To answer your question, *I hope* I would do as I’m told. I’ve had arguments with friends who would fight for something that can eventually be replaced. Material possessions aren’t worth the risk unless human life is at risk, IMO.

Typically survivors of plane crashes are the ones who pay attention to the safety talk because it’s all fresh in their head. I guess you paid really good attention in that robbery training. Well done!

Unfortunately, due to time pressures, I did not have the opportunity to follow on each of the links.

That said, I can relate quite a bit to your comments relating to the last book which you mentioned. So many times, I have attended a seminar or purchased a book, and whilst some of the material has made sense, many times I have not actually gone about and applied what has been said.

Therefore, I have simply wasted my money.

I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts about the book.

I am very sorry to hear that you had to experience either situation.

No one should have to experience anything like that and both of the experiences must have been extremely traumatic for you.

I am just glad to hear that you were not physically injured in either circumstance. On both occassions, you did the one thing which you should do in any situation like this – survive.

@ Mr. 444 – I totally agree with the no hero bit, especially over insured money. I can’t say how I would have reacted in a hostage type situation because I do tend to get a bit defensive when it comes to my friends and coworkers, so a threat against one of them might have riled me into action, but otherwise, I let it be. Better course of action, in my opinion.

@ 444 – Yeah, it’s like that question on the airplane, would you take the last parachute or save a kid. We’d all like to say we’d save the kid, but self-preservation is a strong motivator. But, it’s those impossible situational questions that are hardest to answer in theory because you don’t know unless you’re in that situation.

@ kosmo – A lot of banks and credit unions are having to go to the higher tech security because of the number of robberies. It’s increased exponentially since last year and the economy isn’t helping matters at all.

@ ntjs – yes, there are lots of robberies in Texas and one of the news sites said that it has statistically increased since 2005. I think they were implying that it was after Katrina because our crime rate in general increased, but I don’t know for sure.

@ Mike (Four Pillars) Thank you!

@ Doctor S – I don’t think my brain operates on the same wave length as normal people because the reality is I didn’t have a single emotional problem after either one. Now, I may be singing a different tune if I’d had a gun to my head, but that wasn’t the case at all. But, everyone is affected by these situations completely differently. I’m sorry to hear about your mom, hope she’s ok these days!

@ Mart – Thank you! I’m pretty glad my training kicked in as well. I also think to some degree you have to let go of thought and let instinct kick in. Sometimes we may know what to do, but over thinking the situation causes problems.

@ Jonathan – Somehow I think you would have. You’re such a chill kind of guy that I think you would have been just fine. I don’t see you as being prone to “losing it.”

@ Debtfree – Aww…don’t be afraid! Statistically speaking, it’s very rare for a robber to actually take hostages. In 98% of the cases, the robber wants to get in and get out. They very rarely involve other customers because it’s more people to ID them.

@ Melanie – Yes, they know. They will usually tell you to stay away from the alarm and that’s why my coworkers computer was shot in the second instance. Robbing a bank is a stupid way to get money…if you get caught. But, there are some that have pulled it off and gotten away with a pretty good amount of money.

@ FB – LOL…it’s funny you mention leaping over the counter. My current boss thinks I’d do that if one was pointed at me. I’m not really afraid of confrontation at all. I don’t like it, but if I’m faced with it I dive right on in. I’m also known to stand up for my coworkers when a member is getting a little too loud, so she thinks I would totally try to take an armed robber down. I don’t know about that one, but it’s a funny visual.

@ Jonathan…hey! LOL. Not ALL financial institutions are stealing money. Hehehe.

@ J – Thanks! I’m a pretty calm and collected kind of individual. It takes a lot to make me actually lose my cool. But, ironically, I do better with that in high stress situations. I think it’s just an instinct that I have recognizing how important it is that I remain calm in those situations versus less important situations. I don’t know. Again, I’m pretty bass ackwards, so maybe that’s it!

I think with proper training, I could stay cool, and just do what they say.

I don’t have a hero instinct to leap over there and disarm him, or ask him to show me the gun.. but survival would kick in for sure!