Speaking of murder nets, one of my favorite stories about Ian B from when we dated in our early 20s involves a net.
One night in 1998, Ian B and this hilarious guy named Richard were drunk and decided to walk to my apartment in downtown salt lake city. Ian B lived around 10th South and State and I lived on 1st South and 3rd east. If you know anything about Utah streets, the streets and the blocks are huge, so it was about 2 miles to walk.
It was a Saturday night, which is when people used to drive their cars slow down State Street and trying to find people to make out with, or as they called it "cruising state".
On the walk to my place, a street guy stopped them and asked for a cigarette. Richard gave him one and, in exchange, the guy gave them one of those giant cargo bungee nets you can put in the back of your truck.
So Ian B and Richard were making their way to my apartment with their new net when they got to the City and County building on 4th. There were some cowboys there screaming shit that punks always got screamed at and drunken smart ass Richard and Ian B were screaming back. The cowboys started coming at them.
Then they took either side of the bungee net and started running at the cowboys who freaked out screaming "they got a net!" As these drunk punks are running at them. The cowboys jumped in their truck and drove away.
It's no murder net, but it's a good bet story. The lesson is, sometimes a trade with a random NPC could be helpful.
