I don't think we have done one of these in a while, so here goes. The setting is real, but the event is totally fictitious. It just occurred to me today as I was waiting for another person to join me for lunch.
You are seated in a booth at a restaurant. The room's layout is common, with tables in the middle and booths along the walls. You are facing the entrance (out of habit), and are in the fifth booth from the entrance. The door to the kitchen is the only other visible exit - it is about 50 feet behind you. All the booths and tables are occupied. While you wait, you are reading your paper and during one of your frequent room scans you notice a man standing next to the first booth, one hand in his jacket pocket and one hand holding an open-top briefcase. His dress and demeanor is such that he could be one of the patrons. The man in the booth looks startled, then drops his wallet and cell phone into the "visitor's" briefcase. The visitor then appears to thank him and moves to the next booth.
At the second booth, the scene is repeated. The man moves to the third booth. Now he is close enough for you to hear the conversation. He says "Do as I say and nobody gets hurt. Drop your wallet and cell phone into the bag, sir. You too, ma'am." They hesitate and glance at each other, then back to the visitor. He briefly withdraws his hand from his pocket enough so that you clearly see a handgun. There is no orange cap on the muzzle, and it is a model that you are familiar with. This, in your judgement, is the real thing.
The couple comply. The gun goes back into the pocket. None of the rest of the patrons have noticed what is going on. All of the previous victims are sitting as still as statues. He says "I'll be gone in a minute. Don't move until I'm out the door. Do you understand?" They nod. He moves to the next booth, adjacent to yours. He is now standing eight feet away, facing the booth, and starting to repeat his routine.
Freeze frame. Just to make things interesting, and encourage creative thought, instead of saying what you would do, let's hear some ideas on what you could do.
Lights...camera...action!
SSKC
You are seated in a booth at a restaurant. The room's layout is common, with tables in the middle and booths along the walls. You are facing the entrance (out of habit), and are in the fifth booth from the entrance. The door to the kitchen is the only other visible exit - it is about 50 feet behind you. All the booths and tables are occupied. While you wait, you are reading your paper and during one of your frequent room scans you notice a man standing next to the first booth, one hand in his jacket pocket and one hand holding an open-top briefcase. His dress and demeanor is such that he could be one of the patrons. The man in the booth looks startled, then drops his wallet and cell phone into the "visitor's" briefcase. The visitor then appears to thank him and moves to the next booth.
At the second booth, the scene is repeated. The man moves to the third booth. Now he is close enough for you to hear the conversation. He says "Do as I say and nobody gets hurt. Drop your wallet and cell phone into the bag, sir. You too, ma'am." They hesitate and glance at each other, then back to the visitor. He briefly withdraws his hand from his pocket enough so that you clearly see a handgun. There is no orange cap on the muzzle, and it is a model that you are familiar with. This, in your judgement, is the real thing.
The couple comply. The gun goes back into the pocket. None of the rest of the patrons have noticed what is going on. All of the previous victims are sitting as still as statues. He says "I'll be gone in a minute. Don't move until I'm out the door. Do you understand?" They nod. He moves to the next booth, adjacent to yours. He is now standing eight feet away, facing the booth, and starting to repeat his routine.
Freeze frame. Just to make things interesting, and encourage creative thought, instead of saying what you would do, let's hear some ideas on what you could do.
Lights...camera...action!
SSKC
at: and let him go on his way.
