Gas Station Employee Fired For Fighting Off Robber

[Laudate_Dominum]

Yes, he knew the "rules" and broke them which is just brownie points from my perspective. Some people would sit back and do nothing in the face of evil and then pat themselves on the back for being such a good person.

[kujo]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1535000' date='May 20 2008, 05:47 PM']Yes, he knew the "rules" and broke them which is just brownie points from my perspective. Some people would sit back and do nothing in the face of evil and then pat themselves on the back for being such a good person.[/quote]

Research done by Stanley Milgram and Phillip Zimbardo suggests that 6 out of 10 people would actually walk away from a situation like this.

[Autumn Dusk]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1535000' date='May 20 2008, 05:47 PM']Yes, he knew the "rules" and broke them which is just brownie points from my perspective. Some people would sit back and do nothing in the face of evil and then pat themselves on the back for being such a good person.[/quote]

These are not dumb or arbitray rules, which you're acting like they are. We know putting a 1960's hair drier into a tub will likely get someone electrocuted. Not always but sometimes.

This guy may of acted heroically but he did so against the rules. I have no problem with him being fired. He dosn't make a good convience store worker.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1535004' date='May 20 2008, 03:50 PM']These are not dumb or arbitray rules, which you're acting like they are. We know putting a 1960's hair drier into a tub will likely get someone electrocuted. Not always but sometimes.

This guy may of acted heroically but he did so against the rules. I have no problem with him being fired. He dosn't make a good convience store worker.[/quote]
Yes, of course these rules generally exist to protect corporate interests and are often reducible to statistics that represent dollar signs. Where we differ is in absolutizing such silly rules. We could put it another way then. If I worked at a gas station and knew that the company policy prohibited me from calling 911 unless the incident (accident or whatever) happened on company grounds and yet there was a brutal accident less than 30 yards away and I could see that people were dead or dying before my eyes what would I do?
The fact that a person would even pause to consider the company policy disturbs me slightly. I can sit by and watch people die or help them and possibly lose my job unjustly.. Hmm.. Tough decision. *sarcasm*

[kujo]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1535015' date='May 20 2008, 05:57 PM']Yes, of course these rules generally exist to protect corporate interests and are often reducible to statistics that represent dollar signs. Where we differ is in absolutizing such silly rules. We could put it another way then. If I worked at a gas station and knew that the company policy prohibited me from calling 911 unless the incident (accident or whatever) happened on company grounds and yet there was a brutal accident less than 200 yards away and I could see that people were dead or dying before my eyes what would I do?
The fact that a person would even pause to consider the company policy disturbs me slightly. I can sit by and watch people die or help them and possibly lose my job unjustly.. Hmm.. Tough decision. *sarcasm*[/quote]

If I were this guy, I'd throw together an awesome resume, put this whole event under "special skills" and apply at whatever the local competitor for his old store was. Probably give the new store a boost in sales for awhile!

[StColette]

This makes me wonder about how many Saints "broke" the rules so to speak when faced with injustice, someone possibly dying, etc.

new research project for moi lol

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1535004' date='May 20 2008, 03:50 PM']These are not dumb or arbitray rules, which you're acting like they are. We know putting a 1960's hair drier into a tub will likely get someone electrocuted. Not always but sometimes.

This guy may of acted heroically but he did so against the rules. I have no problem with him being fired. He dosn't make a good convience store worker.[/quote]
Perhaps the ideal convenience store worker would be a robot. You're putting company rules above moral obligation in my opinion. Rules of this sort cannot be more than guidelines since the possibilities of concrete situations, and the complexities of morality go beyond their scope. The mentality you are proposing is that of the ideal citizen in an Orwellian society.

[kujo]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1535026' date='May 20 2008, 06:07 PM']Perhaps the ideal convenience store worker would be a robot. You're putting company rules above moral obligation in my opinion. Rules of this sort cannot be more than guidelines since the possibilities of concrete situations, and the complexities of morality go beyond their scope. The mentality you are proposing is that of the ideal citizen in an Orwellian society.[/quote]

Actually, a robot at a convenience store might provide better service than some of the yahoos I've been helped by. I mean, come on...how hard is it to ring up my slushie, Snickers bar and Newsweek magazine?

[CatherineM]

I suspect he won't have any trouble getting another job.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1535026' date='May 20 2008, 04:07 PM']Perhaps the ideal convenience store worker would be a robot. You're putting company rules above moral obligation in my opinion.[/quote]

And you're not paying attention. The woman was NOT BEING ATTACKED. Period. By tossling with the robber, that employee could have caused loss of life.

Edited May 20, 2008 by Madame Vengier

[kujo]

[quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1535086' date='May 20 2008, 06:54 PM']And you're not paying attention. The woman was NOT BEING ATTACKED. Period. By tossling with the robber, that employee could have caused loss of life.[/quote]

He reacted to what he thought he saw, Madame. And I would want a man like that to react in the same way if it were one of my sisters, my mom, or you.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='StColette' post='1535017' date='May 20 2008, 03:59 PM']This makes me wonder about how many Saints "broke" the rules so to speak when faced with injustice, someone possibly dying, etc.

new research project for moi lol[/quote]


Again, the woman was not being attacked. Period. Unless this guy was a specialist in martial arts he had no business bum-rushing a guy who may have had a weapon and who, to that point, was not acting out violently. If the woman had TRULY been being attacked I would absolutely agree with the man's actions. As it happened he didn't bother to get a good visual ("I thought she was being attacked" but the woman's testimony and the film footage proves otherwise) before he rushed in all Rambo-like.

[Madame Vengier]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' post='1534985' date='May 20 2008, 03:39 PM']When I was a kid I saw a really bad car accident and people were basically dying so I ran to a gas station that was about 30 meters away and the person said they couldn't call 911 because of company policy. They wouldn't let me call 911 on their phone either because of "company policy." I didn't have any change to use the payphone and of course these twits weren't exactly eager to loan me a quarter. Company policy or not, they should be ashamed of themselves. Basic moral responsibility and humanity trumps some goofy company policy.[/quote]


That is completely different. You had absolute surity that a life was in danger. That guy at the gas station had only a bad visual angle. And someone could have gotten killed.

[kujo]

[quote name='Madame Vengier' post='1535093' date='May 20 2008, 06:57 PM']Again, the woman was not being attacked. Period. Unless this guy was a specialist in martial arts he had no business bum-rushing a guy who may have had a weapon and who, to that point, was not acting out violently. If the woman had TRULY been being attacked I would absolutely agree with the man's actions. As it happened he didn't bother to get a good visual ("I thought she was being attacked" but the woman's testimony and the film footage proves otherwise) before he rushed in all Rambo-like.[/quote]

Say this guy was about to stab the woman. Had this worker taken the time to "get a good visual" on her, he could've been discovered, not to mention the woman could've been attacked in the mean time. Thankfully, she was not attacked (yet) just being threatened.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='kujo' post='1535099' date='May 20 2008, 05:01 PM']Say this guy was about to stab the woman. Had this worker taken the time to "get a good visual" on her, he could've been discovered, not to mention the woman could've been attacked in the mean time. Thankfully, she was not attacked (yet) just being threatened.[/quote]

Exactly, the man had mere moments to decide. "Do I attempt to save the lady, or watch her die before me?" By the time he thought every thing out it would have been too late.