something gnawing at me all week...

[BigK]

At the gun show last weekend I was at a booth looking at a gun. The guy running the booth went to walk around, like they do, leaving his son to hold down the fort. He seemed to know what he was doing and we talked for a minute until a really old man (70'ish) and his wife walked up.

He asked if the stainless Ruger SP101 was SA/DA and the guy told him it was DAO. The old fellow picked it up trying to unhook the security cable without asking and fumble with shaky hands. As the guy tried to unhook it for him the he wrestled with the trigger not even noticing the zip tie.

The guy offered to remove it, if he wanted to get a better feel. The old man nodded and the kid turned around to get some wire cutters. The old man pulled out his little pocket knife and was trying to cut the thick cable tie by the time the guy turned around with the wire dykes. The guy at the booth said 'hold up, let me get that, so you don't scratch it', but the old guy had already slid his knife under the tie and was wrenching at the tie.

Me and the younger guy cringed as he tried to stop him. The old guy was shaky and didn't stop as the young guy tried to take the gun away from him. I thought the old man would accidentally cut him, but he gave up when he couldn't cut through the tie. He got frustrated and finally put the gun down. We immediately noticed a 2" gouge in the metal where the point of the blade had scratched it up pretty deep trying to wrestle the blade under the tie.

When the guy at the booth said, 'hey look, you just scratched it all up', the old man just dismissed it and doddered off. I was speechless and offered to hang around while he went and got somebody. He was scared his dad was going to blame him, but there was NOTHING he could have done. I think the old guy should have had to buy the gun since he damaged it pretty bad. Nobody is gonna be able to overlook this deep gouge. What do you guys think?

Edited June 9, 2012 by BigK

[mikegideon]

We did an event once, and booked David Allan Coe as the talent. Part way into the show, some redneck hurled a beer bottle, and it smashed on DAC's microphone stand. DAC stopped singing, pointed at the guy, and said "somebody kick his ass". A couple of boys from his entourage ran out from behind the stage and kicked his ass. the show continued with one less redneck in the audience.

DAC should have been manning the gun counter that day.

[pops572]

I work in retail, not gun retail(I wish), and some people are just jackholes. Not really anything the guy could have done aside from a tongue lashing, maybe got the promoter to toss the guy out. But you can't make someone buy something. Like my DM has told me when a loss has come up "the cost of doing business". Is it right, no. Should he have to pay, yes. But in our society, the customer is always right(BULL####). I am pretty sure even a vandalism charge, if you could even get a cop to cite him would be thrown out by the court.

[Caster]

Well, see this is where I'm a real jerk. I would have followed him around and when he stopped at another table, I'd have told the person running the booth, hey don't let him touch it, he scratched mine up and didn't care. They'd have to arrest me for harassment because he'd buy the gun he scratched or I'd go out of my way to embarrass him. There's NO call for that.

People are ridiculous. No one even knows the definition of "personal responsibility" anymore.

[DaveTN]

People are ridiculous. No one even knows the definition of "personal responsibility" anymore.

Yes, but that guy doesn’t have that excuse, he was raised during a time when personal responsibility was commonplace. You would not have done that, and if you did you would be expected to buy the gun.

I can’t count the number of times I have seen someone do something stupid while handling a gun.

If you break it you own it.

[hipower]

I can sympathize with you on the event. I almost hate to let people handle my guns. Most are like us and respect others' property, but there's still the chance of an accidental drop or the type of old gentleman referred to here.

Having been behind the sales tables before, I can say one of my biggest peeves is the little kids that parents let run around the tables and handle and try to play with the weapons. Second would have to be the young teens trying to impress each other with their knowledge and gunplay tecniques.

We've started putting out signs to attempt to restrict handling of guns. Doesn't always work, but it is about all that can realistically be done unless you have everthing under some tyoe of enclosed cases.

BTW, one of the most idiotic things I had to contend with was a roughly 40 year old guy who gat royally pissed because I wouldn't let him see if the bag of mags he brought in would fit any of the auto in my case. He didn't know what they were for. The mags looked like they just been dug up from a mud pit.

Oh, what he wanted to try them in were two in the case. Both mint codition guns. An orginal Colt Commander in 38 super and a nickel Colt 1911 that was one of the prettiest I've ever seen.

[BigK]

The vendor had a smallish booth and since his sons were there to help, I assume it's a relatively small gun shop. Big retail outfits can absorb this kind of loss, but that's about a week's worth of groceries to a small shop owner.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I also belive that some older people believe they get a "by" for things like this because they are so old. They see it as something they are due for making it as far as they have. I know the guy didn't do it intentionally but his response was very telling.

As far as respect goes it has nothing to do with age, it has to do with whether you deserve any respect or not. There are young people who have earned my respect as well as old people who don't deserve any. I also get tired of people demanding I respect them in a disrespectful way. First you must be respectful to have me respond in a respectful manner. Second, if I don't know you I don't know if your deserve any of my respect. And third if you are demanding someone's respect respect in the first place you probably don't deserve it.

I will show the common courtesy due as a human but if you are acting like an animal you will get treated like it. With that being said a stranger will not have my respect until I get to know what kind of person they are.

Dolomite

[DaveTN]

I also belive that some older people believe they get a "by" for things like this because they are so old. They see it as something they are due for making it as far as they have. I know the guy didn't do it intentionally but his response was very telling.

As far as respect goes it has nothing to do with age, it has to do with whether you deserve any respect or not. There are young people who have earned my respect as well as old people who don't deserve any. I also get tired of people demanding I respect them in a disrespectful way. First you must be respectful to have me respond in a respectful manner. Second, if I don't know you I don't know if your deserve any of my respect. And third if you are demanding someone's respect respect in the first place you probably don't deserve it.

I will show the common courtesy due as a human but if you are acting like an animal you will get treated like it. With that being said a stranger will not have my respect until I get to know what kind of person they are.

Dolomite

Respecting the authority has nothing to do with respecting the person, or them caring if they “earn†your respect. Some people have problems acknowledging any kind of authority.

If a person comes to your home they may or may not respect you as a person, but they are going to respect your authority as the home owner, or they are going to leave.

When I deal with a Military person or a Police Officer they don’t have to earn my respect; they have already done that by wearing the uniform. They can then do something that causes me to lose respect for them as a person, but I still respect their authority.

I respect the authority of a business owner. I may not agree with the way he does business, but if that is the case I will not do business with him. I don’t pick up guns and start handling them without asking the owner’s permission, I also don’t pick up guns that I have no intention of buying; that is just courtesy.

You are right, if someone is demanding your respect in a disrespectful way they probably don’t deserve it. Unless you are in the military and then we know how that goes.

[Timestepper]

Some people just need to have eggs thrown at them... brick shaped eggs... made of brick...

[Motasyco]

But you can't make someone buy something.

I'm hoping the Supreme Court is going to tell Obama that.

[BigK]

Some people just need to have eggs thrown at them... brick shaped eggs... made of brick...

Nice one...I like that!!

[laktrash]

I like what a guy said at a boat show one time "Hey buddy thats a $30,000 boat your fixin' to buy if you don't get your kid outta of it"

I know he couldn't have made the guy buy it , but did get kid out and moved on.

[TrickyNicky]

What a jerk. I'm with Caster about following him around embarrassing him for the rest of the show.

I've always had a bit of trouble respecting unrespectable individualls, teachers, administrators, even the occasional coworker or boss.

I can remain civil and even down right pleasant with most anyone but my respect is earned, with me, as an individual, with respect.

I also agree with Dolomite, it seems there is a great deal of emphasis placed on respecting and to a certain degree heeding the word/s of the elderly. While on one hand I understand that it takes a certain amount of cunning to survive so long, I've heard some profoundly stupid and down right ignorant opinions out of old mouths, I've also heard profound wisdom from the mouths of babes.

[Jonnin]

Guy was a jerk for sure, but I would gladly buy a new gun with minor surface damage for what the dealer paid for it (and I suspect many other people would too). He should be able to sell the gun for 0 profit, 0 loss, and get on with his life. A small aggravation but the dealer should at least not lose anything.

I know everyone has to hit the can or whatever, but I hate going to a gun show and the person at the booth is a 10 year old or the guy's wife or something. Last one my wife bought a taurus, and the dealer's wife messed it all up --- tried to give her an empty glock box, assured us that the revolver held 6+1 rounds, and in the process of getting her out of the way the dealer failed to give us a recipt. It cannot be that hard to get someone to hold down the booth who can answer basic questions and has the fortitude to say "I have no idea, but my husband/father/buddy will be right back and can help you!".

[Guest bkelm18]

Mark that gun down and somebody will snatch it up. I doubt it was the dealer's grocery money for a week. The profit margin on a single firearm just isn't that big. He could easily sell it for no profit no loss. Not excusing the old man, but it happens. Like someone said, that's the cost of business of dealing with the general public.

Edited June 11, 2012 by bkelm18

[TGO David]

They should have at the very least had him thrown out of the show.

[Dolomite_supafly]

To add a little more.

The old guy should be responsible for the difference between the cost and asking price or the cost to refinish, whichever is cheaper.

The dealer should not just take a financial hit because of some nincompoop. And it is a hit if he sells it for less than what it normally does. I don't care how old or young you can't damage someone else's property and get away with it.

Dolomite

[DaveTN]

To add a little more.

The old guy should be responsible for the difference between the cost and asking price or the cost to refinish, whichever is cheaper.

The dealer should not just take a financial hit because of some nincompoop. And it is a hit if he sells it for less than what it normally does. I don't care how old or young you can't damage someone else's property and get away with it.

Dolomite

You are correct. The problem is there is just no way to enforce it. It’s a civil matter; you would have to go to civil court. Who wants to do that?

The old man should just buy it. He shouldn’t have been picking it up and messing with it if he didn’t intend on buying it.