Excitement at the dump!

[PennsyPlinker]

or, I thought I might have to draw on a guy today. I go for weeks or even months with no real excitement in my life, and then I get a couple of events back to back. That's how it seems to go anyway...

Today is trash day. We have a transfer station located in our township. The township supervisors negotiated a deal where residents may take their household trash up there for free two days a week. It saves a few bucks and makes things a little more convenient.

When I arrived, the regular guy was there operating the crusher, and a supervisor who I have seen on several occasions was there as well. I greeted both of them as I always do. I have been OCing there since I started OCing, but I always wait for that "Excuse me sir, but you can't bring that gun with you." I haven't heard it yet, but I always wait for it. Anyway, as I was signing the log and preparing to leave, a very large fellow (bigger than me) and a little boy pulled up in a pickup truck. Both exited the vehicle and started towards the fenced in area where the crusher is. One of the men, I am not sure which, told the man politely that the boy was not allowed to be out of the vehicle. There is a large sign there posted to that effect, along with other rules. The guy flipped out and started yelling, cursing, and waving his arms around, pushing his face into the face of the supervisor. I was standing right behind the supervisor, and sort of dodged around him to get closer to my truck, which was parked a few feet away. The guy kept on yelling, and at one point his arms were on both sides of the supervisors head, almost like he was going to take hold of him. So, I just stood and waited to see what was going to happen.

The supervisor told the man he could not dump his trash there, and to leave. The man kept yelling, and at one point, motioned with his arm toward the crusher and told the guy to "shut up and go stand in your place over there!" He then pushed past the guy and threw his trash in the crusher, at which point the supervisor informed him that he was calling the police. That caused some more yelling and arm waving. Right after that, the guy turned and looked at me, and quieted down. I made no pretense that I was doing anything else but watching him.

"He won't let me dump my trash here!"

"It's his property. He can do whatever he wants."

Are you going to shoot me? I see your gun there!"

"Probably not."

I just stood there making no movement to leave. Meanwhile the supervisor is looking at the back of the guy's truck and reading the license number off to the person on the other end of the phone. The guy jumped into his truck and took off. Once the supervisor got off the phone, I approached him and told him that I had waited to make sure the guy did not attack him, and that I hoped he did not mind. He thanks me a couple of times and shook my hand. I left to go home.

As things have it, the story wasn't done yet. About once a year, I forget a can of trash. Today was that day. In this case, it could not wait till next week, as it was full of stuff from when our freezer went belly up a few days ago. So back to the dump I went. When I returned, there was only the one worker there, and he asked me to wait a moment. He then called out to the other guy, who appeared with yet a third man. They introduced the third man as the supervisor for the whole place. All three of them thanked me for standing with the two men there. I must have shaken hands about 10-12 times before I was done. The one man wondered out loud if I was a game warden. "No, just a regular guy," I told him. "I would have stood with you even if I wasn't carrying. That guy was way out of line." They have my name and number, which they could have gotten by other means, in case they need to contact me. The cops were on their way to talk to the other guy. What will come of that, I do not know.

I post this as a story of general interest, but also as a rebuttal to those who say, "I don't need to carry unless I am going somewhere unsafe". The fact is, we never know what will happen anywhere we might be. According to the workers, the guy who flipped out is usually pretty easy going. But all at once, he turned into a loud, aggressive bully, giving every indication that things were about to get worse. I never even laid a hand on my gun, much less had to draw, but I was thinking it through the whole time. And, I think this is one time where OC might have made a difference.

[Connal]

You can't see it, but I am holding both thumbs up right now.

Good story, and glad nothing too serious happened.

[wa3ra]

A heckuva lot more exciting than my junkyard experience last week.

I was talking to the security guy (they had complaints about a psychotic raccoon in the far reaches of the lot, which is also coincidentally where the pick-a-part lots always seems to put the mopar stuff, but I digress).

Anyway, he's asking me if I'd seen it, and here it come snapping at us, foaming mouth and all.

The poor security guy couldn't get his revolver out of it's holster, so I said, "I've got it", drew from concealment, and popped it from about 10 yards out. They called the vector control guys in who verified that it was 'probably' rabid; they bagged and canned it, and that was it.

I went in OC, but it was hot and the car I was picking was filthy, so I had taken my shirt out which covered the gun. Let me tell you that an XD with +p makes a LOT of noise without ear protection!

Note to self: when leather holster gets wet, make sure that it is completely dry before placing gun back in holster. Otherwise, it might get so tight around your .38 snubbie that you can't get it out!

Oh, the yard owner let me have the manifold that I was pulling for free, too!

[cobaltss]

That was a great way to show others the power of OC! way to keep your cool !

[Yentl Marmelstein]

"Probably not."

heehee!

[thanker92]

"I don't need to carry unless I am going somewhere unsafe".

People are correct in saying this...as long as they realize that EVERYWHERE is unsafe.

[ByblosHex]

:: Thumbs up ::

[ByblosHex]

"I don't need to carry unless I am going somewhere unsafe".

People are correct in saying this...as long as they realize that EVERYWHERE is unsafe.

That's still false, because you dont need to be going anywhere at all to be in danger.

[PennsyPlinker]

Update: Right after hitting the post button, I got a call from an officer from the local PSP cop shop. He asked me if I had been there, and had I seen anything. I said yes, but before I went any further, I wanted to know if anyone had made any accusations against me in any way.

"Are you the guy who had the gun?"

"Yeah, that would be me."

"Don't worry, no one said anything, and I don't have any interest in that at all."

So I told him the story of what I saw. I am sure someone will be thinking "Don't talk to the police!" But the whole tenor of the event, the attitudes of the guys at the station, and the demeanor of the officer gave me a pretty good feel for the whole thing. The guy was charged, and I may be called as a witness if he contests his charge. I said I would be glad to testify to what I saw and heard. So now I will wait and see.

[ByblosHex]

Update: Right after hitting the post button, I got a call from an officer from the local PSP cop shop. He asked me if I had been there, and had I seen anything. I said yes, but before I went any further, I wanted to know if anyone had made any accusations against me in any way.

"Are you the guy who had the gun?"

"Yeah, that would be me."

"Don't worry, no one said anything, and I don't have any interest in that at all."

So I told him the story of what I saw. I am sure someone will be thinking "Don't talk to the police!" But the whole tenor of the event, the attitudes of the guys at the station, and the demeanor of the officer gave me a pretty good feel for the whole thing. The guy was charged, and I may be called as a witness if he contests his charge. I said I would be glad to testify to what I saw and heard. So now I will wait and see.

I just hope the Officer wasnt gaining your trust in order to cause you to self incriminate yourself.

It's a bit paranoid, but not impossible.