Subject:
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Re: socialism etc. (was: Re: Blue Hopper Car Mania...)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 18 Nov 1999 19:46:53 GMT
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Viewed:
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1231 times
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Scott Edward Sanburn wrote:
>
> Frank Filz wrote:
>
>
> > Several years ago, I was driving home from Thanksgiving, and had had a
> > frustrating drive (try losing your alternator belt at 4:00 PM the
> > Saturday after Thanksgiving, with several hours of driving left, and the
> > rain pouring down - I was lucky, I found a store which had the belt, and
> > then talked a mechanic at another garage to "help" me put it on [he
> > really did all the work, I handed him wrenches]). When I was almost
> > home, I pulled into a service station to fill up my tank. As I was
> > pumping gas, I noticed that the hose had a serious leak.
> >
> > I went into the building and demanded that they do something about it
> > (perhaps not the brightest, but remember what I'd gone through that
> > day).
>
> Well, why did you cause such a ruckus at an attendant? If the hose was leaking,
> and there was a problem, I would have pointed it out in a polite manner,
> regardless if I had a really bad day or not. I would have stopped the pump, told
> the attendant, and used another one. Unless there is something else that caused
> you do so, which I suspect is the case.
Perhaps I should have clarified what I did a little better. I didn't
start out to cause a ruckus, but it is hard to be totally polite when
you're tired and way past ready to be home and in bed. I think I started
by pointing out in a reasonably calm voice that there was a leak, and
what were they going to do about it. Unfortuanately the clerk assumed I
was trying to rip him off (I had pumped a few bucks worth of gas before
realizing what was going on), and I think he almost immediately pulled
out the gun. At that point I became real polite and let him have control
of the situation. Even after we examined the leak in the presence of the
cop, he only grudgingly game me a discount on the gas already pumped,
and that was at the cops prompting of "ok, how are you going to resolve
this". No "Gee, mister, I guess you were right, I'm sorry I launched
into you, I hope you can understand my concerns, why don't you fill up
over there and we'll just void out the sale on this pump."
I was real tempted to call the gas company whose name was on the service
station and complain, but I just was ready to drop the whole mess, and
chalk it up to typical modern customer service which between the
assumption of superiority, and the desire to avoid losing court battles,
leaves the customer lower than dirt. After all, had they admitted that
the leak was a real problem, or that he was wrong in pulling the gun on
me, I might have come back and sued them for a million bucks. I think an
appology was due, but there certainly was nothing legitimate to sue over
(assuming the station shut down the pump - which in fact they didn't
do). The clerk had some justification in being concerned that I was
trying to rip them off, so pulling the gun was a questionable act, but
not something for lawsuit material.
> > The clerk, I suspect in sincere belief that I was trying
> > something, pulled his gun out, and said he was going to call the cops. I
> > said, by all means. Under your legal code, he probably would have been
> > justified in shooting me (after all, he had a sincere belief that I was
> > trying something funny).
>
> Whose code? I don't think anyone here is implying that people can be instantly
> killed for anything. That is why there are courts, etc.
That's what Chris Weeks has been saying, he was saying he should face no
consequences for blowing away the man he discovers in his wife's bed
when he gets home. That sounds like "people can be instantly killed"
without recourse to the courts, now true, it isn't over just "anything",
my point is that one could argue that the clerks belief that I was
trying something funny (after all I did suggest he go out and look at
the pump, maybe I had an accomplice outside who was going to blow him
away when he set foot out the door), would be justification for shooting
someone (heck, in Raleigh a few years ago, a clerk got off without any
charges when he blew away a kid who was coming through the front door
with a tobboggan (ski mask) on. When the cops arrived, they found a
pocket knife in his pocket, and thus the kid was armed and the clerk was
justified for blowing him away. Oh, this was in the middle of winter at
night. Oh, and after the fact they found the kid had a record. Gee, I've
worn a balaclava around town before when it's been cold. Do I have to
worry about a store clerk blowing me away?
> > Fortuanately our legal code doesn't allow vigilante justice, and
> > (usually) punishes it when it gets out of hand, and he was willing to
> > bring the police in on what was going on. I stayed in the building until
> > the cop showed up to make it clear I had no intention of running.
> >
> > Was I being stupid - yes. Was I taking justified action - yes.
>
> Justified action? If an attendant is dealing with an irate person, such as
> yourself, going all out on that? I don't think so.
>
> > The service station had a serious hazard. Unfortuanatley I don't know if
> > they did anything about it. They sure didn't close the pump, even after
> > I showed the clerk and the cop the leak.
>
>
> Well, that was the service stations fault, and there are institutions that deal
> with that. I don't see any connection to execution over this, much less anyone
> advocating vigilante justice or whatever.
>
> Scott S.
>
> _________________________________________________________
>
> Scott E. Sanburn
> CAD Operator
> Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
>
> Work Page:
> http://www.aeieng.com/
>
> Home Page:
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/3372/index.html
>
> Main LEGO Page:
> http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/3372/index.html
>
> Soon to come: Star Wars LEGO Sets Parts Selling Page!
--
Frank Filz
-----------------------------
Work: mailto:ffilz@us.ibm.com (business only please)
Home: mailto:ffilz@mindspring.com
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