this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025

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Off My Chest

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Almost got arrested today for stomping on an Alligator Alcatraz Hat (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago by NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world to c/goodoffmychest@lemmy.world

73 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Was wondering through a shop today and found Gulf of America hats...whatever, queue eye roll. Then I saw an Alligator Alcatraz hat, proceeded to knock it off the rack and stomp on it a bunch. Then knocked half the Gulf of America hats off the rack now that I realize this shop owner is a piece of shit. (Im in a vacationy souvenir shop)

I think nothing of it, figures the employees will pick up the hats and put them back on the rack..

About an hour later a police officer walks up to me in a nearby restaurant and says he needs to speak to me. Turns out the guy was went back and watched the security footage to ID me...the cop says the guy wants to prosecute me if I dont pay for the hat.

I get down to the shop (its a 14 dollar hat btws) and the guy acts like it was a Gulf of America hat I damaged (obviously trying to misrepresent the situation).

Im now not allowed in that shop for a year, as if I'd ever go shopping back there.

I explained to a friend what happened a while after it happened, after having a not great conversation about it with my inlaws who think "the guy is allowed to sell whatever he wants"

After I tell my friend what happened, he says its the coolest thing I've ever done. I really needed to hear that after having a shitty conversation with my in-laws about how they think what I did was stupid.

Anyway, made me feel much better because the shop owner is a piece of crap, and is trying to profit off other people's misery, and I will never support that.

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[–] RainBlast@startrek.website 26 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Holy hell you guys.

Do Not Split.

We fight fascism. We can't quibble against who is or isn't being destructive enough against fascism.

If you think it's too soon, fine. But don't turn on people who are there.

You know the people in other countries asking why we aren't in the streets and actually fighting to save our country? The answer is that we can't agree if destroying fascist hat is too far, amongst our own allies.

If all you can do today with your life and risk tolerance is do some property damage against a fascist hat then fucking THANK YOU for doing something more than most.

It's a hat.

Do Not Split.

[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

This is correct.

Thank you for reminding us.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Just another lesson that doing literally anything will get you targeted, so we might as well be doing big things that cause a great impact.

[–] Jumi@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

You achieved nothing except paying the shop owner 14 bucks for something you don't even want and is damaged. I'd say you played yourself.

[–] CrackedLinuxISO@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 6 days ago

Hmm, you gave me an idea to stick chewing gum inside hats like that if I ever see them. Chances are low that the sabotage would be noticed until someone tries it on, and I won't lose sleep over anyone who wears it and gets gum in their hair.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

Dude, you ended up supporting the very thing that made you upset. You are kind of an idiot greenly

[–] stoly@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

I mean you can't walk into peoples' houses and break things. This isn't a surprise.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 3 points 6 days ago

My general advice would be don't fuel these people's persecution complexes for petty shit.

Go big or join a militia. Vandalism just gets you on a list.

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 days ago (3 children)

So you damaged property that didn't belong to you and you're mad that you almost got in trouble?

Just to be clear if you ran a peace and love shop would you be fine with someone pulling some rainbow flag merch off the shelves to stomp on it before leaving without paying?

If you only have an issue with it in my example situation then I fear you might just be a hypocrite.

[–] kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

They don't seem mad about almost getting in trouble, only about in-laws disagreeing with them, and of course the shop owner selling those hats.

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

What this person did was childish and immature. The in-laws were absolutely correct. OP is lucky they allowed them to pay for the damaged goods. Sounds like it was a small town situation. I've seen people arrested and given a record for the same behavior.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Counterpoint: punch Nazis in the face

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Why does this post have so many Nazi apologists?

[–] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If you're not ok with nazis hating messages of inclusion, justice, and equality how can you do the exact literal same exact literal thing against their messages of oppression and hate?

I'm a brain-dead liberal btw

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 points 5 days ago

Paradox of tolerance, for one thing.

"Two of things may share one property, but that does not mean they share all properties" for another. Like a surgeon and a serial killer both cut people open, but they are not the same.

Poe's law is strong, here.

[–] kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 6 days ago

To clarify, I'm not defending or supporting OP's behavior, but I believe the initial comment was misrepresenting things.

[–] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If your grandchildren see this comment when they're older they'll think you're a piece of shit

[+] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip -11 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Hopefully my grand children have a better understanding of the English language that you do. You people use "nazi" to describe anyone that doesn't think exactly like you. 99.96% of the time I see people calling someone a nazi these days it's literally just someone that has different beliefs. Yall have used the word so incorrectly for so long that it has lost all of its original meaning to most people.

Did none of you read "boy who cried wolf" growing up? Come on now.

[–] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Some people who want one group to dominate another are nice people actually

-moron

[+] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip -6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's almost like humans are incredibly complex and blanket labeling anyone who thinks differently from yourself as x thing is stupid.

Your way of thinking is small minded and short sighted.

I know that your kind hates Chick-fil-A because they are a Christian company that "hate the gays" or whatever . What do you think when I tell you that all my gay friends fuckin LOVE Chick-fil-A? Far more than any of my straight friends. Do you believe they are nazis too? Or could they just be gay people that love that sauce and that chicken? Are you capable of nuance whatsoever or is the entire world sorted completely into "right" and "wrong" in your mind?

[–] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The world truly is complex

-allied soldier arriving at Auschwitz

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip -4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Are you purposely interpreting everything I say in the most bad faith way humanly possible or are you just retarded?

[–] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 2 points 5 days ago

I dunno are you suddenly feeling kinship?

[–] choochooMF@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

People who claim "you just use Nazi to describe people you don't agree with" while there's literal neo-nazis and white supremacists in the government are Nazi-appolgists. Supporting Nazis and Nazi actions makes you a Nazi too.

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip -3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's hard to trust people claiming so and so is a nazi when they can't even properly define what a nazi is or how they know that person is one.

I'll give you a tip though. Making a dark humor or offensive shirt/hat around a current event doesn't make someone a nazi. Perhaps an asshole. Prick. Or some other colorful word you like, but it does not make that person automatically a nazi.

[–] choochooMF@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Making a dark humor or offensive shirt/hat around a current event doesn’t make someone a nazi.

No, but it normalizes Nazi behavior, i.e. supports it. The intent doesn't matter when life and death is on the line.

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

No it fucking doesn't. You're jumping to several conclusions and then making up reasons why you're morally correct so you dont have to actually think about the nuances of human existence.

[–] SpookyLights@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

"just because the hat in question was advertising a concentration camp doesn't mean that Nazis are involved. reeee!"

-You, a dipshit

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip -2 points 5 days ago

The only dipshits im seeing around here are people like you that cannot distinguish the difference between someone selling something they may or may not agree with from running a business. I am positive there are atheists who sell bibles. There are racists who will happily take money from people they hate. Unless you know the shop keeper very personally you have no idea what they think about it.

At best they don't even understand what's on the hat. At worst (given the context given from OP) they don't care what the hats or shirts say on them as long as someone is buying them. To make the massive leap straight to "they must fully support this thing and hate minorities" is absolutely wild.

Is it possible they are actually Nazis? Absolutely. I am not saying that it's impossible by any stretch of the imagination. I am simply saying that there is no way to know what that shop keeper thinks about anything. All we have to go off is the inherently biased retelling from OP.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Just to be clear if you ran a peace and love shop would you be fine with someone pulling some rainbow flag merch off the shelves to stomp on it before leaving without paying?

Nazi stuff is in no way comparable to rainbow flags. We all have a moral duty to fight Nazis and their collaborators.

[–] MoreFPSmorebetter@lemmy.zip -3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I wasnt comparing rainbow stuff to nazi stuff. I was using a vaguely "opposite" thing to make my point about hypocrisy. Come on now.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

You compared the OP's damaging of a contemporary concentration camp hat to destroying a rainbow flag, weren't you? The alligator Alcatraz thing isn't literally a 1930s Nazi, but it's extremely similar.

[–] kewjo@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

we really should start calling them by their real name. groups like the kkk and white suprimists were the inspiration for Hitler and he used the same rhetoric to form the nazis. the same rhetoric Trump used in the election, i think i counted 3 times he used language directly coming from Hitler speeches?

i think people are too slow to understand nuance, don't know their history or take everything literally. when people say Nazis they're talking about our countries bigots and nationalists which want to take away our liberty and freedom. so maybe we call them Maga, that's what the history books will call them and i don't think history has every looked favorable on those constructing concentration camps. Maga should be a revolting word.

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I get your point although it does seem like you're comparing 1:1 😅

[–] leftytighty@slrpnk.net 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That's because the whole notion that it's hypocritical is founded on the idea of equating those things, why are you backing down?

Destroying hateful shit isn't analogous to destroying egalitarian shit.

Guy is an "enlightened centrist" i.e. useful idiot at best and actual fascist at worst

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 0 points 5 days ago

why are you backing down?

Many reasons:

I'm willing to overlook the blunder to understand someone's point.
I don't have much to go on to label them a diehard centrist or a fascist because the chances of that happening in the Fediverse are lower than in other forums.
Skimming their comment history doesn't give me much to go on.
I don't need to assume that everyone who uses a questionable example as part of a larger point invalidates what they've said entirely.
I've been in that position before, where an entire thread gets stupidly derailed because a handful of people start assuming shit, arguing in bad faith, and blowing it up for no good reason other than to get their drama fix.

And so on.

[–] forrgott@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Oh screw that, I would've called his bluff. The lawyer fees to prosecute a 14$ loss would put him hundreds of dollars in the hole.

[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Yeah, but he can drop the case at anytime and the guy would still get booked for a misdemeanor. The US is a shithole country ruled by a dictator.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 14 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Name and shame the shop.

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