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Car Guy
You’re in the AutoZone
An effort is afoot to boycott the automotive parts giant for firing a heroic employee.
Boycott AutoZone
By Eric Peters
For The Spectator
If they won’t respect our rights, maybe they’ll pay more attention to our dollars. Or rather, the lack thereof — when we cease doing business with companies that don’t respect our rights.
For instance, the auto parts retail giant AutoZone. The company recently fired one of its employees — a fellow named Devin McLean who worked at an AutoZone in York County, Virginia — for using his lawfully possessed handgun to thwart a robbery (and very possibly, thwart the murder of himself and his manager).
According to McLean, a thug burst into the store and “pulled a gun from his waistband and demanded me and my manager go back into the office.” While the gunman was distracted, McLean managed to slip out to the parking lot, where he retrieved his Glock 40 handgun from his truck. The 23-year-old Air Force veteran ran back into the store and confronted the armed thug, ordering him to freeze and drop his weapon. The gunman took off instead - without either money or lives lost.
But McLean has lost his job.
Apparently, AutoZone has a “zero tolerance” policy for employees having weapons inside the store. McLean was fired because he violated this policy — even though he may have saved his life and the life of his manager. (York County police say the thug McLean chased off is suspected in at least 30 robberies. ) Instead, McLean should have been a good Clover — and done as told by an armed thug, supinely submitting and trusting to the thug’s humanity that he wouldn’t “pop a cap in his ass” to avoid any hassles with witnesses.
Or just for the sheer sick hell of it.
AutoZone — like Virginia Tech and other bastions of Cloverdom — has decreed that guns are bad and so has denied good people the right to possess them. The problem is bad people still have guns. Only now the good people are at the mercy of the bad ones.
AutoZone requires that its employees — and its customers — prostrate themselves before armed thugs. By having such a policy, AutoZone has done the equivalent of ringing the dinner bell for violent criminals. Come on down! You’re assured of defenseless victims at our place.
York County Sheriff JD Diggs agrees, stating: “The company has now sent a message to every would-be robber out there — ‘Hey we’re open for business and unarmed. Come on in and take our money.” And, quite possibly — the lives of innocent people rendered helpless by AutoZone.
Because when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away.
Of course, AutoZone has every right to set its terms and conditions. But customers have every right to set theirs, too. If AutoZone puts out the welcome mat for armed criminals, then potential victims ought to take their business elsewhere.
About the Author
Eric Peters is an automotive columnist and author of Automotive Atrocities: The Cars You Love to Hate (Motor Books International) and a new book, Road Hogs.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (33) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Eric Peters
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Darin| 12.10.12 @ 6:42AM
Rather than only boycotting, go into your local AutoZone and tell them why you are taking your business elsewhere. In writing, so they can send it to their headquarters. Don't give your full name as liberals have proven they will go after those who disagree with them. Give only your first name and city/state. Next, go to another local car parts dealer (Pep Boys, etc.) and let them know, in writing, why you will be bringing your business there. They too may forward the letter to their headquarters.
The only thing required for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing. The quote is often attributed to Edmund Burke, but it has been attributed to others. Today, let it be attributed to you.
TLP| 12.10.12 @ 1:29PM
I'm in.
BOYCOTT!
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Moe Blotz| 12.10.12 @ 7:14AM
Instead of calling for a boycott of Auto Zone, just stick to the facts and let those inclined to eschew the parts purveyor in question decide. Where is Devin McLean now? How about producing his address and if he is still out of work we could each send him $5.00. If he has landed another job with an automotive jobber, give us that name and encourage patronage. Trying to rally patrons for a boycott is self serving and a waste of American Spectator space.
PolishKnight| 12.10.12 @ 8:51AM
Heck, Moe. Let's be philosophical about this and trust the free-market capitalist system at work. Why the outrage at a man being fired? Isn't the whole purpose of the "at will employment" system lauded on this forum that employees can leave at will for better opportunities elsewhere just as companies have the right to find cheaper labor?
In theory, if free market capitalism works, then Devin should have his phone ringing off the hook with better job offers. People who value security and freedom should be ringing up Autozone. But if we need to donate 5 bucks every time an employer is a jerk, we're going to run out of money quickly. And that's the problem with the free market capitalism philosophy: It isn't making normal people feel secure because they aren't. The Republican elite and business are happy to sell out the constitution for short term profit. When the little people lose faith and run out of 5 dollar bills to throw into the kitty, that's the end of that.
Bob K| 12.10.12 @ 10:36AM
Right again, Polish Knight!
I'm waiting for all those supporters of this fantasy of "free markets" (you know, like the kind they have in China, where too many of our jobs have been sent) to get on here and defend Auto Zone.
The guy who attempted to rob the Auto zone store, had he lived in 19th Century America, could have gotten a job with Jay Gould, the famous Pennsylvanian and Robber Baron, who said he could "hire 1/2 the working class to kill the other 1/2!"
Spike| 12.10.12 @ 11:51AM
China does not have a "free market", but that our jobs have moved their(not sent), is a function of the free market.
The "free market" works in finding agreement between willing buyers and sellers. In the case of Labor, as we have attempted to "price" Labor above-the-market, employers have sought cheaper Labor elsewhere. Its a simple algorithm.
Unions and Leftists insist on mandating Living Wages. All good, until employers and in our recent past, entire industries determined that those wages were inefficient use of capital.
Here's the equation. We don't have to "meet" their wages, but our wages(plus taxes & regulatory compliance costs) can't drastically exceed; foreign wages, plus shipping, plus import duties.
Bob K| 12.10.12 @ 6:26PM
Simple algorithms end up creating complex problems in a world that is run by the forces of Nationalism, Democracy and Populism.
Spike| 12.10.12 @ 11:39AM
PolishKnight,
Are you also, BobK. lol
Boycotting Autozone is the "free market" at work. It is the organic organization of individuals, collectively pursuing their own self-interests.
The purpose of "at will employment" serves two ends.
1)The advantage that the employee has, as you say, to leave at will for better opportunites. This exists, whether at will, or not at will, unless a contract stipulates otherwise.
2)It gives the employer the opportunity to let go an employee "at will", based on their policies, as the author acknowledged.
I expect the free market to work just fine, for both Devin, and for Autozone. In Devin's case, it will work out, as a positive response, from the maket. For Autozone, not so much.
As for free market capitalism, and the Constitution, it will help this normal person feel secure. . . in Pep Boys.
Corsair| 12.10.12 @ 9:27AM
The company response is just like the company I am employed at. The official line I am quite certain was written by legal people, in an effort to "reduce potential liability". Unfortunately, legal people do not live in a real world and assume law enforcement is the answer. Police are there to arrest the bad guys, not defend you.
The young man did what is appropriate, however corporate legal people only think about the corporate liability.
Tom Kyba| 12.10.12 @ 11:31AM
Right on Corsair. The company stands in fear of anything going wrong in a situation like this, because some greasy ambulance chasing maggot will try to shut them down or extort millions.
djn1313| 12.10.12 @ 10:12AM
Why shop at autozone when criminals have the freedom to roam their stores?
Pecos Pete| 12.10.12 @ 10:41AM
Let's go a little bit further down the boycott zone ... boycott the federal government by sending them as little of your money as legally possible.
Denver Todd| 12.10.12 @ 11:33AM
These employee-fights-back cases are nothing new. I seem to remember a number of cases over the years where an employee conftonts a wrongdoer and gets fired. And it always leads to decrying and boycotting and the usual stuff until it fades from the collective memory and we move on. Sometimes we Americans are like sheep, mooring at this, mooing at that, we never stop mooing.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 12.10.12 @ 12:21PM
I agree there should be a boycott of Auto Zone and Auto Zone employees should organize a union to provide adequate representation for themselves whenever corporate wishes to fire someone due to their b.s. policies.
Ronsch| 12.10.12 @ 12:33PM
I never noticed the signs in the Auto Zone windows before...I never have left my CC sidearms in my vehicle..Big "oops" there...
But to hell with them and their parts. I will be taking my business elsewhere and I will let the local Auto Zone know of my extreme displeasure.
JimH| 12.10.12 @ 1:08PM
If Manny, Moe and Jack had Mossbergs maybe Pep Boys could pick up some business.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.10.12 @ 5:03PM
When I now shop for Auto Parts
I visit Manny, Moe and Jack
I will not go to Auto Zone
Because they will not let me pack
If I see a robber go inside
I’ll call for help on my cell phone
I’ll not produce my Glock or Sig
At least at Auto Zone
You once could buy a shotgun
At the Western Auto store
But at the Auto Zone you better
Just get on the floor
Should a bandit come inside
To commandeer the cash
And put a bullet in your back
Or with his razor slash
But I shop with my handgun
So please pardon my noise
Because I might be shooting back
I’ll see you at Pep Boys
Pecos Pete| 12.10.12 @ 6:27PM
Albert, it ain't Friday yet. But, Snap, Snap, Snap.
JimH| 12.11.12 @ 7:50AM
In a circle.
Bob K| 12.10.12 @ 6:33PM
Well done!
I used to work at a Western Auto Store; an Evening 2nd job. I sold a few firearms there too!
Arbiter55| 12.10.12 @ 2:26PM
In my town, AutoZone took over the building recently vacated by Blockbuster Video. After reading this story, AutoZone can kiss my business goodbye.
C. Vernon Crisler | 12.10.12 @ 2:40PM
If the employee had time to go out and retrieve his gun, why didn't he have time to call the police on his cell phone? What if the robber had started shooting when confronted? It may have led to the deaths of more people.
I know a lot of you prefer Rambo scenarios but it is better to let the police deal with the situation. I'm not talking about self-defense, but clearly this individual's life was not in immediate danger, which is why he could slip out to the parking lot. The police are better trained, and realize that they aren't the judge, jury, and executioner in cases of property crimes. Some of our Rambos don't quite understand that.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.10.12 @ 4:47PM
"According to McLean, a thug burst into the store and 'pulled a gun from his waistband and demanded me and my manager go back into the office.' While the gunman was distracted, McLean managed to slip out to the parking lot, where he retrieved his Glock 40 handgun from his truck.The 23-year-old Air Force veteran ran back into the store and confronted the armed thug, ordering him to freeze and drop his weapon. The gunman took off instead - without either money or lives lost."
Assuming the account depicted in the article is correct, none of what you predicted took place, which should have been clear if the article was read.
The article also states that this individual is suspected in at least 30 other robberies, so calling the police has been ineffective every other time it has been tried (and I say this as a law enforcement officer with almost one year experience for every robbery noted).
As far as the opinion of the local police agency, Mr. Peters' article seems to speak to that, as well:
"York County Sheriff JD Diggs agrees, stating: 'The company has now sent a message to every would-be robber out there -- 'Hey we're open for business and unarmed. Come on in and take our money.' And, quite possibly -- the lives of innocent people rendered helpless by AutoZone."
Apparently, you didn't understand that.
John Navratil| 12.10.12 @ 7:10PM
C. Vernon Crisler,
You've had a gun pulled on you. You've escaped. Your coworker is inside with the robber.
You can call the police and either sit in the parking lot or go back in. It's not a pretty choice and it's complete chicken-malarkey to second guess this guy.
JD| 12.10.12 @ 7:40PM
Calling police on his cell phone would not have resulting in police arriving in time. In fact, police would have arrived with sirens blaring so that the thug could hear them. At this, he would either escape or turn it into a hostage situation. The co-worker could reasonably expect to surprise him, as he did.
You forfeited credibility on the issue when you referenced "Rambo scenarios". This showed only your ignorance and contempt.
JimP| 12.10.12 @ 7:48PM
This is a classic Beta male response. It is the very definition of "Girly man." If I'm ever in this scenario with you Vern, I promise I'll leave you to the thug, drive off, call the COPS at my leisure, and kick back a few beers before going to bed with a clear conscience. Hey, better that you die and possibly some customer who stumbles in during the robbery than me. Since I escaped immediate danger, I have no moral obligation to society in general to act which deters this kind of thing generally and makes society safer. Oh, nooo! See the Sheriff's comment again. It's all about me, right(?): and I can rationalize it all by saying the COPs are better trained. Certainly in this instance the COPs are better trained than you- morally, ethically and intellectually in addition to their technical physical training.
Brad| 12.10.12 @ 9:30PM
Hear, Hear!
djn1313| 12.11.12 @ 1:31PM
The police are too busy writing tickets. They are worthless.
JimP| 12.10.12 @ 7:31PM
Count me in, or out as it were. AMF Auto Zone.
C. Vernon Crisler | 12.11.12 @ 11:42AM
I rest my case.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.11.12 @ 2:33PM
To the extent that you made a case, I think you started resting before it was made.