This organization has terrible muzzle discipline. Once the gun is "unloaded" then they swing it around all over the place. Long guns over the shoulder pointed backwards, sidearms carried by a fingertip, guns on the counter being spun like bottles in a kissing game, etc. It makes me really nervous. One guy had his longgun setting vertically with the toe of the stock down by his feet and the barrel going straight up; he was holding the weapon with his hand right over the muzzle. Eh. I said something and was scoffed.
I winced every time the clerk spun my weapon around (of course, without checking first to see if it was really clear or letting me touch it to lock the slide to the rear -- I guess he trusted me that much). I had to eventually ask the guy to stop muzzling me because I don't like having firearms -- even "unloaded" ones -- pointed in my direction.
The guy was actually really understanding. "We're around guns so much we don't think about flagging folks," he said. "We probably should do better." No shit. At some level I don't care if you blow your own hand off after I mention it to you and you decide that your Only One status protects you from negligent discharges, but when you're going to muzzle me then I take it personally.
I ended up yelling at a cop working the firearms check box at the Pennsylvania Capital Building. He was surprised that anyone would tell him off. I think the reason he shut up was that I finished by telling him off for pointing a loaded Glock at his own partner when he layed the gun on the table. His partner didn't seem very amused by this.
ReplyDeleteSometimes cops need to be reminded that they aren't always in charge.