Wow.. im just now.. finally getting back to this topic... I love how everyone honed in on my point of view. My response was basic with no details as to why i thought this... :lol: The mear fact that many people jumped to the conclusion that I dont believe in OC'ing in a Gas Station is crazy... I believe you should OC when you want to & not NECESSARLY ALL OF THE TIME. In ... MY <---- KEYWORD-----> MY.... opinion in the area that I live in which happens to be a major city. OC'ing in a Gas Station makes me feel more uncomfortable that I am putting customers & employees on edge not knowing my intentions.
I'm curious to know why you don't OC whenever and wherever you can. But then again, I cannot CC since I do not have a CCL and have no plans on wasting my money on such a thing. I OC every single place that I can simply because there is always a chance that I may need it. And when you need it, you will need it right then, not after you are able to make a mad dash for your car or your home to get your gun. Thats why I took offense at your words, because to me, you seem like you don't see a need to protect yourself all of the time but only when you want to. Which is an odd concept for me to wrap my head around.
Its different if you have built a rapport with the employees/locals in that particular station. At that point they know you, they've seen you more times then they can count. Some times its on a first name basis.
Ahh, so you only OC in places where the people inside know you and know that you OC? But then, wouldn't it be even stranger to all of a sudden, one day, have a gun on your side after all the previous times that you didn't? Wouldn't that make them take even more notice of you since it is such an oddity to your normal behavior? To me, that would be a red flag, while someone who starts off as a stranger who OCies is actually less of a red flag.
The point of OC'ing is not to be a hero for getting into a gun fight with a robber. Its for PERSONAL PROTECTION. You're not a LEO. You are a plain john doe/jane doe with a gun attached to the side of you for PERSONAL <-------KEYWORD-------> PERSONAL protection. If you are not a LEO chances are your are NOT trained to deal with a situation of a robbery.
I'm confused where anyone said that they were wondering why you don't OC at a gas station because you might need to be the Lone Ranger or some such. It seems to me that everyone was wondering why you stopped protecting yourself at gas stations when gas stations are some of the highest hit places in regards to robberies, especially armed robberies.
Scenario: You OC into your local gas station. Go to the back to grab a beer. A masked man comes in, and walks directly to the cashier. You hear him scream " Give me all the money in the register and im going to leave with no problems" You have your fully loaded weapon on your side and it seems as though the man has not seen that you were the only person in the store. You havent seen him brandish a weapon. What would you do?
Well, to be honest, there are only two options that you CAN do, legally. You can hide amongst the shelves and do nothing, since you cannot fire at him since there is no danger to your life. Or you can attempt a citizen's arrest since there is a felony happening in your plain view. I, personally, would try to take a picture of the guy covertly as well as his car plates so that the cops can find him easier since I do not want to put myself into a position where I can get shot.
What if he has a handgun?
Same as above. Only if he is waving his gun around, pointing the gun in my direction will I draw and shoot. But according to your scenario, he is just wanting to get the cash and leave, not wanting to hurt anyone, so see my answer from above.
If the scenario is exactly the same except for this, same answer as above.
What if his buddys were right outside of the door would you make a move?
If the scenario is exactly the same except for this, same answer as above
What if it was a 10 year old kid?
If the scenario is exactly the same except for this, same answer as above
What if it was a 84 year old woman?
If the scenario is exactly the same except for this, same answer as above
Who's at fault if you shoot him and his gun go off and kills the cashier?
You mean I shot him in the back??? Why the hell would anyone do this??? You would be responsible for the cashier's death and you would be guilty of murder!
Who's at fault if you miss the perp and hit the cashier?
Again, I am shooting at the BG in the back!?! It would clearly be non-criminal homocide at the very least.
Are you willing to die instead of the cashier?
In your scenario, the BG doesn't even know I am there, has no gun or weapon, and states he wants to leave safely and quietly. The business is insured against robberies like this. I'm not going to offer my life for such a crime.
If you arent able to answer all of those questions in SHOOT vs Dont Shoot.. dont worry YOU ARE ONLY HUMAN....
Since I could answer all those questions, does that make me MORE THAN HUMAN? Because if so, I'd love to have a superpower!
Now same scenario..... answer these questions.
What if he was walking towards you with the gun?
If he is walking towards me, I will draw my gun, and fire since it is clear that my life is in danger.
What if he told you he wasnt going to leave any witnesses?
Draw and shoot to kill.
What if he shot the cashier in the head and turned to see you?
Bang! That's all the BG wrote.
What if his friends saw you and came in with a shotgun?
I'd shoot them both.
What if he began to shoot up the place at random?
I'd take him out ASAP.
What if he said "You shouldnt have fired me, Now you bout to die b**ch" to the cashier?
In this case, I would draw my gun, shout out "FREEZE! CITIZEN"S ARREST!" I would NOT shoot him unless he turned towards me with his gun or if he fired at the cashier. I would attempt to talk him down, get him to drop his gun, and use zip ties to bind his hands together until the cops arrived as is my right when dealing with a felony happening infront of you. As long as I do not transport him anywhere and just detain him.
If you easly answered all of those questions easily... HERE IS WHY. YOU OR THE CASHIERS LIFE IS ABOUT TO BE TAKEN IF YOU DONT ACT IMMEDIATLY WITH LETHAL FORCE.
Agreed.
Nobody will ever be fully prepared if an incident does happen. A robber wants money and goods. if they are ruthless they dont want to leave witnesses.
Again, You are not a LEO nor a judge or jury. Cashiers don't know your intention if you are an unfamiliar with no type of LEO uniform or identify badge.
You weren't born with a gun and you have been without your gun for longer periods of time then a mere quick stop inside of a gas station.
So... you give two examples of gas station robberies. One is a peaceful one and the other is a violent one. You then note that a robber wants money and goods, while a ruthless one doesn't want to leave witnesses. And then, after acknowledging that there are two types of robbers (peaceful and ruthless), you seem to come to the crazy conclusion that you don't need to bring your gun into a gas station with you! If you know that some robbers are going to be ruthless, why the hell are you going to leave your gun in the car in the hopes that if the gas station is robbed while you are in there the robber is the peaceful type?!?