Paranoid About Restaurant Shootings?

Strange coincidence that there were three shootings at California Denny's last week?

All of them are unrelated, but there have been a number of high-profile shootings at restaurants in the past -- can you say Luby's and McDonald's?

So are you being paranoid when you go into a restaurant armed? Or you specifically choose a table or chair with a clear view of the front doors?

Actually, no. Now, it's probably true that, statistically, you aren't more likely to be attacked in a restaurant than anywhere else. But I have seen some stats that show that late-night restaurants that cater to the younger crowds have a higher rate of crime (including shootings) than other restaurants. I would also think that the concentration of people (potential victims) usually present in a restaurant (and malls, etc.) make for an attractive target for deranged shooters. Widespread media coverage of successful restaurant shootings compounds the attractiveness for copycat shooters as well.

Personally, I would not feel uncomfortable treating a restaurant as a higher risk area.

We like to say that you're not paranoid if you are constantly thinking about being attacked. But if you are constantly thinking about being attacked by vampires, that's paranoid.