Big Calhoun
Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2006
- Messages
- 554
I was at the local shop and range this Saturday to testfire my new Bushmaster XM15....LOADS of fun, BTW! I'm becoming a long-gun convert...but I digress...
While settling my range tab, I noticed a gentleman perusing the guns. It's a gun shop, that's what you're supposed to do. He looked at a few here and there, declined help from the salesman, and then left. No big deal, half of my shop visits are to figure out what I want next w/o actually buying at that moment.
So I'm packing things in the trunk of my car and I notice the same gentleman outside, but he's talking to a female. They are kind of huddled together on the sidewalk, looking at something. Two or three times, the female gets ready to go back into the store, but then turns around to ask the guy something. Based on all this behavior, I started wondering if I was witnessing a potential straw purchase going into play.
So I sat in my car with the engine running trying to decide what to do...do I go inside and say something, or do I just mind my own business? What happens if what I think I saw doesn't match reality and a embarassing situation arises? What if what I saw was a straw purchase being setup and then I read my favorite gunstore has been closed down. I mean, it was nerve racking b/c I didn't want to cause anyone any trouble, but I also didn't want to be complicit in an illegal situation.
So I got out of my car and started looking around like I lost something, muttered a curse word or two, and went back into the store. I asked the gent I had just paid if I could talk to him away from the counter and explained what I thought I saw. He confirmed their identities and mentioned that they were in a class and out on a break. Phew! He thanked me for being honest, we parted ways, and I drove home thinking what a dumb-butt I had been.
I mean, has anyone faced this kind of situation before? What do you look for? The way they were huddled together and the walking in and out of the store kind of raised a flag for me. I didn't think about there being a class becuase I had gotten to the range early and they usually cone-off a bunch of spots; I didn't see that this particular morning.
I guess I'm really wondering if I acted on the side of caution ultimately in error, or did I over react? Has anyone actually witnessed this type of situation going down?
I know, lots of questions...I'm trying to become better educated and aware...
While settling my range tab, I noticed a gentleman perusing the guns. It's a gun shop, that's what you're supposed to do. He looked at a few here and there, declined help from the salesman, and then left. No big deal, half of my shop visits are to figure out what I want next w/o actually buying at that moment.
So I'm packing things in the trunk of my car and I notice the same gentleman outside, but he's talking to a female. They are kind of huddled together on the sidewalk, looking at something. Two or three times, the female gets ready to go back into the store, but then turns around to ask the guy something. Based on all this behavior, I started wondering if I was witnessing a potential straw purchase going into play.
So I sat in my car with the engine running trying to decide what to do...do I go inside and say something, or do I just mind my own business? What happens if what I think I saw doesn't match reality and a embarassing situation arises? What if what I saw was a straw purchase being setup and then I read my favorite gunstore has been closed down. I mean, it was nerve racking b/c I didn't want to cause anyone any trouble, but I also didn't want to be complicit in an illegal situation.
So I got out of my car and started looking around like I lost something, muttered a curse word or two, and went back into the store. I asked the gent I had just paid if I could talk to him away from the counter and explained what I thought I saw. He confirmed their identities and mentioned that they were in a class and out on a break. Phew! He thanked me for being honest, we parted ways, and I drove home thinking what a dumb-butt I had been.
I mean, has anyone faced this kind of situation before? What do you look for? The way they were huddled together and the walking in and out of the store kind of raised a flag for me. I didn't think about there being a class becuase I had gotten to the range early and they usually cone-off a bunch of spots; I didn't see that this particular morning.
I guess I'm really wondering if I acted on the side of caution ultimately in error, or did I over react? Has anyone actually witnessed this type of situation going down?
I know, lots of questions...I'm trying to become better educated and aware...