I am new to shooting and am still trying to figure things out, like where to shoot, how to budget for gear and lessons, and where to get ammo.
To be fair, I think everyone is trying to figure that last one out. Ammo is hard to find and when you do find it, it can be expensive to buy.
I think everyone who shoots knows this. But here’s something that I learned recently that maybe everyone doesn’t know:
There are sexual predators alive and well and doing business among what appear to be the mild-mannered business professionals in my area.
I found a shop nearby that sold ammunition and then just last week I found out I couldn’t get it there anymore. Oh, he still had ammo, and I could afford the (monetary) price, but I discovered that there was a new stipulation attached.
It didn’t happen right away. He sold me ammo a few times before this new criteria. He would always ask me what my husband was doing. He reassured me that he would ‘always have ammo for me’, that I didn’t have to worry about running out. He said that I would be one of his ‘long term customers’ after the ammo shortage is over.
Now I realize he was grooming me.
So the last time I went to his shop, I texted him in advance as always (which he has asked me to do) to see if he had a bag of ammo available in the next day or so and he said he did. I said I would be there for it either Thursday or Friday. Then he texted me to call him when I had a minute. This was odd, since we always conversed via text, but I called him. This was when he explained to me that he liked to keep pictures of the ‘ladies like you who shoot’ with them dressed in short skirts. He said he wanted me to provide him with one like that of me. 😳 I was so shocked!
I didn’t think I heard him correctly, so to buy time I said, ” …. Um, I’ll take that under advisement,”
and then waited for him to laugh or do something to indicate that he didn’t mean that the way it sounded.
I waited.
He didn’t.
He just told me not to forget what he said.
So I would have to send him a picture of me in ‘a short skirt’ if I wanted him to continue to sell to me.
I’m telling you because even when he said it right out, I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke until I went to buy the ammo at the designated time and he told me he didn’t have it. He ‘didn’t realize’ (for the first time ever) that I was ‘really coming that day’. You know, even though it was a prearranged appointment. He told me to come back the following week and text him the day before to remind him and he would have a bag ready. The following week, I texted him the reminder the day before that I was coming.
He texted back; “No Ammo Karen”.
He’s never had no ammo.
I responded, “Oh, okay. when should I check back?”
The next day he answered … (wait for it … ): “Under advisement”
Turns out, not texting a photo of me in a short skirt in the reminder was a deal breaker.
New shooters: Always be aware. If something doesn’t feel right, even when you are just trying to buy ammo, even from someone you have done business with before without issue, walk away.
Karen Creamer
