[cool45auto]

Me and my fiance went up to the top of a mountain in Hiawassee that I hadn't been to in a while. I wanted to share the scenery with her. So we had the place to ourselves, they'd gated off the road coming up and we had to walk like a quarter of a mile.

We looked around for a while when we heard someone coming up the path. It was two guys. They were already looking at us and walked up to within six feet of us, which I thought was a little close for strangers. We were both carrying but I was still very alert. We small talked some. I walked around my fiance to the left and one of the guys mirrored me exactly. Then I eased around them both and motioned for my fiance to follow. They turned around also but didn't advance and we headed down the path.

We were a long way from our jeep and any houses. Nothing happened and we made our way down so later I got to feeling bad. I was thinking all kinds of stuff about those two guys and didn't even know them.

So did carrying make me automatically think the worst or just make me aware?

[P95Carry]

To be honest Cool .. I think if you'd NOT been carrying ... you'da been just as wary, leary, suspicious .... the difference being you'd not have had any ''last resort'' .... had TSHTF.

I would agree that carrying does (and should) be accompanied by a heightened degree of ''situational awareness'' but beyond that - let's face it ....... there are some wierdo people out there.

Get to my age and trust of others is hard to come by ... strangers of course mostly. I'll repeat my two favorite adages ..

''Expect the unexpected'' ....... and ......... ''Don't assume''.

The latter can be taken both ways of course .. don't assume BG just cos they ''seem'' odd but equally .. don't assume GG either.

Reserve your right to caution and being aware.... but try and stem paranoia ....!:p

[Shawn Dodson]

Naw.

I've been CCW-ing nearly 20 years. I have a handgun on my person almost all the time. Simply put, it's there and I just don't think about it.

I like to regard everyone I meet as a good guy, that is, unless they give me reason to suspect otherwise.

[Standing Wolf]

Carrying hasn't changed my perception of people, but has enabled me to become more self-sufficient and outgoing. Actually, if anything, I'm more inclined to think well of strangers.

...and walked up to within six feet of us, which I thought was a little close for strangers...

I'd say so, too. I'd have had my hand on the butt of my gun under my jacket.

[berettaman]

No. The worst people make me automatically carry.

[AJ Dual]

Going to a large oudoor place like a park or wilderness and naturally walking up to within 6 feet of someone else, espectially when you're the only people around, and there's no other choke point like a small lookout path, only one small place to see the view, a small senic terrace, or a plaque they wanted to read too, etc is indeed [i]odd[/].

It just violates basic human instincts. The people didn't know you either and should have instinctively wanted their own space too.

I dont think you did anything wrong.

It could have been innocent, some folks just lack the personal space sense, usually kind of odd, off, or nerdy in other ways you can sense too.

[PawDaddy]

I think that, because of their actions,(walking within six feet of you) you thought the way that you did.

I am always on the look out for anyone suspicious, but unless they give me reason to think they might be up to something, I generally think the best of folks.

I try to speak to everyone that I meet in passing in parking lots, stores, etc. And, I try to be friendly and helpful to folks.

[Mike Irwin]

I couldn't think any worse of most people if I tried....

[Pilgrim]

John Norman wrote in his "Chronicles of Gor - the Counter-Earth" that for some peoples the word for stranger also means enemy.

Pilgrim

[P95Carry]

I couldn't think any worse of most people if I tried.... Mike ......... you've damn done it ..... again!! Cracked me up ..... hahaha! http://www.bedford.net/design/images/smilies/lol.gif

Hope I was not quite in the ''most'' category!:p

[semf]

Does carrying make you automatically think the worst of people? No, but automatically thinking the worst of people makes me carry

[Tamara]

Had a visit from Preacherman the other week and took him around the sights of Knoxville, including my favorite used book store (which I only go to when I have out-of-town company, lest I wind up broke... :uhoh: )

We were leaving the store and walking around back to the car when this guy comes around the corner from the back of the building. He's walking very purposefully towards the door, wearing a knit cap and with his hands shoved in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. This seemed odd, given that it was seventy-something sunny degrees out. I give him a wide berth on the sidewalk, and he blows past us heading for the front door. Preacherman asks, after the guy was past, "What was that you were muttering?"
"Oh," I replied "I was thinking aloud that 'I'd feel a lot better if I could see those hands, buddy.'" :uhoh:

[Mike Irwin]

"Mike ......... you've damn done it ..... again!! Cracked me up ..... hahaha!"

I'm glad I was able to tickle your funny bone.

But...

I'm not kidding. Not many of the carbon blobs I've met in my life have deserved the apellation of "human being."

Funny, though, how a large number of those who do, though, are gun people.

And yeah. You're OK. You plied me with porcupine balls (not as disgusting as it sounds, folks. If you're from Pennsylvania, you'll understand) and range time. :)

[Zach]

Porcupine balls?

Zach

[Mike Irwin]

Meatballs stuffed with rice cooked in a tomato sauce.

Excellent stuff.

[Redlg155]

I have no problem with most folks unless they do something to set off my internal alarm. I try not to let appearances distract me too much. Actually you can't in my area because we have a lot of strange folks walking around these days, but they are good folks...just a bit strange looking. :D . The threat just might come from a "suit".

At the same time had I come across the same guy Preacherman and Tamara came across I would have definitely been a bit more alert as well.

Actually I feel as thought I'm more aware when I'm not carrying because of my limited defense options.

Good Shooting
Red

[Zach]

Ahhh.

We have those in Texas. One of my favorite meals.

Zach

[Mike Irwin]

What do you guys call them, armadillo balls?

That's actually not a bad name.

Sometimes the rice doesn't get cooked the whole way through, and it's like crunching an armadillo's shell. :D

[PATH]

I am wary of all strangers. I am slow to trust and life has borne me out on this!

Mike,

The armadillo balls sound very like the innards of stuffed peppers or zucchinni. Low flame and the sauce has to be a bit watery. Takes a while for the rice to soften up!

[tcdrennen]

Somebody on one of the boards has a sig line I like:

'in God We Trust - all others, keep your hands where I can see them."

[Ryder]

I don't have tons of contact with strangers but when I do everybody looks very tame to me and I feel perfectly at ease.

I do assess people though and I have taken note of a very few individuals who appeared to have the potential for violence. When this happens I find myself analyzing backstops and selecting my position based on that. Still I would not say I am thinking the worst anyone, just acknowledging my sense of doubt. I would be just as polite and courteous to them as I am to everyone else should the need arise.

[anapex]

I don't want to sound rude or racist by saying this but what nationality were they? That could make a whole lot of difference as to what they may consider a good distance for personal space. Other then that I probably would have reacted the same way.

[Sleeping Dog]

On a path or trail, everyone you meet comes within 6 feet. Or do you expect people to step off the path to respect your space?

Being aware of surroundings, you will be a little wary of strangers approaching. Especially if they don't look like you.

Having a gun (and training) should work to keep the situation calm. No need to do something unwarranted.

Regards.

[Jack19]

Don't feel bad. I've never found that carrying makes me think the worst of people, generally people do that on their own.

In that one of them matched your moves, I think maybe you saved yourself from something worse.

My personal space is about 20 feet. Everyone inside that space gets looked at for signs of malicious intent. On the trail, that space reaches out to around 50 feet. Although I tend to hike in places where other hikers are few.

And, as we just saw (once again), with that shooter in California, people will stand around and not come to your aid even when the shooter runs dry and starts to walk away....so don't expect help from strangers.

You did fine.

[TallPine]

I have always found everyone that I meet out on the trail to be very friendly and polite.

Of course, I also open carry ... ;)

[Skunkabilly]

I don't think the worst, I just don't expect anything.

Not everyone I run into on the street wants to play nicee and sell me books about Enlightenment.

[LiquidTension]

I don't think any worse about people now than I did before I started carrying. My situational awareness has always been higher than most people's, and it has kept me out of some bad situations since as far back as I can remember. I'm not naturally suspicious of people unless they give me a reason to be - but I do notice people, unlike those who always walk around in condition white.

Carrying just makes me able to respond better if the need arises.

[Pilgrim]

Porcupine balls
Meatballs stuffed with rice cooked in a tomato sauce.

In the Navy I think we called them "Nairobi Trail Markers."

Pilgrim

[cool45auto]

On a path or trail, everyone you meet comes within 6 feet. Or do you expect people to step off the path to respect your space?
We weren't on the path, we were in the big open space on top at the end of the path. It's about 25-30 yards of open space and we were to one side of it. They walked across the space over to us.

I don't want to sound rude or racist by saying this but what nationality were they?
Two white guys, one looked to be in his 50's, the other was maybe early 30's.

[Gus Dddysgrl]

I wouldn't say it makes you think the worst of people. It makes you more aware of people you need to be aware of.

There have been times when I am suspicious of people following me late at night on campus or in the city, but it has made me want to carry. I don't think that it is carrying itself that make you more suspicious of people, but it gives you more options if they turn out to be BG.

[grampster]

"Live fast, Die young, Have a good lookin' corpse and don't trust nobody" Little Hambam circa 1955

:what: