Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
I'm finally a statistic (but at least I'm alive)Sep 8, 2003 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Be aware of your surroundings, be wary of suspicious activity, but most importantly, try to be safe wherever you are.
In the wee hours of September 7th, I became a statistic. It was a slow night - only a few people showed up, but I was bartending, and the band wasn't going to cancel just from a lack of people. Two black males entered, asking what kind of show it was - that should have been my first warning. Hardly ever do they come to this particular type of show (I won't reveal it for security reasons.) I did find it a bit odd that they would come in, dressed in, I dunno what to call it...the loose, baggy look, I guess. I watched them as it looked like they were leaving, then took my eyes off them to continue watching the show. That was my second mistake. My final mistake was not hitting the panic button based on the warning signs. Next thing I know, the taller man had his shirt up over his nose (yet I had already seen him) and had a revolver pointed directly at me, no more than 5 or 6 feet away. The bar was between us, so the stupidest thing I could have possibly done would have been to try to lunge and grab it like they do in the movies. I will mention that I do have martial arts experience, but even my sensei's advice was always: If they have a gun, give them whatever they want. This is what I did. He screamed for me to empty the register and give him all the money. I did. Since there were so few people, they didn't run - just casually walked out. Thankfully someone saw them walking away as I dialed 911. I was remarkably calm through the whole event, never thinking that he would actually shoot me unless I tried to stop him. As I said before, this is real life, not the movies. I wasn't about to try to stop them from taking whatever they wanted. As soon as the gun was away from me and I was no longer in danger, I relaxed as though nothing had happened. The only after effect was that I was shaking slightly (I guess that's to be expected.) Looking down the barrel of a gun is something I never expected to happen to me. It's something I hope will never happen again, but if it does, I know what to expect. Here are a few tips that I learned in the process, if anything like this happens to you: 1. While the gun itself is enough to make you comply, the screaming that accompanies the demand is meant to make you hurry. The less time they're there, the faster they can get away, and the shorter time you're in danger. 2. When they make demands, comply promptly. Don't be stupid and try to be a hero, especially if you're in a situation where you're alone and there's nobody who can help you. 3. Tell yourself that as long as you do what they ask, you won't be hurt. While it may be true that some people do get shot anyway, I would think that most of the time, they just want what they're asking for, and will try to leave as soon as they can. 4. Being scared is normal in this kind of situation, but you should never panic. Not only does it then take longer for you to comply with the demands, but then you can lose your train of thought afterward. As soon as they're gone, you should be dialing 911 on the nearest telephone. 5. It's sad to think of it this way these days, but the way some people are dressed can potentially be a warning sign. If you feel uncomfortable, you should immediately seek out more people, or if you're in a bartending situation, hit the panic button *before* something happens. Better to be safe than sorry. Thankfully nobody else was robbed, and nobody was hurt - that's the important thing. As I said, I'm now a statistic -- but at least I'm alive. Thanks for reading.  |
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