Intentionally DON'T ccw.

I'd say your decision NOT to carry, for now at least, is a darn good one.

I'll be interested to see how this thread goes though.

Ummm whos making the popcorn.

I think that's a very responsible choice.

No, but a couple of my friends have stopped carrying for exactly that reason.
When you're carrying, it is your DUTY to de-escalate or at least not escalate or antagonize.
Packing when you can't control your temper will land you in prison, the morgue, or broke (from a lawsuit).

Good call on not carrying, but work on your self-control.

The fact that you recognize your tendency to escalate conflict and choose NOT to carry as a response shows remarkable insight and maturity.

Perhaps you should consider finding some form of training (e.g., martial arts?) that would teach you how to de-escalate conflict.

You seem to have enough personal insight to know when you will be ready to resume CCW.

Good decision. I have to say I congratulate you on being able to make that judgment about yourself.

As others have said, your decision shows utmost maturity. The fact that you can recognize those traits in your self shows us that you are very wise. I agree with Rainbowbob in trying martial arts as a means of learning to control your self as well as deescalate hard situations. You, sir, are a man among men.

Try meditation. Meditation works wonders on one's temperament.

IMO, you did the right thing. People have to decide if CCW is right for them. Hopefully, it'll click in your heart that getting upset isn't really what you want to do.

Key word you said ACCIDENTALLY, (Crap Happens ) People cut me off all the time and I honk and through up my arms and thats it. If someone other than your self Escalates the situation to the point your life is in danger then dont hesitate to show your stuff! We all make mistakes and that dont mean you cant defend your self.

Consider packing again. You are aware of the temper you have and that you need to keep it in check. If they had continued to esculate the situation and you were not armed. Where would you be now? Remember this at all times while packin'...You have the gun...You don't have to prove anything and you can afford to be a kinder gentler person because you do have the ability to destroy, but wish not to.

I have a real bad temper and have learned to control it. Good luck with yours...

If you don't trust yourself to carry, then don't.

I'd work on the temper so you can carry regularly. If you end up needing it you'll REALLY need it. If your temper controls your actions you'll be doing time or be killed yourself. In the situation above you escalated things (flipping them off) which could really hurt a claim of self defense.

Most common sense decision I have read about here. A manly thing to do. Hope you can resolve your problems.

I also think that it's very mature of you to make the choice not to carry if you feel like you may hurt someone. Carrying a firearm is a big responsibility.

Intentionally DON'T ccw.

Click to expand...

I'm with you. I concealed at my place of business for 25 years. (due to being held up). But refuse to carry in my car. And nothing leaves the house. I'm cool and in control of myself. But I'm also human. I hate frkn aggressive, reckless drivers. I always say to my wife when we're driving somewhere....Glad I'm not carrying.
BTW....good thread

I was kinda like that when I was 25 also. You will mellow out.

I am 38, and up until about 7 years ago chose not to carry for the same reasons as you. Your temper will definitely cool as you age and realise most things arent worth the stress of getting mad over.

Just remember, just because you choose not to carry does not mean that the people you antagonize have made the same choice.

Keep flipping people off and escalating the situation, and you may find yourself perforated.

Rehearsing conflict situations

If I can offer a suggestion?

Practice in your mind various situations, driving or otherwise, where something could happen, and then imagine yourself either ignoring it or deescalating it.

I don't have much of a temper, but after all, things do happen on the road, and sometimes you're the idjit and sometimes the other guy. If the situation is right, if the other guy can see you, mouthing "Sorry" lets him figure he's won, and that he's taught you a lesson.

A kind of apologetic wave of your hand back and forth also works, a kind of "Sorry, you're right" wave along with an apologetic head shaking. Can't describe that one in words too well, but I think you can figure it out. Just a "body language" kind of thing.

Tailgaters? Slowly drop back behind the car in front of you, not to teach the guy behind you a lesson, but simply to allow a little more warning to him if something happens in front of you. That "1 car length per 10mph" rule becomes a few extra car lengths in front of you to make up for his only 1/4 car length per 10 mph of the guy behind you.

Cut off? Not much you can do to lessen the danger but again, slowly allow the distance to open.

If my arithmetic is right, at 50 MPH, dropping back 50 feet means 0.68 seconds of time lost.

BFD. If you get cut off five times on a trip and you drop back that five car lengths each time, you've lost a whooooole biiiiig 3.4 seconds. BFD.

After I got my carry license, I thought about it and found that "rehearsing" or "self-training" myself with a couple of situations that can and have happened in driving, in bringing something back to a store, and other potential conflict situations, helped a lot. Even though I really didn't have that much of a temper in the first place.

Remember. Just like in firearms practice. You will revert to your training in times of stress. Just practice not getting ticked off in various rehearsal situations.

You will revert to that training.

Jack, I rather admire you for posting that experience and your reaction.

Let me say this: If you're mature and responsible enough to resist carrying a weapon then (Ready?) you're, also, grownup enough to carry that same weapon, too. I'm much older than you. Here's what I did the last time someone began screaming at me in public for my lousy driving. I just kept repeating to myself; 'I'm the one with the big gun.' 'I have to be more self-disciplined than the other guy.' 'I'm a Life NRA member; and, I don't want to do anything to feed the news whores on TV.' 'The other guy can get mad, and throw a fit in public; I can't!' That's how I got through the experience.

The second time something like this happened to me; the guy began to tail me. He stayed with me for quite awhile. He must have been a local resident because the moment I turned onto the road to our police station, he quickly sped off in an opposite direction. Too late, though, because I already had his license plate; and, I gave it to the police who told me that I had done everything exactly correct. (That message was delivered while a lieutenant eyed the bulge of my G-21 under my shirt!)

The police told me that these incidents are VERY COMMON. Our small town receives more than 50 road rage complaints each month. If you're going to carry, you need to develop an appropriate psychological response for incidents of this type. The state granted you the right to carry that pistol because you've already demonstrated that you're not as big a jerk as the next guy is likely to be. So, be a good NRA member; and, the next time some idiot does something outrageous in order to test your mettle, show him that you're made of, 'better stuff' than he is.

Try smiling, yielding, or just giving way. Don't do what you'd really like to do and give anyone the finger - It'll only make things worse. Besides, you're already better than the other guy anyway. In my old age, whenever they start to tailgate me, I pull over at the first opportunity and let 'um race on by. If someone wants a parking space, heck, I'll give them that too.

(Works like a charm!)

jackdanson,

You sound like a rational, reasonable, responsible, mature person. I'm glad you're a gun owner. Whether you carry or not is entirely your decision and your decision alone.

-Jake

I'm a human being as such, I am not a slave to, or the victim of, my passions. Part of carrying a weapon is the decision to deliberately exercise self control.

My hand can niether flip the bird nor draw a gun against my will.

This strikes me as a perfect opportunity to flex those self control muscles.