Why I Am Not Allowed To Engage In Casual Conversations

[csadn]

The SO and The Me were taking the train back from L.A. to Portland; by coincidence, The SO's Uncle -- who is not only a SCAdian, but a former Constable -- was also on the train.

Not surprisingly, we were delayed in the Bay Area by Protestors who had surrounded a train ahead of us, and gotten underneath it. So, while we're waiting, the topic drifts to "what happens if protestors show up *here*" -- at which point the convo rapidly descends downhill:

Me: [looks at "emergency kit" in train-car vestibule] "Well, let's see -- there's a hammer, and a crowbar; that steel step-stool will make a passable shield, and I can use the crowbar as a gladius, so there's out front-line."

Uncle: "Yeah, and I can swing that hammer easily; so if you run a block...."

Me: "Yeah -- the halls and doors of the train are really narrow [one person wide, if that], so we can block them with no problems."

At this point, the people around us all have facial expressions suggesting "Right -- anything happens, GET BEHIND *THEM*". The poor train-car attendant was looking like he was about to have a heart attack -- esp. when I said the following:

"And if the cops ask questions, all we have to say is "I was In Fear Of My Life'."

>;)

[7eat51]

This is why we love you, Chris.

[Diamondback]

I'm sorry, a riot blocking RR tracks? "Cause of Death: MASS SUICIDE. CASE CLOSED."

[7eat51]

This is why we love you, DB.

[Kentop]

I would have just thrown my hands up and said, "don't shoot"! Beating down unarmed protesters sounds just like what a constable would do. You guys are exactly what the protesters were protesting about.

[Diamondback]

Simple Darwinian logic: An object a mile long, composed of 40'- to 90'-long pieces that can each weigh as much as 140 TONS (examples: average 4-6-2 Pacific medium passenger steam locomotive, Presidential private-car Ferdinand Magellan, ex-Milwaukee Road "Super Dome" full-length-dome passenger cars), has so much inertia behind it that the ONLY intelligent thing to do is GET OUT OF THE XXXXING WAY.

The downside is the stress that even NON-fatality accidents put on enginemen... I know of at least one Norfolk Southern engineer who was told in the mandatory physical after a non-fatality grade-crossing collision that he had two choices: he could either retire from engine service IMMEDIATELY, or his next accident would be a GUARANTEED fatality because he'd drop dead of a heart attack right there at the throttle.

[Coog]

The SO and The Me were taking the train back from L.A. to Portland; by coincidence, The SO's Uncle -- who is not only a SCAdian, but a former Constable -- was also on the train.

Not surprisingly, we were delayed in the Bay Area by Protestors who had surrounded a train ahead of us, and gotten underneath it. So, while we're waiting, the topic drifts to "what happens if protestors show up *here*" -- at which point the convo rapidly descends downhill:

Me: [looks at "emergency kit" in train-car vestibule] "Well, let's see -- there's a hammer, and a crowbar; that steel step-stool will make a passable shield, and I can use the crowbar as a gladius, so there's out front-line."

Uncle: "Yeah, and I can swing that hammer easily; so if you run a block...."

Me: "Yeah -- the halls and doors of the train are really narrow [one person wide, if that], so we can block them with no problems."

At this point, the people around us all have facial expressions suggesting "Right -- anything happens, GET BEHIND *THEM*". The poor train-car attendant was looking like he was about to have a heart attack -- esp. when I said the following:

"And if the cops ask questions, all we have to say is "I was In Fear Of My Life'."

>;)

I'm sorry, a riot blocking RR tracks? "Cause of Death: MASS SUICIDE. CASE CLOSED."

[David Manley]

What were they protesting about?

[Gunner]

Protesters that block streets, trains, etc. are as bad as thieves, by stealing some of the little time we have on this earth.

[fredmiracle]

Protesters that block streets, trains, etc. are as bad as thieves, by stealing some of the little time we have on this earth.

I'm sympathetic to this view, and I would worry if I were a protester whether I was being counter-productive by making people angry. On the other hand, I wouldn't make too sweeping a statement--some things are worth protesting and this is one way to bring attention to an issue. If you lived in Hong Kong would you call students advocating for democracy thieves? (I guess a lot of HK businessmen do see them that way...)

[DeRuyter]

What were they protesting about?

The recent grand jury decisions not to prosecute police officers involved in fatal altercations with black men. I think the California protestors are focusing on the alleged chokehold death in NYC.

[fredmiracle]

What were they protesting about?

several incidents nationally in which people have been killed by the police

[David Manley]

Protesters that block streets, trains, etc. are as bad as thieves, by stealing some of the little time we have on this earth.

Yeah, you tell him

[Gunner]

Yeah, you tell him

This guy had courage. No police or hundreds of others to back him up.

[Diamondback]

And since sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, can we remove the political content from this thread? Unless you WANT me to chime in with the perspective of a trained firearms professional who's been educated in the legal doctrines on use of deadly force under American law and has actually READ the three independent Medical Examiners' reports from Ferguson... ALL of which, even the ME hired by the Brown family, supported Officer Wilson's side of the story.

[Gunner]

can we remove the political content from this thread? Unless you WANT me to chime in with the perspective of a trained firearms professional who's been educated in the legal doctrines on use of deadly force under American law and has actually READ the three independent Medical Examiners' reports from Ferguson... ALL of which, even the ME hired by the Brown family, supported Officer Wilson's side of the story.

The press doesn't want the Officer's side of the story. They just want something (anything) to jump up and down about and increase circulation.

[Ken H]

My fervent agreement with Diamondback aside...

These protesters are pissing me off. Between the Ferguson morons and the Garner morons in NYC I am sick of these morons. In NY they laid down in the middle of a major thoroughfare to block traffic, and the cops HELPED THEM. No permit, no permission, they said "we are going to block traffic" and the cops said "okay, we will stop it for you and not hassle or arrest anyone". My wife and I decided NOT to go into NYC last Sunday because of the moronic protesters. We do every year with the kids to see the tree in Rockefeller center. You want to protest, then go protest where you do not infringe in my right to move freely.

[fredmiracle]

Dear All, please let this thread die now. Sincerely, Fred.

[Andy Blozinski]

It's a shame nobody knows who that Chinese guy is. He's got the the symbolic biggest balls in history.

[Coog]

It's a shame nobody knows who that Chinese guy is. He's got the the symbolic biggest balls in history.

I've heard that he is working 7 days a week, 16 hours a day painting SOG models in a state run factory for those who display political dissonance.

[David Manley]

Ah, so he is the perfidious running dog jackal lackey of imperialist dogs that is responsible for the series 2 mast debacle!!!

[Gunner]

He does show that the old saying is true. "One man with courage makes a majority"

[csadn]

He does show that the old saying is true. "One man with courage makes a majority"

Tho' the birth certificate say "California", I do come from Texans; so I think the quote is "One riot -- one Ranger". ;)

[DeRuyter]

I've heard that he is working 7 days a week, 16 hours a day painting SOG models in a state run factory for those who display political dissonance.

Or making iPhones!