Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Guns Save Lives

Yahoo News reports on the man who shot his way out of a sinking car. Thanks to Il Principe.

FatWhiteMan was on it too.

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – A driver whose SUV plunged into a Northern California creek after he was startled by his hands-free cell phone device escaped the sinking vehicle by blasting out the window with a handgun. The 28-year-old man, whose name wasn't immediately available, is an armed security guard at Thunder Valley Casino, north of Sacramento. He sustained minor injuries in Sunday's accident.

A spokesman for the Roseville Fire Department said the man was traveling northbound on Industrial Avenue in Roseville when the cell phone device activated. The driver was startled and veered off the road through the guardrail. The SUV landed in Pleasant Grove Creek.

He used his gun to shoot himself out, then flagged down a passerby.

The Prince's remark was worth repeating.

Some fodder for your blog. Seems like the guy is a bit too jumpy to lose control of his vehicle from the sound of his cell phone. Hope he is not that jumpy when it comes to using his gun on the job.

What's your opinion? Anyone can lose control of the car, right? Anyone can be a bit jumpy. But, it makes you wonder how fit this guy is to be in his line of work.

Please leave a comment.

9 comments:

  1. This guy sounds like a highly trained professional. And the People's Republik said it's okay for him to have a gun.

    So i'm not worried about him being jumpy at all. Not one bit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's funny, but do you put him in the 10% for "general stupidity" or not, because without his pistol he would have died?

    Anyways, it's a good laugh, so let's move on before Jade grumbles more about "gunloons".

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I've had a few things startle me a lot more than a ringing cell phone without going off the road and into the water.

    It actually sounds like a bullshit story to me. I'm guessing he might have actually been using the phone, something that will come out if his cellphone records get checked.

    I have several tools in my trucks cab which will easily break a window or windshield. I was at a gun counter in Syracuse the other day and listened to the clerk asking the purchaser of a used 9mm if he was familiar with semi-automatic pistols. The customer said, "No.". That in itself was a bit scary as anyone who even handles a handgun for sale in this state is, IIRC, required to have a valid handgun permit. After telling the buyer not to hold the weapon improperly and get injured by the slide coming back he also cautioned the buyer to use eye and ear protection. He said something to the effect that handguns are awfully damned loud. I can only imagine what they would sound like going off in a car with the windows closed.

    Hey, you don't suppose he shot the window out, THEN went off the road? Nah, he'd have to tell a lie if that was the case.

    ReplyDelete
  4. He may be "jumpy," but it seems rather unlikely that he has killed or injured anyone with a firearm. He does appear, though to have saved his life with one. Reduced "gun availability"--your goal, as I understand it, Mikeb--may very well have killed him.

    Thankfully, he had lifesaving firepower within easy reach.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, lifesaving firepower, Zorro.

    I think democommie is on to something. The whole story sounds a bit incredible. I wonder what really happened.

    ReplyDelete
  6. If I'm in a car that goes off the road and is leaking gasoline all over the passenger compartment because it's upside down with a ruptured fuel tank I'm gonna definitely want to shoot my way out of the vehicle. Yup.

    If you're so unimaginative that the only possible tool in your possession which is capable of breaking a window is a handgun than you are seriously slow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. democommie, It's part of the mentality, "the gun is the answer."

    ReplyDelete
  8. In that case, assuming, of course, that the story is accurate, the gun WAS the answer--or at least the answer the guy came up with, and it worked.

    Democommie's "leaking fuel" scenario--had it happened--would have been much different, but since it didn't happen that way, it's hardly relevant.

    Jeez--are you so offended by the idea of life being saved by use of a firearm, that you have to criticize the guy who used one that way?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Zorro:

    Am I so offended by the idea that a guy had to use a gun because he didn't have the sense to use something else in the car to break a window? No, I'm not. I'm a bit skeptical and, as I said before, if that's the only way he could figure out break a window than he's got some other problems.

    Are you so offended by the possibility that he might be lying, or just a garden variety shithead that you can't admit to the possibility that he might be one a liar or an idiot?

    ReplyDelete