What a heavy burden you bear, thinking you must educate the world, whether they welcome it or not.
I can guarentee you one thing for sure, I'll get a lot further along in life by minding my own business than deciding other adults need my unsolicited advice.
I'd just tell you to shove off, no matter how much you thought I needed your advice.
Never said I wanted to educate the world, just help those in need. You keep wanting to suggest that one has to butt in on another conversation, or stick their nose in someone else's business in order to help. That isn't how it works. One can certainly suggest help, offer help or give info regarding finding that help without doing any of that. Over the years I have found those that are truly in need are happy to have someone assist them. Folks that aren't, for the most part, are polite when they decline the offer. Those that aren't, are generally those with a chip on their shoulder and asking for help is a yellow card on their manhood.
Those of us involved in the shooting sports should be stewards of the sport. We need to make sure all new shooters are safe and have a positive experience. This means offering help when it's needed. In the scenario in the OP, this is quite obvious. If the woman had a boyfriend, father, brother or co-worker that had been knowledgeable and experienced with firearms, the odds she never had the opportunity to shoot a firearm before purchasing her first are nil. Pretty simple. I help with Hunter Safety education. One of the most common comments made by adults new to the sport are how unfriendly fellow gun owners are towards new shooters. Many new shooters are intimidated by this attitude and afraid to ask questions or even to admit they are new due to being ridiculed or pointed out. Thus, I've found very few new shooters that are not accepting of help when it's offered.
Again, no one here suggested butting in during the sale or any other part of the transaction. After the sale is done, what harm is there, to suggest where to find legitimate training? Educate me please on how this could offend any decent shop owner or reduce his sales in anyway. If after this, the shop owner is still concerned about paying his rent, for some obscure reason, he has other issues affecting his business. Like maybe arrogance, intolerance and a false sense of superiority over his customers. If the little bit of profit from the sale of one handgun is more important that the safety of a first time firearm buyer, one needs to question his ethics.
