My Dealing With The 'Oakley Gang'...

[Ralph Marshall]

Hi all. I need to vent, and this is the only place that I am apt to find a little sympathy. Forgive me in advance if this post is a little lengthy.

After more than a decade of longing, I finally picked up my first pair of Juliets (Ducati) last weekend. I overpaid for them, but it wasn't until after I purchased them and was searching for replacement lenses that I found this forum and got a better idea of the market. Live and learn. But at least I finally HAD my X-Metals (do you sense the foreshadowing here???)...

Anyway, it was a rainy weekend and then start to the week, so I was jonesin' for some sunshine to show off my new Oakleys. Finally, we had some beautiful weather here in GA. I am a single dad, and my daughter had a birthday party to attend at a local bowling alley yesterday. So I took her, rockin' my new Juliets of course. During said party, I stepped out of the side door of the bowling alley to have a smoke (bad habit, I know...). While I was smoking, a couple of guys went in the bowling alley through the side door and sort of did a double-take looking back at me. I didn't think much of it at the time. Within a couple of minutes, though, the guys came back out with a few more of their buddies. As they approached me, I noticed that 2 of the 5 guys had X-Metals on too. The apparent leader of the bunch walked up to me, smiled, and said "Nice shades. I think I want 'em." I just kind of laughed and played along. Then he said "I'm serious. I'll take the shades and the wallet. Don't make us take them." At this, the others laughed and I realized they were serious. I handed over the sunglasses and my wallet. The ring leader removed his current pair of sunglasses, placed them into his breast pocket, put my Juliets on, and pocketed my wallet. Then he said "Nice doin' business with you. Now go back inside." At this, the group laughed some more and walked off. I went back inside and walked to the front door of the bowling alley in time to see them all pile into a souped up Acura Integra (one of the ones that sounds more like a motorcycle than a car) and left. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out the plates on the car from my vantage point.

I am 42 years old. If this had happened a few years ago, I probably would have done something stupid and suffered whatever consequences came with it. I have a Carry Permit for my handgun, too, but considering that I was at a kid's birthday party and at a public bowling alley where alcohol was being sold (thus making the alley illegal for carrying), I left my gun in the car. What is this world coming to?

I guess, all in all, that it wasn't a total loss. I left pissed off but intact - broke and squinting, but intact. Also, I ordered a custom set of + Red Polar lenses and new earsocks from InfiniteHero last week. Since I haven't received those yet, then at least they weren't jacked with the glasses. Whenever I am able to replace the frames, I will already have my sweet new lenses. At least there is that...

So has anyone else ever experienced anything like this or encountered the 'Oakley Gang' before? Anyway, thanks for listening. Like I said, I just needed to vent. Take it easy, everyone. And be careful out there...

Oh Juliet, Juliet. Wherefore art thou... Juliet???

 

[xmetalmaniac]

I hope you contacted the police and made a report! That's robbery and I am quite sure they have video cameras there. Especially a car like that sticks out and someone has to know who they are.

 

[Oakle y]

Why wouldn't you go right back into the bowling alley and call the police or make more of an effort to get their plate. Even with a decent description of the vehicle they could narrow down the area and have a reasonable chance of finding it if you reported it quickly.

 

[Ralph Marshall]

I did file a police report with a description of the car and the 'gang'. Just thought my story was a little long as it was, so I left that out. Thankfully the kids were all occupied so that my daughter didn't have to be involved...

 

[David_Oakley]

I'm sorry that happened to you. And it pains me to admit/say this, but you did the right thing in NOT exercising your CHL privileges potentially creating an irreversibly bad situation for yourself and your family (Grand Jury blah blah). Glasses (as expensive as they are) are just glasses. Not worth taking a life (lives) or worse losing yours for.

That said, as one poster suggested, was it out of the realm to report this to the Bowling Alley staff and call the police even as soon as the "gang" left? At this point, if you hadn't mentioned it to the authorities, it'll probably do very little if you do so now.

The best thing to do now (unfortunately) is just move on.....and quit smoking

David

 

[Rustpot]

5 guys, would have been a good shoot, too. Damn that sucks.

Did the police talk to the bowling alley employees? Guys might be in a league or regulars.

 

[THE X-MAN]

I would have started swinging like a f####n madman.

 

[David_Oakley]

I would have started swinging like a f####n madman.

Over glasses and 5-on-1 in close-quarter alley no less? I think he handled it as well as he could have.

 

[Ralph Marshall]

Like I said, I did just that. After trying in vain to get the license plate, I discretely told some of the other parents what had happened and went straight to the front counter and asked them to call the police. While I was waiting, I talked to some employees to see if they might know who the guys were. I wanted to file a report while the details/descriptions were as fresh as possible.

And I agree regarding to CHL. It definitely would not have been worth the consequences, regardless of the outcome, over a pair of sunglasses and a little cash. Luckily, I had no credit cards or anything, so the only headaches I have to look forward to are a trip to the DMV to replace my driver's license and a trip to the courthouse to report/replace my carry permit (which I am getting ready to do as we speak)...

 

[Rustpot]

I hope those guys see your CHL, **** their pants, and thank their lucky stars you didn't decide you wanted your stuff more than they did. Since they didn't know you weren't carrying.

I'm not saying you should have pulled had you been carrying. But if it came down to it they could have beaten the tar out of you even after complying.