If you saw this ... what would you do? What would you think?
@lookatdesktop (27134)
Dallas, Texas
June 16, 2016 5:09pm CST
If you saw something unusual, in the way of behavior what would you do?
Here is a scenario for you to contemplate while you have nothing else important to spend your time with:
You are alone, sitting in your car at a Walmart. You are waiting for another person to finish their shopping so all you can do really is sit there and wait when the following happens:
4 men, of Middle Eastern appearance, one wearing a cap, light beige push carts out to a dark blue sedan, apparently new.
All four men are dark skinned, dark haired and are well dressed. They wear white pull over shirts with button tops and wear fine watches and are unloading objects into the back of the sedan. Also they load a few sacks of smaller items into the sedan along with the rest of the items.
One cart is full of bags of FERTILIZER.
One cart has a package of 6 large SILVER DUCT TAPE.
There are long boards of wood that look like shelves.
One cart contains a shovel and an axe.
Oh and I almost forgot to add one more detail:
One cart also contained ROPE, along with the shovel and axe.
They appear to be in a hurry. The person in the car who is observing them is parked right next to the blue sedan. The window on the driver side is down 2 inches and the men's voices are easy to make out even though they have a heavy accent.
What would you do?
It is merely a theoretical situation and based on the times we live in what would you do if YOU were the observer in the Walmart parking lot witnessing this activity of these 4 men?
This is but one hypothetical scenario that I submit to you for further analysis.
Taking it one step further, suppose that in this scenario, you, the person seeing this happening are in fact an off duty police officer.
Now its a day later and I have added more information below. I hope you all enjoyed this little exercise ...
Facts, Speculation & Jumping to Conclusions
Sometimes you don't have all the facts.
Sometimes your facts are inconclusive or distorted.
As in the Case of the first scenario of the 4 men who only appear suspicious based on the speculation of one single observer:
The observer is jumping to conclusions as to what is in the bags. He or She assumes it is fertilizer, but it could just as easlily be dirt or even concrete.
What do you think or what would you do?
This takes the entire scenrio into a different direction as it presupposes that you need to do anything at all.
Case in point: The facts are the 4 individuals were doing landscaping work for a new residence.
The axe was to cut down a tree
The rope was to be used for a controlled fall
The bags contained not fertilizer but in fact, concrete and dirt.
The shovels were to be used to dig out a perimeter to lay concrete for a driveway and to fill in the area where the tree stump was to be removed.
The 4 men were all brothers. They were doing the work for free to help out because one of the brothers, the one with the hat, was getting married and
they were doing landscaping for the bride and groom because they were to be moving into a new house and the other brothers wanted to pitch in and help out.
Oh, and the silver duct tape? It was to be divided among the 4 brothers. Everyone knows that silver duct tape is good to have around for many different projects. You've seen the show, Red-Green haven't you?
But the irony of all of this is simply that, but not entirely simple in context:
If you jump to conclusions it is the same thing as being in a court of law and finding the defendant or defendants in this case or rather suspects, guilty before being broven innocent based on half truths, false evidence and blind speculation without having all of the facts.
The same thing holds true for people who tend to judge the political candidates or to judge individuals who behave abnormally with a gun or any other facts.
The good thing about our judicial system is that based on the premise that The suspect of a crime or defendant in a court of law is innocent, until proven guilty and it all rests on the shadow of doubt and the burden of proof.
Yes I have been guilty, that is guilty of jumping to conclusions without knowing all of the facts and many of us are equally guilty of this. Have a nice day!
2 people like this
2 responses
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
17 Jun 16
Honestly, I would think they are probably going to build a raised garden. You indicate the observer can make out their voices. What does he hear them saying? What type of fertilizer did they buy, ammonium nitrate or cow manure? That might make a big difference. Do I notice gas cans in the trunk of the car?
Nothing in the scenario you describe, given that I may assume nothing you haven't specifically mentioned, would cause me to do anything more than yawn, look at my watch, and wonder how soon my better half is going to finish shopping.
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27134)
• Dallas, Texas
17 Jun 16
I am glad you gave this answer. But meanwhile I am interested in everyone's perspective of this. It is quite possible that one or more responses might lean towards conspiracy to do a terrorist act but of course this is all hypothetical anyway.
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
16 Jun 16
Well, it might depend on what they were saying, which according you you, I can easily hear. But, based on what they were buying, they are things I could easily see myself buying. So, I would not call the police under those circumstances.
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27134)
• Dallas, Texas
16 Jun 16
They were not wearing rural clothing. No blue jeans, No tee-shirts. They were not your regular locals who live on the outskirts of the city. Well dressed, in fact very wealthy looking but carrying sacks of fertilizer that would normally be something the average joe would want to be wearing tacky clothing to do the work so as not to get fine clothing soiled.
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
16 Jun 16
@lookatdesktop OK, so you would call the police? I don't know why a terrorist would want to buy fertilizer in his good clothes, anymore than anyone else would. You don't get dirty until you open the bag.
1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27134)
• Dallas, Texas
16 Jun 16
@norcal I recall getting dirty picking up bags of top soil from outdoor lawn and garden center and getting my own pants dirty but then I didn't really mind and did in fact expect it to happen. And as for what I would do? I am only interested in what others would do based on the limited information based on the premise that we live in dangerous times and sometimes people's behaviors can be interpreted in a suspicious manner based on suspicion, fear and current trends.