I stopped in a gun shop on Tuesday

[Orrex]

My job is deemed essential, and I was performing maintenance at the site.

I arrived in gloves and an N95 mask and entered the sales room, a small chamber about 8 by 12 with a counter dividing the room in two.

I didn't do a formal count, because I didn't want to look like I was staring anyone down, but I'd say that there were 7 or 8 people in the room, including the proprietor and an employee. This is in Pennsylvania, where businesses must now require employees to wear masks per governor's order.

Three more people were in an adjacent room with "skill games," and the people were about a yard from one another.

While I was there, three customers showed up in masks, and the employee assured them that they didn't have to wear them. "As long as you don't report us," he laughed.

The work I had to do was simple and only required me to be in the site for about five minutes, but during that time I heard the following:

1. The virus is overblown, and "just watch. It'll magically disappear in a few weeks just like it magically appeared."

2. The employee told of a "black boy" who wanted to see the employee's daughter, but the employee wouldn't allow it. He gave absolutely no reason for his refusal, except that the suitor was black, and he reminded the listeners several times.

3. To settle arguments between his young sons, the employer would make the boys fist-fight each other, and then he would fist-fight the "winner," so that both sons would learn, um, what exactly?

Mind you, this was in front of a listener (me) about whom they knew nothing. Imagine how freely they'd speak if they were at one of their kkkult meetings or at some bullshit protest.


I find it most distasteful when a person so perfectly embodies a stereotype, but these gun zealots were exactly what I would have imagined if you'd told me to imagine the most extreme caricature of a rightwing gun-fucking asshole.

Yes, I know. I'm sure there are plenty of strong-minded Progressive gun shop owners, but I have never encountered one, and I certainly didn't encounter one on Tuesday.


These people have, in essence, just two things going for them: they are fanatically stubborn, and they are passionately stupid.

[Historic NY]

1. I'd tip off child protective services.

[MLAA]

2. I'd say you win the prize for a hostile work environment, glad it was only a few mins

that you were exposed to their ignorance 🙂

[Orrex]

5. I've been considering a complaint to OSHA

And in fact I've spoken with OSHA about the matter already.

I have standing, because I was a contracted employee on site witnessing unsafe/unlawful working conditions.

I can submit a complaint anonymously, but I'm concerned that it would play out this way:

1. OSHA contacts site about complaint.
2. Gun-fucker immediately concludes that the maintenance guy filed the complaint,
because the employees are part of the same cult
3. Gun-fucker denies the report & gets off with a warning
4. Gun-fucker contacts my employer
5. I face negative consequences for violating customer confidentiality
6. Gun-fucker continues on in his merry, stupid way

I'm not sure about #5, but absent a guarantee to the contrary, I have to assume that the only real impact of my complaint would be a big black mark in my file.

[MLAA]

9. Unfortunately, I think you are right.

When it is a work situation and you are at the client’s location it is tricky. Unless you know with certainty your company would back you 100% it isn’t worth the risk. And an anonymous call to the police a few days from now about the masks probably wouldn’t be followed up on. So, our money is on Karma 🙂

[Aristus]

3. Stereotypes exist for a reason.

It's not your fault they made the choice to live up (or down) to them.

[Orrex]

7. Congratulations on your 50,000th post!

And you're right about stereotypes, but I always hope to be proven wrong about them.

[gratuitous]

4. Simple suggestion

Call OSHA on 'em.

[Orrex]

6. I contacted them for recommendations, in fact

I have to say that they were amazingly helpful. I called to the first number I could find, which was incorrect, but the person who answered said that someone would call me back shortly. I got the call back within five minutes.

As I noted above, I can submit the complaint anonymously, but the gun-fucker would easily figure out who did it, and he would absolutely call my employer to complain.

I'm worried about negative repercussions, since I frankly need my job, and without a guarantee to the contrary I have to suspect that this kind of "breach of customer trust" would appear as a big ol' turd in my file, to be dredged up @ review/promotion time.


That's a selfish fear, I note with shame, but I'm the sole bread-winner for a family of four, and I can't afford to risk our health insurance over this.

[gratuitous]

11. I can dig it

Although depending on how good a liar you are, should your employer confront you about gun-fucker's complaint, you could feign total ignorance. Or, if you're not a very good liar, say that yes, you called OSHA, but only out of your deep, abiding concern for your fellow man and not wanting them to get sick with a potentially lethal, highly communicable virus. Try not to giggle.

Ah, it's nice to think about. No sense putting your job in jeopardy.

[Hoyt]

8. Confirms my opinion that gun-lovers are racists and ignorant.

[Orrex]

10. One does sense a pattern in a certain type of gun-owner, yes

Not all of them, I add with optimism, but enough to prevent us from abandoning the stereotype outright.

[smirkymonkey]

12. +1000