Man with a knife at KFC

[LaVere]

Strange thing happened to me at KFC the other day. After I received my
dinner I did my usual and got a seat the gave me the best view of the
customers. This is a nice neighborhood and I've never felt there was a
problem there. While sitting there eating my Famous receipt chicken. A
Kitchen worker with apron and a 12" chief knife came out in to the dining
area. I went from condition light yellow to orange in one mili second. I
have a CCW permit and was carrying.
What was strange was the way he carried the knife not like a chief
normally would but more as a stabbing grip, but low next to his leg.
As he walk around the dining area 6 to 8 table full of people an
another 6 standing waiting for orders. He seem do to be doing and work
just wandering. I watched and readied myself. By that I mean checked
backgrounds, shoot no shoot areas.
Estimated 21 foot point. Well, in a Fast food almost everything is less
than 21 foot. He finally walked over to 4 girls at the opposite end of the
dinning area about 30 feet from me. I could see the girls looked upset and
said something to him I could not hear what they said. He then walked
over to the waste and tray box and picked up some trays and walked back
to the kitchen.

I have thought over the last two day what I should have done
differently, if anything. I am very glad I didn't have to use any force but
I was ready to use deadly force.


Gordon

 

[Hatton7]

I think you handled that very well. How do you carry? Do you every put your hand on the weapon? and were you with friends that carry? Sorry for all the questions but I find your post a very possible and likely event in a public fast food chain.

 

[Cosmoline]

 

[JimJD]

Cosmoline...that was too funny.

LaVere, that's a strange one You had there. I'm wondering, what were You carrying?

 

[cerberus]

It's always best to be ready

You were ready thats why you and everyone carries. As we know anything can and has happened. As long as you were ready to defend yourself thats all that really matters.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'd say you handled it well. If I'd been there—Kentucky Fried Pigeon isn't high on my list—and I'd had a cellular telephone—I don't—I'd have been inclined to dial 911 in P.D.Q. order while staying alert and ready to take action.

 

[JL2152]

I think you did the right thing. There is nothing more you could have done in this situation.

 

[c_yeager]

What was strange was the way he carried the knife not like a chief

Carrying knives like that prevents one from accidentall stabbing their coworkers.

 

[Masione]

Having done a lot of work with knives in cooking and other things, I always carry my knife in the way you desribed, except in the opposite direction, when walking around. Then I can just turn my hand a bit and tuck the blade so it is going straight up my forearm, and makes it virtually impossible to stab myself or someone else by accident, either by slipping or walking around a blind corner. It is a habit by now, and whenever I am not using a knife I am holding, which is a lot now that I really think about it...I just turn it that way.

" I have thought over the last two day what I should have done
differently, if anything. I am very glad I didn't have to use any force but
I was ready to use deadly force."

Sounds like you are really paranoid. Yeah something that would probably have me watching him, but not obsessing over it.

 

[Diggler]

I don't know, a kitchen worker with a knife... sounds pretty normal to me. I might keep an eye on him but wouldn't have got too concerned about it.

 

[LaVere]

KFC follow up with knife

I may not have described it well in the first post. The knife was held in a stabbing style. But low next to the leg and horizontal to the ground. The point of the knife was pointing back but horizontal. I was alone at the time and had a Kahr .40SW IWB covered over with outer shirt/jacket. At no time did I place hand on the gun or did anyone know that I had one. There may have been other CCw in their also.


Gordon
in Michigan

 

[Masione]

Okay, I was thinking you meant pointed at the floor, which is a normal way to carry it. Or the way I described, the exact same way except turned the other way, pointing straight up along your forearm. Sorry if I sounded rude, it sounded like just someone looking for an excuse to get to use their firearm. I wasn't there though.

I really like KFC, now I'm gonna have to stop there tomorrow, look what you did

 

[LaVere]

You didn't sound rude at all.
It was his behavior and a large knife in the dinning area that were out of place.


Gordon

 

[Amish_Bill]

Good situational awareness.
Good job observing & staying discreet while waiting for the anomaly to turn into either a non-event or an immediate threat to life & limb.

 

[Lupine]

Um, why would KFC cooks need a knife? Aren't all the food products prepackaged and precooked at some mothership? Or, in the case of KFC, aren't the chickens genetically altered to be hatched out of their shells as Extra Crispy or Original Recipe slabs of meat?

I thought all fast food workers needed for food prep was a warm light bulb or a vat of hot oil?

Hmmm. Veerrrrryyyyy sussspicioussssss..................

 

[Edmond]

Um, why would KFC cooks need a knife? Aren't all the food products prepackaged and precooked at some mothership? Or, in the case of KFC, aren't the chickens genetically altered to be hatched out of their shells as Extra Crispy or Original Recipe slabs of meat?

I thought all fast food workers needed for food prep was a warm light bulb or a vat of hot oil?

Hmmm. Veerrrrryyyyy sussspicioussssss..................

That's what I was thinking too. But even if they needed a knife for anything, why a 12" knife?

 

[Soap]

I was at a smokehouse type restaurant on Saturday and I had to use my Benchmade to eat 1/4 of a chicken because all they have there is plastic. Hope I didn't freak anybody out That guy was acting weird, there is no real reason to need a kitchen knife in a dining area in an icepick grip. Good job on staying alert.

 

[Wildalaska]

Great, lets fire up the kitchen workers becasue they walk around with kitchen knives, whats next, condition yellow for spatulas....

WildomygodmabelgetdownthatsommelierhasacorkscrewblamblamAlaska

 

[Diggler]

No cook needs a 12" knife. Those darn high capacity assault knives should be outlawed!

Seriously, since the fellow worked there I really doubt it would have made me nervous at all. I don't worry about going into a bank and having a teller pull a gun on me.

Now, if some street bum wandered off the street with a 12" knife I probably would have had the same reaction that you did.

Do you think you would have had the same reaction to a cook carrying a knife if you WEREN'T packing?

 

[OF]

Jeeze guys, we weren't there, LaVere was. I don't think we can judge whether or not this guy was something to be concerned about without having the benfit of observing his behavior - which LaVere has.

There's more to someone being 'suspicious' than just what they're carrying.

As to 'paranoid': it's better to be ready than not. It is completely possible be ready and observant without being paranoid. Lots of us live that way and are no worse off for it psychologically. Exactly the opposite, actually.

- Gabe

 

[Valkman]

I think I would have had a word with the manager about why his worker was out there with the knife. No reason for it, and an awful lot of the people that work in these places aren't very bright to begin with. The other night at a drive-thru I made sure we had forks by asking "Did we get forks?" - I was told yes and of course there were no forks. The thought of one of these imbeciles with a 12" knife should make anyone nervous.

 

[RW_Reagan]

knife? I thought KFC only had sporks?

 

[Ghost_Point]

I too eat with my own knives at restraunts and didn't think any was thinking scary thoughts. But you never know and I would be glad someone else was watching out for people. It is good to be aware of stuff like that cause he might have been in a fight with his girl freind and might have tryed to stab her. Me I wouldn't shoot unless someone other than me was the target and I couldn't get to the enemy fast enough to direct the assault to me and away from the innocent. I do get protective about females so who knows if he raised the knife and she looked scared and I was too far away to distract him he might have got shot.

Thanks for lookin out for people LaVere.

 

[Sean85746]

No cook needs a 12" knife. Those darn high capacity assault knives should be outlawed!

Seriously, since the fellow worked there I really doubt it would have made me nervous at all. I don't worry about going into a bank and having a teller pull a gun on me.

Now, if some street bum wandered off the street with a 12" knife I probably would have had the same reaction that you did.

Do you think you would have had the same reaction to a cook carrying a knife if you WEREN'T packing?

Um...if a street bum walked up to ME with a 12" knife...my reaction would be to administer first aid after the gun fire subsided adn we waited for emergency services!

 

[Diggler]

Didn't say walked up to ME. I said walked into the building.

I hope you don't start shooting everyone that you see has possesion of a lethal weapon! (as I double and triple check to make sure I'm not printing... )