1st BAD Open Carry experience

[C-bus]

Bobby and Cindy? Kate and john? Stacey and ted?

Nope. I'm a few blocks from Kroger Main Street Columbus.

Edited May 8, 2012 by C-bus

[Tpoppa]

First, I am very pro gun. Second, I don't see the point of open carry.

You can argue that there is some very (very) tiny tactical advantage. Whether you admit it or not, OC is an attempt to get attention and generate a reaction. So, why be surprised when you finally get that reaction??

For all the people at Wal Mart that saw you open carry, is it more likely that their reaction was 1) I saw someone exercising their legal right, or 2) Some whack job brought a gun to Wal Mart. The answer is obviously 2, and you knew that before you went in, right? The political statement comment above is apt.

For the legal right argument...You also have the legal right to rub poison ivy on your nutsack. That doesn't mean you should do it.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Tpoppa

[namtugeoj]

Nope. I'm a few blocks from Kroger Main Street Columbus.

Well in that cause I give up. I can't pronounce half those names let alone spell them.

[wht_scorpion]

They were worried that you are a ex employee that going to go on a killing spree.

Because the management are Nazi and are always trying to screw there employee over.

[crb]

Well, I for one wouldn't be worried at all about someone walking around with a gun in a holster, like stated earlier criminals hide their guns usually tucked in pants,pocket,hoodie..etc... i've been held at gun point before when my friend was robbed and the gun came from a pocket not a holster.

+rep

[crb]

I find it more comfortable, easier to draw, I believe it does work as a deterrent rather than making me a first target. Most criminals want an easy job, first sign of resistance will make them reconsider. And it helps people get over the stigma that guns are bad. Criminals hide their guns, he's not going to walk with it in plain view.

Exactly!

I both open and conceal, it just depends how I choose to dress. Should it matter? I don't think so. So because I want to carry a firearm I can't tuck my shirt in and still carry a full size firearm?

Its also not like I had it in a drop leg holster, which would still be legal.

Oh I don't have a target, meijer, kmart in my small town. We do have aldi's, giant eagle, walmart, and sparkle. Giant eagle is much more expensive on many items, aldi's and sparkle have smaller selection. Wife found most everything she wanted in another store the next town over its only a 3 more miles to said town. Probably about the same mileage to the walmart in our town actually.

Edited May 8, 2012 by crb

[kawi kid]

I'm with cornbread. Good guys have fund in holsters, bad guys have guns in waistbands

[MidgetTodd]

First, I am very pro gun. Second, I don't see the point of open carry.

You can argue that there is some very (very) tiny tactical advantage. Whether or not you admit it or not, OC is an attempt to get attention and generate a reaction. So, why be surprised when you finally get that reaction??

For all the people at Wal Mar that saw you open carry, is it more likely that their reaction was 1) I saw someone exercising their legal right, or 2) Some whack job brought a gun to Wal Mart. The answer is obviously 2, and you knew that before you went in, right? The political statement comment above is apt.

For the legal right argument...You also have the legal right to rub poison ivy on your nutsack. That doesn't mean you should do it.

Could not be said better.

One person finally said something to you... but there are prolly 20 or more everytime you've done it that went and told family and friends ect about the whack job they saw toting his gun for all to see like a thug. No point in that, none.

I am very pro gun and very pro carry, but everytime I see open carry in a store I say what a douche. Especially in your case, full beard and a HD T-shirt. Very stereotypical and I would bet that look is what got you confronted not just that you were carrying. .... is it right that a look has that effect, no. But it happens.

[Bubba]

Some serious paranoia on this forum.

That being said, I'm all for defending our personal and law-given rights, but my first impression of someone who's open carrying in a public space like a Walmart would of one who's seeking attention. IJS...

[abdecal]

I don't like guns and I don't own any. Probably never will. I get nervous around them. I have been shot at twice by people being stupid.

Once by a kid (around 15 years old) with a hunting rifle while my friends and I were riding our 4 wheelers. He thought it was fun to see if he could hit us. A bullet hit a tree within a few feet of me.

And again by my brother when I was fishing out at my parents pond. He was about 400 yards away with a shotgun and he thought it would be funny to scare us. We heard all the pellets hit the trees that were around us. He thought that because it spreads out over a distance it wouldn't be near us.

But I will say, if shtf I would be glad if one of you were there and had the ability to do something about it. Definitely would not be worried about being robbed at an OhioRiders meet

[jbot]

OC is only scary to the public or "attention whoring" because people are not aware of the laws and operate on their base instincts and incomplete understanding of handguns. i support those who exercise their right to OC.

[Tpoppa]

OC is only scary to the public or "attention whoring" because people are not aware of the laws and operate on their base instincts and incomplete understanding of handguns. i support those who exercise their right to OC.

IDK

I understand handgun laws prefectly well & I call this attention whoring.

It's like wearing an Abortion T-Shirt (pro or against...doesn't matter), then pretending to be surprised that you got a bunch of dirty looks in a public place. Or a chick with big jugs wearing a low cut top, then 'wondering' why guys are staring at her tits.

You are intentionally trying to get a reaction. Pretending to be surpised that you actually got a reaction is a waste of time. Creating a thread where you pretend to be surprised is also a waste of time.

[Ault]

just more fuel to my fire. i havent steped foot in a walmart for over 2 years and do not plan to ever again! cannot stand that place...litteraly a perfect example of whats wrong with our country.

[Pokey]

I don't like guns and I don't own any. Probably never will. I get nervous around them. I have been shot at twice by people being stupid.

Once by a kid (around 15 years old) with a hunting rifle while my friends and I were riding our 4 wheelers. He thought it was fun to see if he could hit us. A bullet hit a tree within a few feet of me.

And again by my brother when I was fishing out at my parents pond. He was about 400 yards away with a shotgun and he thought it would be funny to scare us. We heard all the pellets hit the trees that were around us. He thought that because it spreads out over a distance it wouldn't be near us.

But I will say, if shtf I would be glad if one of you were there and had the ability to do something about it. Definitely would not be worried about being robbed at an OhioRiders meet

That just proves in itself that people are stupid and careless......guns are not dangerous in responsible hands.

[crb]

I've honestly never been concerned with someone carrying a firearm open orr concealed unless they start acting stupid with it. So I'm a whack job with a gun because I'm pushing my nephew in a cart and shopping just like everybody else? now if I was fidgiting with my gun I could see your point.

[MidgetTodd]

To all the non gun owners and single women and mothers with their children, yes you are a whack job. To other gun owners, maybe not so much. But there's more of them than us and each one of them told several others about the whack job they saw. Its dumb IMHO.

[r1crusher]

Spaghetti is dumb.

[kiggy74]

By concealing didn't you just make yourself an easy target? If he draws on you and says give me your wife's jewelry, think you can draw and fire before he fires? Most criminals want an easy score, resistance scares them away. Granted there are those that just want to kill everyone.

I will admit both have pros and cons but I truly think what most perceive as cons with OC. Really aren't. Most that are against OC have never had any first hand experience with it.

I'm not saying OC is for everyone or that you have to. To each their own.

Why is he going to try to steal your wife's jewelry when he could steal your gun instead?

You don't think your gun is something a criminal wants? Your making a lot of assumptions when you think that a criminal is going to avoid you just because you've got a gun on your hip. You don't have 360 degrees of vision, something tells me that if a criminal wants your gun he's going to have a go and take it. If you didn't have it open and visible they'd never know you had one. Good luck.

[MidgetTodd]

Yes it is. But Macaroni isnt

[crb]

To all the non gun owners and single women and mothers with their children, yes you are a whack job. To other gun owners, maybe not so much. But there's more of them than us and each one of them told several others about the whack job they saw. Its dumb IMHO.

Believe it or not I have heard several children comment "mommy he has a gun" and the response I have heard the mothers tell their children is usually something like "so what", or "that's his right", or "there is nothing wrong with it"

The general public are sheelpes and pay little or no attention honestly. The people that make a big deal of seeing someone carrying is the anti-gunners and liberals. My guess is the lady that sold me the ammo was a liberal and didn't like my political T-shirt. Because she was fine while I picked out the ammo, but the problem came when she was looking at my shirt while ringing up the ammo. My guess is she can't keep her political views out of the workplace. Maybe she thought I was some right wing gun toting whack o, because that's what the liberal media makes us 2nd amendment supporters out to be.

I don't see how going about my normal routine while open carrying hurts other gun owners I am sorry! I am simply more comfortable carrying OWB! Call it a political statement if you wish, I don't care! If you think that open carry hurts the view of gun owners then change the law I guess.

The same scenario here could have happened if I was conceal carrying also, frequently while carrying a child or dealing with the child my gun may partially become visible.

I had no problems with the cashier asking me if I had a permit, although I think it is none of her business. I answered her question in a polite educational manner, and even offered to show her my permit. The problem arose when the assistant manger approached me in an aggressive manner, and had a loud aggressive conversation with me. If walmart didn't want open carry then they have the right to post a sign, but walmart follows state law! The assistant manager over stepped her authorit. End of story!

[crb]

Why is he going to try to steal your wife's jewelry when he could steal your gun instead?

You don't think your gun is something a criminal wants? Your making a lot of assumptions when you think that a criminal is going to avoid you just because you've got a gun on your hip. You don't have 360 degrees of vision, something tells me that if a criminal wants your gun he's going to have a go and take it. If you didn't have it open and visible they'd never know you had one. Good luck.

Do you really think a common thug criminal is going to try and disarm someone that is open carrying? I think more likely the criminal will find an easier target and if not I guess we find out who is the better shot. The common thug criminal wants an easy target.

[Tpoppa]

Whether or not I am carrying is my business. No one elses. I have zero interest in advertising. I don't believe a gun should be considered a threat or a deterent or something to be shown off.

If I am ever in a sitution where I have no other option, but to display a weapon it would be with the intention of using it. Hopefully, that day never comes.

I happen to own a business (car wash). If someone was OC at my business, I would ask them to put it away or leave. I wouldn't want them upsetting other customers and potentially driving off other business even if it meant losing that person as a customer.

[crb]

Whether or not I am carrying is my business. No one elses. I have zero interest in advertising. I don't believe a gun should be considered a threat or a deterent or something to be shown off.

If I am ever in a sitution where I have no other option, but to display a weapon it would be with the intention of using it. Hopefully, that day never comes.

I happen to own a business (car wash). If someone was OC at my business, I would ask them to put it away or leave. I wouldn't want them upsetting other customers and potentially driving off other business even if it meant losing that person as a customer.

And by doing so you wouldn't receive my business any longer, and I would spread the word to 10 people I know closely. Those 10 people would spread it around to 10 more each.

If you don't want OC then post it! Do you have it posted? If not why not?

Are you afraid it would deter OC advocates from getting their car washed at your facility when we have other choices?

[jbot]

i'm not here to argue or anything. just telling you my opinion which is right and yours being wrong.

OC FO LIFE

[Tpoppa]

And by doing so you wouldn't receive my business any longer, and I would spread the word to 10 people I know closely. Those 10 people would spread it around to 10 more each.

If you don't want OC then post it! Do you have it posted? If not why not?

Are you afraid it would deter OC advocates from getting their car washed at your facility when we have other choices?

I want as many people as possible to spend as much money as possible at my facility. That is the bottom line for most if not all businesses.

As mentioned above, I would be willing to risk losing your business. Since, .00001% of people ever OC, I would be willing to risk losing all OC as customers. That is barely a rounding error on a cash flow statement.

No, I don't post no OC, and here is why:

1) I wouldn't want to risk pissing off CCW advocates, since there are a lot of them. Even though most CCW won't ever OC, they would probably only see a gun in a red circle on the sign and not read the rest.

2) I wouldn't want to risk pissing off gun owners, since many people own guns.

3) I wouldn't want my entire customer base to see a sign and wonder if there were problems with people displaying guns at my facility.

As a reference, Fin Feather and Fur (Cleveland) has a sign stating that all guns must be checked at the door, the only exception is CCW. Meaning that even in a big gun shop full of gun loving customers, they don't want OC.