The recent Hollywood shooting has put me a little on edge again. I used to work a few blocks from that intersection and would frequently have lunch at the Baja Fresh that is right there at that intersection. For some reason I seem to be a magnet for shootings. They seem to happen with alarming frequency either near me or in places that I was regularly frequenting. Am I the only one that has this many associations with shootings? I'll list them out and let everyone decide if I'm being a drama queen or does this seem to be strangely more frequent with me. For something that is supposed to be very rare for the average Joe I sure have been around a few of them.
In chronological order...
1. Shot at late one night in Venice Ca. leaving the studio I worked at
2. ATM where I would get money in Venice had a major armored car robbery go down. Blind luck I wasn't there.
3. Shooting outside the backstage entrance to the Pantages theatre in Hollywood shortly after the show let out. Bullet holes in stage door.
4. Box office robbed at gunpoint in St. Louis while the show was running.
5. Stage manager and I leave a bar after the show in Cleveland but stay at different hotels. He gets robbed at gunpoint. I took a different route for some reason.
6. Whole company has to get off bus and walk to the hotel because of the crowds during Indianapolis "Black Expo". Shooting occurs less than 50 yards from us and we almost get trampled in the stampede.
7. Random huge guy decides I know the person driving the car he just stepped in front of and corners me in the Pantages parking lot. Threatens to shoot me. He was probably serious. Security intervenes.
8. Another shooting outside the stage door of the Pantages. More holes in back security gate.
9. Guy gets shot at the Burger King across the street from the Orpheum theatre in San Francisco. I had bought dinner there just moments before. Police said it was a gang hit.
10. Random guy shoots at people at Vine and Sunset. I live in Texas now but I used to be there alot.
Am I being overly dramatic about this or does it seem like I have had things occur near me a bit more often than the general public. The few times it has come up talking with co workers and friends they are a bit amazed and have told me nothing like this has ever even remotely happened near or to them. I work as a sound engineer and stage hand so I work with some shady people and tend to be downtown late at night alot. I don't go looking for this stuff but it seems to find me. Whats y'alls take on it? Have any of you had similar "close" calls. None of these incidents would have warranted me drawing a gun but they were all still a little too close for my liking.
