Video: Restaurant worker avoids robbery by completely ignoring armed thief

A New Zealand kebab shop owner's calm attitude and presence of mind enabled him to prevent an armed robbery at his workplace. His solution was amazingly simple: just ignore as if nothing happened. Said Ahmed said he decided to call the bluff of a robber wearing a black hoodie and face mask who burst into the Egyptian Kebab House in Christchurch late in the evening. A video that captured the shocking incident is proof enough that you don’t need any superpowers to beat the bad guys.

The clip shows a robber approaching the front counter with his face covered, carrying a weapon, and looking like he’s demanding money. But to his surprise, Ahmed continued preparing a customer’s food and coolly handed the confused patron their order. The robber, who just stood there, doing nothing; seemed unsure of how to react.

It is being said that Ahmed tackled the dangerous situation using what is basically called the Ferber method. When the thief realised that he wasn’t affecting him in any way, he gave up and left the store.

"He didn't scare me... he was surprised from my reaction," Ahmed later told Fairfax New Zealand. "I was sure he would not shoot me. He came to rob me, not to kill me." The 55-year-old said he now closed his shop earlier and advised his children "be a little brave- life can change in a few seconds". Police said they were still seeking the gunman.

Footage of the May 28 incident has been viewed almost 140,000 times, with commentators labelling Ahmed "the chillest chip shop operator ever".

Click on the link below to view the video: