Going to New Orleans on a mission trip, need tips.

I won't tell you what to do, but I can share my recent experience.

I just returned from a two week mission trip where I couldn't carry. I do carry 24/7 when I can at home.

It was an out-of-the-country trip, so there was no carrying a gun.

I carried a flashlight only, since a knife was also out where I was. Awareness is your #1 tool, no matter what weapon you have. Your mindset is #2 - be ready and willing to act decisively. Any tools you have are priority #3.

Nothing happened to me. A couple of times, people came running up behind me in a dark alley. This was Europe, so this is normal. All that they have for streets are dark alleys, and everyone gets around by foot. Not too unlike New Orleans! However, I would always turn around and look them in the eye. The people would always steer around me while running past. Who knows if they were planning something, but I felt like this was a deterrent if they were.

On a side note:
Personally, I think that it was worthwhile to serve my Lord while accepting personal risk, and letting go of a little control in my life (kind of the point of a mission trip anyway!). Not only was it worthwhile, it was a great blessing. Those people who won't go anywhere without a gun are missing out on some great things in life because they can't accept risk, and can't accept that they are not always in control of the situation. That said, I carry everywhere I can, but it doesn't control me.

Thanks for serving the Lord and others! And stay safe.

Stay where there are people. Lot's of people.
Forget the 16. If you can't carry it , it's worthless.
Eat!!! It's the best food in the world hands down.
Listen to music. It's everywhere.

Enjoy your mission and have fun.

AFS

Stay in groups of 3+, at least a couple males in each group, stay where there are plenty of people, if you are out after dark try to stay in well lit areas. Be confident and self assured, but don't be confrontational. Think about where you are going, and what you are doing all the time.

My last mission trip was to the mountains outside of Tegucigalpa, Hounduras, and it was incident free except for one young guy from our group (about 15 yr old) who tried to get confrontational with a local youth who had all the appearances of someone in a gang. I told him he was endangering all of us, and if he didn't sit down and shut up I would do it for him. I had to physically get in front of him and put him down in the bed of our truck before he would quit trying to taunt the local gang kid. Don't feed yourself (and us) to the bears, kid!

Obviously I wasn't able to carry on that trip, but most of the time I had something just as good. One to three soldiers with M-16s went with us almost everywhere. No one, and I mean no one, bothered us or our vehicles while they were with us. Inside the secured walls of the compound those soldiers would play soccer with us with their rifles slung and 9mms on their belts, that was interesting experience....

Woodfiend, I also favor the Streamlight Scorpion - I've got 3 of them. Buy the batteries in bulk and put in a fresh pair before you go on your trip. I say that because, as you know, when they run out there's no getting dimmer and dimmer, it just dies.

Best of luck to you.

Parker

Open carry legal state. Having said that, New Orleans is NOT friendly to it! You can carry in your car anywhere you want legally. Leave one in the car and keep the car in sight or make sure you can lock the gun in the trunk AND the trunk is inaccessable should someone break into the passenger section of the car!

Most of the quarter is safe, there are tons of people, cops everywhere, etc. The only time I actually feel uncomfortable is when walking in the non-touristy areas of the city, which usually means when I am walking IN to the quarter.

The best advice is not to make yourself into a target. Always travel in groups, keep valuables hidden, try not to look like a tourist, etc. At night, be sure to keep your head on a swivel in the less populated areas. Try to avoid dark places at night and always make sure you have a pretty good idea of where you are headed and the surrounding area.

Vehicle Security: You can probably get to most places you want to go via trolley and bus. I'd recommend taking that route and leaving any personal vehicles where you are staying. No need to risk your car getting broken into by needlessly driving. On the upside, you also get to avoid the traffic (both vehicular and pedestrian) in the quarter as well. Keep valuables out of sight in the car as well. If practical, leave them inside where you are staying instead of locked in the trunk.

Ignore the towny bumbs in the Quarter who ask you stupid questions like "Give me $5.00 and I will tell you where your shoes are."

Also - Eat at the acme Oyster Grill and Irene's... 2 of the best restaurants in the world.

Enjoy the food. I'm not sure how useful the 16 will be. Use your head.

Never park your car on the street. Use paid parking only!

Stay in groups. Don't pay to see the sex shows.

DB, are you saying he should sneak in for free??

Parker

Not unless he carries a gallon of brain bleach in with him...

Good Luck on Mission Trip

You can carry a loaded handgun in a car without a license in Louisiana. You can have it in the glovebox, dashboard, console, or your luggage at the age of 18. That is up to you. Yes you can openly carry a handgun in LA at 18, but you will get A LOT of attention! If you are with a group of people in the French Quarter during daytime feeding the hungry, you should be fine. If you have free time, always travel with a couple good sized buddies. Stick to the tourist areas. I know it sounds sissy, but get some real hot pepper spray like Fox Labs or one of the new Kimber Pepper Blasters (put in Uncle Mike's pocket holster). The fox labs runs about twenty bucks....the Kimber about thirty...and the pocket holster to put your kimber pepper blaster will run 15 bucks. Pepper spray is good stuff and works well on the typical drunks and bums that one may run across in New Orleans. They help put the distance between you and them....VS a knife you have to get too close to use. Pepper spray you can use it and RUN...knife...you'll have to deal with it like a real self defense/deadly force encounter.

Have a good time....get some good pepper spray....and I wish you well spreading the Gospel to an area that badly needs it.

You would think he was going to a hostile country instead of New Orleans. Can't be all that much going on there as people just are trying to recover their losses and make a life for themselves.
Spreading the gospel should be done so it dosn't infringe on the rights of others also and that will help not irritate people and cut down on problems.

You would think he was going to a hostile country instead of New Orleans.

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That's because parts of New Orleans are like a hostile country. Seriously, if you are out of the touristy areas, watch your back.

New Orleans is hostile country.

It was worse before Katrina but it's still pretty bad - third world in some areas.

The low rent locals prey on tourists because they can't stick around to press charges.

Scary Place

Was down there for a bachelor trip, in other words alcohol involved so no CCW. In groups of at least 3+ gents at all times and still didn't feel entirely safe. Saw numerous fights in the french quarter at night, especially amongst bums, which were quite ruthless and could have easily escalated into much larger scale.

In the middle of the day at one point, walking in the FQ, someone in the group I was with bumped into (on purpose/aggressively I guess :banghead into a large group of younger AA males who did not want to let us by on "their" sidewalk. After a shove or two, I mistakenly said "Boy, you need to step the **** back" to one of the young gentlemen. Little did I know the term "boy" would be taken in a racial context as I merely only called him a boy because he wasn't a day over 14, not because he was black. Subsequently, a handgun was presented by one of the members of said group. He wasn't pointing it at us, just letting us know he had it, and thinking back actually, thankfully, it cooled down the situation somewhat. Anyhow luckily, before anything escalated a swarm of security from surrounding bars/restaurants got in the middle of the conflict and sent us all on our merry way. Even though he wasn't pointing it, it was pretty scary.
Now, I know N.Orleans is not at fault for my situation, but just felt very unsafe the whole time I was there.

Pick up a Kimber Guardian Angel. They are like 30 bucks and I love mine for when I cant carry.

was there 2 weekends ago for a bachelor party. EVerything was cool. First night we went to bourbon street from Harrah's. We walked back at 3 am in the morning to our hotels - lots of mounted police at Bourbon. Again this is the touristy areas so no worries there. My church actually went out for a mission last year or 2 yrs ago (can;t remember) tearing down the houses at the hurricane damaged areas. Man, can;t remember where they went but they had a blast. Of course, my pastor always carry.

But yea, 24 hr alcohol policy and ppl can walk around in the streets with drink in their hands was pretty surreal, i mean i saw some drunk guys and girls but no drunk fights or issues when we were there. Heck, Houstonians can't get away with fights, DWI and other crap (wannabees) with 2 am policy.

metallic said:

Most of the quarter is safe, there are tons of people, cops everywhere, etc. The only time I actually feel uncomfortable is when walking in the non-touristy areas of the city, which usually means when I am walking IN to the quarter.

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Somehow I doubt there is going to be a lot of "missionary work" going on in the French Quarter or "touristy" areas.

Awareness and numbers are your friends ... and in this case likely your only friends.

I'm from NOLA and have lived here for my entire life.

One thing to keep in mind while on foot or by car (to a lesser extent) is that because of the structure of the city, it's possible to go from ritzy $1m+ homes to ghettos in the space of a couple of blocks and then back in a couple more blocks in the same direction... Just know where you are going before you go there.

Do check out Frenchmen Street, which is in the Bywater immediately adjacent to the French Quarter, and decidely less touristy. Have a burger at the Port of Call on Esplanade.

Locals almost never go to Bourbon st fyi.

You sure did pick a hot time to come here.

As been stated keep in groups keep you wallet secured due to pickpockets and have a good time. The Cafe de Mon is nice Check out Diners Drive in's and Dives on the Food Network for some good non tourist places to eat in NO.

Kimber Pepper Blaster. Its about 30-40 bucks and it outpeforms the aerosol sprays. You should always have a less lethal option even when you do carry a gun.

Flashlight is a great idea, as is pepper spray.

Personally, I'd carry a clipped knife, like a Spyderco Delica in the hollow of my right front hip, on the pants, behind the belt. Still accessible, but hidden from most. I wouldn't intend it to be a weapon, but it's there just in case.

Further, I'd carry a Leatherman on the belt.