Why do they DO that?!

[blades67]

I had a few errands to run yesterday and as I usually do I went out armed. I carried my Kimber Custom II in an Uncle Mike's Injection Molded belt slide, open carry because I can. I stopped into QT and grabbed a 'dog and a soda, shot the breeze (if you can call 114 degree wind a breeze) with a guy and his son in their '67 Camaro while I choked down the food. Stop in at the Water & Ice store to refill a couple five-gallon bottles and then head over to Blockbuster to return Tears of the Sun and Die Another Day and pick up a couple of others, so far no problems.

I get into Blockbuster and start perusing the titles when this hispanic guy starts telling the woman with him that I have a gun. Still not a big deal, maybe he's just unacustomed to open carry. Then he asks me from half way down the aisle, "Why you carry a gun?" "Because I have the right to. Besides, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." I said and continued about my business. Not to be ignored, he asks loudly if it's a .22 Mag, so, of course, I said "Yup, something like that." At this point I left that aisle and moved to the other side of the store. He follows me, selling wolf tickets wholesale. I continued to ignore him, at this point not even acknowledging him which seems to both inflame and enbolden him. I selected my DVDs and went to the counter to check them out. The store manager offers to remove the man from the store, but I asked that he delay him at the counter while I leave. The manager went to talk to him and I headed to my car.

The whole time I was wondering what in the world his goal was. He seemed intimidated and trying to prove his manhood by picking a fight with a guy carrying a gun. Not the brightest bulb in the 40 watt pack.

Has any one else had an encounter like this?

 

[boing]

I'm not being flippant when I say: some people are just stupid.

 

[cool45auto]

I have no idea. Hasn't happened to me, and hopefully won't.

 

[Drjones]

Man, I've read all sorts of stories of sheep hastily making space between their wool and the hide of someone carrying a gun, but I've never heard of a, uh, sheep(?) antagonizing someone who is openly carrying!

Somethin' sure ain't right with that guy...

Who knows...maybe he just wanted to compare the size of his gun to yours!

 

[M2 Carbine]

Blades, that's one of the reasons I don't like open carry, it brings out the idiots.

Another is, say that guy was dead set on robbing that place you would have been the first one to be shot and he would have a nice Kimber.

You would not know he has a gun and he knows you do. Who has the advantage?

Of course in Texas we can't carry open anyhow.

 

[Drjones]

M2 nailed it.

I'd like to open carry on occasion, but wouldn't make a habit of it.

 

[rick newland]

A person should not know you are armed until the first bullit enters their chest.

 

[Greg L]

I am usually a big advocate for concealed carry but Blades hopefully was spreading some very good PR about gun owners. One of the reasons for open carry is to make the rest of the public that is out and about at the same time realize that people who carry a gun are just as normal as them. They are just trying to get their errands done and get back home to relax. In this case everyone else in the store could see that his solution to the problem of the mosquito buzzing around him wasn't to pull his pistol out and blow him away. He basically ignored him and went on his way. Hopefully the next time that a lunatic who shot up a workplace is grabbing all the headlines the people who were in the store will remember this event and realize that what is on the news is the exception rather than the rule about gun owners.

Greg

 

[bpisler]

I open carry here in phoenix,never had a problem like that.As for being the first one shot doing a hold up,i try to be more alert than that and see trouble before it see's me,besides who can tell if sweeping your concelment aside won't alert the badguys to your intentions? Nobody here knows what will happen during a armed encounter,all you can do is pick your equipment,train and do your best if the need to defend yourself if you need to.

 

[Standing Wolf]

More people need to see law-abiding American citizens openly keeping and bearing arms in a safe, responsible manner.

 

[HBK]

You should have shot him. Just kidding. Like someone else said, some people are just stupid.

 

[telomerase]

>More people need to see law-abiding American citizens openly keeping and bearing arms in a safe, responsible manner.


People over 40 from most of the US can "see" safe gun ownership by using their memories. When I was growing up in 1960s rural Ohio, farmers carried openly whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, Orwell was right, and most people's "memories" consist mostly of last year's TV.

And I agree with Standing Wolf, open carry is a good thing (assuming good judgement, lack of ethanol, etc.)

 

[Ian Sean]

My opinion, I think you handled yourself and the situation well, and bravo to the store manager as well for recognizing something weird going on. He would have my business.

 

[El Tejon]

That boy just ain't right. What would possess a person to do that?

Must be the heat or something, right?

 

[mattd]

I would of been more nice to the guy when he asked what kind of gun it was.

 

[blades67]

My guess is that he is extremely insecure, with a low impulse control, and unable, or unwilling, to think through the consequences of his actions. I made a point of keeping him at greater than arms length, always to starboard (because I draw from the port side) and never fully turning my back to him so I could always see his hands when in the same aisle. I was so busy watching him out of the corner of my eye that I picked up two DVDs without a single gunfight. I did score major points with the Boss Lady for that though.

 

[mattd]

Im guessing he felt insulted by you semi ignoring him and he was to much of a ??? to forget about it.

 

[Jim March]

You know, I *have* experienced something sorta like this.

Before 1/1/98, big folding knives in California had to be carried openly. (I remember the date well, because I had to threaten to draw on some lunatics in December of '97 and I remember thinking I was glad the law was changing. Yes, that was the four transvestites with hammers .)

Anyways, back then I used to carry 5" to 6" class megafolders openly. And especially when I lived in San Francisco, the..."street thug types" would sometimes object to cutlery displayed openly. Sometimes very loudly.

Didn't happen often, and the results were no big deal, but yes there definately is a criminal element that EXPECTS to be protected by weapons laws, and hates seeing evidence that it's not working.

Barstards.

 

[Ian Sean]

Yes, that was the four transvestites with hammers .)

Jim, I am kind of new here, if it is not a bad subject to bring up could you elaborate for us newbies?

 

[gunsmith]

open carry sidearms in SF,CA same problem

I carry to & from work as an Armed courier/security guard.
One idiot was real upset and could not believe that a citizen can get a job with a gun and NOT be a cop.
I ran into an ex roomie who moved out of the house I moved into
because she "hates" guns. She and her friends were amazed that I had a loaded gun on the bus,having grown tired of the stupid questions I just tell
people you have the right to carry loaded guns if your a life member of the NRA

The worst case was a bunch of teen "gangsta wannabees" they were real angry that they could not intimidate or anger me.
I think more people should carry open.
if we do not exercise our rights etc

 

[SapperLeader]

I actually had a similiar situation yesterday while on duty. What made mine worse was that I was in uniform and armed. I was standing overwatch duty on the search lane at Fort Myer, and this guy starts becoming belligerant and asking me if I felt like a tough guy or a badass with that gun. He then started saying that he could come over and take the rifle from me if he wanted too. He continued to make comments like that through the whole search until we removed from post. Personally, if I was on a military instalation, Im not going to get into a chest pounding match with the armed soldier, but maybe thats just me

 

[Ryder]

What would possess a person to do that?

The heat can agitate a person but in my experience only alcohol makes them that kind of stupid brave where they'd confront a stranger in such a way.

That's my guess. We all know guns and alcohol don't mix. It doesn't have to be one person doing both. Be careful out there.

 

[M2 Carbine]

SapperLeader quote
"He then started saying that he could come over and take the rifle from me if he wanted too."


SaperLeader, you should have told him,
"Please come and take it, I've always wanted to see what a butt stroke would do to someone's jaw".

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

Blades...

I read about the first three replies and then stopped. Guys like you described (incredibly) are everywere. If you had put your hand on the butt of your Kimber, he'd have peed his pants.
(I can say "peed", can't I?)

KR

 

[Zundfolge]

Transvestites and hammers ... Oh MY!

Ian, Go read this thread over on TFL

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25140
(scroll down to the bottom of the first page)