Whyyyyy do people pester me whhhhhy (While buying a gun)

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I am in the store looking at AK47s and the guy behind the counter is telling me to get a Glock, see he has a Glock. So he starts going on about the wonders of polymer and I tell him I actually going to get a HK as my next pistol and I have nothing against polymer, just the Glocks ergonomics. I had to give him the exact same "but it doesn't fit in my hand right and I can't hit the broadside of a barn with one" answer to every comment about why Glocks are the best pistol ever made, all the while I'm thinking *** dose a Glock have to do with an AK47?

I was in a Bass Pro Shop and a gentleman was asking the guy at the counter for a .44magnum firearm. He obviously didn't have much knowledge in firearms but the guy at the counter decided to be a dick about it.

Customer- I want a .44 magnum.
Sales man- We have lots of guns in the store you need to be more specific.
Customer- A .44 magnum.
Sales man- The store is filled with guns and I'm not going to go to the back and start opening boxes and looking at every single one trying to find one thats a .44 magum so tell me what kind of gun you want.
Customer- Do you have any guns in .44 magnum?
Sales man(now yelling)- I told you we have lots of guns now which one do you want?

The sales man was being completely rude and the customer was becoming more and more timid so I jumped in and pointed to the only two .44 magnums on display a Ruger Super Redhawk and Ruger Super Blackhawk and politely said that they were the only two in the case that were chambered for the .44 magnum. The customer started to look at them from behind the glass and as I walked away I heard the sales man say "WHICH ONE! THERE ARE LOTS OF GUNS IN THE CASE". I didn't go back, and haven't been back since.
 
I have had the luck of seeing an actual criminal attempt to buy guns. It was pretty funny overall.

I'm in the local shop picking up a bore brush for my shotgun when this black guy walks in dripping in gold and marches up the counter and says, "I'z goin' deer huntin' I'z needin' a deer huntin' rifle." The clerk is being to motion towards the lever actions and bolt actions, but the guy points at a sporterized mauser in a scout stock. "Whata bout dat one up there?" Then he sees a mak90 AK clone and immediately points it out, "I want dat one right there." The clerk then tells him that they don't have any of the 5rd magazines he'd need for hunting with it. "Dats ok I get one across town." The guy then wants a pistol and gets the bersa thunder 45. He pulls out a fat fat wallet and pulls his money out. Before the clerk gets the paperwork together, the guy gets a call on his cellphone and during this load conversation says "Tyrone's in intensive care. Its on now." So our clerk says the right thinks during his call to ATF to get the 3 day waiting period while the guy is talking on his cellphone outside. Clerk puts the guns behind counter, and the guy comes back for them. Clerk tells him that there will be a 3 day wait on them. The guy isn't happy but he leaves. 3 days later, this drug dealer from nashville is called to pick up his guns and 2 cops are waiting for him when he foolishly shows up. The gunshop keeps 10% of cash for restocking fee. Turns out he had a fake ID but ended up using his real one by accident too.
 
Just wanted to kinda make people aware of how prejudices can alter your interaction with people who are just different.
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tired of the whole a book cannot be told by its cover BeeEss. the book is OFTEN read by its cover. I know some go about live trying to look like someones OTHER cover... but that leads to trouble... period.

everyone in life does "profiling" mostly its based on what they grew up with, the things they have seen or not seen etc etc... its a human function that can't be un done... it wont' be un done... we'd have to migrate to a society that all of a sudden was all the same for it to ever happen.

That being said ... if you decide your "look" is going to be something that is considered "gangsta" or "tactical" or hell "white geek" ... then expect to be treated that way.. i know its so NOT politically correct to say that these days... but what else to people have to go on before even the 1st word is said but on what you "look" like... its the hight of stupidity to assume that someone has to interact with you before they make any kind of judgment about you. if you are an African American running around w/ shorts waistbands lower than yer knee's w/ a cock-eyed hat assume they are goin to treat you like that... if yer a white guy w/ black pants and a white shirt w/ taped together glasses expect they are going to treat you like that... i know those are extreme examples... but the point is every one...EVERY ONE makes clear cut timely impressions based on how ANYONE looks... duh...

YOU have the choice on what impression you are going to give. I know that todays society is so un-used to being responsible for their own choices but in the end ... thats what it amounts to. Don't want someone to make automatic judgments about you... don't fall into the stereotypes. They are stereotypes for a reason..... (more dots)

i know the above is concise logical common sense thinking... but that seems to be in the minority these days. (common that is)

J/Tharg!
 
Tharg, the problem with judging people for looking "gangsta" is that you are going to be wrong almost all of the time. What most suburban white adults and rural folks consider to be "gangsta" is not just how "thugs" dress but also the vast majority of inner city black teens and even many (in some areas most) white and black suburban middle class kids. Heck, I work in a rural high school and about half the kids dress in a way most adults would consider "gangsta" or "thuggish". Remember back when you were a teen and how annoyed you were at being judged for not dressing like an adult (which few teens do anyway). Remember as well that most of the good kids dressed in ways that had adults looking at them strangely as well, and you'll realize that about as many people dressed as "thugs" are actually criminal as are the number of people dressed as rednecks or even dressed "normally".
 
^Exactly what I was trying to say. Glad not everyone just accepts stereotypes.

tired of the whole a book cannot be told by its cover BeeEss. the book is OFTEN read by its cover. I know some go about live trying to look like someones OTHER cover... but that leads to trouble... period.
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I'm not saying that you are wrong. It's just that the problem is that a lot of people are ignorant of what that cover really means. I agree that it is one of those things that is not easily changed, but there is no excuse for ignorance. People will also see a vague similarity in two peoples "covers" and put them in the same group.

I'm a 19 year old male. I get a lot of **** just because of that even though I try and be fairly responsible. I have had people tell me that the driving age should be 20 something because of all the wrecks they see in the paper. I had someone refuse to ride in the car if I was driving because they thought I would wreck. The truth is I have a perfect driving record so far and have only been pulled over once. Don't forget about the minority of any group that doesn't make the headlines. This minority can often be a rather large percent of the group.
 
YOu van not judge a book by its cover that is true but it is one indication about a person, just liek personal hygne. GIW we dress says something about us it is how we market ourselves to the world, good or bad right or wrong the first thing you notice about a person is how they dress, the next is how they speak. YOU should not base your entire judgement of a person on just how they dress just like you should not make any decission based on only partial information if you can help it. How ever basic marketing rules apply, If the cover of a book looks really boring to you then chances are you will not buy it or read the back cover to see what it is about.
 
You can get a good first impression of a book by its cover, but only if you are well informed of the subject matter. It takes a bit if inner city street savvy to tell the difference between the thugs, the ones that play the part and the ones that just buy their clothes from the same place.
 
monkey, YOu are right the more educated or exposed you are to any subject the better or more accurate your judgment, but still the truth is regardless of how much experience one has on a subject you still have a first impression based on how a person looks. Weithr they are or want to be a ganster they choose to present that look, that is how they want to be viewed. Now they have lots of reasons for why they want to be seen that way, made they are trying to impress some people made the girls think it's hot or whatever the reason but at the same time ther people have different views of how that looks.

I have to wear a suit to work everyday, it is part of presenting a professional image,it is one part of the image just like speaking properly etc. I f a person knows alot about suites then they may recognize the quality and that may give them a little more insight. Buy my general target market think ok here is a proefssional, while others may see me and think he is a old stuff shirt un cool blah blah blah.

You pick who you want to send a message too and then dress according to the message you want to send.
 
Houston - You make a good point. For a lot of kids "its just the style". They don't dress like gangsters, they just buy their clothes at the mall.
 
Weithr they are or want to be a ganster they choose to present that look
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You see a lot about people choosing to "dress like a gangster" and showing what they aspire to or somesuch on this site...

Actually, most kids (HS and college kids often dress this way) aren't trying to look like gangsters. What many adults see as gangster, is hip hop. The kids dressing like this usually are trying to look hip hop, not gangster. There is a big difference, whether we (us older folks) see it or not.
 
Think back about 10-20 years and try to remember the big rock scene. They weren't trying to look homeless, it was "grunge". :p
 
Think back about 10-20 years and try to remember the big rock scene. They weren't trying to look homeless, it was "grunge".
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I had some friends who resembled that remark...Actually so did I, but I was into the look a few years before the grunge scene. By the time it hit, I was looking pretty presentable.
 
Why do you have to point out that he was white? You stereotyping whites??? :eek::neener:
 
PJO'Rourke : " Pull up your pants , turn your hat around , and get a job. "

A selected fashion/"look" is a statement. Everyone is aware of this. it is a deliberate choice.

If there is a difference between Hiphop , Gangsta , or L.A. County Jail I don't care. A person who dresses like this is telling "Square America" that they are street smart , hipper than thou , familiar with drugs , gang , crime and potentially violent.

Cowboy boots , jeans , a long underwear shirt with a T shirt over it , and a well worn ball cap : tells the world that you are competant with tools , a 4 wheeler , manual labor , deer hunting.

Lime green chino's , a Polo collared shirt , with a pastel sweater's sleeves tied over your shoulders tells the world you golf and your wife dresses you.

Can you fill in the blanks as to which guns these people will be percieved to own : ?

1. Stolen or unlicensed Glock
2. Overunder 2000 dollar shotgun
3. Winchester 30-06.

If one is unaware of the statements you make to society when he puts on his clothes each morning I suggest restarting the kindergarten socialization process ...
 
I can honestly say that I have never been repulsed by any other gun owners or have I ever been exposed to gun snobbery while at a range or shop.

Once the wife and I were at the public range when 2 guys showed up in camo and face paint to shoot their guns. Don't really know what that was about and we kinda got a chuckle out of it.

Gun owners I have met have been pretty friendly.
 
EVERY ONE makes clear cut timely impressions based on how ANYONE looks... duh...
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Very well said.....and it is the FIRST thing we do while applying good Situational Awareness is it not.......You do a quik profile of the ppl around you and you focus on the ppl you think could be trouble. Everyone will be watched but the ones that catch your eye as questionable will be watched much closer.

Here is a test....
Pay attention to how you watch ppl as you go throughout your day. Who do you keep your eyes on the most. I will bet you $10 you dont look twice at the lawyer sitting 3 tables down and you probly didnt even notice when he walked in the door. But the 20yo with saggy pants, shirt 3 sizes to big and sideways hat gets your attention....
I will not say I dont do this to, because I do. I just cant believe that anyone on this forum is saying not to stereotype/profile because its not poltically correct. Everyone with any kind of Situational Awareness does it.

Its not just how they look but also body language/personality too.

If i see someone that is dressed like a street punk, I will be much more leary of him than if he was well dressed.

GRANTED....Innocent ppl get profiled all the time and YES, many for the wrong reasons.
 
wow this thread is ripe in hypocritical statements and almost flat out racism and profiling.

that aside just cause some one DRESSES some way. doesnt mean crap. judge on actions, words, and attitude.

the last 3 days iv been into gun shops wearing

White Collard shirt, black dress pants, black dress belt, clean shaven

levis Jeans, work boots, white hanes T shirt, brown Dickies jacket, worn Schlitz Beer hat. stubble.

stained jeans, worn Chuck Taylors, ska Band t Shirt, partial beard, and a red wine hangover that could kill a horse.

each of those "persona's" are just how i needed to dress for the day.

the dress shirt and pants, clean shaven is my acual ocupational get up.

the levis jeans, boots, and T is my day off, work on the car/go to the range/ down some trees cloths

the Chuck taylor, ska band combo, is my social wear.

just like you dont hunt with a glock, or enter a skeet shoot with a goose gun. dress and even grooming or general looks dont change what i may or may not know about guns. and more then not thats more than the shop workers.
The
 
They pester you because you let them pester you. Be a little more assertive and tell them to shove off, if they do not then tell the store clerk the sale is not about to be complete if the annoying one does not leave you alone. Works every time.
 
I SWEAR TO G-D YOU GUYS!

ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M SENDING ALL OF YOU BILLS FOR THE:

- monitors I've ruined spitting coffee on, or shooting it out of my nose
- keyboards that I've done the same too

and most importantly

- underwear and pants I've pissed myself in from laughing too damn hard! (yes, there is a point at which you laugh so hard that your bladder says, "Wha?! WHat?!!! HUH!!!!? Oh CRAP! I'm missing the party!!!!!!"

!!!!! :cuss::cuss::cuss::cuss::cuss:
 
You'd think that some marketing genius might think that it was a good idea to have a semi-private area available to complete paperwork and just generally get away from the crowd while inspecting weapons for sale. That being absent,sometimes you need to get rude and say "unless this is my lucky day and you are buying me a gun,take a hike".
 
"Cowboy boots , jeans , a long underwear shirt with a T shirt over it , and a well worn ball cap : tells the world that you are competant with tools , a 4 wheeler , manual labor , deer hunting."

or smoking/cooking large amounts of crystal meth and beating your wife in your trailer home whilst pounding back schlits and chewin on some skoal. see how that whole sterotyping thing works both ways there bud??
 
In another life I was a patch flying biker (still ride, don't fly a patch) and remember with amusement the old lady in the Mercedes who hit the door locks as I passed her car on the way into the Kwickee-Mart. I had hair down to my shoulders, an ear ring, wearing my "originals" (levis you never wash- mine contained so much grease that water would bead up on them), and a sleeveless leather vest with a skull on it. I also had a job and went to school and to this day have never been in trouble with the law. I work at Boeing, which does not hire people with any serious criminal records, and at least half of the young people dress in the hip-hop/gangsta style. I think you can learn a lot more about people by listening to them for a bit than looking at them. Oh, and yeah I did enjoy wigging out the squares back in the days before riding a Harley was respectable and there was no such thing as Rubbies (Rich Urban Bikers)- now I'm just a fat old White guy hoping to make it to retirement without getting caught in the aerospace layoff cycle first.
 
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