So the other day I was at the range. I was standing in line and as I did I smelled alcohol. Not rubbing alcohol, booze. (I know there are some physical conditions that can mask as the smell of alcohol on the breath.) but these are rare, at least more rare than someone who's been drinking.
I started looking around and "smelling" around and realized it was the guy in line behind me. He didn't seem "drunk" per se, but after a few minutes of standing around it was pretty clear he had booze on his breath. I didn't think much of it. I had no way to confirm the guy had been drinking. So I left it alone.
I got checked in, went to my lane, did my thing. After a few minutes I walked down the line to get the broom and dustpan to sweep up my first batch of brass and I saw the guy standing in a lane shooting.
My assumption is that the guys at the counter must have judged the guy was okay to shoot.
After I was done shooting, I went to check out and the guy at the counter had forgotten to charge me for my box of ammo. So I reminded him of that and he added it to my bill. But this made me wonder - this kid was obviously in a rush when he was checking people in. So much rush that he'd forgotten to mark down my ammo. So, did he even have time to think about the guy with booze on his breath and make a determination if he was fit to shoot. Again, maybe the guy was fine and what I smelled just smelled LIKE alcohol but wasn't.
Generally, there are some combinations of things I just don't like to be around; one combination is booze and guns.
So, my question is; has anyone ever been in a similar situation? What did you do? It's entirely likely he had not been drinking at all. But I keep asking myself - what if he had? What if my senses and instincts were right?
In retrospect I feel like a screwed up by minding my own business and not at least telling one of the other guys - politely - that I smelled alcohol on someone. On the other hand, I realize I'm not a professional alcohol sniffer and may have just created a big stink for nothing.
At the end of the day, as far as I know the guy was fine and no one got hurt. But if he wasn't, and the kid at the counter was too rushed to notice, I could have been ignoring a situation that go really bad really fast.
So, what, if anything, have others done who've been in similar situations?
thanks
I started looking around and "smelling" around and realized it was the guy in line behind me. He didn't seem "drunk" per se, but after a few minutes of standing around it was pretty clear he had booze on his breath. I didn't think much of it. I had no way to confirm the guy had been drinking. So I left it alone.
I got checked in, went to my lane, did my thing. After a few minutes I walked down the line to get the broom and dustpan to sweep up my first batch of brass and I saw the guy standing in a lane shooting.
My assumption is that the guys at the counter must have judged the guy was okay to shoot.
After I was done shooting, I went to check out and the guy at the counter had forgotten to charge me for my box of ammo. So I reminded him of that and he added it to my bill. But this made me wonder - this kid was obviously in a rush when he was checking people in. So much rush that he'd forgotten to mark down my ammo. So, did he even have time to think about the guy with booze on his breath and make a determination if he was fit to shoot. Again, maybe the guy was fine and what I smelled just smelled LIKE alcohol but wasn't.
Generally, there are some combinations of things I just don't like to be around; one combination is booze and guns.
So, my question is; has anyone ever been in a similar situation? What did you do? It's entirely likely he had not been drinking at all. But I keep asking myself - what if he had? What if my senses and instincts were right?
In retrospect I feel like a screwed up by minding my own business and not at least telling one of the other guys - politely - that I smelled alcohol on someone. On the other hand, I realize I'm not a professional alcohol sniffer and may have just created a big stink for nothing.
At the end of the day, as far as I know the guy was fine and no one got hurt. But if he wasn't, and the kid at the counter was too rushed to notice, I could have been ignoring a situation that go really bad really fast.
So, what, if anything, have others done who've been in similar situations?
thanks
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