Have you ever been threatened at a shop?

So today I was conducting my favorite shop ever - a gas station audit. I was about 100 feet away from the facility taking a picture of the entire location. A man pumping gas yells, "Do not take my picture. That is a violation of my rights. Don't make me come break your camera." I had taken one photo.

If he had been civil, I would have told him that I will delete the photo. Since he threatened to break my camera, which was very expensive, I basically walked in the opposite direction until he drove away.

I've done a lot of gas station audits and never once has anyone complained about my taking photos. I would happily delete any photo if a customer asks. But this situation actually had me shaking.

Have any of you encountered anything, during a shop, that actually made you feel threatened?

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He was:

A. Cheater

B. A-hole

C. Paranoid

D. Omni-important...at least to himself....

Choice E: All of the above...

I had a mystery and then reveal shop go bad and the employee scared me. He kept yelling at me and was very intense. I tried to calm him down before I left. I was worried he would see me get in my car and note the plate. I walked two blocks the wrong way and back to my car in a snow storm so he couldn't tell where I had parked.

This person could also be a fugitive, or doubtfully be in Witness Protection and don't want to puck up and move if his photo was to be put up on social media.

Most likely he is on SunnyDays2's list though.

I happened to be on a freight elevator and got off at a loading dock at just the right time and place and there was a large model of a new museum that was yet to be built and the design was still a secret to the public. They did not cover it and were moving it to the rented space in the building I worked in that was next door to the new museum that was to be built. I knew what I saw and the importance of it and snapped a picture of it on my cell phone. The highly influential company demanded I delete the photo on the spot. They had no grounds of expected privacy as this was a public access area and a photo could have been taken from the public sidewalk of this large scale model as they unloaded it from the truck. I could have sold that picture to the media.

They pleaded with my manager and I was called into his office within 15 minutes. I did take the photo on a company cell phone and this was the only reason I deleted it under orders from my manager.
It was several months before the local news was given a view of this same model.

I've had it happen at least twice.

Once, doing a gas station in a Wisconsin resort town, a customer yelled, "Dude! Do not take my picture!" I just shrugged and went about my business. I'm not a "dude".

I was at a gas station near Chicago taking pictures of the pumps for the old MSC (one could take angle photos then). The customer, a well dressed man, irately told me he knew his rights and that photos were not legal. I explained to him that I was not taking photos of him, they were of the pumps. I then showed him the picture I took and then pointed to the station's video cameras.

"You've been on video the entire time. If you're so worried about your picture being taken, go complain to the attendant about that."

I was surprised at my reply. But I was in a bitchy, p!ssy mood that day. I was ready to unleash something foul and nasty like "Go @$%& yourself, you arse!"

Thank heavans I did not. That is not me.

I had a strange guy at a gas station just recently too. I was taking a photo of the PID and he was walking around staring at me. He yelled at me asking if I was taking photos of his vehicle (a work vehicle) I said I was not. He stared at me the whole time. Then I got my clipboard and walked around to note POP etcs and went inside to ask the attendant some questions. He stormed in and demanded to know why I was taking photos of his vehicle and writing down his number plate. Strange paranoid guy.

I had something like that happen at a gas station shop a couple months ago. My shop camera is cheap, so that did not bother me, but being screamed at in a menacing manner by some tweaker made me uncomfortable. I asked him if he planned to climb the sign or the canopy, since that's what I was taking pictures of.

Hmmm......let's see. Maybe when a gas station manager pulls out a shotgun and threatened to blast me because the car reader on his pump didn't work? Of course there was the time another gas station manager got p. o'd when I called 911 after finding a dead body in the shrubbery next to a BP location. Or maybe the time wino/ druggie/ weirdo came lurching at me while I was standing in front of a business I was evaluating. He backed off when he spotted my friend Mr Glock. Or yet another crazy gas station audit with bullets began whizzing overhead and I had to hide behind a jeep.

What is it with gas stations bringing out the crazy in people?

Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain

My arteries and waistline threaten me every time I do a FF shop. "You'll be sorrrrrry!"

Wow. Some of you have scary stories. Taking a pic of a wanted criminal, drug addict, or plain delusional could have terrible side effects. The point about video cameras at the facility is a really good thing to remember. I should get a cheaper camera and possibly a license to carry.

Cettie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hmmm......let's see. Maybe when a gas station
> manager pulls out a shotgun and threatened to
> blast me because the car reader on his pump didn't
> work? Of course there was the time another gas
> station manager got p. o'd when I called 911 after
> finding a dead body in the shrubbery next to a BP
> location. Or maybe the time wino/ druggie/ weirdo
> came lurching at me while I was standing in front
> of a business I was evaluating. He backed off when
> he spotted my friend Mr Glock. Or yet another
> crazy gas station audit with bullets began
> whizzing overhead and I had to hide behind a
> jeep.
>
> What is it with gas stations bringing out the
> crazy in people?

What metropolitan city do you shop? And, kind of off topic, are you allowed to bring your gun out of state with a license to carry?

You learn something new almost every day.

Yesterday I learned that you were supposed to urinate on a JELLYFISH, not on a jelly stain. I guess I owe that strange lady at IHOP an apology.

My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me.
Benjamin Disraeli

Just make sure there are no electric eels around.

cpburt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You learn something new almost every day.
>
> Yesterday I learned that you were supposed to
> urinate on a JELLYFISH, not on a jelly stain. I
> guess I owe that strange lady at IHOP an apology.

"Yesterday I learned that you were supposed to urinate on a JELLYFISH, not on a jelly stain."

Cpburt, I've actually heard it both ways, so I'm not sure an apology is necessary.

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

89lulalula89 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
And, kind of
> off topic, are you allowed to bring your gun out
> of state with a license to carry?

It depends on the state. Some states have reciprocal agreements. I'm sure Google could find a list of states for you quickly.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

cpburt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yesterday I learned that you were supposed to
> urinate on a JELLYFISH, not on a jelly stain. I
> guess I owe that strange lady at IHOP an apology.

That made me LOL. But don't you mean you're supposed to urinate on a jellyfish STING and not the jellyfish? It's just plain mean to pee on a jellyfish. Hmph, and you call the lady at IHOP "strange".

There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

Hahaha!

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

The noise made when a human passes gas can be louder than a trombone. I found that out at my Granddaughter's school concert.

My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me.
Benjamin Disraeli

(shudder) Um, was this noise made by you or your granddaughter or (hopefully) neither?

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

I'm really too embarrassed to tell.

My idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with me.
Benjamin Disraeli

At least I had a good laugh tonight! Love this forum.

cpburt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm really too embarrassed to tell.

OMG! This is not good.

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2014 12:26AM by stilllearning.

Rest assured, Cettie is fully legal to do what she needs to do. If it were not then my friend would have stayed home and locked up. If the weirdo had meant me harm I can defend myself in other ways.

LJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 89lulalula89 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> And, kind of
> > off topic, are you allowed to bring your gun
> out
> > of state with a license to carry?
>
>
> It depends on the state. Some states have
> reciprocal agreements. I'm sure Google could find
> a list of states for you quickly.

Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain

I have not been confronted at a gas station but I know that it is coming -haha. One time when I was leaving a payday loan shop there was a disheveled man who came up to me grabbed my arm and asked for $5.00. Pretty smart to wait outside of a payday loan when you know that people are probably leaving with cash. I could not give him the $5 because it was not mine to give - it was shop money- but I still felt bad and a little scared.

I had a guy cross the street and confront me when I was taking pictures of a gas station sign. He said I was not to take pictures of him or his house, which was a total dump. I found out later he was a drug dealer.

I told him I was taking pictures of the gas station and he was not in any of the pictures. I stood my ground and stared him right in the eyes. He backed off and said okay.

L'il punk. I don't carry Mr. Glock but I have Ms. Hunting Knife handy and it's a big one!

"You call that a knife? You BET I do, bonehead!"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2014 03:53AM by Canuck.

I just carry around a baseball bat.

Cettie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rest assured, Cettie is fully legal to do what she
> needs to do. If it were not then my friend would
> have stayed home and locked up. If the weirdo had
> meant me harm I can defend myself in other ways.
>
>
>
> LJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 89lulalula89 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > And, kind of
> > > off topic, are you allowed to bring your gun
> > out
> > > of state with a license to carry?
> >
> >
> > It depends on the state. Some states have
> > reciprocal agreements. I'm sure Google could
> find
> > a list of states for you quickly.

Actually I wasn't accusing you of doing anything illegal. I was already thinking of getting a license and was wondering if I could take it over state line, hence my question to you.

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