NEWS: Store Clerk Refuses to Call Police for Robbery Victim

A gas station attendant in Gary, Indiana, refused to call 911 for a woman who was robbed by an armed thug while pumping gasoline. The attendant told the woman to use her cell phone. The manager explained that employees are forbidden to use the phone at the front of the store to call police for fear of retaliation from criminals.



I guess you could call this institutional cowardice. In New Orleans, they used to air a video in which the police and others told robbery victims to just give in to armed criminals because nothing material is worth dying for. Of course, the enormous criminal population there had televisions like everyone else and, of course, they just took this as carte blanche to carry out their nefarious deeds. Most victims were at a loss to provide a meaningful description of the thugs and they just disappeared into the numerous housing projects. The criminal element will never be deterred by police or legislation, but they will be deterred by the armed and the brave who believe that submission is worse than death.


[edit on 2005/11/25 by GradyPhilpott]

I read your posting, then I read the story, then I googled this story and still I can not find the name of the station.

If I could find the name, and if it were a national chain, then I would attempt to organize a boycott.

That is no way to be a business, and that is no way to be a human being.

If anyone in the Indiana area knows what station this is please post!

Thanks,

- One Man Short ®

I'm touched by your NRA talking points. Really I am.

It's really just cowardice on the part of the clerk. However, if you're working there 5 nights a week you're going to err on the side that saves your own bacon.

But if she had a cell phone... why couldn't she call them herself?

Originally posted by One Man Short of Manhood
If anyone in the Indiana area knows what station this is please post!

Thanks,

- One Man Short ®

Washington post says it is a Citgo station. as reported by the Post-Tribune of Merrillville, so I would assume it may be in that area.

Hope that helps.

www.washingtonpost.com...

Thank you ever so much for supplying the name of station.

That does help alot. Anybody else want to join in a botcott.

- One Man Short ®

Originally posted by Nerdling
But if she had a cell phone... why couldn't she call them herself?

There's no indication that she even had a cell phone. In fact, she said she 'ran to the nearest place'. If she'd had a cell phone, I think she'd use it...

Again, I'm with Grady on this one... People have to stand up and have some cajones once in a while.

Originally posted by One Man Short of Manhood
Thank you ever so much for supplying the name of station.

That does help alot. Anybody else want to join in a botcott.

- One Man Short ®

Citgo is not a station it is a chain. I would assume they have several stations in the area owned by the chain. I like you tried to find the name/exact location of the specific station but had no results in my seach either.

I thnk we should all be able to agree you cannot blame Citgo per se since they only supply the product. I do however agree that if it could be found out who owned the specific station then it would be a good idea to boycott "That" Station.

[edit on 11/25/2005 by shots]

Originally posted by Nerdling
But if she had a cell phone... why couldn't she call them herself?

The article is not explicit, but it does make it clear she did not have a cell phone, or she would have made the call without having to have a clerk remind her to do so.

Originally posted by shots

Washington post says it is a Citgo station. as reported by the Post-Tribune of Merrillville, so I would assume it may be in that area.

We don't have Citgo here in New Mexico, that I know of. Take a look at their web site. Talk about irony.

www.citgo.com...



[edit on 2005/11/25 by GradyPhilpott]

I'll not be taking part in a boycott as I have friends who work at the local Citgo; people who'd pick the DAMNED PHONEUP WITH ONE HAND AND A REVOLVER WITH THE OTHER! I'm not going to take money from their pockets.

I don't give a rip what store policy is, I'd rather be fired than be a coward.

Nerdling, I'm touched by your response. Touched by the bit of bile that hit the back of my throat.

By God, I yearn for the days when there'd be no need for 911 to be called for her, but a coroner for the rogue who attacked her. You know, back in the day when men were men and there were things much scarier than simply dying - like losing your honor.

Bah. I give up.

Store clerk doesnt want to get involved. He's wanted by the police himself.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Store clerk doesnt want to get involved. He's wanted by the police himself.

Interesting thought DG. I kind of think you might be right on target.

On the other hand perhaps the store owner might be on the wanted list.

[edit on 11/25/2005 by shots]

Shots, I worked for a criminal lawyer for a couple of years and this is the first thing i thought of. I could be wrong.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Shots, I worked for a criminal lawyer for a couple of years and this is the first thing i thought of. I could be wrong.

Understood, never the less you made a very good point.

Who knows? It could be the owner or it could be the clerk, but that really makes no difference. What the clerk did was down right wrong.

--------------------
Sorry Thomas but I disagree with you here. I do not think that anyone is saying Citgo should be boycotted here (well that is MHO) yet I feel boycotting the one station would be the right thing too do.

Just to make it clear. I do agree with you on your other points

[edit on 11/25/2005 by shots]

I'm wondering why he didn't use the back phone?

"We have to be careful," he said. "If we call, then there are problems. They can hear. So we use the back phone. We are always helpful to the customer, but we have to protect ourselves."

What's the front phone for, ordering pizza?

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
By God, I yearn for the days when there'd be no need for 911 to be called for her, but a coroner for the rogue who attacked her. You know, back in the day when men were men and there were things much scarier than simply dying - like losing your honor.

I have to agree TC. I remember when the attendent would have pulled the shotgun from behind the counter and that would have been that. My mama would STILL whup me if she heard I let a woman be attacked in front of me and done nothing.

It's easy to say stand up against a robbery. Do you know how? When an aggressive thug is pointing a gun at you, it really is the wrong time to learn you don't know how to fight.

If the military trained you to kill with your bare hands, fine, in that case it would be dumb not to stand up. If you enjoy getting drunk in your spare time and start bar fights, fine, you would have no problem standing up against a robbery. If you take martial art courses, great, you probably know how to stand up, just make sure you tested your skills in a street fight before hand, you know, because there are some Mickey Mouse combat courses out there.

If you're a fatty who sit in front of the TV after work, you better go for submission option, because if you try to stand up you will get hurt, badly! That's the reason why the police advise people not to stand up. If don't know how to knock unconscious an armed thug, don't!

I think the clerk and manager are being criticized for not being willing to pick up the telephone and call 911, not for failing to be Mr. Incredible.

If this happened to me I would try to get the gas attendant fired and possibly sue the store owner and maybe the gas attendent as well if I was really angry. After all if they fear the criminal more than a mob of angry customers, we have a real fight on our hands already. If on the other hand I just believe the gas attendant is even more stupid than the robber, I might explain that it's ok to use the phone since it is not an emergency, he just needs to call the police to file a police report since a crime was committed at this business. Calling the police to file a report is not an emergency. Regardless, I believe the gas attendant was almost as stupid as the criminal especially if the criminal was filmed committing the crime. I wonder what phone they would use if they have an emergency?

I really think it is really really stupid for the gas attendant to not call the police especially since when this story is reported on the local news that a criminal is free to roam this station without fear of the gas attendant reporting the crime, crime will continue unless someone does something to stop it. If the store owner is so stupid that he/she doesn't realize that having a crime committed at his/her station and having this story on tv is really bad for business, then the store owner will get what they deserve. Everyone should stay away from this station.

Edited comment: Something about this story seems strange, I read the article and it says they use the back phone for fear that criminals might overhear. I thought the criminals had already left so that statement doesn't make much sense unless the gas attendant and store owner are both really stupid for making this a policy. Maybe the woman did have a cell phone but the article didn't say if she did or not. If she did, the woman was foolish for not using it and the gas attendant was not stupid. I just don't know the details of this story.

[edit on 25-11-2005 by orionthehunter]

[edit on 25-11-2005 by orionthehunter]

Or maybe the woman should have robbed the clerk to get her money back. The clerk doesn't call the cops, what can happen?