Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa (Post 7861726)

if only this thread were texting in a movie theater.

Originally Posted by foxpaws (Post 7861731)

The thing I found objectionable about your posts were you always stated that the texter was the 'impolite' one - when, in fact, we don't know that. It created an 'he deserved it' atmosphere, even if you didn't intend for that to be the case. Your posts were always extremely one sided, and if indeed, you are all about 'fair play,' those posts would have reflected that both sides could have crossed the 'impolite' barrier.

Originally Posted by foxpaws (Post 7859863)

See - this is what I mean - you consistently draw out things the texter could have done to avoid the situation, however, you don't give 'equal' time to ways the older guy could have avoided the situation. It appears that you always 'blame' the texter when you do this. "The texter could have done this or that or maybe something else", while never using this same reasoning for the older man. However, you now have stated that you believe that it wasn't 'equal' but you still just use the texter as the 'only if he had done this' example.

Originally Posted by Baz (Post 7860035)

Correct - I have mentioned on several occasions that the texter could have avoided a confrontation in the first place had he extended the shooter a little common courtesy.

There I said it again.

I think it's important to stress how not extending common courtesy to fellow humans - is all too often the cause of deaths in our society

Aside from this situation - how about all the road rage incidents....resulted in a deaths.

Mostly because of the "me first" personality.

Does not the common courtesy portion of this story deserve mention?

If we do not discuss it.....what does that say about preventing future deaths due to certain personalities who are prone to violence?

Can anyone disagree with anything I just wrote above?

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861700)

Strange that many of you consider it impossible that an out of shape 71 year old with significant medical problems could not be afraid of a physical altercation with an aggressive, vigorous, much younger man. Is it because he ran a desk as a security guard at Busch Gardens for the last 20 years( yep, rentacops are badassed!)..or sat on his butt as a police captain or detective for the prior 10 years? How many times do you think someone threatened to kick his arse doing either job? Not many I would guess. How many bad guys do you think he has shot? Likely none, since the press has not dug it up. Maybe just a scared old man who got on over his head...never expecting things to escalate.

Originally Posted by foxpaws (Post 7861731)

The thing I found objectionable about your posts were you always stated that the texter was the 'impolite' one - when, in fact, we don't know that. It created an 'he deserved it' atmosphere, even if you didn't intend for that to be the case. Your posts were always extremely one sided, and if indeed, you are all about 'fair play,' those posts would have reflected that both sides could have crossed the 'impolite' barrier.

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe (Post 7861750)

Ugh. Why can't you "hear" Baz?

Below... offered as evidence of continued circling... and Foxy, why is it so difficult to deal with what Baz has been continually trying to say about texter dude's responsibility in this incident? Is it because of the death? Why can't you acknowledge that the texter had a massive part in the cause of the tragedy?

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa (Post 7861726)

if only this thread were texting in a movie theater.

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe (Post 7861750)

Ugh. Why can't you "hear" Baz?

Below... offered as evidence of continued circling... and Foxy, why is it so difficult to deal with what Baz has been continually trying to say about texter dude's responsibility in this incident? Is it because of the death? Why can't you acknowledge that the texter had a massive part in the cause of the tragedy?

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861782)

Fox
I have not seen anything in the news that would imply Mr Reeves is rude..or any accounts of him being rude (other than to politely ask folks to be a bit more considerate. What "priors" do you refer to?

Originally Posted by foxpaws (Post 7861773)

Because even throwing popcorn at someone isn't 'massive'.

Foxy, Baz has been asserting that the texter's part in the incident began with the texting and after being asked to stop... refusing to do so.

Forget the popcorn, please... it looks silly to keep focusing on that. It comes off as failed hyperbole... or at the very least, sidestepping and dissing what Baz has to say about common courtesy.

No one gets shot, dead, for throwing popcorn, no one dies because of being rude. There is no 'responsibility' here - no one gets killed for doing these things, period. Just throwing popcorn isn't a death threat, and we know very, very little of what transpired verbally between these two people, however, it seems that you want to place 'massive' blame on the texter, even if you don't know the facts.

I can 'hear' Baz just fine - it appears he continually states that the texter, because he was impolite, escalated the situation, just as you are, and has the bulk of the responsibility here. First off, we don't know that the shooter wasn't impolite to begin with, that he may have been the 'instigator' of all this. Texting during the previews isn't a criminal offense, nor is it even against the 'rules', and, currently is accepted behavior by most people who go to movies. Add to that we don't know what the ex-cop told the texter initially. Was it 'if you don't put that cell phone away I am going to make you sorry you took it out', did the texter reply with 'Sorry, just finishing up, I'll make sure it doesn't bother you again'. Wow - that would change everything wouldn't it? At that point who has the 'massive' part in the cause of all this? The guy that threatened the other one, the one that left the theater and came back, disgruntled that management was too busy to deal with his all important cell phone matter, and willing to take matters into his own hands?

The whole thing against Baz and now you, is you don't know - you are assuming that the texter was somehow 'first' to the rude starting line. After reading about the 'priors' that this older man has regarding cell phones in theaters, I would certainly say that the older guy has at least a 50/50 chance of being the first to the 'rude' threshold.

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861799)

EMJ
Staring at someone who is/was rudely using their phone in a theater hardly seems rude.

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861642)

Satman
Look at 784.08 where battery is elevated to a felony if on 65 or older....then 784.03 for def of battery.

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861817)

I would do the same...ask them to stop, report them if they did not, and then glare at them until the movie was over unless they made an apology...or at least seemed to regret their bad behavior.

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861661)

Speeder
He is sitting in jail because if Zimmerman case...not in spite of it.
Satman
Sitting down with gun in lap kept him from being shot. The healthcare professionals were the right ones to perform first aid. His demeanor allowed them to approach.

Originally Posted by fintstone (Post 7861751)

65
Why would "accosted" preclude "assaulted". Of course he was assaulted.

Physical condition and age are important...if one is to ascertain if it is reasonable that he would fear an attack from the younger man.

Given the same information, why would he make a different decision? Would the tester?