Should someone who carries never get drunk?

[mcdonl]

DWI is the same way. You don't have to cause an accident or injury. They prosecute you because drinking and driving escalates the risk of it. Same principle IMO.

Close... they will prosecute you IF YOU ARE OVER THE LIMIT and driving.

There are two factors you need to consider when drinking and driving (or in the case CCW)....

Are you legal? In my state it is .08
Are you safe? That can only be answered by the individual.

Does it complicate matters if you get into a car accident with beer on your breath if your legally sober? Not really. The law is the law.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Close... they will prosecute you IF YOU ARE OVER THE LIMIT and driving.

Or have an open container in the vehicle. At least in my state.
And Sam, no I don't think that's frightening. I certainly wouldn't advocate that it be legal to drive while intoxicated. Now, the laws do need some changing. For instance, in Arkansas, there is no officer's discretion or prosecutorial discretion when it comes to DWI. The accused must face those specific charges. There is no pleading down to a lesser offense. That seems stupid to me, because someone can plead down from 1st degree murder but not DWI, a misdomeanor.
But that's straying off topic a bit.

 

[Phatty]

There are just certain things in life you take chances on. If you enjoy heading to the bar now and then, you take a chance of being attacked unarmed. Is going out every once in a while and having fun drinking worth the small chance if being attacked? That's a choice only you can make. I go out probably once a month (I work at a bar, and the discount is just too good to never take advantage of). Kinda the same as going to the post office, or other no gun zones. There's a risk to gain ratio that you need to study, and make your decision.

This is also a good reason to train in some martial arts. It may not save you from an armed attacker, but it could save your skin from most rowdies at the bar.



Working at a bar, I get offered enough free shots every night to kill me. I've had to come up with some funny reasons as to why I can't take a customers, or other employees offers.

I agree with you. It is odd to me that a person who enjoys occasionally drinking would give up drinking altogether just so that they will never be disarmed. If you really want to live, you've got to take some risks in life. You can hole up in the safe room of your house your whole life and reduce the risk of getting killed, but then you've stolen your own life.

The chances of actually needing to use your carry weapon are pretty low. Some police officers who have an inherently higher risk of needing to use their carry pistol might go their entire career without having to use it. I don't mean to minimize the need for carrying, because you never know when it might be needed and you'll want to have it when you do, but the same people who worry about going a second without their carry weapon won't think twice about driving a car on the road where the chance of getting injured or killed is quite high.

The line from the first post in this thread that said "the first rule of concealed carry is always carry because otherwise carrying is pointless" is one of the most nonsensical statements I've seen. The whole point of carrying is to reduce the risk of harm to yourself or loved ones. Even if you only carried every other day, that's still a 50% reduction in the risk of harm, which is better than nothing. Carry as much as you can, but don't let it rule your life so much that you don't actually live.

 

[tyeo098]

Coke tastes better than pee-water anyways.

Save the liver, kill the pancreas!

When I DO drink (no matter how much), I'm not carrying. Just a personal rule.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

In Michigan the BAC limit for driving is .08, the limit for carrying is .02 with a bunch of nasty little consequences if you get busted.

I think one beer likely puts me over .02.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Coke tastes better than pee-water anyways.

With a shot of Makers Mark in it, yes.

 

[Mr. Ready]

I agree with you. It is odd to me that a person who enjoys occasionally drinking would give up drinking altogether just so that they will never be disarmed. If you really want to live, you've got to take some risks in life. You can hole up in the safe room of your house your whole life and reduce the risk of getting killed, but then you've stolen your own life.

The chances of actually needing to use your carry weapon are pretty low. Some police officers who have an inherently higher risk of needing to use their carry pistol might go their entire career without having to use it. I don't mean to minimize the need for carrying, because you never know when it might be needed and you'll want to have it when you do, but the same people who worry about going a second without their carry weapon won't think twice about driving a car on the road where the chance of getting injured or killed is quite high.

The line from the first post in this thread that said "the first rule of concealed carry is always carry because otherwise carrying is pointless" is one of the most nonsensical statements I've seen. The whole point of carrying is to reduce the risk of harm to yourself or loved ones. Even if you only carried every other day, that's still a 50% reduction in the risk of harm, which is better than nothing. Carry as much as you can, but don't let it rule your life so much that you don't actually live.

you said "you never know when it might be needed and you'll want to have it when you do" that my point about always carrying

 

[matrem]

Being a beer & bourbon fan for a long time, and a firearms "addict" a bit longer:
I can't tell you that I don't ever carry while drinking, but I can tell you that only happens at my place.

When Ohio upgraded its "carry in restaurant" law, I rediscovered a taste for unsweetened iced tea. (still get people asking if I'm feeling ok, drinking tea instead of Bud)

It's just not worth any chance to me.

 

[holdencm9]

I think one beer likely puts me over .02.

Chances are it does. I posted a link earlier to a wikipedia article that estimates your BAC after x-number of drinks, based on body weight. For me, being about 180 lbs, 1 drink puts me at about 0.03, depending on the ABV of the drink itself. Other factors come into play, obviously. Males tend to have lower BAC's than women, weight being equal, due to having a higher percentage muscle than body fat. It also stands to reason that if you are a lean, muscular 180 lbs (not me by any means), you will process alcohol better than a flubby 180 lbs.

As for carrying 24/7, that is just unrealistic for most people. I can't carry to work regardless, so often times I will partake in happy hours with coworkers. If I am going out to dinner with the wife, I will carry and opt not to drink, and then I can drive and she can have an extra glass, and then she can't complain when I crack a cold one at home later on.

Life is all about balance and risk mitigation. Some people probably would quit their job if they weren't allowed to carry. To me, my livelihood enables me to purchase and train with guns, therefore, it seems counter-productive to quit my job. But again, others may see things differently.

 

[Phatty]

you said "you never know when it might be needed and you'll want to have it when you do" that my point about always carrying

Wearing a bulletproof vest would decrease the risk of being killed by a gunshot wound, but most people do not wear a vest out in public 24/7 because the discomfort and hassle outweigh the perceived reduction in risk, even though you never know when you might need a bullet proof vest. It's all about balancing the risks with the burdens of reducing those risks.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Life is all about balance and risk mitigation. Some people probably would quit their job if they weren't allowed to carry. To me, my livelihood enables me to purchase and train with guns, therefore, it seems counter-productive to quit my job. But again, others may see things differently.

I'm with you. I would love to carry at work, but as I am frequently in government buildings, including the state capitol building, I cannot even have it in the truck. At least not when I'm at the capitol. And the consequences are too great for me to risk doing it anyway.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I was carrying a Hi-Power and an old AR Colt way up in the mountains in Montana a very long time ago.. about 35 years ago. It was mid-August and I had to throw boulders in the lake to fish.. my feet were actually blue.
I found a half full bottle of JD hanging from twine right at eye level near the laid fire ring. Me and my brother drank that byatch. no one died or nothin

 

[CoRoMo]

You cannot adequately defend yourself when drunk.

You are almost saying that...

You present as having an issue with ...

Have we met? Are you intimately familiar with my skill level? Where did I make a statement in this thread that would lead you to believe that I was 'almost saying' anything? Where did I 'present' a position here?

With the exception of the sentence you are reading now, I have only typed two other sentences that were not interrogative; both of which were merely stating facts to correct some misinformation about what is legal and illegal.

Did you infer a stated position from the questions I asked? Why not just answer each question directly?

 

[jrdolall]

I haven't consumed alcohol in a long time but back in the day, 1980s, I had a firm rule that I left my weapon at home if I was going where alcohol was involved. Now if I was going to dinner with the family where I might have a beer I would carry but going to a bar I refused to take that chance. How many times did we go out to have one or two drinks and then finished the night with a beer or twelve?
Absolutely no different than driving while drinking. No matter how much some people think they can hold their liquor there is a certain amount of impairment involved in alcohol or any other drug (why do it if it doesn't make you feel different) and you should not drive or handle firearms while impaired even a tiny bit. Can you do it and get away with it? Of course you can but why?

 

[Mr. Ready]

would 1 beer it put me over 0.02? Im 200lbs tall but slim. i wouldnt know because i dont drink

 

[USAF_Vet]

Absolute in YOUR mind maybe - but not everyone shares that view. Some folks can handle their liquor a whole lot better than others - it is up to each person to know their limitations and act accordingly

There is always one who thinks they can handle their liquor and be fine to drive, too. Then they find them selves in prison scratching their heads wondering how they wrecked their car and killed some one.

Alcohol and other intoxicating drugs slow reaction time, perception, cognitive abilities, etc.
That is pretty significant when you take into consideration lethal force. If I won't get behind the wheel of my car intoxicated, I'm not going to handle a gun.

There are other ways to defend yourself besides your gun.

 

[Phatty]

would 1 beer it put me over 0.02? Im 200lbs tall but slim. i wouldnt know because i dont drink

Probably not. But a 0.02 BAC for a nondrinker like you would probably have a stronger effect on you than it would with a more frequent drinker.

 

[dirtykid]

To answer the OP's question,,,,,, NO
You should never be DRUNK while carrying,
I seldom go to bars to drink, (too darn expensive)
When we do go out, I am typically the designated driver,
I may have a few drinks throughout the course of the night, but they are spaced apart
in controlled intervals, separated by glasses of water
At 40+ years old, and 250 pounds, I KNOW I can have 1-cocktail per hour with a max
of 3 within 4-hours, and still maintain composure, drive everybody home safely and make rational decisions based on facts not liquor-fueled emotions

 

[oneounceload]

Alcohol and other intoxicating drugs slow reaction time, perception, cognitive abilities, etc.
That is pretty significant when you take into consideration lethal force. If I won't get behind the wheel of my car intoxicated, I'm not going to handle a gun.

There are other ways to defend yourself besides your gun.

I am not disagreeing there - it is the NEVER have a DROP, because OMG, I might have to shoot someone, sometime, on my way to......

Many folks are just fine having a beer or two, some wine with dinner, etc.
Are there those who can't even do that? Yep - which is why it should be up to folks to know their OWN limitations instead of other gun owners trying to restrict someone else's freedom to choose and act in a manner they see fit

 

[thorazine]

In my opinion Drinking responsibly while carrying is an oxymoron. Don't do it...no exceptions.

It's awesome we all got our own opinions. =D

In my opinion I can responsibly carry a concealed firearm at restaurant and enjoy a single glass of wine with my meal.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

In Michigan the BAC limit for driving is .08, the limit for carrying is .02 with a bunch of nasty little consequences if you get busted.

Yes and that's total crap. Should be the same as driving. It's also likely to not get changed with a RINO like Snyder in office, even if it does get to his desk.

 

[ObsidianOne]

There aren't any specific laws in my state that one cannot drink while carrying or be drunk while carrying.
However, I do have a few beers now and then, but not to the point of 'impairment'.
If I plan on getting smashed at a bar, I leave it at home (since you can't carry into 99.9% of the bars around here anyway), but I don't usually go to the bar anymore.

I think this is more of a personal question, as if you can't control yourself (some people just don't handle alcohol very well) while intoxicated, you should be intoxicated with a gun, period.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I see where you are comic from, and you might live in a state that allows a higher BAC while carrying a gun. My state is pretty low. Low enough that a single drink could put me over. I'm not willing to risk my CPL over a mug of beer.

It's not nanny state laws that prevent me from drinking while carrying, as someone previously mentioned. It's the fact that I know my limitations, I know myself well enough to know how alcohol effects me. I'm not opposed to having a glass of wine or a beer at home while carrying, either. But consuming alcohol really just isn't that important to me anymore.
I'm not going to question other people's decisions or priorities based on my own choices, either. Bu I'd just as soon able somewhere else if people around me are drinking and carrying. Too much bravado and macho BS can and do occur when guns and alcohol mix in social situations.

 

[X-JaVeN-X]

You can drink, without being drunk.

You can make out with your girlfriend without having sex too...but is that something you really want to do?

 

[Sam1911]

Actually, I think we (most of us) may be missing the OP's actual question here.

I don't see where he's asking our opinions or personal choices regarding whether one should consume alcohol while drinking. That's been hashed out many times, and is even addressed by state law in some places.

I read his question to be more of an S,T&T question: Should someone who takes the responsibility of self-defense upon themselves to the extent that they'd carry a gun, EVER get drunk? (In public...)

In other words, leaving out the question of whether you'd be armed while drinking or not, if you are a committed self-defense advocate and practitioner, can you in good conscience allow yourself to become intoxicated/impaired -- at least in public?

I mean, really that's the fundamental question here. We've gotten sidetracked with the "guns in bars" red herring when the real issue is much more fundamental. If we'd go to the trouble of being "always ready" to face danger, why would we ever do something in public that so hamstrings our ability to observe, evade, and escape danger, talk our way out of problems (rather than INTO them), and to handle ourselves if a physical threat arises?