This man felt we were deliberately attacking him in print.
He would sometimes stand across the street and stare up at our office.
He was a big man and just a little unhinged.
It was unnerving.
Our office was pretty open and people could literally walk in off the street with a complaint, a sales pitch or a weapon.
We realized that by putting our names on our stories we were actually volunteering for trouble.
A couple of us asked the receptionist if we had money in petty cash for pepper spray.
She kind of laughed and said she would check on it.
The news bureau chief offered to buy us some toy guns that looked real.
I remember at the time thinking we were probably overreacting.
Since then I've watched the reports on the news about the random mass shootings and car plows and suicide bombings.
The latest tragedy at the Maryland Capital Gazette is horrifying. The people killed were just doing their jobs, just following their inclination to make a difference.
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| The newspaper men and women killed |
I think it's sad to be at this point.
I also think it's time we wake up and take it very seriously.
I now work from home and seldom do a hard news story.
The closest I come to ticking somebody off is to make a bad joke in this blog.
Meanwhile...
Where does one buy pepper spray and how do I keep it away from the grandchildren?
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