Back in high school I took a part time job at a local sporting goods shop. We sold fishing supplies, hunting gear(minus firearms), an assortment of paintball and pellet guns, and kayaks and canoes. Nobody was ever armed in the shop, although we have had a multitude of shady characters come in on occasion, some that may be drunk. There have been a few petty thefts, and a couple attempts to break in after hours, though i never felt *unsafe.* My instructions are to turn over anything I'm asked for in the event something happens, and I fully intend to do so. Money is not worth dying for.
I left for college, and when I dropped out, the boss gave me my old job back, with plenty of hours, and really helped me get back on my feet and turn what could have been a major failure into a success. We got along well, I managed the store fairly successfully in his absence, and even after I took a real, on the books job with an ambulance company, I continued to work at the store until I left for basic training. A few weeks ago, the old boss called in a favor-it seems that my replacement has a difficult schedule this semester, and without some help he would need to be there at some point, 7 days a week. Getting tired of my full-time work, and wanting some extra cash, I agreed to do a day every week.
Thing is, in the time since I'd been working there, our shop now has it's FFL. We don't generally keep a large stock of firearms, as there's no great place to securely store them at night, but there are usually a few in the back room, and we order whatever anybody wants. Also, since the last time I worked there, I've obtained my own personal battery of arms, and a much stronger sense of situational awareness and appreciation for danger. I got a phone call from the boss tonight asking me, if when he wasn't there, I kept a shotgun in the store.
I told him yes, and was immediately told that I can't do that, and given renewed instructions that if there was a robbery to just hand over money. I told him I wasn't concerned about money, and that it was about personal safety. I was basically told that, since *he* had never felt unsafe there, that *I* should feel safe, and that nothing bad had ever happened so it shouldn't be a concern. It should be noted, that this guy is almost as conservative socially as I am, his wife had applied for a pistol permit, and he owns guns, though can no longer really shoot due to an injury to his arm. After I was dismissed, I learned his true reason for not wanting the gun at work. Liability. I'm off the books, technically not an employee. Therefore he feels if there was a shooting, it would go badly for the business. Never mind if something bad happens to me. If I wasn't trying to save my extra cash pretty bad, I probably leave tomorrow. It's still on my mind. In who's world does it make sense for employees of a gun shop to be unarmed?
It has, of course, crossed my mind to continue to do so, but apparently there are eyes watching me. Either cameras I don't know about, or more likely regular customers who saw the shotty in the corner where there normally was none. Unfortunately there are no good places completely out of sight, and handguns are a no-go. I'm either unarmed, or out of a steady, easy second income.
