Posted on 10/16/2013 6:02:14 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Bear Cothran works–or rather, worked–at a Shell station in Nashua, NH. Over the weekend, in the wee hours of the morning, a large guy with a knife entered the store, demanded money and, according to Cothran, threatened to kill him if he didn’t cooperate.
Cothran is a lawful New Hampshire gun owner, he had his gun on him, so he drew the gun and the robber left post-haste. Yay, the good guys win!
Uh…no.
At 11:20 [Monday] morning, Bear received a phone call from his boss, informing him that, in spite of his status as a 10-year employee in good standing and both the store and district managers going to bat for him, he was being terminated. Nouria Energy, the franchise owner of the store (as well as the majority of the other Shell stations in the southern NH area), has a policy prohibiting employees from carrying weapons while on the clock. Bear was let go without any manner of severance for violating this policy.
Boo, the “your guns scare us!” crowd wins.
For his part, Bear seems to have the right perspective:
“I have a fiancee who I love very much, step-children I love, our first grandchild is due in December. Given the situation, and the way the man who tried to rob me was acting, I truly believe if I didn’t defend myself I wasn’t going to be coming home to see my family,” said Cothran.
“I can find another job, one way or another. I may be out of employment for months, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Nobody’s hurt, everybody gets to go home, that’s what matters to me,” Cothran said.
The store has the right to set policy. The store has the right to enforce that policy. And the store also has the right to overlook/temporarily suspend/change its policy.
I’ll say this: If I’m a robber with a knife, I’m headed to that Shell station. Management has done the hardest part of my job for me.
The REAL explanation is that Shell, like every other robbery target business, doesn’t want gun fights on their property. Don’t fight back has been the rule in the service industry for at least 30 years, the money is insured, getting people killed in a cross fire is bad for business.
No disagreement on the scumminess of the clients.
I am simply trying to explain the rules put in place by the owners.
In many states the liabilities of shooting someone who is trying to rob you are astronomical. I do not believe that NH has a stand your ground rule, I could be mistaken. I know in MA you practically have to walk the robber to his car, wash his windows, and ask if there is anything else you can do for him.
I appreciate the guy’s dilemma. He just picked the wrong store to work in.
“I Just Wanted To Go Home To My Family”
Sorry,that line only works for uniformed officers of the State you peon.
I know it sounds bad, but it is there to protect the employees and customers. Having worked at a bank where two people were shot dead in the 80’s, I can tell you that it is better to just hand over the money and be done with it.
I guess it is just better to hand the air planes over and be done with it.
BS bending over and kissing your butt good bye isn’t a good idea. It is the idea pushed by the anti gun anti freedom types.
Just an FYI....insurance companies are not all that politically correct. They are risk averse. Evidently, their statistics indicate a lower risk by handing the money over, rather than engaging in a shoot out.
Its not philosophical. Its practical.
Go ahead and carry your gun wherever you wish. I don’t care. I am not going to rob anyone...at least not without being armed myself.
But don’t say the numbers are not true.
YOUR mileage may vary. But thousands of incidents over the years will provide a more accurate picture.
I thought Glock, Smith & Wesson, and others were insurance companies.
You guys just don’t get it.
Everything is a bang bang shoot em up adventure.
Except, the first thing that happens to most people when there is a gone in their face is that they shit their pants. No matter how well trained you are.
In my professional life, I have always advocated the course that will result in the fewest people getting killed.
If I only cared about the “bad” guys, I would be on board with shooting them. The problem is the employee, and anyone else in the line of fire.
But, as I said, your mileage may vary.
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