Maybe You Guys will Understand How STUPID This Reaction Is

[Eidolon]

I was reading the Open Carry debate on another forum and one poster stated that he ran into 2 open carriers in a sporting goods store and he seriously considered walking up to them and telling them what dipsticks they were for open carrying in public like that.

Long story short, he rethought it and didn't say anything but who thinks like that? I've read comments here where some of you who do open carry talk about random people that approach you in public to express their disdain and I want to ask

How do you respond to an obviously hostile person who clearly trying to enter your space and appears fixated on your weapon?

I don't see how you could possibly not treat that like you would a potential criminal interview.


If you saw someone else open carrying would you approach them ?

 

[UrsusMedius]

I've yet to see anyone that is not LEO, trainer or a gun store employee open carry in any of the places I frequent, but if their gun is holstered and they look like they're just going about their business it wouldn't bother me in the least. I might do a quick double take just out of curiosity to see what kind of hardware they're carrying.

As for what I would do if "outed" (I chose to CC), I'd hope to keep the conversation polite, and peacefully disengage if it started going south. At least I hope that's how I will go when it eventually happens.

 

[Firefighterchen]

I was reading the Open Carry debate on another forum and one poster stated that he ran into 2 open carriers in a sporting goods store and he seriously considered walking up to them and telling them what dipsticks they were for open carrying in public like that.

Long story short, he rethought it and didn't say anything but who thinks like that? I've read comments here where some of you who do open carry talk about random people that approach you in public to express their disdain and I want to ask

How do you respond to an obviously hostile person who clearly trying to enter your space and appears fixated on your weapon?

I don't see how you could possibly not treat that like you would a potential criminal interview.


If you saw someone else open carrying would you approach them ?

I treat them like all the other anti gun hacks, respond with politeness and facts...though it's only happened to me once. Everyone around him thought he was a fool, he remained quiet and left the store after I caught him lying through his teeth. He was fixated on my firearm, so i kept it on the other side of me from him.

I do not approach other open carriers out in public, I'm usually doing something that takes priority.

Sent from my HTCONE using USA Carry mobile app

 

[Bikenut]

In the 8 or 9 years I've been open carrying daily I've had many positive responses and only two negative encounters. In both my response was calm and polite as I countered the hysteria of the anti person with facts. I knew the anti wasn't interested in facts but all the people who were watching ME were getting a lesson in the contrast of how calm, polite, and factual I was and how agitated, aggressive, emotional, hysterical, and fake, the anti person was since everyone understands those who use the excuse that they are afraid do not run up and start yelling at the very person they purport to be afraid of. Especially if I point that out using my "make sure my voice carries" public speaking voice during the encounter.

In one encounter where I politely refused a lady's demand that I go put my gun away because it made her and her friends uncomfortable no amount of calm explaining the law had any impact upon her so I finally gave up and told her to call the cops. She did. An officer came and stood by my side (I was still armed) and explained to her and the 20+ people who were in the group... how I was in the right and she was in the wrong.

I consider all encounters, positive and negative, opportunities to educate folks about their right to bear arms and the legality of open carry, along with the nuances of the law, here in Michigan. The positive encounters give me the chance to educate one or two people. The negative encounters will not have any impact upon the anti gunner giving me grief but do give me the chance to educate all the many folks who gather around to watch the show.

Folks have been educated in school and through the media that guns are bad and so are the people who carry them. The only way to counter that is to use open carry as a way to expose them to the truth about rights and legalities.... one interested person, or several people watching an anti rant and rave, at a time.

 

[NavyLCDR]

3 out of the 4 negative encounters I have had in several years have been concealed carry only snobs that can't resist the urge to tell me they have a CPL, they hide their gun and so should I. The 4th encounter was with a cop that was called by another patron at a restaurant where I was eating who decided he had the authority to kick me out of the restaurant against the desires of the owner of the restaurant.

 

[BC1]

I don't respond to anyone who has a problem with me. Ignoring people works pretty well. I've better things to do than argue with some mutt anyway.

 

[gfrlaser]

I have opened carried here in Ohio for several years and have never had a negative reaction from anyone including LEO's. Obviously you get gawkers now and then but thats only because OC is rare. All the encounters have been postitive. Mostly they are glad to see someone is carrying or have general questions. About 99% of them are holders of a permit and haven't carried themselves because of some unfounded fear from rumor and mis-information they have heard. I have also never encountered another open carrier in all this time. If someone was to be negative however, I suppose I would do my best to brush them off and ignore them as much as possible.

 

[Eidolon]

My thing is this, if some one I didn't know came up and just started ranting at me I'd start wondering if it was some kind of set up or prelude to an attack. With in the totality of the circumstances of course I'd be a lot less concerned if the person looked like Betty White that I would if they looked like Dwayne Johnson

 

[Firefighterchen]

My thing is this, if some one I didn't know came up and just started ranting at me I'd start wondering if it was some kind of set up or prelude to an attack. With in the totality of the circumstances of course I'd be a lot less concerned if the person looked like Betty White that I would if they looked like Dwayne Johnson

My negative encounter occurred in the geek squad line inside best buy. My response would be entirely different if it was in the best buy parking lot.

Sent from my HTCONE using USA Carry mobile app

 

[Rocketgeezer]

This is a subject that has become more and more irritating to me, it seems that some dudes mostly older uninformed retirees, want to make it there business and be a cop and correct you for doing such a dangerous act like open carrying, with god forbid the hammer pulled back on a 1911 (cocked and locked), I usualy ignore them and go on my way, because in most cases it is not possible to edjucate them, so I don't try, just mind my own business, but a while back I'm standing in line waiting at Taco Bell, some old fart started in and I was just not in the mood, he glanced over at me and seen the hammer back on my Kimber and he got real agitated, asked if I know that hammer was back, and I looked at my gun and at the same time I said geez I hope so, that way I'm ready to shoot some ***hole that has it comeing, and if he thinks I'm doing something illegal that he should call 911, then IF a cop does show up and bother me in the least I will have you arrested for harassment, I offered my phone, it probably was not the best way to handle it and I don't normaly take something that far, but dam this dude really caught me at the wrong time, thank god he did not go real stupid and try to grap the gun

 

[BluesStringer]

Wow, another dam dude edjucated not to grap for openly carried guns!

I guess we're......

 

[aacx22]

My reaction would depend on the person in question. Some guy who's carrying, but looks like he's just running whatever his errands are would up tick my caution by a small amount, just because I'd be aware that there was a gun around, but I'd leave him alone and go about my business too. On the other hand, if he seemed off in some way, I'd be more cautious, not knowing what was going on in his head, and may choose to leave, or at least to watch him carefully.

 

[ljnowell]

I was reading the Open Carry debate on another forum and one poster stated that he ran into 2 open carriers in a sporting goods store and he seriously considered walking up to them and telling them what dipsticks they were for open carrying in public like that.

Long story short, he rethought it and didn't say anything but who thinks like that? I've read comments here where some of you who do open carry talk about random people that approach you in public to express their disdain and I want to ask

How do you respond to an obviously hostile person who clearly trying to enter your space and appears fixated on your weapon?

I don't see how you could possibly not treat that like you would a potential criminal interview.


If you saw someone else open carrying would you approach them ?

Easy. If you are simply after attention you would make a scene. If you are interested in public perception of open carry you would address it in a calm and educated fashion and if required just walk away.

 

[jg1967]

3 out of the 4 negative encounters I have had in several years have been concealed carry only snobs that can't resist the urge to tell me they have a CPL, they hide their gun and so should I. The 4th encounter was with a cop that was called by another patron at a restaurant where I was eating who decided he had the authority to kick me out of the restaurant against the desires of the owner of the restaurant.

Chuckle. I am such a snob myself but the few occasions I have met OCers here I just struck up a friendly conversation ;-)

 

[NavyLCDR]

Chuckle. I am such a snob myself but the few occasions I have met OCers here I just struck up a friendly conversation ;-)

There's a big difference between feeling concealed carry only is what is right for you and thinking that concealed carry only is right for everyone else too.

 

[ljnowell]

There's a big difference between feeling concealed carry only is what is right for you and thinking that concealed carry only is right for everyone else too.

We may not agree on everything, but we are in agreement on this one! When in a open carry state I choose not to. If someone else wants to, more power to them, I will support their right to do so.

 

[yale]

My answer is to treat them as anyone else would treat a random stranger in a store who walks up to them and begins to harass them. Calmly disengage from the situation if possible and find a store employee. Tell the store employee that the manager and or store security needs to be notified right away that a customer is acting rudely to me while shopping and I would like to formally complain and have that person stop harassing me and any other person in the store.
It's no different than if I was wearing a shirt with a popular sports team logo on it and some nitwit came up to me and started arguing about how they sucked and he wants to kick my butt because his team was better.
Tell the management that the aggressive person is interrupting your "shopping experience" and making you nervous and that you would like to have them removed from the store.
It works for them and it can work for us.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Tell the management that the aggressive person is interrupting your "shopping experience" and making you nervous and that you would like to have them removed from the store.
It works for them and it can work for us.

You mean like this?:
Link Removed

MDA activists then proceeded to take pictures of the gun owners and attempted to portray them as intimidating and threatening. The management wasn't having any of it; he threw Moms Demand Action out of his store!
The manager told Risselada he didn’t want people treating paying customers rudely in his store.

 

[XD40scinNC]

The real question is "what" are they open carrying? To OC a reasonable handgun (not a true handcannon), no issue. An AR15, tactical shotgun, etc, or a huge handgun is just a "lookie lookie look at me, I have a gun" statement.

 

[Bikenut]

The real question is "what" are they open carrying? To OC a reasonable handgun (not a true handcannon), no issue. An AR15, tactical shotgun, etc, or a huge handgun is just a "lookie lookie look at me, I have a gun" statement.

My question is who should be in charge of deciding what kinds of guns are "reasonable", and/or "appropriate", but perhaps most importantly... "acceptable"... for folks to carry? You? Me? Bloomberg? Obama? Fienstien? Pelosi? Shotgun Joe Biden?

Once we start down the slippery slope of expecting other people to abide by our personal opinion of what is "reasonable", "appropriate", and "acceptable", then we are not supporting the right to bear arms and really are no better than the anti gunners who want to control the right to bear arms since the only difference is who is considering what is "unreasonable", "inappropriate", and "unacceptable".

Oh... and what you said about AR15's, tactical shotguns, and huge handguns, were (and sometimes still are) said here in Michigan about open carrying what you consider a "reasonable" handgun.