[i303]

Before 9/11 I saw how American mentality has digressed.  We've become the "What about me?/I can't do it/Help me, help me" generation.  The "don't fight back or resist" curriculum which is currently ENFORCED at schools.  You've seen my posting on the 'Brink's sorry excuse of a man with a vagina' posting.

I now bring you this:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356710,00.html

Gas Station Employee Fired for Fighting Off Robber
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
By Sara Bonisteel
KSTP.com

Mark Beverly
An act of bravery to defend a co-worker has cost a Minnesota gas-station attendant his job.

Mark Beverly, an overnight shift supervisor at a SuperAmerica in Roseville, Minn., was fired in March after he jumped on a masked robber who he believed was attacking a fellow employee.

SuperAmerica said he violated company policy when he came to his colleague's aid in the early morning of March 26. So instead of accolades, Beverly got the boot.

Adding insult to injury, Beverly — who is still looking for another job — has been denied unemployment benefits. He will appeal that decision on June 5.

The trouble began around 3 a.m. when Beverly was cleaning the bathroom and his female co-worker was behind the cash register. Beverly said he heard her scream, so he ran out and saw a robber wearing a blue-stocking cap jostling with her.

"It looked like he was hurting her, so I jumped on him," Beverly said. "I just tried to bang him on the counter a couple of times."

After a tussle, he said, the robber regained his footing and looked as if he was going to pull out a weapon. Beverly said the man told him, "Don't be a hero," before fleeing the store with about .

Beverly called police and reviewed security tapes with his managers before completing his shift. "Everything was fine," he said.

The next day, however, he was fired for violating company policy.

Marathon Petroleum Company, the owner of the SuperAmerica chain, said Beverly was told what to do in the company handbook — which advises employees to "cooperate: don't argue, resist or attack the robber" — and through a computer-based training program Beverly was required to complete when he was hired.

"He endangered himself and her, and that’s why we have the policy," said Linda Casey, a Marathon spokeswoman. "And we have enforced it with other employees, not just with him."

"I just thought it was wrong, that's all," said Beverly, who had worked at SuperAmerica for just over a year. "You're not really trained for a robbery, and that was the first robbery I have ever been in in my life."

Capt. Rick Mathwig of the Roseville Police Department said authorities advise people not to take action when faced with a robbery. :duh: Notice it is CAPTAIN Mathwig saying this.  Typical management spokesperson bucking for upper level type of attitude.  Always agreeing with perceived media temperment.

"When you start resisting at some way shape or form, the suspect who may not have intended on using the weapon that he or she came with may use it intentionally or unintentionally when faced with a conflict," he said.

Roseville police have listed the case as inactive as they have not been able to identify the robber. The only image of him is partial profile and his face is obscured by the stocking cap, Mathwig said.

The security tape showed the female co-worker struggling with the robber over the cash-register drawer, Casey said.

"We have a statement from both [Beverly] and the female employee," Casey said. "Neither one of them say anything about her being attacked, hurt or anything, and the video we have substantiates it."

Beverly said that from his vantage point, he thought she was being attacked.

"With both of them so close it looked — from the angle that I was at — it looked like she was being attacked," he said.

So now we've returned to "Don't resist if you are threatened" mode again.  Let's put this in another perspective shall we?  Your wife/sister/mother is getting gas at one of these gas station.  It's late because the baby shower/her bible study/red hat society meeting finished late.  This particualar SuperAmerica gas station employee is emptying garbage cans. 

Out from behind the store come out 'Don't be a hero' robber which the Roseville PD management has decided not to pursue any further investigation.  Robber puts gun to wife/sister/mother's head. Tells her, "Don't be a hero bitch.  Get in the fucking car" and takes off.  The last time she's seen alive only later finding her mutilated corpse after being sexually assaulted. 

The employee, having seen all this, was not allowed to intervene by 'SuperAmerica's' policy.  Becomes a stellar witness.....of some marked guy who can't be identified....again.  And since no intervention/struggle took place because the 'no hero' policy, no other evidence is available.  Everything has been recorded on the video monitoring 'security' system because, as we all know, those video cams are a great crime deterrent tool, right?

Thanks 'SuperAmerica' gas station.  Maybe I'll buy my gas elsewhere from now on out.  May I also suggest a name change.  Something along the lines of 'SuperPuss', 'BitchesAmerica', 'MegaVagina', 'WeWon'tBeHeroes' gas stations.  At least just remove 'America' from your names.

And Roseville PD management;  does the 'don't defend yourself policy' also apply to your officers?  I only have to wonder wether Capt. Mathwig had El Paso AUSA's, Johnny 'Boy' Suttons phone number on speed dial.  I'm positive somewhere in there the robber's civil rights had been violated in the process of his right to rob.

I will also add, for those who've done heroic actions, they don't do these things because at the moment they are thinking "I'll be a hero".  They tend to do it because it's the right thing to do, and it usually scares the shit out of them at the moment.  If it doesn't, later it's realized.  Also later is when it is realized what they have done and still don't feel as some hero.  For many this is a natural reaction that they are compelled to do regardless of some pussy administrative asshole making policy or worthless PD management.

Anyone wishing to express their opinions to Marathon Petroleum and SuperAmerica only need to follow these links:  http://www.speedway.com/  http://www.mapllc.com/  They also own Pilot and Gas City gas stations seen here in AZ.  That's too bad because they are the only ones I know who sells race fuel for off road vehicles.  Now I'll have to get it elsewhere.

And lets not forget Capt. Matwig:  http://www.ci.roseville.mn.us/index.asp?nid=17

 

[admin]

Sorry, I didn't realize something changed right after 9/11.

 

[i303]

Yeah, it was that 6 month period which we "set aside our differences and banded together" then put American flags all over the place. That and how we weren't going to be suckas anymore and kick ass and take names. Basically a shift of attitude that if someone was doing bad things you do what you have to do to stop it.

Then as soon as the first person got offended with seeing a flag on a fire truck it was pretty much downhill from there.

BTW I think I was the only person in my city who didn't display a flag.

 

[MickeyC]

Not really. It's all about liability. If the employee got hurt attacking the criminal, the company can claim no liability as they had specifically told him not to engage in that behaviour. By firing him, they simply enforce the policy to other workers.

America has too many bullshit lawsuits and this type of corporate behaviour is the result.

Considering it's the land of the free there are an awful lot of silly laws, statutes and corporate policies restricting behaviour.

 

[admin]

Look at the bright side. At least the guy only got fired, he could have also ended up in jail for assaulting a robber.

As long as you have an American flag hanging from your house you can vote anti-gun and still be a patriot!

 

[NorthOfTheCity]

America has too many bullshit lawsuits and this type of corporate behaviour is the result.

This all comes from an overabundace of daddies buying spoiled little jr's way into Harvard Law...

 

[i303]

Not really. It's all about liability. If the employee got hurt attacking the criminal, the company can claim no liability as they had specifically told him not to engage in that behaviour. By firing him, they simply enforce the policy to other workers.

America has too many bullshit lawsuits and this type of corporate behaviour is the result.

Considering it's the land of the free there are an awful lot of silly laws, statutes and corporate policies restricting behaviour.

I do agree that policy do seem to be ALWAYS dictated by sheister lawyers and everything is a liability issue so pass the buck. However this is easy pickings in form a double edge sword. By abiding by company policy should the employee expect a degree of protection provided by the company if they are not allowed to defend themselves. What, are they supposed to just stand there like bayonet dummies and take a beating? From what the article outlined (and as usual there is a lot more to the story) that the guy came out and already saw an assault in progress (Love how they call it josling now as if the female employee and the robber were just horse playing. Maybe that's the way the company puts it.)

Screw Marathon and it's subsidiaries. That guy instantly went up a few points on his man card. There may be a reason he works at a gas station which often indicates some past issues however what he did has a lot of redeeming values. No one can tell for sure, right? Can we just wonder what would have happened to the female employee had he not come out. And maybe the robber thought she was alone and might have not tried it had he seen the guy in the first place. These guys don't like to target victims who might kick their ass (or are armed).

He may have lost his job with that company but I'm sure there are some job offers just around the corner. Call it karma.

 

[Ranly]

Camera systems aren't worth shit. When I was working at a gas station we spent all this money installing this big fancy camera system. Thing is it dissent do anything but record, no security officer sitting their watching or anything no preventive measures at all, but we all got to see the crimeafter it happened, shop lifting n' stuff.

 

[i303]

That was my point about surveillance cameras as a deterrent. They seem to be used more as a boss's spy tool than it's intended purpose.

"Yeah the clerk got shot in the head, but we got it all on tape", "Oh wait, the shooter wore a baggy hooded sweatshirt and a mask. I guess were fucked. Too bad"

 

[kippjones]

Things will get worse in this country before they get better. It is part of the process. The Constitution says so. The founders have been there, done that. History repeats itself. Too bad for the existing people do not learn from the past.