In this video, USCCA Training Operations Manager Steve Fischer breaks down what to do if you see someone stealing another person’s things.
Speaker 1: Hey man, that’s his stuff, come on. Just leave it there. He’s just coming right back.
Speaker 2: You don’t worry about it. You just mind your own business.
Speaker 1: Come on. Come on. Just leave this stuff there. Don’t do this.
Speaker 2: I tell you what … you’re going to shut your mouth.
Don’t Agitate the Situation
I hope this scenario got you thinking. That’s what it’s designed to do.
You’re in a gym with a few other people, and a guy has to leave. For whatever reason, he takes off fast, leaving his stuff on the treadmill. The guy on the elliptical sees an opportunity. He gets off of the elliptical and goes over to take the stuff. But, being a good Samaritan, you call him out: “Hey, that’s not your stuff!” But this makes the opportunist angry. You’ve suddenly escalated things. Now what?
Be a Good Witness
You know what is the easiest thing to do in this case? Stay quiet. There’s no reason to get that person all jacked up. Just be a good witness. Get a description of the guy. Look at what it is that he took from that treadmill and then talk to the gym manager. Or take it to the person who was on the treadmill in the first place. But don’t get that bad guy all agitated. We didn’t know he’s a bad guy, but he wasn’t doing something that good guys do, was he?
So, the rule of thumb here: Be a good witness in those situations. Don’t ramp things up to a point where a fight might occur.
