Crazy! Retired 71yo cop kills a moviegoer over TEXTING!

Parent Cafe
981

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<p>Unfortunately, you’re in a tiny minority and the cops giving the public safety presentation I attended addressed how one can never assume other members of the public would be polite, rational, and/or won’t lash out when corrected by others for their behavior. </p>

<p>I’ve seen far too many instances of other members in the public react badly when corrected on behavior…whether it was parents in PTA meetings in junior high school, passengers on the bus/subway, and other public venues. </p>

<p>A reason why I agree with the cops’ public safety presentation’s advice of finding cops or other responsible authorities and to avoid getting oneself involved in what could easily turn into a nasty rapidly escalating confrontation. Especially considering that was exactly what led to this shooting. </p>

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<p>I’ve never had my phone go off. When I have it on and with me, it’s always set to vibrate or silent…no ringers. When I go to houses of worship or other places where quiet is expected, shut it off or if I’m extra concerned, take the battery out.</p>

<p>If someone else asks me to hold their cell for them in those venues, I’d ask them to turn it off before handing it to me or they can ask someone else. </p>

<p>When ringers go off in such venues, I would be one of those folks who’d stare at the offender. </p>

<p>One time which sticks out for me was doing so in the middle of a lecture at a summer class taken at an Ivy during the first week. </p>

<p>I couldn’t believe students could be so oblivious to not turn off the cell before the start of lecture and worse, allow it to ring for 10 minutes at a volume loud enough for 300 students plus prof and TFs to hear. That incident was one factor in getting the Prof to demand all cell phones be shut off and placed in a box watched by him and TFs in the front of the lecture hall. Anyone failing to do so would have points deducted from the final grade as “negative class participation.” That put everyone on notice and there were no more cell troubles from that point on. </p>

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<p>What is really strange though, and this is the truth, the priest in casket…I swear one of his eyes cracked open a little bit to see what was going on when the phone was blasting la cucaracha right next to him.</p>

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<p>Perhaps those cops should be giving presentations on social discourse and how to get along with your fellow human being (am being slightly facetious). It is a truly sad state of affairs if the people who would feel badly if something they did bothered others are in the small minority. Its unfortunate if ours has become an uncivilized nation. Actually, I dont believe that to be true, and as the old adage says, I believe that most (not all) people are good at heart. But there are definitely some jerks out there.</p>

<p>And there is an important distinction between someone being assertive and someone being aggressive, and its equally important to use good judgment as to where and when to choose to be assertive. Just because a person can be assertive doesn’t mean they should. They might choose to be passive in a situation even though they could have spoken up. This doesn’t make them a doormat. But they defititely shouldnt be aggressive, as the escalating situation in FL shows. </p>

<p>Where I live we had a horrific traffic mess a few weeks ago. The kindness of stangers was wonderful. Sure there were also people who got out of their vehicles and carried on with each other. But no one got into fistfights and no one got shot, even though the situation was abysmal and nerves were frayed. I mumbled a few choice expletives to myself in the privacy of my own vehicle about the level of intelligence of some of the idiots who decided the road was for their personal use and tried to go around people, and admit to having a small sense of pleasure when one particular obnoxious fool got stuck and blocked others, and they remained stuck when many of us were ultimately able to get around them. </p>

<p>So fast forward 2 weeks and here we go again. Everyone in the store stocking up on supplies (amazing how many people seem think oreos, m&m,s potato chips and pretzels are emergency stalples, judging by the contents of their carts, LOL ) It was crowded, but people were kind to each other, and let people with small quantites go in front of some with big cartloads. People were polite, and considerate. No jerks and counter jerks. No one fighting over the bags of kitty litter like you might see brides-to-be fighting over dresses at Filene’s basement.</p>

<p>Its pathetic that there are people who will shoot others in a gas station for playing loud music (and claim they saw a rifle and/or wee threatened) and that civility an all to many cases has gone the way of the dodo bird.</p>

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<p>A cellphone rang for 10 minutes? Really? </p>

985

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I think the problem is that the jerks are disproportionately the ones who are doing the annoying things–the really good-at-heart people aren’t talking during the movie, etc. So your chances of having an unpleasant encounter if you complain are elevated. There is an interesting book about this phenomenon: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/■■■■■■■■-A-Theory-Aaron-James/dp/0385535651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392144414&sr=8-1&keywords=■■■■■■■■”>http://www.amazon.com/■■■■■■■■-A-Theory-Aaron-James/dp/0385535651/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392144414&sr=8-1&keywords=■■■■■■■■&lt;/a&gt;. The basic premise of this book is that some people just don’t think the rules apply to them. In this case, there may have been a collision of two people like that–but only one of them had a gun.</p>

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<p>There’s a difference between “correcting behavior” and making a polite request. </p>

<p>If I had my phone out and it bothered someone, I would really prefer they POLITELY ask (not command) me if I would please turn it off than have them immediately go report me to the manager. That just seems petty.</p>

<p>I would politely ask someone if they could please turn off their phone if it bothered me. I would not be terrified that someone would shoot me if I asked very nicely, though I wouldn’t necessarily believe that everyone would respond politely. If they respond with “indignant” belligerence and refuse, fine, I’m off to the manager if it bothers me that much.</p>

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<p>People can be really belligerent if you tell them they are misbehaving. When my daughter was playing travel soccer, one season I had the thankless task of being the person who was supposed to enforce the decorum rules among parents. (Hard to believe this was needed, but it was.) Things like not yelling at the umpire, not coaching the girls from the sidelines, etc. Seemingly normal people would get very angry if you said anything to them about their behavior. They respond a little better if a person with actual authority says something.</p>

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<p>He had a problem with theater texting. But, the other texters he admonished stated that he did it politely. Some were creeped out but no-one accused him of yelling at them. But, he definitely wanted all phones put away during previews.</p>

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<p>Hunt,</p>

<p>Did they know you were acting as an agent for the team, Hunt, or did they think you were just some othe parent sticking your nose in where it didn’t belong?</p>

<p>I once, not all that long ago, had volunteered at a large function (think fundraiser fair) at our house of worship. It was a public event with lots of people I didnt know. The job I signed up to do got changed, and instead they gave me an orange security vest and told me that they’d been having some propblems with people being where they weren’t supposed to be, so would I mind being a “security” person to keep people out of the building who weren’t supposed to be there by (a) reminding people that they were not to use the inside facilities (unless they were a vendor) and to point them to the outside port-a-potties, and (b) not to eat inside the facility. Most people were fine, respectful and well behaved. Some of the teenagers talked back, but most everyone else was fine. There’s a funny story about this that we still laugh about (I accidentally, though very politely, kicked out the spouse of a new clergy because I didnt know who she was, and they were eating on the floor). We laugh about it to this day. </p>

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<p>"Hey wait a second - in one place he claims his glasses got knocked off and something hit him in the eye (and he claimed he still felt like he had something in his eye) yet, right after he shot he “pushed back his glasses and said “holy *** what have I done?” Sounds like his glasses were on, not knocked off…”</p>

<p>lol…exactly.</p>

<p>I bet he also had no idea that there was a camera in there. </p>

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<p>Who is “he”, actingmt??</p>

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<p>Oh sorry. He is Reeves. There was an article interviewing the texters that he’d asked to stop on previous occasions. One girl said he followed her to the bathroom or something and another group said he kept glaring at them. But, they did all say his initial contact was a polite request to please stop texting.</p>

993

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They knew I had the job, but they were still nasty. Maybe I needed a vest or something to increase my authoritay.</p>

994

<p>Side note, but a met an older man yesterday. He had an extremely high pressured job before retiring. He hates cell phones, computers (interferred with his doing his job), FL drivers, FL people, FL doctors. He’s a black/white thinker, his way or the wrong way. His had altercations with drivers and people in markets. If this man was allowed to carry a gun, it would be scary. I could not help but think of Reeves.</p>

<p>Did I mention cell phones? He thinks they should be banned from waiting rooms and restaurants and stores. </p>

<p>PS I appreciate all the information included in this thread. CPT, I agree you are a saint to have MO and MIL with you.</p>

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<p>Lizard, if I’d been at that funeral, I would have been thrown out, not you, when your phone went off. I’d burst out laughing. That had to be a hoot. Not to the family of the deceased, I guess, but I’m snickering right now. Not a good ringtone for restaurants either, heh he.</p>

<p>Jym, really, they are less trouble than my kids. My mother is more the pain because she is so picky about her food. She wouldn’t last anywhere else. Nearly killed here when she was at a hospital for a couple of days for tests–I took her out,. They didn’t care if she at and she’s not 70 lbs. So she’s here with me till one of us dies.</p>

<p>My MIL has been on the edge of having to be put in nursing home, because I’m not willing to do a whole lot of caretaking, but she’s been too little trouble to push it after she was stabilized, but if things tip the other way, she’s out of here. No saint here. It’s really not a whole lot of trouble.</p>

<p>But the aggression and nasty temper was something that would have definitely made here persona non grata anywhere, and it came out of no where from this woman who never talked or acted that way. That’s why I wonder with Reese if this isn’t happening to him. I hope so. I find it hard to believe just ordinary people could react that way over being dissed. Far more comforting that some erosion of mental processes was occurring. </p>

<p>I agree, Hunt, that had you been known to be in some official capacity, it would have been better received I got the same thankless job for middle school football. I had the parents all together right as the game started and said I’d been asked by the coach and principal to remind everyone of decorum rules of the league and behavior code of the school, and went over them. But then, I was such a fixture at that school by then, and quite the relic as I’m older than most of my youngest’s peers’ parents, so there did not appear to be any issues. I 've not had that problem, but then I don’t tend to interact much with strangers. The texting, as I said earlier, doesn’t bother me in the least from strangers. </p>

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That’s exactly what all saints say.</p>

997

<p>Seriously, my kids have aged me more.</p>

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<p>I have a big, long wooden sign (kinda looks like a a long wooden paddle) from a local PGA golf tournament. Its says “Hush Y’all” kinda like this one, only mine is solid wood. Wonder if holding it up from the stands would have given you, hunt or cptofthehouse, the authoritah you were charged with having. My orange vest left me with no feeling of power. Maybe I should have considered wearing it around the house…</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.google.com/search?q=photo+hush+y’all+for+golf+tournament&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS464US464&espv=210&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kHv6UqWjOqn80gGWg4Fo&ved=0CFMQsAQ&biw=1152&bih=779#facrc=_&imgrc=6t0-WzfQlUd3EM%253A%3BvCNnWlM1UKrZ5M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F0.tqn.com%252Fd%252Fmemphis%252F1%252F0%252FP%252F2%252F-%252F-%252F06_FED_0874_sb.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmemphis.about.com%252Fod%252Fgolf%252Fig%252F2006-FedEx-St--Jude-Classic%252FHush-Y-all.htm%3B640%3B427”>https://www.google.com/search?q=photo+hush+y’all+for+golf+tournament&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS464US464&espv=210&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kHv6UqWjOqn80gGWg4Fo&ved=0CFMQsAQ&biw=1152&bih=779#facrc=_&imgrc=6t0-WzfQlUd3EM%253A%3BvCNnWlM1UKrZ5M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F0.tqn.com%252Fd%252Fmemphis%252F1%252F0%252FP%252F2%252F-%252F-%252F06_FED_0874_sb.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmemphis.about.com%252Fod%252Fgolf%252Fig%252F2006-FedEx-St--Jude-Classic%252FHush-Y-all.htm%3B640%3B427&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>As I said, I’ve not had the problem, but then I’ve not been in such situations much. I’d have liked that sign for my kids, heh, heh. </p>

1000

<p>It is a conversation piece. And the threat (though not real threat) of being whopped with that thing is probably sufficient to get compliance when it is raised.</p>

<p>LOL on the cockroach ringrone going off in a restaurant!!</p>

<p>I always wanted to do a study of personality styles and ringtones. I recall once being in a NE airport. Someones ringtone (which we didnt identify immediately as a ringtone) was someone yelling "ansah da phone. ANSAH DA PHONE!! ANSAH DA DA*M PHONE!!</p>