I may have just thwarted a bank robbery

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Double Maduro

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Dec 30, 2002
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So, I'm in line at the bank.

They have a sign on the door asking customers to remove their sunglasses.

A customer comes in in a hooded sweatshirt, hood up, puled tight, unusual only in that it is a little brisk for just a hooded sweatshirt. He is also wearing sunglasses that he doesn't remove, it is a dark, overcast day.

I get THE FEELING.

I get the feeling so bad that I unbutton the bottom button on my shirt to make it that much easier to get to my weapon.

The customer in line between me and sweatshirt says something to him about the weather and sweatshirt kind of mumbles a response, his voice sounds tight and strained.

Sweatshirt sees me glancing at him and when our eyes meet, I nod at him in a friendly way. He averts his gaze.

After about 2 minutes, sweatshirt leaves the bank. From the direction he was going I knew he was on foot.

When I got to the window I asked the teller, Clueless, if he had noticed sweatshirt. He said no, why? I told him my concerns and reasons.

I noticed a woman, Gorgeous, working at a desk behind the tellers get a concerned look and glance out the windows.

I told Clueless that if I saw sweatshirt when I left that I would let them know. He thanked me and I left.

As I was leaving I thought I saw someone sitting in a car in the lot next door. Got to my Explorer and pulled out my binocs. Nope, just a reflection.

Relaxed.

Too soon.

As I was pulling out of the lot, I saw sweatshirt pacing back and forth on the side street, looking agitated. Pulled back in the lot and as I was parking, sweatshirt started heading back to the bank.

As I was getting out of the truck, sweatshirt noticed me, I am hard to miss, and mouthed "oh, sh==", turned around and headed towards the corner.

I went back in the bank and pointed out sweatshirt to clueless, we could see him pacing back and forth in front of the bank now, looking like he was trying to make a decision. Gorgeous gets up, comes out from behind the counter to a place where she can get a better look.

I finally see sweatshirt start hitting himself with a pair of gloves he has been holding and start walking off down the street. I tell Clueless which direction he is going, give him my card so they can get in touch if they want, he thanks me and I leave.

It has been many years since I got THE FEELING, and that was in a place where the feeling was pretty much normal.

It is nice to know that the instincts are still there.

No one else in the bank noticed a thing. I may have misread the situation, but I got THE FEELING.

I hope that if sweatshirt was up to no good, he got scared enough to rethink his life choices.


Now about the signs asking customers to remove their sunglasses when enterring. When they first started going up I asked a teller about them.

They said, "that way if you rob us we will have a better picture".

When I asked them if they thought that if I was going to rob them I would pay any attention to the sign, I got the same look I got when I asked Clueless if he had noticed sweatshirt.

DM
 
I didn't call the police because sweatshirt hadn't done anything illegal. The only thing that I had to base my concern on was THE FEELING.

The guy may have just been upset about the line in the bank or been having an attack of gas from the lunch he ate.

I also thought that the bank employees should have been the ones to call the Law.

DM
 
Agreed. I would have been on my cell phone in seconds once outside and saw this guy acting the way you described. Even after you told the bank staff, there should have been a quick phone call to the police. They might have been able to grab this guy and at least question him as to just what he was doing.

Even if the guy had done nothing illegal, the actions were spooky at the very least. I don't think the police would have any problems in responding to this deal even if there was no threat.

It sounded like he got scared off but there's always a chance he will come back or try another bank.
 
psshhaaawww! we are deducting 10 points from your ninja-ness. you should have remained incognito and when the sweatshirt got to a teller is when you needed to start doubletapping him. you cant be taking this whole 'preemptive strike' thing too preemptively. :D


seriously though, good job!
 
Should of called the cops, I agree this guy hanging around the bank in that manor he is either stupid or stupid either way better safe than sorry.

Genius has its limits but stupidity knows no bounds…
 
OK, I should have called the police. I think I will do that now though it was a while ago.

DM
 
The Sheriff has been notified. So there.

Actually the numbers on a 10 key are backward from the numbers on a phone so the skills don't translate.

DM
 
"Now about the signs asking customers to remove their sunglasses when enterring. When they first started going up I asked a teller about them.

They said, "that way if you rob us we will have a better picture".

When I asked them if they thought that if I was going to rob them I would pay any attention to the sign, I got the same look I got when I asked Clueless if he had noticed sweatshirt."


A local bank in MPLS put up a sign banning guns. They are in the same building that I work in so I stopped in one day and asked to speak the mgr. I asked him the same question you did about sunglasses. If I was going to rob the bank, did they think I would obey the signs? I kid you not, the guys response was " Well, we are following the law, so we would expect you to as well." I laughed out loud and walked out. What morons.

Good job on your part. Being in condition yellow sure helps. Stay safe.
 
Maybe a call to the police would've been good, but how many here would be all up in arms if they were innocently suspected of something and had the cops called on them? Most would have post after post about how their rights were violated for this and that nad degrade and belittle every officer in the country stereotypically becasue they were inconvienced when they didn't even do anything wrong. It does seem a good reason for a "terry stop" by some boys in blue.
 
My guess is that branch, or at least the people working in it, have never been robbed before.

One of my neighbors works in a branch bank that is located in a not so nice area and they have been robbed before. They have also had guys do what "sweatshirt" did and I can tell you that the people who work in her bank would have noticed him and would have called the cops on him. They have done it before and seem to have been right every time.

I don't know if I would have called the cops when I was in line because I wasn't there but from your description, if I didn't make the call while in line, I sure as hell would have after seeing him leave without making a transaction and then going outside and seeing him pacing around.

Hate to break it to you but it wasn't some mystical "the feeling" that tipped you off, it was just plain ol' common sense. ;)
 
how many here would be all up in arms if they were innocently suspected of something and had the cops called on them? Most would have post after post about how their rights were violated for this and that nad degrade and belittle every officer in the country stereotypically becasue they were inconvienced when they didn't even do anything wrong.
Click to expand...
Well that depends entirely on what the police do once they're called. If they show up and come running in and jump on a fellow because he looks suspicious, I'm afraid I might have to cry foul.

But if two or three of them show up and decide to have their donut hour in the bank lobby, or decide to come do some banking at the exact same teller the funny guy is at? More Power To Them.

Or they could just go up to the guy and start in with the small talk. How long do you think this guy would've kept his nerve if an officer walked up and said, "Hey there, warm weather we're having, eh?"

If he turns around and immediately walks out, without carrying out a transaction, that seems suspicious enough that the officer's pal waiting at the lobby entrance could stop him and play grumpy cop or whatever.

It seems like there are options for dealing with this without even pulling people out of line, or even causing a scene. Are they as easy or satisfying? Probably not.
 
You were right to listen to the feeling. It may be the best weapon anybody has. Like Magnum PI's "Little Voice."

I can't see calling the cops, since you witnessed NO illegal activity and no threats were made against you. It's the bank's money and the bank's choice about who to call. If you call the cops to report your Voice's suspicions, you may find y yourself hauled in. I think you did fine.
 
Wow

Wow.
Your lucky no one noticed you bold move for you carry weapon. If they had you may have ended up talking to the feds. Way to go really I mean that. A gun in a bank, that’s just silly talk. You should go down to your local PD with all your meds in hand and tell them you sick of doing their jobs for them. Oh if the opportunity comes up you should wave you gun around screaming this is the end and the agricultural department gave me a permit for this.

Banks have the FDIC so you really don’t need to worry.

:banghead: 赤悪魔 :banghead:
 
It could be the guy was sick with the chills (sweatshirt) and has eye problems. Seeing the lines and feeling ill he decided to leave.

Saying that and they way you described it I don'tbelieve it. Just fanning the fires.
 
Your lucky no one noticed you bold move for you carry weapon. If they had you may have ended up talking to the feds. Way to go really I mean that. A gun in a bank, that’s just silly talk. You should go down to your local PD with all your meds in hand and tell them you sick of doing their jobs for them. Oh if the opportunity comes up you should wave you gun around screaming this is the end and the agricultural department gave me a permit for this.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if this poster is serious or just being sarcastic. I have had "the feeling" before and unbuttoned the bottom button or two on my shirt. This poster also seems to be under the impression that it is against the law to CCW into a bank. There is no federal law prohibiting CCW into a bank.



Never mind, I just checked his posts and it appears that this poster is a Poser Troll.
 
Norm357 Originally Posted: "I am not sure if this poster is serious or just being sarcastic. I have had "the feeling" before and unbuttoned the bottom button or two on my shirt. This poster also seems to be under the impression that it is against the law to CCW into a bank. There is no federal law prohibiting CCW into a bank."
Click to expand...

True. There are no laws prohibiting CCW into banks or credit unions. Federal buildings, police departments, airports, city or town halls, schools, are a different matter.

Double Maduro Originally Posted: "I didn't call the police because sweatshirt hadn't done anything illegal. The only thing that I had to base my concern on was THE FEELING."
Click to expand...

You may call 911 to report suspicious activity. There doesn't have to be an actual crime in progress for police to come and check things out. If it turns out to be nothing, you will not be hassled for it. Chances are there was a unit within a half mile radius of your location and wouldn't have thought it was too much a burden to swing by.
 
Norm357: "I am not sure if this poster is serious or just being sarcastic

Norm357 I was being Both. BTW As to your poser troll remark
I GOT MY JD FROM UNC
OH ALSO IM A STATE CERTIFIED LEO
AND I UNDERSTAND THE PATRIOT ACT
bonus for me

People of think the see hooded bad guys and get the "feeling" are full of it. he wants a cyber pat on the back.
You can be charged under many diffrent statues for you CCW in place like banks the powers of the tresury department are still undergowing internal policy reforms. It will happen soponer or later in part due to the panic legislation that followed 911

Turus 66 has it right "You may call 911 to report suspicious activity. There doesn't have to be an actual crime in progress for police to come and check things out. If it turns out to be nothing, you will not be hassled for it. Chances are there was a unit within a half mile radius of your location and wouldn't have thought it was too much a burden to swing by."

He gets a high five for add some common sense to this thread. Some of the users on the board act as if tom clancy wrote the holy bible.

BTW get use to my humor I ll be around for a while
 
There is NO federal law about banks. Sorry box-name-guy. Maybe a state or local law may apply in some places, but I carry in banks all day long and twice on Sundays. (well, if they were open on Sundays) I don't give a rat's ass what may be coming down the pike in someone's paranoid Patriot Act fantasy land, if it ain't illegal right now, I'm carrying.

Airports? Again, no federal law. You can't carry beyond the security checkpoint, but, barring state or local laws, in most airports you can diddy-bop right up the counter, into the bar (if legal) the gift shop AND baggage claim. See, flying with a weapon in checked baggage is legal, they have to let you get to the counter in order to do that.

The "feeling" he talks about is widely used by cops as a reason to look more closely at people for actual actionable stuff. The human brain is capable of taking in and analyzing far more info than we necessarily consciously process. The "feeling" people get is usually the brain reacting to that info on a sub-conscious level. There's been studies on this stuff, feel free to read a book.
 
Box Guy,

Gee, for someone who has a JD I would think you could spell better.

For your information, there is no law against carrying in banks in Oregon.

For a newbie, your sense of humor leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of being funny you appear to be an uneducated, irascible, lout who tries to intimidate people by making fun of them.

That sort of behavior doesn't go over very well here.

But thank you for your uneducated ramblings of what you think the law is. You have shown yourself to be someone who makes things up as he goes and who doesn't depend on the truth or correctness of what he says, as long as it helps you win the argument.

It usually takes us much longer to determine the worth of the postings of a newbie, thank you for saving us all a lot of time.

DM
 
dukeofurl,

ROFLMBFAO.

Where did you get the old picture of me? I have to tell you that in the last 11 months I have dropped about 50 lbs. I also quit using the Grecian formula and let my hair and beard revert to their natural platinum. If you want a more recent picture I will send it to you.

DM
 
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