What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I've always wondered if I did the right thing after an incident I had a few years ago. Who better than OOT to get this off my chest and give me some perspective.

I was visiting my sister, who lives in Northglenn Colorado, and I noticed a music shop across the street on 104th. I go over to check it out and the place is a ghost town. First I go to the back of the store and check out the books for a while. After that I decide to look at the guitars in the front of the store and I realize that I am all alone in the store. The clerk had apparently gone in the back room. I wanted to try out one of the guitars but there was a sign on the wall that said I needed to get store personnel to remove the guitars from the wall. So I walk into the backroom to get the clerk and I find a guy (looked Iranian) on a computer. I say that I need assistance and the guy becomes very irritated and tells me that I’m not allowed back there and he will come out and help me. I then look up at the wall and see a very large picture of Osama Bin Laden. I was taken a back and decided to leave before my anger goaded me into doing something I would regret.

As I left I wondered what I should do if anything. Should I call the FBI? This was a very strange store. There never seemed to be customers in there and all the guitars were way overpriced. The books were all dusty and it looked like they didn't move much inventory. It was real shady but I hadn't really seen anything illegal. There is no reason to believe that this guy was an Al Qaeda operative just because he had a picture of Osama up on the wall. I am a libertarian at heart and don't really like the FBI so I ended up doing nothing. I figure the man has a right to put up a picture, even if I don't like it.

What do you think OOT? How did I handle this?

**edit** This happened in december 2001, btw.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I'm fine with it, I once heard a flight attendant say to a man in the Airport that they needed to think of a way to sneak him on a plane. I just went on about my business figuring there was an explanation.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I would like to say that I would have called the FBI, but if it actually happened I probably would have done the same thing you did.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Picture of Osama + store that is likely a cover for something = call the FBI.

It's just hard to think of a totally innocent explanation for both those things together. I suppose he might just be doing a bad job of managing his store, but the odds are great enough that it's worth having it checked out.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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**edit** This happened in december 2001, btw.

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This changes everything, I think. Perhaps if you had called the FBI before the 9/11 freakout they may have just not done anything. I would have at least tried to get this place checked out- and [censored], it might not be too late.

Anyone that has Bin Laden pics up that don't have bullseyes on 'em isn't an American.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Clearly you needed to steal some guitars.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Clearly you needed to steal some guitars.

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I could have very easily. That is another shady part to the happening. The clerk saw me walk in and go to the back and wasn't bothered at all with leaving the store unattended while I was in there.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Surely a real terrorist would not put a picture of OSAMA in the backroom of a store.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Surely a real terrorist would not put a picture of OSAMA in the backroom of a store.

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That is kinda what I was thinking. That he was just an Al Qaeda sympathizer and the "American" thing to do was show tolerence and protest with my wallet by going to a different music shop.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Surely a real terrorist would not put a picture of OSAMA in the backroom of a store.

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Agreed, however let the FBI do their job. Let them know you also doubt parts of your own experience but they should check it out none the less.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

http://www.library.northwestern.edu/.../ww0207-02.jpg

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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I was taken a back and decided to leave before my anger goaded me into doing something I would regret.


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Good idea!
My uncles friend got into a heated argument with some middle eastern guy (who sounds similiar to the one you described). after 9/11 and ended up killing the guy. I don't know how it went down if it was self defense or what. He claims it was, but then that he got scared of still getting in trouble so he cut the guy up into pieces and hid him. Well he did end up getting caught and is now serving I think a life sentence.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I have no problem with the picture of Osama. However, if you felt that it might have been a front, you should probably have given the FBI a call. Probably it's just your imagination but maybe it's someone funnelling money somewhere they shouldn't. Best to let them decide whether they want to check it out or not.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I know a guy who was a flight instructor back in 2000/2001.

He thinks there is a good chance he trained one of the 9/11 terrorists.

Needless to say, it's not something he's completely internalized yet.

Re: I just got a pm from the FBI
 

The FBI just pmed me. Weird.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I love the guy who said "oh it was Dec 2001, that was before all the 9/11 stuff. He's my history hero for the day."

You sure it was Osama, don't all those A-rabs look the same?

I wore my Saddam shirt (a tastefully crafted Hawaiin print, denim backgroud and repeated images of Saddam saluting the flag) out yesterday, please don't tell the FBI on me.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Semi-related story:

There used to be an arabic deli near where I worked, and pre-9/11 we all called it the terrorist deli, even in front of the guys there, and they took it in fun. 2 days after 9/11 I saw a customer arguing with one of the deli guys, and the guy was saying "There is no way Osama bin Laden is responsible. Osama is a good man. This must have been Iraq or Iran." I didn't really care, because I was in too much shock to care, but a few days later the dude and his brother, just stopped showing up there, and the rest of the staff, who are usually really friendy, wouldn't say what happened to them.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Osama is a good man.

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wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11. Did he do anything important/good ever?

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Osama is a good man.

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wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11. Did he do anything important/good ever?

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I knew about him before 9/11.

Do you have no memory of the terrorst attack on the USS Cole?

Edit: I'm sure most people who followed real news knew about him.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Go check out the store again, see if it's still shady, trip report it, and poll whether or not you should go to the fbi baseed on your report. Problem solved.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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[ QUOTE ]
Osama is a good man.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11. Did he do anything important/good ever?

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He was called Usama a lot before then, I'd say most people had heard of him before 9.11, too bad that didn't include the FBI.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11.

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Ummm...

GoT

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Why would the FBI matter? He wasn't in the US...

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11.

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Wow. I was foolishly starting to regain some faith in humanity. Thanks for setting me straight again.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11.

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Wow. I was foolishly starting to regain some faith in humanity. Thanks for setting me straight again.

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Cut sponger some slack, he was just a kid before 911.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11.

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Wow. I was foolishly starting to regain some faith in humanity. Thanks for setting me straight again.

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Cut sponger some slack, he was just a kid before 911.

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it's one thing to confess your ignorance. it's another to act indignant about it.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

He's not the jerk store's best seller for nothing.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

and in answer to your question, id get pissed off as hell and not do anything. it's his right to have a poster of the guy. it doesnt mean he's a terrorist. in fact it probably means he's most certainly NOT a terrorist. just a freakin A hole

bwana

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Osama is a good man.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11. Did he do anything important/good ever?

[/ QUOTE ]

I knew about him before 9/11.

Do you have no memory of the terrorst attack on the USS Cole?

Edit: I'm sure most people who followed real news knew about him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or the embassy bombings? Or the first WTC attack? Or the cruise missile attacks on Sudan/Pakistan? Damn...

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

I think the right thing to do would've been to pick up a guitar and defeat terrorism through song.

I don't think you did anything wrong by not saying anything. but it might've been in the country's best interest for you to make a phone call or two.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Where on 104th is said store?

I will go visit.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Or the embassy bombings? Or the first WTC attack? Or the cruise missile attacks on Sudan/Pakistan? Damn...

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Yes. I heard about all of those. No clue who was actually behind it nor did I really care.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Or the embassy bombings? Or the first WTC attack? Or the cruise missile attacks on Sudan/Pakistan? Damn...

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Yes. I heard about all of those. No clue who was actually behind it nor did I really care.

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Worst backpedaling ever.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

Pfft, I've done much, much worse backpedaling.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Osama is a good man.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11. Did he do anything important/good ever?

[/ QUOTE ]

He was called Usama a lot before then, I'd say most people had heard of him before 9.11, too bad that didn't include the FBI.

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he was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for a couple years before 9/11/2001. So yeah, they'd heard of him.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Osama is a good man.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf? Who even knew about this guy before 9/11. Did he do anything important/good ever?

[/ QUOTE ]

He was called Usama a lot before then, I'd say most people had heard of him before 9.11, too bad that didn't include the FBI.

[/ QUOTE ]

he was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for a couple years before 9/11/2001. So yeah, they'd heard of him.

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Sarcasm doesn't convey too well over the net, eh?

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

"Sarcasm doesn't convey too well over the net, eh?"

i understood what he meant if that's what you're saying. Also, you're a [censored] idiot.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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Or the embassy bombings? Or the first WTC attack? Or the cruise missile attacks on Sudan/Pakistan? Damn...

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Yes. I heard about all of those. No clue who was actually behind it nor did I really care.

[/ QUOTE ]

Worst backpedaling ever.

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Dude shut up. Sponger was just a little boy before 911. A wee youngin who thought church camp was cool. Cut some slack now or die.

Thats all.

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

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it's one thing to confess your ignorance. it's another to act indignant about it.

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[ QUOTE ]
in·dig·nant Audio pronunciation of "indignant" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-dgnnt)
adj.

Characterized by or filled with indignation


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I don't get it....

Re: What would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, hello Osama.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
it's one thing to confess your ignorance. it's another to act indignant about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
in·dig·nant Audio pronunciation of "indignant" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-dgnnt)
adj.

Characterized by or filled with indignation


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I don't get it....

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of all your bad threads this may be one of the worst ive read.

why dont you just read a little on bin laden? there's so much material out there. it would take five minutes to google and read.

and it pisses me off when a dictionary defines a word w/ a form of the word. so look up the form of the word for more information.

youre looking at 10 minutes tops.

bwana