I just heard this last night

[Plaidman]

In a rather sad twist on the news, (That I have yet to find on the net, but since it only been 48 hours or so, I'm not surprise)

But a fellow clerk (Not my store) of Plaid Pantry was stabbed and beaten outside the store. Not sure about the details, but it seems taht the clerk provoked the attack somehow.

Now I know it's a surprise coming from me, but DON'T PROVOKE angry customers!! Especally if you work alone. We get lots of reports of workers getting hurt by angry, or drugged up or drunk, or in the case of Mohammed-Imad "Dimitri" Harb, just plain crazy!! (Do a google search on Mohammed-Imad, its a sad tale of a plaid clerk being shot and killed by a gay man. The twist being the gay man was a lover to a cop, and the gun used was the police officer).

So, please please, just let people go, write it off, call the police.

Now, then again, if someone DOES come at you, you have every right to defend yourself, and beat that person down so he/she doesn't move til the police come. (Which... I have had to do several times atucally...)

[Andara Bledin]

Yikes. I found a story about the guy that killed Harb. He used the gun to rape someone two days before! The gun was his own (he was a felon, how'd he have a gun?), but the bullets were the officer's.

Found another story about a 50-year-old homeless man beaten behind the Lombard & Greely location.

Here's an article regarding the attack you mentioned. It has video of the news spot.

[edit to add]

I have a friend that used to be the security guy at a convenience store. He made some underage Hispanic punks that wanted to steal a case of beer put it down and leave the store. They got some of their gang friends and some weapons and jumped him when he was heading to his car later that night. He had multiple stab wounds, and one of them had a length of pipe.

Thankfully, he survived the encounter, but he was hospitalized with a punctured lung and a large flap of his cheek had been cut open.

^-.-^

[Bright_Star]

Just how the hell do you do that anyway? Tell me, how do you NOT provoke an angry customer?
In my time at Wal-Mart you could look at a customer the wrong way & get bitched at in no time flat.
Oh, I'm not mad at you but it's time that the public understand that cashiers & service people are only doing their jobs & that if they don't like how they do their jobs then too bad.
So because some asshole is having a bad day does that give them the right to abuse someone who's only doing their job?
I'm waiting for the day that a cashier knocks the shit out of a customer for being abusive. I'd pay to see that.

[Plaidman]

What I meant is that he DID provoke it somewhat, through the grapevine he insulted the customer and apperently made a obsene gesture. Though again its just hearsy and not fact.

[Sharsarannon]

Now, then again, if someone DOES come at you, you have every right to defend yourself, and beat that person down so he/she doesn't move til the police come. (Which... I have had to do several times atucally...)

Hear hear!

I have this policy. If they strike at me, I can assume that *one, they intend to harm, and *two, if I don't let them hit me they will try again, and harm me or others.
My immediate reflexive action is a sidestep and strike that breaks the person's elbow. As soon as the violence starts I'd get the nearest person to call 911.

Some would say harsh, but it ends the threat without lethal force being used. No one still in a generally cognitive state will try to hit you again with their arm broken.

If they do continue in spite of injury, they're probably high as a kite or very smashed, and then you put them on the ground. Go for a submission or KO, because at that point you know that no injury will stop them, and they need to be incapacitated.

Then you just wait for the cops!

Regardless of your area's laws, appropriate response and ending the danger are they key motives of self and civilian defense.

[Ree]

Odd, but I have been in retail for almost 30 years, and I don't recall ever having a customer get physically violent with me or my co-workers.
Yeah, they rant and mouth, but it has never escalated to the point of physical violence.
Now, I don't work a convenience store, nor do I deal with a lot of people who are obviously drunk or high and it is a small town, but incidents like that really are the exception, rather than the rule.

If they're striking at you, then in my opinion, whether you meant to or not, you must have done something to aggravate the situation.
No job is worth losing your life over.
Your store is insured. Why be a hero?

That may not be a popular opinion, and a naive way of looking at things, but violence only breeds violence.

Mind you, drunk customers at the bar where my daughter works have taken a swing at her, but it was because she was telling them they were cut off, or were not allowed into the bar.
She's never actually been punched, although she was shoved, and the guy took a swing, which almost immediately resulted in the manager and the bouncer and several of the guys tossing the drunk out the door and down the steps and calling the police.

[Andara Bledin]

If they're striking at you, then in my opinion, whether you meant to or not, you must have done something to aggravate the situation.
No job is worth losing your life over.
Your store is insured. Why be a hero?

Most times, it's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In a city environment where there are crowding issues and the lowest economic class is notably below the mean, all it usually takes to "provoke" the type who want to fight is to look like you are doing better at succeeding at life than they are. No more, no less.

^-.-^

[Plaidman]

Update:

This is from our security who's a bit too lose lipped.

Guy came in with knife, pointed it at clerk and told the clerk to give him the cash.

Clerk laughed and said no.

Guy threatened with knife.

Clerk said no again.

Guy stabbed clerk and took money.

[Andara Bledin]

Ok. That clerk was just a bit lacking in the self-preservation department.

Crook with weapon = "whatever you want, sir"

^-.-^