Retail store...suspicious acting customer.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by flyingbanana

Maybe I should pull out a tele. You guys are always saying how good they are in a bar fight.

He will just steal it, so don't bring a good one.

[Nick JD]

Originally Posted by BobbyZ

Guy walks in with a gun, you don't have one.... call the cops.
Oh that's right the guy with the gun never lets you call the cops.
Maybe the guy will just take your stuff and leave.
Maybe.

Guy sees you go for your gun and shoots you. Guy leaves with his life.

You leave with your pride intact ... in a body bag.

Guy wasn't going to shoot anyone until his life was threatened. It started as a robbery, then your gun made it murder.

[simonc]

Maybe he was killing time and had no particular knowledge of anything you did, and therefore was not in your store for any particular reason, and wasn't giving away anything about himself, for the reason that - he had no interest in what you did there, and was just wasting time, and for fear of you guys turfing him on the street, he'd ask a bunch of dumb questions.

I've encountered people like this on many occasions. I's say packing heat is a little extreme.

YMMV.

S.

[boneyguy]

Shoulda shot him while you had the chance. I mean he did look suspicious. I shoot people when they look bored. It's just my thing.

[elicross]

Maybe he's looking for a job and wanted to try and figure out if any of the three businesses were the sort he'd want to work for (and would hire him). Maybe he's too inept/proud to just come out and say "I'm looking for work."

Or maybe he sells business supplies and wanted to try and figure out if any of the three businesses were potential customers for his wares. And maybe he's too inept/proud to come out and say "I'm selling stuff; do you want any?"

Or maybe he's thinking of opening a similar business nearby, and he wanted to see what kind of competition he'd be up against. Maybe he's doing research to help him make a case when he goes to the bank for a small business loan.

Or maybe he's just a lonely, bored weirdo.

Or maybe he's a crook who was casing the joint. I wouldn't worry too much about having a gun at the ready, though -- if he's the sort of criminal who takes the time to check a place out from the inside, I don't think he's likely to rob the place during business hours. He's more likely to wait 'til the place is closed and break in.

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by robt57

He will just steal it, so don't bring a good one.

I'll bring my Ibanez with its pointy headstock.

[blues dues]

[flyingbanana]

As usual, things seem to be going...slightly awry of the original intent of this thread.

But I love you guys anyway.

[voodoo_idol]

Originally Posted by flyingbanana

Had an odd customer in the shop today. There are 3 businesses under one roof, and we all pretty much compliment one another. So in walks this guy and he strikes me as being a bit odd.

He starts with one business and moves through the three asking questions about what we do, yet never trying to give us any. My gut feeling was that he was trying to glean info about each of us.

Originally Posted by czook

Maybe looking to buy the building and checking out the tenants, or any number of legit reasons.

Originally Posted by flyingbanana

Yep. I qualify everyone, and this guy gave answers like he was trying to hide something. He started acting a little bit dodgy, but kept his cool...like he was prepared for that, still gave the wrong answer. He wasn't trying to give us business. He was just trying to see what we did, what kind of equipment we have....way to nosy.

Just my 2 cents coming from a guy in commercial real estate: he could have been an appraiser if the owner was looking to refinance, a bank consultant if the owner was at risk of foreclosure (i.e. bank assessing collateral value and property issues), an insurance underwriter, or a real estate broker preparing for a listing or just wanting to show the property to a buyer unsolicited, or as czook says, even a potential property investor. In all of all of these situations, the client may not want the tenants to be aware of the true reasons for the visit but nothing insidious is going on.

A developer like me, if he were interested in tearing down the retail shops to build something else, might send someone out to ascertain how easy or difficult it might be to buy tenants out of their leases before expiration.

It could also be a consultant for the city, wanting to see if the business license categories match the actual business activities, or maybe doing a sales tax audit for the BOE, or maybe doing a business equipment audit for the property tax assessor. You might consider those insidious.

[Nick JD]

He could have been an inspector from the Department of Paranoia.

[imsilly]

Guys asks some questions to shop staff, must be planning to kill everyone there.

Yeah, that seems the most logical explanation.

[flyingbanana]

Originally Posted by imsilly

Guys asks some questions to shop staff, must be planning to kill everyone there.

Yeah, that seems the most logical explanation.

Based on you comment, I'd say that possibly, your forum name suits you.

[Feargal]

Could be someone looking to set up a similar business to compete with you, we've had that down through the years.

[MrCairo46]

I'll attempt to get this post back on track. As a restaurant owner of 26 years I teach my folks to be highly suspicious , watch for parked cars on and off the lot that are occupied, small orders paid with large bills, we check and verify bills, watching groups that come in together and sit apart, lots of questions no order. Alot of times its nothing, but other times when the person see's my folks are very attentive and observent , I believe it prevents us from not becoming a target, but not becoming a victim.

[Westerly Sunn]

You'd probably have more to fear from this crowd right now iffin' they could just get atcha' through this innermess...

[studio1087]

What did he say or do that was odd?

Was he checking doors and windows?

Was he looking for cameras and phones?

Was he looking for your junction box?

Did he say something violent?

All I'm getting is that a guy walked into an open retail store and asked goofy questions and left. I worked in a guitar shop for three years. You're describing 80% of our customers.

I would get signs that boast video security. Deter the bad guys.

I own many guns. If you drew a firearm on me from 10 feet away when I was armed we would both die. I'm sure that you would die. I think getting a camera (even a fake one) and posting signs that make you look like a tough target will cause a bad guy to look for trouble elsewhere. The bad guy wants it to be easy.

I would give it a lot of thought.

I think that wearing a side arm in plain view is a better idea than concealing. If a crook sees your side arm there is a better chance that teh gun won't get used.

So what did the guy do??

Stay safe.

[Brendo]

Originally Posted by Nick JD

He could have been an inspector from the Department of Paranoia.

You know about those guys too?

[BobbyZ]

This tread or anyone with guns just ends up making both sides look stupid in the end.
We could go on for ever with this thing and never change anyones mind.


Getting back to the point I do hope this guy was just an odd duck or having an off day and nothing more.

[TC6969]

I think you should have been "pondering" back on day one!

Wall behind? Counter in front? Valuable stuff on display? Open door welcoming any two legged animal that walks by?

They haven't printed enough money to get me into that situation without my pistol!

[Brother Rob]

Edit: Never mind. I shouldn't engage with someone I already know is a troll.