Tonight I stopped at a gas station on my way home from work. It’s one I frequent – near work, well-lit – I always usually feel safe there. I parked and went inside to get some gum and a drink. As I entered, I could hear a guy at the counter acting a bit billegerent so I kept my distance and “looked” around loitered in the back of the store.

The man, obviously drunk and/or high on something was yelling and screaming obscenities at the worker. You would have needed a 5-minute delay to bleep out all the f-bombs.

He was trying to get a cell phone minutes card and some cigarettes. The worker was having problems getting the code to work for the cell phone minutes. At one point, the man put his hand in the shape of a gun and threatened to come back in and “shoot the mother f-in place up.”

By now, I was thinking, “You have got to be kidding me. I don’t need gum that badly.” But I was afraid to walk past the man to the door.

I am certain if he had a gun on him (and not at home and/or in his car) he would have shot the worker.

Everything happened so fast, but it felt like it was going in slow-motion.

Thank God nothing happened and that I got home safely.

I have learned my lesson – no more stops after work. I will drive straight home.