Decided to stay put in case of escalation...

K

KingEdward

New member
This happened about 30 min ago on a lunch errand. Please tell me what I did wrong or what I could have done better.....I was not CCW as they have signs posted. I always carry a 3.5" blade Gerber.

Went into a Walmart neighborhood grocery. Not as big as a walmart, more like a food lion. Got a few things (carry basket) and proceeded to check out.
In line in front of me was a 5'5" slender gentleman. He was asian and appeared to be 40-50 years of age. He was checking out and the last item was a 12 pack of beer. The young female clerk said, "Sir my I please see your ID". He replied, WHAT! you don't think my son is over 18 years!

She remained calm and pulled the beer aside and said again, Sir I need to see your ID. He took a step forward putting both hands down firmly on the conveyor belt and said, my son is over 18 and I don't have to prove anything to anyone. This is crazy, you're crazy, etc. He kept rocking back and forth and I was just wondering when he was going to grab her. He also made a move like he was going to wrestle the beer away.

At this point, there was no one behind me but other 2 lines were full so I backed up about 4 feet and relaxed. In my mind, I was going to restrain or at least get between him and her if he got physical with the clerk. He left and went to his vehicle and I could see him the whole time. He came back with a green card id and threw it down on the counter. She stated that she would have to check with her manager to see if that was acceptable.

He started to go off again so I moved forward, put my basket next to the beer rather forcefully and said, "some jobs are tougher than others". He lost all expression then got quiet. She came back and rang up the beer. He mumbled crazy policy and left.

Sometimes situations like this one might cause me to question the business security tactics. Where is a manager? Who is paying attention?

There was no manager that seemed to notice but all the customers did.

In the end, no physical aggression (other than he grabbed at the beer) and no crime committed.

I'm glad he did not touch the clerk. She was a little rattled and said to me, I'm just doing my job and don't want any trouble. I replied you did fine and
did nothing wrong.

I sure thought the guy was gonna blow. I'm glad I hung around and there was another guy who was at the self checkout and he was about to come over and I believe help us out if beer man started getting physical.

As I was leaving, finally a male manager came up to her and they were chatting as I left. The beer man had already got in his honda and left.
 
box of triscuits, six pack of diet mountain dew, box of blueberry
cereal bars, two 8 packs of AA batteries, 1 pk teriyaki jerky
 
always miss you signature but just caught "would I have done the same if I were Armed?"

I was armed with a knife. If a gun was in my pocket instead, the answer is yes, I would have done the same.

I had no plan to use the knife or my fists or feet. More of a plan to keep her safe and keep agression away from a small teen girl. I'm very stocky and a good wrestler so that's what I was thinking if he started getting pushy shovy.
 
I think you handled it correctly.
I would of done the same thing.
Taking his attention off of her (when you dropped you basket)can often take people out of their tunnel vision and it helps them realize there are others around.
Hats off to you for steeping in.
 
So somebody yelled at a cashier and nothing happened.

I don't understand how there were any options other than standing there.

Sure, you did fine, but anyone would have done fine as there was nothing to be done.

Guess I'm missing the point of this thread. If I started a thread every time I saw somebody act rudely to a cashier, my post count would look like Wildalaska's. Clerks are sponges for the rage of idiots, I see it two or three times a day. So what?

Should we shoot them or something? :)
 
What's wrong with someone asking for advise or pointers to a situation?
So it seems you live in a crappy part of town if you see these things all the time.
I for one see something like this maybe once every 3 or 4 months.
 
Had I have been the mad feller unable to buy my beer, I ain't so sure I would have taken you serious with what was in yer carry basket...:D Come on... Triscuit and blueberry bars along with diet Anything?:rolleyes: i woulda thought the jerky must be fer yer Pomeranian!:eek:
Brent
 
I have only seen this happen a couple of times. I usually make some comment to the jagoff in question to hint that they should just head on their way. I guess this comes from working as a bouncer for a few years. I don't stand by and let schmucks just treat service staff like that. Their job sucks enough as it is...Good on ya
 
The sad part is that all the beer guy had to do was say "Crap, I left it in the car. Can you hang on a second?" Ran out to his car (like he ended up doing anyway) bought the beer and went on.

Why the additude?
 
I was thinking that as well and also what his son's age had to do with anything relevant to his purchase.

But spent less time on that and more time on what happens next if he....

His english was a little broken and I don't know but maybe the green card indicates that he hasn't been in the states very long. He seemed like a fish out of water (so to speak)
 
I rather strongly suspect that this whole thing occurred because of a miscommunication. The guy wasn't originally from the United States. He probably was at least somewhat unfamiliar with the culture, and probably was not fluent in English. The whole story sounds that way to me, in any event. First and foremost, I ask myself why the age of the guy's son would have anything to do with whether he was allowed to purchase beer or not? *His* age was the issue, right? (Or am I missing something?)

If I'd been the checkout clerk, though, I would definitely have wanted the guy in line behind him to stick around and help if he did cross the line from being rude/unreasonable to being violent. It doesn't sound as if the store's managers were aware of what was going on or able to provide their checkout clerk any support or help if the guy had flipped out and got violent. :/
 
Here in florida I have been denied the beer purchase as I had my teen kids with me:mad: Not often but it has happened. But it don't do know good to get outwardly obnoxious. I have grumbled my disdain at this as I ain't about to share a beer with my kids (too stingy) and momma would feed me eggs and huevos for breakfast the next mornin' and I would thank her in a high pitched voice if I gave them beer.
Brent
 
you are spot on I think. He kept mentioning his son's age and I think once alluded to some logic that he was buying it for his son.

My son is over 18. Was his mantra.

The cashier didn't say it, but her look was I could care less how old your son is.
 
box of triscuits, six pack of diet mountain dew, box of blueberry
cereal bars, two 8 packs of AA batteries, 1 pk teriyaki jerky
Click to expand...

You did good.....

But B. Lahey does have a point...

Now me, I would have ripped off a Dew from the pack, torn off my clothes down to my spandex thong and start dancing around the guy while holding out the the Dew and singing in my best Howlin Wolf incarnation:

Well I know
I've got a babe
And I know her
Love is true
But you ain't seen nothing
'Til you see her, see her
Do the do
Do the do

Shake her shoulder
Take her time
Mover her body
Like I move mine
When she's dancing
You'll love her too
When you see her
Do the do
Do the do

34 bucks
20 to waste
Everything
Right in place
Cool disposition
Love her too
When you see her
Do the do
Do the do

Well, well there
Ain't nothing like
When you see her
Do the do
Do the do

Well I know
I've got a babe
And I know her
Love is true
But you ain't seen nothing
'Til you see her, see her
Do the do
Do the do

WildbethewouldhavewhippedouthisidAlaska ™
 
Sure, you did fine, but anyone would have done fine as there was nothing to be done. Guess I'm missing the point of this thread. If I started a thread every time I saw somebody act rudely to a cashier, my post count would look like Wildalaska's. Clerks are sponges for the rage of idiots, I see it two or three times a day. So what?
Click to expand...

I happen to think that King Edward's post does have merit, but Lahey, that just might be the best ol' country lawyer comment I've seen in weeks.

No, nothing happened. Great. Sticking around seems to me to have been the right thing to do.

Not the most risk averse, but the right thing.
 
In the past, when I read many of the posts about "in defense of others", or situations when things are escalating and are "going south", I often have thoughts about many things as there are all the sides that chime in.....

like, you don't know all the facts so keep quiet and don't intervene

or, what if you make things worse and the guy goes from upset to livid

then, well you have some moral obligation to step in and help.

Today, none of that really passed through the brain. It was more or less
she is not going to get hurt or treated worse if I can help it.

I think today if he had pulled a knife and showed her or a gun from under his shirt, I would have attacked him. That is not something I would normally
consider but today was just a little different for me.

I usually tend to think back away and get snacks another time.
 
If his son wasn't with him, he was probably trying to show how "ridiculous" the request was, as he is obviously old enough with children that age. When English isn't your first language, you tend to put things differently and in different context.

Wildalaska, your tactics are sound. Just make sure you maintain your reactionary gap and a retention grip on the Dew.

Was it tactical jerky?
 
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