• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Hot Headed Bikers and Sheetz

Jero1987

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
191
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

So I have been Open Carrying In the Lynchburg area for over a year now with little to no issues, that is until tonight. I went on my lunch break around 11:30pm like I normally do. I get out of my car and some biker guy prolly around 26 or 27 (im 22), says "what the f*ck is that?". He goes on about how no one cares about my gun and saying I am a showoff etc. He gets all up in my face like hes going to throw a punch. Meanwhile im nervous, (im 6ft 4inch and 145lbs, built like a bean pole) and this guys well built. I just respond that he needs to calm down and that im not there to pick a fight. The unarmed security guard walks over and tries to calm the guy down. I went into the sheetz and bought my food without an issue. Unfortunatly the guard had walked away and had not kicked the biker off the property. He continued to yell at me, but I ignored him and left. Once I got back to work I called and informed the Sheetz manager of the situation and that in the future removing guys like that would be appreciated.

Leason #1 learned: Staying calm is very important when confronted by Hotheaded Bikers who are probably drunk.

Lesson #2 learned: Stay alert and hand at the ready, because you never know what this guy could have pulled.
 

curtiswr

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,133
Location
Richmond, VA, ,
imported post

Welcome to OCDO! :)

Sorry about the unfortunate experience with a moron. It happens from time to time. You did a good job though, with keeping your cool and acting responsibly. With people that are looking for a confrontation of any kind you will find that they will only get angrier when their efforts are ignored. Just smile and say have a nice day... or as you did just ignore it altogether (but remain alert) if diffusing the situation with a simple "please calm down" or the like didn't work.

Have you been in Lynchburg your whole life?

Edit: Which Sheetz was it?
 

Jero1987

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
191
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

No I moved down to Lynchburg in 2006 from the grand police state.... oh i mean New York. I have loved it here so far and enjoying all my new found freedoms.

Thanks for the welcome! Im a long time reader first time poster. Ill be sure to be an active member though! :)

Edit: 3927 Wards Road, Lynchburg, VA... the one next to the Chik-Fil-A.
 

curtiswr

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,133
Location
Richmond, VA, ,
imported post

I'm glad you are enjoying it there and here in Virginia! Lynchburg's a nice place. Some people find it boring there (most people that grow up there for example :lol:) but later on those thoughts turn to thinking it's not all that bad.

That Sheetz location wasn't there last time I was in Lynchburg. It's been a while since I've visited and it seems like every time I do there are newly built stores everywhere I look. I remember when that whole area of Target/Best Buy... Chik-Fil-A/Sonic/etc... was nothing but trees. :shock:
 

Jero1987

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
191
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

Yeah they have built quite a bit down there and it attracts the more immature crowd... (people my age with crotch rockets and cheap modded import cars). So friday and Saturday nights can be a bit rough.

I love it down here and dont plan on leaving anytime soon.
 

curtiswr

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,133
Location
Richmond, VA, ,
imported post

Yeah... from what I remember you can find stacks of that type hanging out in the Kmart parking lot on Wards Road showing off their Honda Civics or Dodge Neons on weekend nights. Sounds like it hasn't changed a bit. They are letting the "boredom" get to them and letting it convince them that trouble-making is a good idea, I guess.

Go the speed limit and slow their "races" down and you're guaranteed to have some tough guy showoff try and motion you to pull over and fight him. :p

If you like hot dogs be sure to check out the Weenie Stand out on Timberlake Road. And all Lynchburgers (Lynchburgians?) must go to the Texas Inn downtown and eat a couple "cheesy westerns." There are two Weenie Stand locations, but #2 out on Timberlake is better in my opinion; #1 used to be 24 hours though, not sure if it still is. The Texas Inn ("Tea Room" as some call it) was 24 hours last I knew as well. :cool:

197716175_33bf6dcd1b.jpg
 

Jero1987

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
191
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

Oh yeah, the tea room is still open 24.

Yeah that crowd is still all over the place. I normally keep to myself and go on lunch with my fellow employee (who also OC's). Tonight however I work alone.
 

essayons

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2008
Messages
278
Location
RVA, ,
imported post

Can't fix stupid.

Good job keeping your cool. I'm sure you made a great impression re: OCers to all those who observed the fracas.
 

nova

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Messages
3,149
Location
US
imported post

People must be stupid in that they keep trying to pick fights with people who are obviously armed. :?

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to call local PD to report the incident, because it's been known that bad guy nut cases call 911 to report a guy threatening them w/ a gun.
 

Dutch Uncle

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
1,715
Location
Virginia, USA
imported post

nova wrote:
People must be stupid in that they keep trying to pick fights with people who are obviously armed. :?

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to call local PD to report the incident, because it's been known that bad guy nut cases call 911 to report a guy threatening them w/ a gun.
I completely agree. I think I would have called 911 as soon as I got to the relative safety of the store. Why risk seeing if the guy cooled down or not when you left? He committed the crime of Disturbing the Peace, I think. He was assaulting you verbally and trying to start a fight, and you had done nothing to instigate or aggravate the situation. He might have been armed with a knife or gun himself. Robert Heinlein's famous observation isn't always right....:(

If he was in fact drunk, a night in the tank might do him some good (better that than drive his bike while impaired).
 

Jero1987

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
191
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

He had a cruiser.... I sure hope it wasn't a Harley owner.

I thought about calling the PD, and thinking on it now, probably would have been a good idea just to let them know that it was not me starting anything. I carry a video recorder in my car for any problems I might have while out OC'ing. I need to invest in a good voice recorder for my pocket. Thanks for all the encouraging words, this will definitely not stop me from OC'ing. A few run ins with morons is definitely worth the dozens and dozens of times I've informed citizens of the law.
 

jmelvin

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,195
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

Jero, sorry to hear of your issue. Were you at the Sheetz between Wal Mart and Target or the Sheetz down by the airport? I live here in Lynchburg and can be observed openly carrying practically any day of the week around here. I've never had a situation happen like you, whether here or anywhere I've OC'ed.

By the way, both Target and WalMart have a decent selection of voice recorders. I just bought a second one a few weeks back from Wal-Mart (an RCA) and it works great and it cost about $35. Let me know when you're free and we can meet for dinner some time. :)
 

Neplusultra

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
2,224
Location
Christiansburg, Virginia, USA
imported post

My suggestion is to get a recorder that can connect to your computer to download the files for emailing or archiving. Just in case you have to use them in court or for some other reason.....
 

bohdi

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
1,753
Location
Centreville, Virginia, USA
imported post

Neplusultra wrote:
My suggestion is to get a recorder that can connect to your computer to download the files for emailing or archiving. Just in case you have to use them in court or for some other reason.....
+1 - make sure you buy one of decent quality too. I bought cheap RCA and it didn't work with Vista, had issues getting it to work with XP too. If it's digital might want to make sure it records as mp3 or wavs, not some proprietary format.
 

useful_idiot

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
259
Location
Herndon, Virginia, USA
imported post

Welcome to OCDO Jero! Good to hear you enjoy living in freedom. Sorry to hear about your encounter with an idiot. You did well staying calm.

pocket voice recorder - $40
call 911 on the dangerous jerk- priceless

:cool:
 

ChinChin

Regular Member
Joined
May 17, 2007
Messages
683
Location
Loudoun County, Virginia, USA
imported post

If your local sheetz has cause to employ security guards; you're better served not frequenting that location.

By having a security guard they're obviously admiting they have issues with their clientile and others who frequent that store. If said security guard won't expel people who are causing disturbances or who are loitering, that business is telling you your patronage means squat to them.

That said. . .

You handled the situation well and kept your cool. You acted like a responsable citizen and didn't let the dirtbag get the better of you. +1 on the need to carry a digital pocket recorder. Recording the wretch's comments and verbal attack would have helped to vindicate you not being the primary aggressor should the punk have tried to go hands-on with you.
 
Top