of the food items are sold in heavy cans The Op stated the guy was throwing stuff and knocking stuff off the shelf. Without any further details from the OP we have to assume that it is a possibility that this 6' 3" 300+ pound man could be throwing canned goods which could seriously hurt someone...possibly knock them unconscious...so standing behind any type of cover, even Wally World shelving, might be a wise thing to do.

I'm not going to stand in the middle of the aisle so I can experience what it would feel like to get beamed in the head with a can of corn.

[1MoreGoodGuy]

Thanks Lyz_grace...this thread needs some comedy.

Maybe the Mods can lock this thread down now since your video clip might provoke a riot.

[ksholder]

This isn't a gun fight...It's cover from food being thrown...everyone could benefit from some additional training...perhaps you should get some training on reading comprehension.

And just how the heck do you know that fat boy won't pull an LCP from his pocket when you start calling him out? I read what you said just fine. You are not thinking this all the way through.

You are barking orders to people who you don't know, figuring that they will assume you are in charge and not a lunatic all the while you are putting "cover" (actually concealment) between you and the apparent criminal so you cannot see him. You then will bark orders at an already enraged man with the hopes that he goes "golly gee willikers, I guess I got out of hand, I better sit here and contemplate my navel while I await the arrival of the cops."

There are lots of things that could go south with this routine, but the two biggest are that the person you barked at to call the cops calls them on both of you - as previously mentioned. The second thing is that by losing your line of sight, "shouting from behind cover", you have no idea how the guy is reacting. What happens if he draws a concealed weapon and comes around the end of the aisle that you are using for cover and opens up on you? What happens if he just shoots through the shelves toward your voice. Just sayin...

[Super J]

What a let down. Really the suspense was built up to such a fever pitch there was no way you could live up to the hype. You know, kinda like Pearl Jam's second album...

Lol. Pearl Jam's second album.

[noway2]

Going of topic, but I do indeed remember the release of Pearl Jam's second album. I was working in a music store at the time. I was working one day with one other coworker, the shipment of them had just arrived and I was ecstatic that it was on the approved play list. We opened a copy of it, popped it in the CD player. My coworker and I looked at each other in what was a true, "what the ..." moment. The album sucked. We couldn't believe it.

[1MoreGoodGuy]

And just how the heck do you know that fat boy won't pull an LCP from his pocket when you start calling him out? I read what you said just fine. You are not thinking this all the way through.

You are barking orders to people who you don't know, figuring that they will assume you are in charge and not a lunatic all the while you are putting "cover" (actually concealment) between you and the apparent criminal so you cannot see him. You then will bark orders at an already enraged man with the hopes that he goes "golly gee willikers, I guess I got out of hand, I better sit here and contemplate my navel while I await the arrival of the cops."

There are lots of things that could go south with this routine, but the two biggest are that the person you barked at to call the cops calls them on both of you - as previously mentioned. The second thing is that by losing your line of sight, "shouting from behind cover", you have no idea how the guy is reacting. What happens if he draws a concealed weapon and comes around the end of the aisle that you are using for cover and opens up on you? What happens if he just shoots through the shelves toward your voice. Just sayin...

Apparently you didn't read what I wrote "just fine". I Never ever said I'd take my eyes off of him so don't assume that I would. I actually said the opposite in my original post..."By doing this I can place my full concentration on where it needs to be." If he reaches to pull a gun...so do I.

The scenario as it was originally presented in summary is this:

6' 3" 300+ pound man is yelling, throwing food and is about to beat the tar out of a woman which could result in serious bodily hard and/or death. There is no more assessing to be done...it is time to act. What actions would you take?

So what do you do...
Do you stand there and do nothing?

Do you call 911 and then stand there and do nothing?

Do you video the incident?

Do you run away?

Do you intervene physically?

Do you intervene verbally?

Do you be a "good witness" and do nothing but watch someone get beaten and possibly murdered?

Do you try and do something to help this person?


Since the guy hadn't actually harmed anyone yet but he is about to do so within the next few seconds, I chose to tell someone to call 911 so that I could try to help the woman by attempting to intervene verbally from a distance. Hopefully my action would help the woman...If they didn't, I'd have to reassess the situation after my initial actions were taken and I'd make any necessary adjustments.

At this point I really don't care what you or anyone else thinks about my initial actions...I'm just proud not to be standing with the people who choose to do nothing while a woman gets beaten by a man.

[suntzu]

Going of topic, but I do indeed remember the release of Pearl Jam's second album. I was working in a music store at the time. I was working one day with one other coworker, the shipment of them had just arrived and I was ecstatic that it was on the approved play list. We opened a copy of it, popped it in the CD player. My coworker and I looked at each other in what was a true, "what the ..." moment. The album sucked. We couldn't believe it.

What is an "album"...what is a "music store"? Pretty soon it is going to be "what is a cd?"

[tcox4freedom]

At this point I really don't care what you or anyone else thinks about my initial actions...I'm just proud not to be standing with the people who choose to do nothing while a woman gets beaten by a man.

The woman was NOT getting beat by the guy. Maybe you need to re-read my OP and quit trying to "T". There was at least FIVE men standing there observing things. If this guy had tried to hit his mother, he would have been the one getting the beat down. (I even said as much in my OP.)

My whole point of the thread was getting people to "THINK" and take time to assess a situation before acting. The point has been made and I think this thread has done what it was intended to do.

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