Man Open Carrying In Nonposted Business WWYD?

D.B. Cooper said:

Where do you live!? Beirut!?

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If you go to Walmart in west Michigan you will see a handgun. That is what keeps it from being Beirut. Or Detroit.

One misguided buffoon walked right up to me pointing at my new 1911, that I was a bit proud of, and asked loudly, leaning in as if to take it, if I knew I was wearing that in the grocery store.

(I’d like to add, I saw the group of IronMaiden aficionados walking in, but didn’t notice he was stumbling up to us. It’s not like I drew down on a drunk screaming across the parking lot, he was close enough I knew it was Kessler’s and not Jameson...
I could have been a little judgmental, he could have been a perfectly nice person that wanted to talk about his favorite model pistol while inebriated Sunday morning at a grocery store...)

Then his eyes got huge, probably almost as big as mine, as I positively hissed a hateful yes and backed my children and myself away. When we turned the aisle corner I felt the pistol click back into retention. I know why I was startled, just then I figured why he was.

That ten seconds ranks as one of the scariest I’ve known, even though there most likely was no danger, to me and mine, at all.
Me making a mistake then, or he making one more than the several he already made, could have changed our futures...
If he could have remembered it the next day I may had been charged with brandishing, even not fully drawn...

I no longer carry openly with children. They take too much attention, for/from me. My thinking evolved at the sound of that ‘click’.
We skipped shopping that day.




I answered “No, mind my own business. Why would I care?”
But, if we were both stuck standing in a checkout line somewhere, I might admire his choice, just to stave off Death By Boredom. Obviously if my judgmental self thought it would be taken warmly, first.

D.B. Cooper said:

What are you going to do when there is no place left to shop?

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By then you won’t need to, you will receive “that which is enough” from .gov and like it, visibly, with a smile, or be educated...


Of course there’s always not bringing a firearm so you can get groceries.
Voting helps too, just not this year.

Unless he's pointing it at me,it's none of my business.

With a few exceptions I don't OC, but it is legal here in GA. I wouldn't say OC is common, but it happens just enough that most people aren't alarmed by it.

Trunk Monkey said:

So if you run into someone open carrying do you involve yourself with them or mind your own business?

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None of my business.

Confronted a person once at Walmart. He was doing a squat looking for something on the lower shelves and it appeared that his gun was doing a spill over and coming out of his holster. He thanked me and that was that.

I would exercise my right to keep my mouth shut. If it really bothered me I would just not shop there any more.

Quite common around here in Southern Va.
I do it at times and mind my own business if I see others doing it.
There are enough Karen's and Kens in the world, don't be a Karen or Ken.

OC depends on the culture of the area. I do not want to intentionally scare other people - some gun packers are “in your face” people “because they can”. I like CC for many reasons - the most important reason being the few seconds I would gain with the element of surprise - I do not want people to know that I am packing - much better for me that way.

I have been approached while Open Carrying but over the many decades the only reactions I've experienced were from folk asking what I was carrying or where I shot or what I liked or what they have or their father had...

Non issue so far. The vast majority of folk are simply totally unaware of almost anything beyond their cell phone or the merchandise directly in front of them.

Not a fan but who cares? I've seen this 3 times..Once in Boulder during a demonstration, once in an outdoor mall in Westminster CO and in a restaurant in Rhinelander WI, GREAT fish fry, BTW..If it's legal and the person is just walking around..kinda weird but, so what. I think it takes some 'advantages' of "concealed" carry away.

bdickens said:

I have enough business of my own to mind.

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So true...

Way to many people out there sticking their noses in things that don't pertain to them. We have open carry here and I have seen it once so it's not widely used...

Oh please, may the guy that was open carrying post on gun forums.
Finally there would be somebody post, I was open carrying and somebody "said something".

Explanation for those that didn't get it: People always post how they open carry or print and nobody "says anything", or cares.

I mind my own business in all things, except when there is an obvious real problem- not an imagined one. People who confront others who are open carrying must want to be involved in drama. If they were truly afraid, they would not confront the individual unless they were just stupid.

Around here at the height of tourist season (July Aug) there are a large number of uneducated idiots from repressive states like MA, NY, NJ, and RI. I will on occasion OC just to keep them used to seeing what living in a free Constitutional carry state means. Other times I CC. Last year a soccer mom from NJ called me out and made such a rucus that the local officer showed up. She wanted me arrested for scaring her. He politely told her I was legal, that he had even shot my pistol and it was a good one. He ended up telling her that she could go back to NJ where she might feel safer if OC bothered her so badly.

D.B. Cooper said:

Where do you live!? Beirut!?

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It's a rare trip around here that I don't see someone open carrying.

Why people can’t mind their own business is beyond me. I’m so tired of the wandering snowflakes and nannies in our society. Everything is offensive to someone.

Yeah no respect of others views, no boundries, and everyone expecting a participation trophy for being politically correct and woke is getting old.

I am educating everyone that will listen that the 2A is possibly even more important than the first. It is the back stop with the teeth to protect all the others. Most people do not grasp this concept sadly.

In central Texas I’ve seen 2 people open carry in the last two years. One old guy with a nice revolver, I nodded as we crossed paths.

One younger guy with his gun in the back of his backpack that was visible through a mesh pocket. A nut job/activist could have controlled that skinny kid and probably got his gun out way easier than any 3 o'clock belt holster. I think that was almost the dumbest possible way to open carry in public but there’s no way I would say anything because he was acting normal.

I mind my own business...if it's legal and that's what they choose to do, it's none of my concern. Going up and challenging someone for doing so and then hunt down a manager....really?

I see them all the time. I work at Walmart. Once a new stocker saw guy (whom I happen to know; he works in a gun shop I frequent) open carrying, and she very obviously followed him through the store. I caught up with her and told her 1.) Yes, it is legal in WI, and OK with Walmart if allowed by State Law, 2.) He works in a gun shop and I know him. 3.) You are much safer when he is here than when he isn't because Walmart won't allow me to carry mine while working.

Trunk Monkey said:

Well, that makes one of you.

So do you really not have a problem with random strangers interjecting themselves into your business?

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Random question, random answer.

Go ahead and ask, but be prepared for the answer.