In the SST forum, users are free to discuss philosophy, music, art, religion, sock colour, whatever. It's a haven from the madness of Bulldrek; alternately intellectual and mundane, this is where the controversy takes place.
Yesterday, Lin's uncle and I went to move her cousin out her shithole apartment in an even shittier ghetto part of northern Philadelphia. As I'm playing 3D Tetris with the van, I hear someone behind me saying "Yo.. big guy." I turn around and there's a guy with a pistol to my stomach. He tells me, very calmly, that he wants me to stay calm and give him everything I've got. Fortunately, if there's one thing I excel at, it's staying calm, so I tell him I haven't got anything except for my keys (fortunately I'd left my wallet at home, and my phone was in the van), and he starts checking my pockets whilst still holding the gun against my stomach, saying "Just stay calm, we're just two guys talking right now.. Where's the money at?" I once again tell him I haven't got anything other than my keys. So he takes my keys with absolutely no identifiers on them (I guess he felt he had to take something[/]) and walks off down the street. In broad daylight, 20 feet away from Megan's cousin and uncle, who didn't hear or see a thing.
The whole thing took maybe 30 seconds and left me a bit rattled. I only remember trying to stay calm and having a slight, uhm, sucking feeling in my stomach (which I guess was fear). In hindsight, I could have taken my time to memorise his description so I would have more than "Uh, black guy, 5'10-ish, baggy clothes.." but I guess the brain doesn't work that way.
You haven't lived in Philly until you've been mugged at gunpoint.
Van Der Litreb wrote: In hindsight, I could have taken my time to memorise his description so I would have more than "Uh, black guy, 5'10-ish, baggy clothes.." but I guess the brain doesn't work that way.
Yeah, when the cops asked for a description after my store got robbed, my first off the cuff response was "About 18" of steel pipe."
Wow, that's scary. You probably are the calmest person I know though, so the thought of anyone repeatedly asking you to stay calm seems a little funny.
Really good to hear you're ok though. Please don't get shot.
One time I built a matter transporter, but things got screwed up (long story, lol) and I ended up turning into a kind of half-human, half-housefly monstrosity.
Sounds like you handled yourself just fine to me, after all you're alive, in one piece and from the sounds of it not too worse for the wear, minus a set of keys and some piece of mind of course.
It definitely sounds like the guy who robbed you has done this before, and I'd be willing to bet he has a jacket for this.
Glad to hear that there was no bloodshed. Really, the best thing you can do is follow whatever directions you're given. Generally, you have no choice anyway, so remaining calm, not panicking and keeping your wits about you is the best thing you could have done. Congratulations on keeping a cool head.
If you take away their comforts, people are just like any other animal.
My first trip to New York City, someone dropped a grenade into the subway a block down. Maybe that's one of those things that turned me off to big cities and lousy neighborhoods. An armed robbery in broad daylight? Fuck that noise; I'm willing to drive 15 minutes to get to the movies if it means I don't have to deal with that shit.
Good on you for keeping it cool. Unless there's something worth fighting over - say, Lin - there's no sense in taking the gun from dude. And next time, you'll be even cooler, and get a description, for all the good it'll do, seeing as how the cops in Philly aren't staffed or funded well enough to follow up every mugging.
