No Solution Is Better Than…

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Well, actually it isn’t better. In fact, it is down right bad.

Over the past few weeks several food delivery people in my town have been assaulted and robbed. Two pizza places and a Chinese restaurant. The incidents have ranged from intimidation to full out ass kicking and threats to blow the person’s brain out. The last one was 4 guys on one.

My son’s part time job is as a pizza delivery guy. The particular place that the robberies have been taking place happen to be in my kid’s zone. As a concerned citizen and even more concerned mama, I am displeased by the solution that is being offered by my son’s employer. Which in short is no solution at all.

“Yes, we are aware of the issue and have been in contact with law enforcement.” The basic idea, of course, is not to fight back and just to give the thugs what they want.

We all know how well that works out.

A few years ago a Chinese food delivery man was killed here and so several of the Chinese restaurant owners decided to take action and now they all carry. The young man who comes to our house is under 21, so his Glock can be easily seen on his hip, but he has had some training and he does very well approaching the house etc. Even though we have been ordering from them for years and we are friends with the owners, this boy behaves exactly the same way every time he comes to the house. He knocks, steps back from the door, has one hand clear and his hip is pointed away from the door. He is very alert.

My son used to work for them, but he is a daddy and needed more hours than this small place could give. The current place he works is a big chain and they prohibit firearms.

We can’t protect you, the cops can’t protect you, but we are uncomfortable with legal, law abiding Conceal Carry Permit holders carrying while at work, so just cross your fingers and hope no one jumps you.

Yes, he could get another job, but it will be the same kind of job. He is young, in school, and a daddy. He currently isn’t skilled or educated to do much of anything that will also allow him to advance his education. The bottom line is, even if he does change jobs, he should not have to choose between his job and his life. It would be great if in this country we worried more about punishing the bad guy  than the good ones.

The companies do not worry about getting sued when they get one of their employees get killed, but they are down right paranoid about the bad guys family bring a suit. Can’t say I entirely blame them as our court system pretty much awards monetary damages to anyone who asks regardless of merit, but still money over life. Seems a tad off on the whole moral scale.

35 thoughts on “No Solution Is Better Than…”

  2. I ditto Dann in Ohio. I understand all too well. I really love my job. But I teach on a college campus and have to leave my 2nd Ammend. rights at the door. I hate that!

  3. I carry a kubaton – is that an option for him? Not only are they effective, but they’re less than $10. Anyone who doesn’t know what one is will never question it. Those who do know will smile and nod. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been let onto the airplane or into “secured” areas with my kubaton simply because no one knew what the stick on my key chain was.

      • It’s easy to learn to use. I’m glad he’s getting one. You really only need to learn a couple of strikes with it.

        Remember, I had this same kind of issue with my daughter? I gave her a knife to carry and I often spot-check to make sure she’s got it with her. She always rolls her eyes at me, but it makes me feel better.

  4. I used to work for SOULLESS CORPORATE MEGAPROFIT CORPORATION back in the day. We had so many many meetings about robberies, and how we were to “give them what they want”. Of course, it was all couched in “your life is worth more than what they want anyway”, and we all went along with it. Now that I’m gone from the retail slavery world, and have discovered the gun culture, I’m amazed that I ever went along with any of it. Once you give the criminal what they want….what’s to stop their imagination from growing a little bit? Oh, so if I demand the money in the register, you’ll give it…well, what about your wallet? What about your purse? Your car keys? Your (insert gender-appropriate sexual organs here)? Your life? Yeah….so not worth it. And whether they demand that of me at this exact point in time, is not the issue. The problem is, criminals always start out small. When they realize they can get away with the little stuff, they move up. Step at a time. Maybe small steps, maybe big leaps. But one dirtbag bleeding out all over the floor is one less dirtbag who’s going to go on a killing spree next year. Or ten years down the road. And that is something I won’t lose any sleep over.

    • Yes. I am a prime example of giving them what they want doesn’t work.

      I read your words and I shake my head because I feel the same way. I think back and wonder how any of that crazy “logic” made sense to me. Nutty.

  5. It’s a tough position to be put in and your frustration and fear for your son is both understandable and very real. He has limited options. Since you’re experienced and active in the training world let me make an observation. A shooting class, a good one anyway, emphasizes observation and tactical awareness. Both are things that would stand your son in good stead, even unarmed. A good shooting class may give him the awareness skills he needs.

    And please tell him that this old cop wants him to listen to that small, quiet voice in the back of his head when it starts talking to him. If it seems wrong chances are good it is. Mine has saved my life more than once.

  6. Unless it is ILLEGAL for him to carry on the clock, I suggest that his life is more important than his job… and if anybody discovers that he is carrying it should be because he has bigger problems than keeping his job, like keeping his life. I have carried on the clock with all of my employers since retiring from the Army, but here that isn’t illegal. Concealed is concealed, and what they don’t know may save his life.

    • I agree with you and we had a very lengthy discussion about it well before I wrote the post.

      I can’t make his choices for him. He carried his gun unchambered forever. He is a smart, good, kid, but he is cautious.

      Very good advice though…thank you!

  7. Does your son’s school (I assume he’s in high school) offer any scholarship programs with a local technical school? We are in a small town here in OK, and the high school our son went to offered scholarships for kids to go to the technical school on school time. They would bus the kids to the technical center to learn technical skills three hours a day for 3 years. When the kids returned to their high school each day, they would attend their core classes. Once finished with the technical school in most cases employers come to the technical school and offer great jobs right on the spot. My son went for welding, has 1 certification and is working on the other. He was hired as a welder, making enough money to support himself and a child (if he had one).

    • Hey Sandy. I am old…lol He is 21 and wants to be a physicist, so he will be in school a good long time. As you know being a parent is no easy task, so work, school, family doesn’t leave a lot of time for a “real” job like 9-5.

      Technical schools are great though. Back in the day I interpreted for a deaf guy taking welding…I got to try it. Loved it. Wish I could have actually learned how to do it, but somehow my boss wanted me doing my job, not taking the class:)

  8. One of the PDs I worked for had a 6 Minute response goal…for any call.
    Like I say, the “cops are only 6 minutes away….when you need them in 20 seconds”

  9. I agree with “tanksoldier”. Unless it is illegal to carry concealed on the job, which I doubt, do so. Remember, concealed is concealed. What would be the worst that could happen to him if he needed to defend himself and was found out. He could be fired, but alive.

    And as far as being sued, remember the rule that it is always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

    • Me too. Everyone has to make there own choices. For me, unless it is actually illegal, I am going to carry. I certainly had advised the boy on the subject:)

  10. Three things to remember:

    Concealed means concealed.

    People are blind.

    Getting fired is better then getting killed or maimed.

  12. This is why God gave us the brains to figure out subcompacts. And untucked shirts. And I will second the “better fired than dead” notion.

  14. It would be great if in this country we worried more about punishing the bad guy than the good ones.

    Best sentence I’ve seen in a long time!

  15. It would be great if in this country we worried more about punishing the bad guy than the good ones.

    Best comment I’ve seen in a long while.

  16. Actually, according to Federal law an employee must take steps to provide a safe work environment. There simply is no case precedent of this kind yet. But if your son had his CHP and several certifications from firearms instructors (in other words, he is actually trained in defensive firearms use) then his family would have good grounds to sue as it is clear that a) the company knew of the dangers, b) your son had the skills to operate in the environment, and c) they purposefully disarmed him.

    Like I said, there simply is no case precedent for this yet. But the legal theory is there.

  17. About 15-20 years ago, Chanello’s Pizza had a driver held up in Norfolk, after a rash of pizza driver hold-ups (various companies). Chanello’s had a solid “Disarmed Employee Victims” policy (firing offense), that this particular driver decided to ignore. Driver punched out the goblin’s ten ring, with his legally (but against company policy) concealed pistol.

    The president or a VP from Chanello’s national HQ (I forget which) had an interview with the local morning shock jock. when queried as to whether Chanello’s was planning on taking any action for this policy violation, the response was:

    “That animal threatened my driver. He’s dead, my driver’s unhurt. It’s a good day.”

      • Heck, I’d order pizza from them, after that! I still hate having to go into Walgreens after they fired their employee for saving the lives of customers and coworkers…scumbags were starting to take people into the back of the store, he pulled out his concealed. Cant remember if he shot them or they just ran away, but lives DEFINITELY were saved. And they fired him. Walgreens lost any voluntary patronage by myself. Have to use their pharmacy on occasion, but taht’s the only reason I’ll go.

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