Relying on a Gun for Safety Can Make You Lazy (And Stupid)

A Charlotte, North Carolina bus driver and a passenger got into a shoot out aboard a city bus. Another story about a "good guy with a gun" saving the day?

Nope.

In fact, it shows the mental LAZINESS that can happen when you come to rely on a firearm for your safety instead of learning and implementing the four components of personal safety.

The passenger was criminally charged in the incident. To date the driver has not been charged.  But that may change because he should be. The driver was fired. Deservedly so.

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Apparently, the passenger stood up from his seat, walked up to the driver, and asked if the driver would let him off between stops. The driver said no. They argued about it.

After about two minutes of arguing, the passenger pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the driver if he wouldn't stop the bus.

The driver pulled out his gun and they both  immediately began firing at each other without saying anything else.

The passenger and the driver were both shot. The passenger ran towards the back of the bus where there were other passengers.  But, the driver CONTINUED FIRING. 

The passenger crawled out the back exit of the bus. The bus driver exited the bus and CONTINUED FIRING DOWN THE SIDEWALK TOWARDS THE PASSENGER (This is the action that is likely to get him charged, and perhaps firing towards other passengers on the bus too).

So how did carrying a gun make the driver lazy, and stupid?

Here's why:

• The driver engaged in NO DE-ESCALATION. Zip. Zero. Zilch. The passenger asked, not demanded to be let off of the bus. The driver simply should have said OK. But he didn't. Instead he went into rigid thought process. Rules are rules. (LAZY and STUPID).
• The driver engaged in NO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. When a passenger remains close to you for two minutes, the driver should have assessed the risk to safety, and offered an off-ramp from the situation. He didn't. Instead he began firing immediately, and then IN THE DIRECTION OF INNOCENT BYSTANDERS. (LAZY and STUPID).
• When the passenger pulled out his weapon and demanded to be let off the bus, the driver instead of changing the dynamic of the attack, such as by talking to the passenger to get the passenger out of his own head (or even jamming on the brakes to cause the standing passenger to lose his balance), the driver instead pulled out his gun and immediately started firing. IMMEDIATELY.  There was no shooting, or risk to passengers, UNTIL he pulled out his own weapon and began shooting. (LAZY and STUPID).

Some of the responsibility for this debacle belongs with Charlotte Transit. Transit workers, and especially bus drivers sometimes face threats. But apparently, they don't train their people on what to do.

Personal safety is not just about carrying a firearm. It is a 4-step process that most anyone can master with a bit of training.

• Situational awareness. Recognize threats before they fully become a threat so that you can develop a strategy.
• De-escalation. Using your words and body language to help take things down a notch before they spiral out of control. This is your last/best chance to avoid a physical attack.
• Changing the dynamics of an attack. Using your words as well as your actions to take away an attacker's advantage after an attack is launched. 
• Self-defense. Stopping an attack as quickly and safely as possible. Up to and including how to disarm an attacker with a firearm.

You should never be lazy or stupid when it comes to your personal safety. Check on my FREE on demand workshop, how to be more confident about your safety, or click on the link in the sidebar or down below.