I've been lurking around here for quite a while, but a recent event where I live prompted me to post this to ask for opinions.
You are at a small discount store, at the checkout counter with your purchases. (Small = There is only one cash register, like a small store in a strip mall.) The checkout counter is close to the front door, and this door is the only obvious way in or out of the store, although there is a door in the back that is at least 50 feet away. Let's say you have a CCW license and are carrying your weapon along with anything else that you usually carry.
As you wait for the cashier to check out the people in front of you, the door slams open and seven men wearing ski masks burst in. Several of the men are armed. For our purposes, let's say 4 have handguns drawn and the others are unknown on weapons.
The leader demands that everyone lie on the floor and turn off their cell phones. The cashier does not move fast enough for the robbers, and one of them hits her on the head with his gun.
Go.
[Something you do not know - there is an eighth man outside the door acting as a lookout.]
http://miva.nwlouisiana.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?archive/archive.mv+action=display&sfx=283
I was not there, but there has been a terrible rash of armed robberies in our city and I could have been there. I saw video of the store on the news, and I saw no obvious avenue of escape (doors / windows). The store was fairly crowded, and any shooting by a good guy would likely have provoked shooting from the 7 (!) (actually 8) bad guys. Note that in the actual event, the robbers also took the personal property of the patrons... which in my case might have meant my CCW weapon. I play these "What if?" games all the time, and for this one I just could not come up with an answer other than comply, because neither flight nor fight seemed like much of an option.
FWIW, my response to the robbery spree has been to stay at home a lot more and avoid going to small businesses that handle lots of cash. In other words, Wal-Mart is OK, but the Dollar Store or Pizza Hut is not.
You are at a small discount store, at the checkout counter with your purchases. (Small = There is only one cash register, like a small store in a strip mall.) The checkout counter is close to the front door, and this door is the only obvious way in or out of the store, although there is a door in the back that is at least 50 feet away. Let's say you have a CCW license and are carrying your weapon along with anything else that you usually carry.
As you wait for the cashier to check out the people in front of you, the door slams open and seven men wearing ski masks burst in. Several of the men are armed. For our purposes, let's say 4 have handguns drawn and the others are unknown on weapons.
The leader demands that everyone lie on the floor and turn off their cell phones. The cashier does not move fast enough for the robbers, and one of them hits her on the head with his gun.
Go.
[Something you do not know - there is an eighth man outside the door acting as a lookout.]
http://miva.nwlouisiana.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?archive/archive.mv+action=display&sfx=283
I was not there, but there has been a terrible rash of armed robberies in our city and I could have been there. I saw video of the store on the news, and I saw no obvious avenue of escape (doors / windows). The store was fairly crowded, and any shooting by a good guy would likely have provoked shooting from the 7 (!) (actually 8) bad guys. Note that in the actual event, the robbers also took the personal property of the patrons... which in my case might have meant my CCW weapon. I play these "What if?" games all the time, and for this one I just could not come up with an answer other than comply, because neither flight nor fight seemed like much of an option.
FWIW, my response to the robbery spree has been to stay at home a lot more and avoid going to small businesses that handle lots of cash. In other words, Wal-Mart is OK, but the Dollar Store or Pizza Hut is not.