Just ASKING to be shot--stay aware

[MikeGoob]

In the name of 'comedy', some people completely unaware of anything outside of television attempt some stunts on the general public. How would you react in these situations?

The point being, keep aware--even if something LOOKS completely threatening, it could be something as stupid as this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUkhJtQ1Oy0
synopsis: comedian tries shopping at convenience store dressed as a burlgar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIvFCDg3jd4
Syopsis: guy threatens strangers with a machete for 'comedic effect'

Some day someone doing something like this may get shot by someone legally protecting themselves, and both sides will be the losers.

[Delaware_Dan]

Some day someone doing something like this may get shot by someone legally protecting themselves

How is shooting an unarmed, non threatening guy wearing pantyhose on his face leagal?

[Hard Ball]

How is shooting a " guy threatens strangers with a machete for 'comedic effec"
not completely legal?

[MikeGoob]

"How is shooting an unarmed, non threatening guy wearing pantyhose on his face leagal?"

im not suggesting it is, but can you think of someone being frightened or misled to believe there is a crime in progress? When people do stupid stunts like this, its begging for an accident to happen.

Say the guy with the mask comes into the store and people panic, someone armed sees the patrons reactions and draws, the actor in the mask reaches for his belt to turn off/on his microphone, gets shot. Tragic accident.

[ZeSpectre]

This sort of idiocy reminds me of a "candid camera" rip-off that was being run in the middle east somewhere (wish I could find the clip). The joke was a guy walking up, dropping a briefcase next to folks and then running off.

Of course the poor victims assumed "bomb" and ran like hell (like that was supposed to be funny).

Until the prankster did it to some sort of official and his bodyguard who plugged the prankster several times killing him on the spot.

[Delaware_Dan]

The machete guy maybe, but the pantyhose guy? C'mon.

Say the guy with the mask comes into the store and people panic, someone armed sees the patrons reactions and draws

If you are drawing your weapon in this situation, you are out of line in my opinion. You shouldn't be drawing based on peoples reactions. The guy has done nothing threatening, he is unarmed, and chances are, you are not the police.

[MikeGoob]

I say its very likely, if he sees the patrons reactions, and the guy from the shoulders up, due to the counter being in the way. Especially if he's a second employee behind the counter. He would put 2 and 2 together, but in this case the answer wouldnt be 4

[Brit]

Moscow, Man in long overcoat, candid camera prank, hand throws letter out of letter box twice, three rounds from Markarov fired into mail box, camera clicks off! Supposed to have been real.

The stocking guy? Was an Aussie, try that in Orlando!

[ZeSpectre]

Moscow, Man in long overcoat, candid camera prank, hand throws letter out of letter box twice, three rounds from Markarov fired into mail box, camera clicks off! Supposed to have been real.

Fake, somebody re-edited a commercial.

[Musketeer]

This sort of idiocy reminds me of a "candid camera" rip-off that was being run in the middle east somewhere (wish I could find the clip). The joke was a guy walking up, dropping a briefcase next to folks and then running off.

Of course the poor victims assumed "bomb" and ran like hell (like that was supposed to be funny).

Until the prankster did it to some sort of official and his bodyguard who plugged the prankster several times killing him on the spot.

I saw the same thing years ago. It was in Egypt. One guy actually ran through speeding traffic, almost getting killed, to get away.

Just to clarify though, at no point was an official involved in any of he footage I saw or any confrontation with the "bomber."

On Topic. A guy with a mask may draw my immediate attention and take me to condition orange (I'm not drawing but certainly ready to!) but a guy coming at me with a machete is getting shot.

[Delaware_Dan]

A guy with a mask may draw my immediate attention and take me to condition orange (I'm not drawing but certainly ready to!) but a guy coming at me with a machete is getting shot.

Agreed.

[ZeSpectre]

Just to clarify though, at no point was an official involved in any of he footage I saw or any confrontation with the "bomber."

What I remember seeing was a report on why that show was closed down, but it was a long time ago so I may be mis-remembering. Regardless, still a stupid kind of stunt and someone just -begging- for an unfortunate situation.

[teeroux]

Its funny I just went to the renaissance festival and neither of them would seem out of place.

[BillCA]

Certain pranksters never understand people's reactions to their stunts. But we should make the punishment fit their crimes too.

The machete guy... if he comes out of that elevator after me, then he becomes a JHP test subject.

For the witty guy in the mask (which was a stupid idea, but no relatively safe down under now) Bastinado is about right. For the wittier ones, we might grant keelhauling as adequate punishment.

[Z-TURK]

yeah i wish you could find that video too. guys pulling innocent prank gets multiple rounds in him. lol. reminds me of the cheating spouse show where the host is trying to ask the husband why while hes sitting next to his girlfriend and wife on this little boat going back to shore. the husband reaches into his pocket and pulls a knife and immediately stabs the host and trys to rip up on the knife. he held if for 20 secs or so before they wrestled him off. good stuff.

[sjones]

If it would have been me,the guy with the machete would have been shot,no questions asked.That is just stupid,stupid,stupid.

[Musketeer]

Somewhat related...

I am the last one left in our building, the second to last person having just headed out the front door and saying good night to me. I proceed to make a walk through of the building to ensure the loading bay doors are locked and everything is shut down. It is dark out and l notice the lights in the main hall are out when I leave the warehouse, I must have killed them at the other end of the building or the timer got them (they shut around then anyway if the override is not hit). As I walk down the hall someone jumps out of a dark office yelling at me!

I jump back, throw a punch with my left fist straight at the head coming at me while my right hand sweeps back and rips my shirt out of my waistband to get to the tuckable rig I am wearing. At the last second I realize it is my stupid female coworker "playing a joke" on the guy she calls paranoid (and she doesn't even know I have a permit). I make contact with the bridge of her nose but was already pulling the punch so aside from shock, minor pain and a couple tears she has at least not had her nose broken. She does not notice my shirt askew and I had not cleared yet. As I went to get her some ice I retucked quickly.

Now this is the same well educated lady who has told me how uncomfortable she has been when in the office late and SHE decides to try to scare the hell out of ME! I felt bad about it, she felt worse.

Some people can have really bad judgment when it comes to humor.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

(Publicationpagereferencesarenotavailableforthisdocument.)
11/9/94 Ft. Worth Star Telegram 4
1994 WL 4031513
The Fort Worth Star Telegram
Copyright 1994

Wednesday, November 9, 1994

NEWS

Dad shoots girl as she pulls prank
Associated Press

WEST MONROE, La. A girl who jumped out of a closet and shouted, "Boo!" when her parents came home in the middle of the night was fatally shot by her father. t "I love you, Daddy," were 14 year old Matilda Kaye +Crabtree's+ last words.

No charges were brought against 53 year old *Robert Crabtree.* RF' 0,
(Publication page references are not available for this document.)
Ouachita Parish Chief Deputy Richard Fewell said the case will be turned over to the district attorney as a matter of routine.

"It's sad," Fewell said. "This is something every kid has done. I don't know how the father is going to live with it."

Matilda and a friend, whose identity was not released, were supposed to be spending Saturday night at the friend's home, but they had decided to go to the +Crabtrees'+ while Matilda's parents were away, Fewell said.

When Matilda heard her parents drive up about 1 a.m. Sunday, she and her friend came up with a practical joke: They hid in her bedroom closet and made noises to make her parents assume someone had broken in, Fewell said.

*Crabtree+ got his gun, and when Matilda jumped out, her startled father pointed the .357 caliber pistol loaded with hollow point bullets and shot his daughter in the neck, the chief deputy said. The girl's friend was not hurt.


--------- I saw the guy interviewed - he said the daughter died saying: Daddy, I love you.

[Bauer]

It's sad, This is something every kid has done. I don't know how the father is going to live with it.

No, it's not. Ever since I was old enough to be alone I never did anything like this. When I would come home while my dad was sleeping I would make sure he knew it was me.

[CryingWolf]

On the guy putting a stocking over his head:
To me this is akin to yelling "fire" in a crowded theater. Sorry but some jokes are out of line. What if someone had a heart attack?

The story about the girls is a sad one which I hope no one would ever have to face.

[Deaf Smith]

Someone walking into a store with stocking on their face will, at the minimum, get the cops to come. I'd surely keep my eye on them and may very well slip my gun into my hand by myside, just in case they produce a weapon of their own. That is to overt an act to just ignore. Like joking to airline employees you have a bomb (hahaha... yea they will stop that plane fast and off you go to jail, joke is on you.)

As for the girl saying, 'Boo", I've heard of a few like that were the kid was killed. The real problem was the parents did not sit down with their kids and explain why a deadly weapon was kept and why they should never play games where they are scaring the family.

[ZeSpectre]

The real problem was the parents did not sit down with their kids and explain why a deadly weapon was kept and why they should never play games where they are scaring the family.

Amen!
The idea of scaring dad (or mom) like that when I was growing up on the farm would never have even occurred to me. At the bare minimum my hide would have been tanned RAW!

[Glenn E. Meyer]

While jumping out and scaring Dad was a foolish tragedy, I would also point out that the father saw the door open to the house.

IMHO, he should have stayed out and called the cops instead of trying to clear the place himself. That was foolish also.

If there were armed criminals, they could have easily killed him and his wife.

[ZeSpectre]

If there were armed criminals, they could have easily killed him and his wife.

Um, apparently not actually.

[Adventurer 2]

In 2004 Michael Jackson wore a mask into a Wal-Mart located in Snowmass, CO. The police were called. The police detained him but released him when he removed his mask. It was all over the local news after it happened. Guess it is not a crime to wear a mask into a store.