I don’t get it.
I went through the questions, starting with name, address, etc., and moving toward the serious business: Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Under a restraining owner for domestic abuse? Been treated for mental illness?
After the salesperson hit the send button, I noticed I had misspelled my last name. So I had to start over. And over. And over. And over.
Five times I tried to fill out the form correctly, and each time I noticed a mistake and had to start again from the beginning. Nothing makes me lose my mind quicker than technology. I was fuming. Muttering under my breath. Stomping my foot. Grimacing. And yes, cussing.
They didn’t sell him the gun, which he understands. But, honestly, is the form that hard?
November 13th, 2017 at 6:53 pm
The man must have a reading comprehension deficit or something else that is abnormal…..
November 13th, 2017 at 8:27 pm
Well, if he is in the media, he was probably trembling with fear at being at the gun counter. He may have peed a little, too.
November 13th, 2017 at 10:05 pm
I can see arguing against having to fill it out at all or, arguing against the 10 dollar poll tax but arguing against not being able to spell your own name? Uh, no.
November 13th, 2017 at 10:19 pm
It would behoove those commenting on the article to actually read the linked article before commenting. The author does not indicate an inability to understand the form, but rather a difficulty reading the screen as he was filling in the form. The point of the article was to praise the shop for not selling a weapon to a visibly upset individual.
November 13th, 2017 at 10:46 pm
Bill – my experience with MOST stores. A lot of them could work on having a better workstation to fill out the form – paper or electronic. Several around here have you use a laptop on a counter that’s about armpit high. Seems in his case they had the keyboard UNDER the desk, and he can’t touch type.
Then again, I have trouble seeing monitors – I wear bifocals, and the screen is too far for the bottom and too close for the top (when at my computer, I wear glasses with reading prescription in the bottom and the top set for 3′ distance)
OTOH, EVERY store I frequent I have at least once see them refuse service to someone giving off the “shady character” vibe in one way or another.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:28 am
The online form is much easier than the paper forms, which can be daunting. There’s a lot of blocks and only some of them are for you. In Virginia we get to fill out state and federal forms, which are similar but slightly different.
Invariably someone will miss a blank, signature, or initial somewhere. Gun dealers are so used to pointing out errors, I’ve actually been complemented by them for nailing the forms on the first try.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:33 am
What’s worse though is the guy’s attitude: “the mandatory federal questionnaire that would determine my eligibility to make the purchase”
Um.. you got that backward. The forms help to determine if you’re ineligible. Big difference!
November 14th, 2017 at 2:18 pm
To start with he misspelled his own last name. He misspelled his own name! I can see where figuring out the rest of it might be difficult for him.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:18 pm
It’s like that “butterfly ballot” tom-foolery after the 2000 election. If, given the solemnity of the occasion, you can’t be bothered to calm down, pay attention, read carefully and answer carefully, then your agitation for not getting it right is purely self-inflicted.
One could make the argument that, if you can’t be bothered to pay attention to the form and answer a few simple questions accurately, then maybe you’re not ready to own a firearm.
But wait; a fundamental human right doesn’t require qualification, validation or permission from some Earthly “authority”. Still…get a grip, Man.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:38 pm
As the FFL on the other side of the glass, the question for me becomes, if the dude gets this worked up/inept/uncontrolled trying to fill out a pain in the ass form, how is he going to handle the stress and challenges of getting cut off in traffic or short-changed at the checkout counter or berated by a co-worker?
Well right now he’d probably just scream or cry. But if I sell him this Glock, maybe something else. It’s not my place to deny him his rights, and it’s not to be all high and mighty, for me it’s just a simple case of CYA. I ain’t selling him one right now.
November 17th, 2017 at 5:41 pm
Misspelled his name on the form? It might be arguable that he DELIBERATELY LIED on the form. How about 5yrs in the slammer for him?