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Argument in store over used bass

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#461
Gorn said:
It wasn't within arms reach. The number of steps away that the OP took has changed a few times throughout the story, but it wasn't within arms reach. Even if it was, he grabbed the bass out of the guy's hands. That was the douschiest move of the whole debacle.
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Indeed, not really arguing that - I personally wouldn't get into a physical confrontation over an Epi Goth Thunderbird, or anything else for that matter. I just don't believe everyone would be as restrained as they claim if something similar happened to them, particularly with the mentality that music shops are some sort of uncivilised free-for-all where just because I have taken my hands off something for a second, it makes it ok for someone else to snatch it without at least asking if I still intend to purchase it. The shopping trolley analogy is a good one - if I leave it unattended for a second/minute to grab something off a shelf, does that make it ok for someone else to wheel it off?
 
#462
Alex J said:
Indeed, not really arguing that - I personally wouldn't get into a physical confrontation over an Epi Goth Thunderbird, or anything else for that matter. I just don't believe everyone would be as restrained as they claim if something similar happened to them, particularly with the mentality that music shops are some sort of uncivilised free-for-all where just because I have taken my hands off something for a second, it makes it ok for someone else to snatch it without at least asking if I still intend to purchase it. The shopping trolley analogy is a good one - if I leave it unattended for a second/minute to grab something off a shelf, does that make it ok for someone else to wheel it off?
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No, but the supermarket has more stuff, unless it's a blizzard and it's a free for all for supplies to last out the storm. If the supermarket is a free for all and people are acting wild and grabbing what they can then you better hold on to your cart. If it's a normal day at the supermarket and someone grabs your food because you slightly walked away, that's a douche move.

The $89 bass was essentially a unique item. A bass that more than one person wanted. If the OP wanted it, he shoulda held on to it. He walked away from it, whether it was 2 steps or 5 steps. He walked away. People leave basses plugged in. Some people have claimed they've never seen that. I claim I have. The second guy picked it up and said "I'm gonna buy this". The OP then put his hands on the bass while the other guy was holding it. That was out of line. The second guy could have said "hey, is anyone playing this" but he didn't have to.

If he wanted to compare two basses, he should've taken the tbird with him for that indeterminate number of steps to the other bass.
 
#464
Perhaps similar perhaps not - twice at my kids shows, I took empty chairs only to be told a few seconds later the chairs were saved or already taken. I said too bad, there was nothing on the chairs and no one in the immediate area holding those chairs. Those folks found chairs elsewhere. I say the OP is the bigger dbag.
 
#465
Alright, well, I came back to this thread this morning just to check in for old-time's sake. Good to see she's still going strong, like back in the good old days. Not to get snotty, I'll move along to my point in posting. You know, sometimes in life things come down to realizations after a good night's sleep. So, here's what occurs to me. Has anyone seen the OFFICIAL list of rules for "calling shotgun" (you know, getting the front seat of a car)? You can find this pretty easily online. There's an incredibly long and detailed social context to "calling shotgun" that we all seem to know just by virtue of growing up in our culture. It's learned by accident. Osmosis. Intuition. When one starts to write it all down, it's quite amazingly complex and detailed. FOR EXAMPLE: "no calling shotgun if the driver has brought his wife or date". SEE? OBVIOUS but no one ever "taught" you this rule. You just know it, somehow.

I NOW MAKE A HORRIBLE, DREADED LEAP.

What this thread needs is a bunch of TB's helping us compile a list of "calling my bass" rules when shopping for a bass in public!

THERE, I SAID IT. (and if that isn't good for 20 more pages, i don't know what is).

Ladies and gentlemen, good night.

:roflmao:
 
#466
Gorn said:
People leave basses plugged in. Some people have claimed they've never seen that. I claim I have. The second guy picked it up and said "I'm gonna buy this". The OP then put his hands on the bass while the other guy was holding it. That was out of line. The second guy could have said "hey, is anyone playing this" but he didn't have to.
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I've seen people leave basses plugged in too, but if they are sat at or stood next to the amp then I wouldn't presume that they had finished with it without asking them first. It's just rude not to. Maybe they were grabbing a tuner? Or reaching for their wallet? Or any number of other possibilities.

Whether it was then appropriate to grab the bass or whatever is a separate matter and doesn't make the second guy's behaviour any less civil.
 
#467
The OP's story would make a great advertising segment for Epiphone: "Our basses are so desirable, grown men are nearly brought to fisticuffs for the chance to own one."

Maybe it was the Goth vibe that fueled their emotion? If it had been the standard version, things would have played out more gentlemanly.
 
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#469
Alex J said:
I've seen people leave basses plugged in too, but if they are sat at or stood next to the amp then I wouldn't presume that they had finished with it without asking them first. It's just rude not to. Maybe they were grabbing a tuner? Or reaching for their wallet? Or any number of other possibilities.

Whether it was then appropriate to grab the bass or whatever is a separate matter and doesn't make the second guy's behaviour any less civil.
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Bottom line is, the first guy was not 100% sure about his decision to buy... otherwise he wouldn't have been screwing around trying out other basses. I've been there myself, I see a nice deal and try it out but then I see another, better item for a few dollars more and figure, I'm already considering spending $89.00 and that one is only $30 more... maybe id rather have that one.

The second guy apparently was 100%. He should have been able to buy it since the first guy was not.

I wonder if the OP's purchase of the bass was motivated more by spite rather than any actual desire to own the thing. Can anyone say buyer's remorse?

What are the odds we'll be seeing an Epiphone Goth T-Bird with a few battle scars from a violent shopping incident up for sale in the classifieds in the near future?
 
#470
Double E said:
Bottom line is, the first guy was not 100% sure about his decision to buy... otherwise he wouldn't have been screwing around trying out other basses. I've been there myself, I see a nice deal and try it out but then I see another, better item for a few dollars more and figure, I'm already considering spending $89.00 and that one is only $30 more... maybe id rather have that one.

The second guy apparently was 100%. He should have been able to buy it since the first guy was not.
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It was still pretty rude not to ask. How else do you know someone's intentions when the situation is ambiguous at best? A little bit of civility goes a long way.

Maybe it's fitting though that his Goth Thunderbird is tainted with the burning rage of scores of smug Talkbassers ;)
 
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#471
tr4252 said:
I'm still wondering; OP, did you really take a pecan pie from someone else's shopping cart, or was the story apocryphal?

Tom
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I did not.I won't resort to being a dbag.I did however actually go to the grocery store yesterday and get one.

Gorn said:
No, but the supermarket has more stuff, unless it's a blizzard and it's a free for all for supplies to last out the storm. If the supermarket is a free for all and people are acting wild and grabbing what they can then you better hold on to your cart. If it's a normal day at the supermarket and someone grabs your food because you slightly walked away, that's a douche move.

The $89 bass was essentially a unique item. A bass that more than one person wanted. If the OP wanted it, he shoulda held on to it. He walked away from it, whether it was 2 steps or 5 steps. He walked away. People leave basses plugged in. Some people have claimed they've never seen that. I claim I have. The second guy picked it up and said "I'm gonna buy this". The OP then put his hands on the bass while the other guy was holding it. That was out of line. The second guy could have said "hey, is anyone playing this" but he didn't have to.

If he wanted to compare two basses, he should've taken the tbird with him for that indeterminate number of steps to the other bass.
Click to expand...

So now we are differentiating acceptable items to be a dbag over?Yet another unwritten rule apparently.

The reason the bass got grabbed is because the dbag,who I've stated before had almost zero chance of not knowing that I was testing out the bass (on same dead end aisle,me at the end using an amp,leaning the bass against the amp that's still on,bass still plugged in,stool in front of the amp,aisle only being about 6ft wide or so me taking 2-3steps 2-5ft to move a bass out of the way to another for comparison,him being asked what he was doing and informed that the bass was still being used,then him lying saying he just saw it sitting there)

and still chose to be a dbag and uncourteous and rude.

That's why the bass got grabbed.There is no way the guy didn't know what he was up to.
 
#472
hopsbb said:
So now we are differentiating acceptable items to be a dbag over?Yet another unwritten rule apparently.

The reason the bass got grabbed is because the dbag,who I've stated before had almost zero chance of not knowing that I was testing out the bass (on same dead end aisle,me at the end using an amp,leaning the bass against the amp that's still on,bass still plugged in,stool in front of the amp,aisle only being about 6ft wide or so me taking 2-3steps 2-5ft to move a bass out of the way to another for comparison,him being asked what he was doing and informed that the bass was still being used,then him lying saying he just saw it sitting there)

and still chose to be a dbag and uncourteous and rude.

That's why the bass got grabbed.There is no way the guy didn't know what he was up to.
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I think it's very immature of you to continually refer to the guy as a dbag and I think your actions during the situation as you describe it were unjustified and childish. I'll leave it at that. Enjoy your bass.
 
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#476
Bass Viking said:
How about this scenario:

You're shopping at the local clothes store. You take 2 pairs of pants off the rack and head to the fitting room. You put on a pair and step outside the fitting room to ask your wife what she thinks. Meanwhile, a Mr. Fancypants goes into your fitting room and takes the other pair. You tell him "Hold on there, I'm not done trying on those pants." He says "Too bad. They were just sitting there. I'm going to buy them."

Would you find Mr. Fancypants's actions acceptable? Is he perfectly within his right to take the pants? After all, you haven't paid for them and you're not wearing them.
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The problem with an analogy is that at the root of it, it's just an analogy. Your scenario and the scenes at a grocery store are different situations and do not necessarily map 1:1 with the account posted by the OP.

But speaking of analogies, here's one: Say you have a girlfriend (a leap, I know), call her GF1, but you start seeing someone else (GF2) on the side. Then Mr. Dbag comes along, falls in love with GF1, and asks her to marry him. Do you have any territorial rights to GF1?
 
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#479
I skipped from page 3 to page 24. It's Black Friday & I am reminded why I don't shop on Black Friday. Sure, I'll do a show tonight - but that is far removed from the stupidity. If there is anything of interest in a store selling an $89 bass: I'll wait till the buyer flips it. It's worth an extra $100 to avoid the entire situation.

To the OP: I wonder if you got duped into buying that. Check out an alternate scenario: Befriend the guy! "Yeah I was just jamming on that & thought I'd see how it compares to this." Check it out...................
Sure, it might have dissolved into the bad situation you started with: but, that is yet again another opportunity to NOT go there.
 
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