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About As Simple As Things Usually Are For Me

The Night Rider

The Night Rider

Professional
A neighbor of mine decided she wanted to make a substantial withdrawal from her bank.

My wife was concerned about her taking a cab or a ride share to the bank so I volunteered.

I don't leave home unarmed, today wasn't any different but it's not something I felt the need to announce to (anyone really) the neighbor.

So we get to the bank and this was on the front door.

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It wasn't my bank. The neighbor specifically asked me to come into the lobby with her. I had to tell her I couldn't just as a bank employee came out to usher us into the bank.

The employee invited me inside and wasn't going to take "No." for an answer. I had to tell her I was armed and that it's a violation of Colorado law for me to carry a gun in an area I have to pass a metal detector to enter. She had a look of absolute terror on her face when I said it. I ended up waiting outside and praying someone didn't panic an MWAG me.

The neighbor is a little slow to pick things up so I'm not sure if she got it or not.
 
You now have to get buzzed in to my Credit Union. Inherent problems with that strategy. You ring the bell and they buzz you in, they obviously don't know every customer by sight. other than getting a good photo of you on the way in it does nothing. When I was stationed in Panama, robbery was common place. We had a person that was leaving for an assignment back in the states so they had a going away party for him. Because it was going to be downtown, they rented a secure facility to hold it in where everyone needed to be buzzed in. They had a unarmed Panamanian security guard working the door although there was obvious confusion about his duties, i.e., having the guests show there ID before being buzzed in and he was just buzzing in everyone, including the 2 armed robbers that cleaned the joint out (wallets, watches, jewelry)
 
Reminds me of Memphis. This was 10+ years ago way before COVID. Granted It was in the bad part of town near Southaven ,MS. I can’t remember what branch it may have been a Wells Fargo. From the street it looked like a traditional bank. Once you walked in there was no face to face with a teller. There was a wall with a multiples phones, teller drawers and a monitors. I cant imagine how bad that place is now.
From my understanding the crime has spread to areas that were once considered safe(Germantown, Collierville,etc.)
 
Our lobby of credit union is pretty open plain view from street.
Where ATM is.
Scan ID to get in
I worry about folks robbing me from exit door to my car.
I stand and face the street when I do the transaction.
Had a car pull up one morning about 6am when I was getting cash.. 2 guys in it.
So I stood at the glass and took a couple pics of their car and stared straight at them. They flipped me off and drove away.🧐🧐
I was armed also
 
BreakingWind said:
They had a unarmed Panamanian security guard working the door although there was obvious confusion about his duties, i.e., having the guests show there ID before being buzzed in and he was just buzzing in everyone, including the 2 armed robbers that cleaned the joint out (wallets, watches, jewelry)
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That wasn't a bug, that was a feature. I'll be willing to bet your unarmed security guard got a cut.
 
Just to clarify the front door of the credit union was a Man Trap. The entryway was divided into, for lack of a better term, two small glass enclosed hallways, I assume bullet proof glass.

They had to buzz you in through the front door and they had to buzz you in to the lobby from the inner door.

In between the two you had to pass through a metal detector. I'm going to assume if you set off the metal detector you were locked in the cube until the police showed up.

I only saw the one person enter or leave the bank while I was there and that was the lady that I drove to the bank and the bank employee but I think they had to buzz you out the exit door too

In Colorado it is violation of state law to attempt to sneak a concealed handgun past a metal detector.

I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea. I think that sooner or later a lot of these high-end department stores that are repeatedly ransacked by flash mobs or going to Institute this at their entrances and exits.

There's a Coin & Precious Metals dealer downtown called Hallenbeck Coin Gallery that does the same thing and to my knowledge they've never been robbed.
 
TidalWave said:
….and to think, down here they got a Woodforest Bank in the front end of every Walmart…..
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I seem to be one of those people. My next door neighbor robbed a Wells Fargo Bank several years ago. A guy that I served with at Fort Lewis robbed a bank in Tillicum In Uniform. They both got caught within 3 days.

A guy that used to go to my church robbed multiple banks in Colorado Springs and is very likely going to be spending the rest of his life in prison. He got caught because the lead detective on his case pulled up behind him at a stoplight and recognized his license plate.

Anyway, the third guy at least half of the banks that he robbed were in the front of Walmart
 
I will totally agree that it's best to avoid antagonizing anyone. But, some people are just looking for an excuse to flip somebody off or to even confront them. So if you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, the sh*t is going to happen.

In the many years I've been blessed to have lived on this earth I've misjudged some people's intentions and overreacted or under reacted. I won't hesitate to apologize if I'm out of line. If my instincts tell me that this is not going anywhere good and I don't have time to leave then I let training take over.

I was in a Mexican Bakery several years ago that is normally "Gringo" friendly(I'm white but was adopted and raised by a Mexican American family and Spanish is my first language.). A "Cholo"(Hispanic gangbanger) walked up to me in the bakery and told me to buy him some sweet bread. He mistook me for his b*tch. I took a step back and said, "No mames, way."(Don't start sh*t, you dumb ass.). He looked me in the eyes and it was his decision where it went from there. He walked out of the bakery and was not in the area when I left.

I saw him downtown a few days later and I guess he asked around about the gringo who spoke Spanish. He nodded in respect and I nodded in respect back. I've been to that bakery several times since then and never had another problem.

This situation could have easily gotten physical. I was armed with a knife and firearm but my instincts told me that backing him off with language he understood was the best strategy for "that" day.

You just really never know the mindset of a person. When I worked in mental health you had to be ready to change how you approached a patient because sometimes a little extra empathy and patience, avoids triggering that can get nasty fast.

Bottom line, avoid antagonizing people if possible and apologize if necessary but if your actions make you seem too weak you might create more problems than if you had stood up. Hence my yes and no response.
 
In my opinion, the only people who need a walk in bank these days is small businessmen. I have been with USAA Federal Savings Bank since they opened in 1983. Back then it was all mail in but today with most all transactions available via the internet. Since that time, I have never had to step into a a bank lobby for a personal bank transaction. That includes my house loan and buying an airplane on my credit card.
 
Sometimes you just can't avoid it. I needed a paper notarized today. My bank will do it for free, but ya gotta go inside to get it done. :rolleyes:
Other times the drive-up is wrapped around the building , but the lobby is empty. Its actually faster to park and go inside than sit in the drive-up line.
BTW: I walked right in. No trick doors, metal detectors or nothing. ;)
 
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