An Egyptian kebab shop owner in New Zealand gave new meaning to "keeping your cool" when a gun-wielding, would-be robber burst into his shop.
Said Ahmed, owner of Taste of Egypt Kebab House in Christchurch, said he decided to call the bluff of the robber, clad in a black hoodie and face mask.
CCTV footage shows the gunman waving an empty sports bag in Ahmed's face, while pointing a pistol at him with the other.
But rather than filling the bag with cash, Ahmed ignored the man and continued to pack the souvlaki sandwich he was working on, turning his back to the gunman in order to get cutlery and a napkin for the customer.
He then calmly reached past the gunman to give the sandwich to the customer, who nervously left the restaurant.
Ahmed turned away from the robber again and walked back to the kitchen. The gunman remained at the counter for a few moments, then sheepishly took his empty bag with him and left.
"He didn't scare me... he was surprised from my reaction," Ahmed told Fairfax New Zealand. "I'm not a hero," insisted Ahmed, national hero.
"He came to rob me, not kill me," Ahmed went on.
Footage of the incident has been viewed nearly 140,000 times, with commenters calling Ahmed "the chillest chip shop operator ever."
Ahmed, 55, immigrated to New Zealand from Egypt 20 years ago, and that this was the first incident of its kind he had ever experienced there.
But he now closes his shop a bit earlier, and advised his children, "be a little brave - life can change in a few seconds."
