How to handle a Yahoo pointing a finger "gun" at t.v./OBAMA?

So this non-regular entered a watering hole on a Sunday, slow business late afternoon. The basketball game was winding down. He started quizzing the barmaid about who owns the bar, somebody different from last year, etc. The barmaid's answers are minimal, don't know, don't know who owned it before now, nothing, nope. The quizzer says he did some electrical or other type work for whomever over a year ago.

He's a bruiser, ballcap, shorts, flip flops, persistent with the barmaid, no interaction with the one other customer who has the remote control.

The barmaid moves away, goes back to playing a video game. The one customer attempts to ease the situation, saying, "When this game is over, the next one doesn't start for an hour, so it's all right with you to watch the news?" The dude barely grunts, "I don't care."

O.K., fine. The game ends, the news is on, and there's silence all around. After five or more minutes, the news report is about OBAMA eulogizing the miners. When his face is in close-up, the Yahoo raises his hand, makes a "gun" shape, and goes "bang."

The barmaid has her back turned, didn't see. The other customer saw/heard it all peripherally, didn't move. So the Yahoo apparently didn't get the reaction he wanted and REPEATED the whole thing.

After a disapproving silence, the other customer calls to the barmaid and asks about a supposedly OTHER (regular) customer, commenting INdirectly on THIS Yahoo: "What's the deal on so-and-so? Does he have a mental disability? Does he work? Why is there always a scene when he's here?"

The barmaid says she has no earthly idea. The Yahoo apparently got the point and takes the long walk out. The customer turns to watch him walk out. The Yahoo waits till he gets to the door to turn around and see whether he's being watched. After he's gone, the customer tells the barmaid, and later on, when the owner comes in, tells the owner about the weirdo asking questions and making a threatening gesture. The owner just listens but doesn't react.

O.K., a direct confrontation and (less likely) calling the Secret Service come to mind: Any other ways to handle this?

This guy is no danger to Obama. Sounds like he'd never get within 100 feet of him.

If they were to respond to every right wing whacko, they would have no time to protect him against the INTELLIGENT whackos (there are intelligent whackos out there) who might have a chance of getting to him.

The question was other.

But it would depend on the person doing the thing.

Basically he is showing that he has violent thoughts, that alone is wrong, and he wants other people to know it, so he has some other issues.



I can think of a few good comments, walk up totally serious, make sure the bartender lady is there.

Say, I saw what you did when the Tv was on. Then just flat state, you have a small *^&* don't you. Pause and walk away.

:D

That should initiate a good conversation LOL


Violence only hurts the violent, it is really dumb and does not solve real issues. Not to mention all he was doing is showing he had violence and thinks on it, if he would have made comments on things he might disagree with, that would be something like a conversation, that is just stupid.

and several others.) I suspect I'm not the only one around here either. You're way too obsessed with a harmless if goofy gesture.

is definitely indicative of obsession, yes. It looks like everyone else seems to think you're overreacting as well. shrug.

Sometimes people are just assholes -- especially at a bar. Sounds like it was handled just fine.

I'm not a physical confronter. If it had escalated, say, if the jerk had hostilly commented, I likely would have been verbally confrontative.

Well, then, all's well that ends well.

Why on Earth does anything need to be handled? He pointed his finger at a tv. Why is that even vaguely significant? Go on about your business and let dumbasses be dumbasses.

An white dude who dislikes Obama and likes to be belligerent about it -- imagine that! Must be as rare as hen's teeth. :eyes:

You're overreacting. This was not a coded signal regarding his intention to shoot the President. You haven't uncovered an assassination plot. There was absolutely zero need to validate this guy's attention-whoring with a reaction, much less a call to the Secret Service.

1) White.

2) Overreacting. Did you miss the part about how I was the "other" one in the scene?

3) No, it the hostility was certainly not "coded". How many other words do you have in stock for "vague"?

4) "uncovered an assasination plot." Uh, no. The hostility was perfectly enough.

5) You missed repetitions that calling the SS was not an issue here. What is more interesting is, if you don't want to read a thread, whatever do you want to post in it for?!

1) I'm willing to bet he was white, assuming the incident happened at all.

2) Posting about it as though it had some sort of significance seems, to mind mind, an overreaction in itself.

3) Hostility is perfectly legal. I was as hostile as a motherfucker to the DimSon.

4) The hostility was enough for. . . what, exactly? :shrug:

5) The SS was an issue because you RAISED it as an issue, though a "less likely" one, in your OP. You brought it up, you own it. Later attempts to brush it aside do not change the fact that you made it an issue in the first place.

5.1) I post where I want. ;)

Since the upgrading of the Unrec feature, it is seldom when the Mad UnReKKKer is noticeable, but: HE. LIVES!!!!!!!1

Dear One,

Guess what, not EVERY thread posted is worth EITHER a Rec OR an UnReKKK!1 And I myself said many times during the Great Debate on UnRec that I never look at the Greatest Page and regard it mostly as a tool for Visitors, like media types who don't have the time to delve through the entrails of DU, but how I DO a lot of Rec-ing (obviously, for OTHERS), both for merit and to keep worthy topics from falling through the cracks.

Ah, you DISAPPROVE of thread after thread!1 Woe, WOE is you, YOU!1 Kisses to make your sour woe all better for you --actually, NOT!1

You overreact to the yahoo in the bar, wondering whether you should have confronted him or call the SS.

You may not agree with the yahoo, but he has the right to express his feelings. Lord knows, I did the same sort of "gun" action when Bush, Bush and Reagan were in office.

Now you're posting some long screed because somebody dared to unrec you.

Chill, just chill out. You're making yourself look like a hyperventilating fool.

Learn to take other's opinions, other's criticisms with grace, or at least stoicism.

what magnetism a mere topic on a discussion board exerts for a PARTICULAR kind of Replier? What makes persons hostile to a particular topic (or to a particular poster) feel that they need to JUMP RIGHT IN (while tons of others just meander on BY)? You might have valuable insight on these questions.

Continue on with your particular temper tantrum.

Maybe the yahoo will think twice before doing something stupid next time, because someone stood up to them this time. :shrug:

The same way you handle internet trolls: ignore them.

damaged, no harsh words seem to have been spoken amongst the attendees, one of the attendees departed - where is the problem?

The whole interaction seems to have been fairly quiet.

let it go...

give him the message.

In that scenario, I'd only ask that fuckface once...