Range Commando How Polite Is Too Polite?

[DuncanSA]

You handled it well. Best thing to do is to politely disengage from idiots like this.

 

[crankshop1000]

Most real cops do not like to touch or be touched by strangers.They have a "zone" and do not like people in it. I would have told him to back off a bit and definitely keep hands off.The guy sounds like the old Jim Carrey store security guy on In Living Color. "Woodchuck to groundhog"

 

[Enron Exec]

I think you did everything right. Provocation like that shows he is in dire need of attention because hes a huge loser.

Chances are, the guy went back to his 1 bedroom apartment and had a can of Dinty stew for dinner in recognition of his highlight of the week.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

There are maladjusted types everywhere, some people just make up their own worlds to live in since the real world is frequently less exciting and our place in it more insignificant than we would wish. These type of people just appear more frightening when obviously armed. I think you did well to keep the situation low key and non-confrontational. If your club has a membership committee you might mention something. If he is an ongoing problem they might want to address it.

 

[GeezerwithGuns]

You did just fine. You went on "dingbat" alert and responded appropriately.

On the lighter side:

You might have faked interest and "innocently" asked to see his shield.

Then make an anonymous call to the station and suggest there is an officer in serious need of a psych "intervention."

 

[XavierBreath]

1. What ( if anything) did I do right?

You did not let on that you were armed as well. That's important. You acted maturely and kept your composure and then practiced avoidance when able. You did not challenge an obvious blowhard. I have yet to meet someone who has taken a life or been involved in a shooting come up to a stranger and start discussing it. Not one, and I'd wager I know more folks in this unfortunate category than most.

Don't worry about the guy striking your chest and gut with a finger. You will rarely be able to deflect the first surprise blow in an actual fight. It's not whether you get hit, it's how you respond to the hit. Action beats reaction every time. The closer the person, the less likely you can react in time.

I'd continue to not only avoid the guy, but shun him.

 

[Geno]

I have met LEOs and others exactly like this. In fact, I had to do a double-take your state to assure that you don't live in Michigan. Seriously!

A simple, "Please do not touch me" would have set him back on his heels, or it should. But then, there are people who, for a multitude of possible explanations, are disinhibited. He may have been a poser, or he may have simply been full-of himself. His conduct is classic disinhibition from a frontal lobe brain injury. He may have been in a severe accident during one of those altercations.

My suggestion, avoid as best you can. If you can't, be polite, and disengage ASAP. To be certain, something is not right. In closing, report his misconduct to the range owner or a range officer. Ask that they monitor the situation discretely.

Doc2005

 

[goon]

I met a guy like that once. He was fond of shooting a .357 without telling anyone to put their earplugs in (I shoot mostly at a very "unregulated" range). I educated him about his lack of etiquette by stepping up to the bench on his left side and shooting my AK while he didn't have any plugs in. Apparently the hot casings coming out as fast as the bullets and the noise were enough to show him the error of his ways.

 

[highorder]

Chances are, the guy went back to his 1 bedroom apartment and had a can of Dinty stew for dinner in recognition of his highlight of the week.

post of the day.

 

[doc2rn]

Where is Gecko45 when you really need him?
Okay, stay away from this guy is the best thing I have heard. I would avoid the range on days he is there. I stay off the range when people like that are at the club. Not because I am scared of them, but because of a knee jerk reaction they may provoke, Never a good thing. Maybe he realised his mistake and that is why you where invited to shoot. Don't know for sure but best to stear clear of him.

 

[Corporal K]

You did the right thing. In a situation like that, you can't let your insecurities override your judgment. Well done on your part. Like my old karate teacher used to say: "avoid the falling rock."

I have a friend who is a website/gun-store commando. He's also the member of a AR15-shooter club. He invited me to a non-shooting get together they were having. One of the guys started loudly and aggressively asking another guy where he kept his gun and that he (the 2nd guy) bet he had his gun closer. I politely left.

A few months ago, the guy - the loudmouth- was arrested for setting fire to his own house when it went into foreclosure.

 

[MarshallDodge]

For some reason guns really attract some interesting characters.

treo, I think you did the right thing. Unfortunately there are all kinds out there that need their ego stroked.

I ran into a guy last week while shooting. He was an older guy and had a Colt Single Action Army that he liked to show off. He told me all kinds of stories about how the outlaws had used them.

After that he proceeded to tell me how the 45 Colt was so powerful it could knock a grown man flat on his back. Then he started shooting at the gravel in front of the target saying how much more dangerous the gravel would be than the actual target because the flying gravel would take the bad guys legs right off.

 

[collateral]

I doubt he was trying to scare you or threaten you or anything like that. Some people just dont know how to interact or talk with others without trying to make themselves seem like some hugely important big shot. I doubt he was a sociopath just because he said he killed somebody. He probably is just some dude who likes to tell stories.

 

[mekender]

i bet an ND through his foot would shut him up...

just kidding...

you did fine, though i am someone that is not only very adamant about not being touched, but i also do what i can to not let people get close enough for them to do things like that to em... sometimes its not possible though

 

[Dutchman01]

You look that guy right in the eye and tell him not to touch you. After that, you stay away. That's about all you can do.

 

[buck00]

Any guy that brags he killed a man (without much prompting) probably never killed anyone. Its the same with military people- the quiet guy who doesn't even mention he served is the one who killed 20 Iraqis and got a medal... the loud-mouth who says he was running secret ops into Syria is the guy who sat in a tent in Kuwait cleaning out latrines.

This guy sounds like a real jerk and this has little to do with self-defense. Just becaue he is a cop doesn't mean you have to submit to him. A guy starts poking me (sounds like he was trying to establish physical dominance) is going to get his hand slapped away pretty harshly and a simple "I think you need to back the *#$& off me." What is he going to do... arrest you? Sounds like a loser and a bully- probably the reason he became an LEO in the first place. * And that's not anti-LEO (before we get into that argument). I know two guys from my high school- both became cops, one was an insecure punk who became an LEO to have power over others- his career didn't work out too well. The other was a good guy, great athlete, positive and moral person- and went on to be a great LEO and SWAT. You get all types in this world.

 

[XDKingslayer]

You handled it better than I would have...

 

[strambo]

My pride was hurt because I allowed him to put his hand on me W/out retaliating.

You need to re-define what you put your pride into. The reason you were indecisive in that moment is because your pride was saying "do something to protect our ego" and your rational subconscious was saying it was not a real threat (the poking) and not worth escalating on a firing range with firearms had by all and an offbeat character on the other side of the equation.

You can take more pride in your NOT DOING SOMETHING in that situation than if you did do something, at least something more than
"please don't poke me, nice gun, have a nice day."

Don't link your ego/pride to perceived expectations that society seemingly demands of its male members. When Seagal breaks the finger of the guy who pokes him in the chest, he suffers no consequences. That is in the script because it is a very entertaining release for the mostly male audience to see someone do what they have wanted to when in a similar circumstance but couldn't.

Best thing you can do for your confidence level is to become highly competent in armed and unarmed combat. If I know how to kill in close quarters (it's no mystery), then I don't care who/what the other guy is or has done. His ramblings are hypothetical unless/until he poses an actual threat (which is highly unlikely). If he poses a threat, I'll do everything I've been trained to do to take him out. If he takes me out 1st, so be it. Nobody is immune to violence, including me. I can't control his actions/level of competence.

 

[Treo]

CCW & Martial Arts

I actually have several years of martial arts training, However I got involved W/a church about 10 years ago that taught that all such things were "of the devil", Coincidently my training has lapsed. Now that I have left that church (still a believer in / follower of Jesus Christ) I have decided to renew my training, I did Tae Kwon Do for 7 years but TKD doesn't work well on Ice so I decided, after looking around, to begin a study of Tai Chi. I have nothing against Tae Kwon Do, and may take it up again later, but Tai Chi fits well with my Job (I work in a crisis treatment center for teens) as well. In a physical management (treatment talk for a take down) I can use Tai Chi to redirect the kid W/out actually hurting them (I’m sure you can see where a round house kick wouldn’t be quite as effective in this capacity). And I can use it to defend myself on the street or at the range W/out having to resort to a gun. That said I am learning (through my job) how to “politely enforce appropriate boundaries” and I don’t expect to find myself in that situation again. Not to say that some one else won’t ever put their hands on me again but if and when it happens I’ll have more tools in the tool box than punch ‘em / shoot ‘em

P.S. for those of you haters out there who keep doggin' my grammar this is how I role when I'm not typing on a cell phone!!!!

 

[TexasSkyhawk]

The older I get, the less and less I like talking to strangers. I'm not at the range for social hour, but to shoot. If I know someone already, I'll let them introduce me to people they know and like. I make less friends this way, but I'm finding more and more that I meet less jackasses and weirdos.

I am the same exact way. Older I get, the more of a loner I get. I pick times to go to the range when I know it won't be crowded. I will admit that over the years, I have become a good shot with a pistol. Hell, I've reloaded and shot enough tens of thousands of rounds, I BETTER be getting decent . . .

But when one of the 9mm rapid-fire-empty-the-magazine-as-fast-as-you-can airheads is next to me, pulls their target in from fifteen feet and half their shots are not even on the paper. . . . and I pull my in from my standard 50 feet and all my double-taps are all on the little 3 x 5 notecard I tape on the head and on center mass, the hotdog shooter inevitably asks, "Where'd you learn to shoot like THAT?"

I tell them, "the Boy Scouts," and go back to my business.

If/When it's a serious shooter who's NOT a hotdog or out to show off who's asking, I just tell them it's practice and technique. Sometimes they'll ask what they're doing wrong and if/when that happens, I'll always, always help.

I WANT more good, responsible, serious shooters in this country.

But most of the time, I just want to be left alone.

"...informs me that as...he's killed 1 guy & been involved in 3 officer involved shootings..." He's lying. He's very likely not nor ever has been a copper either.

Agreed. And I still wonder why some people think this is something to brag about? As a point of reference in a discussion, maybe, but just as idle range conversation?

"Hi, I'm Joe Jerkmeoff and I'm a badass cop. Done killed my first perp and been in three more shootings. Anything you need to know about shooting that there pistoly, I'm your guy."

Unbelievable.

Any guy that brags he killed a man (without much prompting) probably never killed anyone. Its the same with military people- the quiet guy who doesn't even mention he served is the one who killed 20 Iraqis and got a medal... the loud-mouth who says he was running secret ops into Syria is the guy who sat in a tent in Kuwait cleaning out latrines.

In my day, it was the Vietnam "special forces" impersonators. You know the type--you saw them at gun shows wearing camo BDUs (bloused, naturally) pants, or field jackets with various unit insignia and patches, or my favorite yet, the ever present (mandatory, maybe?) t-shirts with all the cute slogans like "Special Forces. Mess with the best, die like the rest."

Or the timeles, enduring and MUST-HAVE for the phony soldier, "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out."

These are the folks who would strut around the gun show (some would actually fake a limp or bad leg) with an AR or mini-14 slung on their back, tell their BS Green Beret or Army Ranger or Marine Recon stories to anyone who'd listen.

One day, a real Army Ranger friend of mine asked one of these phonies what his MOS was. The guy told him. My buddy smiled and said loudly enough for the whole table of lookers to hear, "Why, you weren't a Green Beret in DaNang. You were a motor pool sergeant in the Phillipines!"

It took us a good ten minutes to quit guffawing and laughing at that poor schmuck.

Jeff

 

[alsaqr]

You handled Mr. Wonderful better than i could have.

Do most of my shooting on an excellent range at Ft. Sill. Everyone there is great and range safety is stringently enforced. Lots of Colonols and a couple of retired Generals shoot there. You never know who they are unless they are in uniform. Everyone there is helpful and nearly any of us will stop shooting to help a new shooter or a shooter who is having problems.

We have a farm 75 miles from Lawton. The place has a range with a covered shooting bench and butts to 175 yards: Soon it will extend to about 250 yards. Sometimes i go there to shoot by myself.

 

[Treo]

12Bs ( one two bees)

While stationed at Evans Army Hospital ( Ft. Carson Co.) I had a guy walk into my office and tell me that he was in charge of the medical records for a paticular unit. I thought that this was fairly interesting since I happened to be in charge of the records for the unit in question. Anyway long story short the guy asked me to release a dependant record to him ( He & somebodies wife were cheating & he was trying to get her record for some reason) I said something to the effect of " Come on now specialist since you're in charge of theses records surely you're aware that you have to submit a D.A form so & so in triplicate to get those records, go get me one of those & I'll hook you right up. after he left I put a do not release except to GOD hold on the records in question, and contacted the guys CO to tell him that if I ever saw homeboy in my office again I was callin CID.

 

[robmkivseries70]

Treo,
You did fine, I knew a real cop who never shot anybody; though, he was one of the most abusive, screwed up people I had ever met. Not at all unlike the one you've described. One could never be in condition white around him. Luckily, for society, he died an early natural death.
Best,
Rob

 

[Jim K]

Unfortunately, I have known nasty, abusive police officers, most of whom were ex-military and had nothing but contempt for "civilians." If you really want to get a guy like that hosed, he committed assault when he put his hand toward you and committed battery when he touched you. Further, if he was carrying a gun at the time, he committed those crimes while armed, which will be good for five additional years in some states.

If he is not a LEO, then he is also impersonating an officer, an offense real cops take pretty seriously.

One thing you could do is to politely ask to see his ID, and also ask his department and badge number and the name of his chief or precinct captain. That takes the starch out of the nasties pretty quick, and if they won't respond, you know they are fakes. Any police officer, even if not making an arrest, is required to show his badge and ID any time he states that he is a police officer, and you have a right to demand it.

Jim

 

[Deanimator]

I'm working on a variation of " Excuse me, but I'm just not comfortable being touched by people I don't know. "

When he touches you, ask "Do you think I'm hot? Wanna go somewhere?"

When he gets all flustered, say "Hey, you were the one hitting on ME!"