You may start a topic here for an Open Carry Log -- a place to relay places and any events which may occur.
 #44093  by Amy Blackthorn
 
Submitted for the Beer Summit crowd. :)

After leaving Moe's (see OC LOG) yesterday, I headed to LB in Concord Mall.

For the record, I always carry in there. Every time I go in, I've had discussions with SOMEONE, about firearms. Some of the ladies who work there want classes from me, some are interested in OC and some were just interested.

I've never had a problem.

I walk in (OC'ing the XD today) and the women working the store are resetting the window display. One on a ladder, the other holding a piece of paper / plastic window dressing on hooks.

She knocks something over, and I reach down to pick it up (helpful as ever). They give me the "let us know if you need something". I say, "I'm here for a pick up, whenever you get a sec." Start browsing.

About two minutes later one of the women (my age) that I see frequently and have discussed firearms with before comes walking up. "Name?"

I answer.

As she's walking to the back of the store, (strong side to her) she stops face to face with me, says, "Oh, just a second." REACHES TOWARDS MY STRONG SIDE (My brain is going "WTF" ) She reaches not for my side arm, (that would have ended differently!) but instead grabs the hem of my sweater down by my thigh, as if it were a dead snake, and drapes my sweater over my XD and Holster.

:evil:

I immediately uncover it!

My inside voice is flipping out. My outside voice was a bit more calm. I see this as a teaching moment, and want really badly to both explain what she did was wrong, and NOT make the firearms community look like raving nut jobs.

"Don't ever do that again. I could be arrested for that. Delaware does not require you to have a permit for Open Carry, that is concealing, and without a permit, is illegal. Reaching for someone's firearm, also REALLY not a good idea."

"Well I don't understand why you always have THAT THING anyway."

"Because Delaware law allows to protect myself, and police are too heavy."

"Well you're the ONLY ONE I ever see doing that!"

"That may be true, but that doesn't make it wrong."

(muttered as she's walking away), "You scare me."

Of course in my head, I'm thinking, "well then you just answered your own question".

Once she grabbed my order, I'm guessing she realized the error she'd made because she started trying to act like she didn't do anything wrong, while speaking in a weird tentative voice. "So how long have you been carrying that thing?"

She makes it sound like I'm carrying a dead rat on a string. :banghead:

I explain (again!) how long, and why. She changes the subject to the weather and I Tell her to have a nice night.
 #44095  by Amy Blackthorn
 
It's kind of funny, I noticed today on my way home. It seems if I'm carrying the SIG, no one sees it and I have zero encounters. If I carry the XD EVERYONE sees it.
 #44098  by Boots
 
Seeing your gun is scary, but if your sweater is covering it, it's okay? :?: :roll:

:lol:
 #44107  by Amy Blackthorn
 
GatorDude wrote:Out of sight...out of mind. :lol:

She's lucky you didn't take her to the ground, Amy! Holy crap!!
Upon telling matt the story, he asked, "So did you break the arm or just the wrist.
 #44109  by Tony T
 
Well handled, Amy.

Sad truth is that most people are exposed to firearms through movie and television images of firearms violence. Generally from a very young age. I guess it becomes instinctive for some of them.
 #44115  by Amy Blackthorn
 
myopicvisionary wrote:
"So did you break the arm or just the wrist.
Arm bar!
My favorite! I loved demonstrating that in the black belt classes.
 #44116  by Amy Blackthorn
 
Bottom line was, I told Matt, if I went back later and complained, it draw corporate attention negatively toward open carry. If I weren't carrying a firearm and someone touched my person without my permission, I'd talk to management. Did I feel I had less recourse? Maybe, but I'd rather handle it myself and not make everyone look bad, than get a "pound of flesh" for something that she obviously didn't realize was wrong.