But they'll be firing BLANKS!

[smileyeagle1021]

Unless your name is James Bond, that is.

kinda OT, but does anyone else think it's odd in the older Bonds, that Bond has perfect marksmanship up until the last 20 minutes of the movie when he's fighting the criminal mastermind behind whatever terror plot he's trying to stop, at which point he couldn't hit the side of a barn?

[Shangri-laschild]

My officer friend is doing some training right now and instead of blanks, they use paintball bullets (not sure of the actual name). It uses a real gun (though it's painted blue so you can't mix them up, as are the magazines) but when you're hit, you just get a blue mark on your. Granted that still probably wouldn't work very well in the work place environment, but there are still better things to use than blanks. Yeah, the whole thing sounds poorly planned out.

[Becks]

Am I the only one who got totally gutterbrained at the title?

I thought of it, but I must've been on my best behavior that day.

[crazylegs]

take the drawer out, throw it at his face with as much force as possible (hey, not my fault you didn't specify how you wanted the money ) and pray that said maniac doesn't squeeze the trigger instinctively and if he does that his aim will have been thrown off...

I hate to say it but this plan isn't really very smart.

When you enter a flinch (as you do when something is thrown at your face) you clench your fists with around 25lb of pressure, more than sufficient to pull a trigger, and as most robbers will have their fingers on the trigger a shot will be fired.

If someone threatens you with a firearm and asks you for the cash take it out the drawer and set it on the side, the important thing is that you get home that night, not that you saved the hotel a few bucks.

</lecture>

[smileyeagle1021]

I hate to say it but this plan isn't really very smart.

When you enter a flinch (as you do when something is thrown at your face) you clench your fists with around 25lb of pressure, more than sufficient to pull a trigger, and as most robbers will have their fingers on the trigger a shot will be fired.

If someone threatens you with a firearm and asks you for the cash take it out the drawer and set it on the side, the important thing is that you get home that night, not that you saved the hotel a few bucks.

</lecture>

actually, I could care less about saving the hotel money... I care more about breaking the with the gun pointing towards me's nose.

...that said, a smart criminal (I know, a contridiction) would realize that there is no security camera and that the only thing that can end them in prison for the robbery would be my testimony and shoot me after I take out the drawer anyway... so I'm screwed one way or the other.

[InsanityInc]

I worked for an ISP for a while, and one manager asked me what I'd do if someone broke in and wanted our equipment. (The area I was in had about 25-30 computers, a few servers, other ISP junk). I replied my answer to them would be "Ya'll need help getting this stuff to the elevator?"

Cool manager though. His reply to me was along the lines of, Fine, as long as you're OK. We can replace the equipment, not you.

[Applerod]

I remember learning that in recent times some high schools (in the U.S.) have conducted "gun-toting maniac" drills. One school actually FORGOT to issue proper notification of the drill--which was an unmitigated success--at terrorizing its students, who learned that the best way to react to the media feeding frenzy following public shootings in recent years is to forgo critical thinking in favor of panic.
If you work at a bank or any place at high risk for "armed intrusion" then of course you should be prepared for such an eventuality; otherwise pray that during the exercise the phony intruder is mauled by a real bear -- then get ready for bear attack training (which, if luck prevails, will be interrupted by a robbery).

[crazylegs]

...that said, a smart criminal (I know, a contridiction) would realize that there is no security camera and that the only thing that can end them in prison for the robbery would be my testimony and shoot me after I take out the drawer anyway... so I'm screwed one way or the other.

A smart criminal knows that CCTV this clear is so rare it's virtually non existant and eye witness testimony is often not great so I wouldn't worry about it unduly.

[Caveat Emptor]

When I was in Air Force Basic Training, they gave us rubber M-16s and had us attach our flashlights to the barrel. Then to simulate firing, we were to flick the flashlight on and off.

This was MILITARY (albeit Air Force) training.

As has been said numerous times already, your bosses are idiots just asking for a lawsuit.

SC

When I was in ROTC, we also had rubber M-16s most of the time and yelled "Bangbangbang! Bangitybangbagngitbangbang! Bangybangbangitybangy!"

[Horsetuna]

Caveat: Reminds me of a joke where the military were doing this, and one solder started to walk sloowly down the road toawrds the firing line

They would go BANGBANGBANG, but he kept going... They kept doing that until he walked right into them, at which point they asked what he was, and he began to say

"Tankitytankitytankity'...

Something like that. I forget exactly how it goes.


Anyways... Ugh. I'd call in sick that day. I'm high strung ENOUGH that I dont need to freak out at that.

[Caveat Emptor]

Before an exercise, I was once given a rubber RPG. Realizing how stupid this was as an only weapon, when the attack came I started going "Voom! Voomy! Voomwoomvoom!! Voomyvoomy!!!"

You get the idea.

[PepperElf]

had us attach our flashlights to the barrel.

that made me think of something.... something devious.

cos the part about "not allowed to defend ourselves".... well... um... have someone bring in a Surefire flashlight. Like one of the OMG bright ones.

Hey it's a flashlight not a weapon. and it only temporarily blinds you (seriously, i tried it on my own eyes with my L2)

[Primer]

Having participated in safety demonstrations utilizing blanks, all I can say is that the bosses are IDIOTS. An aluminum soda can has the approximate tensile strength of human skin. We regularly turn these into shrapnel from a foot away, shooting BLANKS. Calling out sick is the best idea all around.

[DannyboyO1]

Well, the whole thing, for 90% of the floor, wasn't distinguishable from the other drill. Earwitness reports of the "blanks" reported "pop-gun" noise levels. The worst injury was when one coworker tried checking the peephole specifically placed in the office door for this exercise. It was dark and the door had a coathook right by the peep. Fellow almost put his eye out.

Upside, got my car tires balanced across town, and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in the land of the anticlimactic.

[JustADude]

that made me think of something.... something devious.

cos the part about "not allowed to defend ourselves".... well... um... have someone bring in a Surefire flashlight. Like one of the OMG bright ones.

Hey it's a flashlight not a weapon. and it only temporarily blinds you (seriously, i tried it on my own eyes with my L2)

And, gotta remember, a good tactical flashlight is also a good bludgeon to use on your now-conveniently-blinded target.