Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Eating at a Restaurant

For me, it's my duty. The way pawpaw instructed me. I live in Jefferson County. To hear many on this forum tell it, yea, mogadishu.

But with that said. When I was 17 I was eating at a waffle house. Minding my business. When in walked two people around 1am. Both drew guns and since my two friends and I were the only customers at the time, we got to stare at the end of a saturday night special for a few minutes while the other took the cash out of the register. My friend was feeling cocky and wanted to be a hero since the entire reason we were there was he took a shine to a girl behind the counter. Thankfully he didn't act, but it took effort on us to keep him from getting us all killed.

None of us were armed with more than a knife but he kept his attention on us and clear enough we couldn't rush him easily.

So, yea, I sit at the door. Situationally aware at all times. And I'm old enough to carry now.

I had numerous situations in the fire service where those instincts and behaviors came in handy. Hell, I thought every man worthy of being called a man in Alabama carried those same values and instincts. Opening doors for women, walking on the outside of the sidewalk to protect. Constant vigilance because you don't ever know when something will go down. Especially in areas with certain demographics.

Hell, the recent burger joint shooting wasn't a bad area. Thankfully some folks there think like some on here do. I promise you I know the face of every soul that walks into a business where I'm sitting. And they automatically are assessed for danger the moment I see them. 99% of the time it's normal people. But that 1% isn't gonna ever catch me off guard again.