Incident at Ace hardware

I was in the ACE hardware store in Union KY today while ocing just looking around, no problems. then I proceeded to the counter in the back of the store to get a key cut for my truck and while waiting on the man who was helping me a lady walked up to the counter beside me and I saw her out of the corner of my eye staring mouth wide open at my Ruger at my side I thought nothing of it until I heard her say to the man helping her 'That man has a gun' she said it several times in a hushed tone. The man said something back to her which I did not understand the whole time she was just staring me down looking scared to death. The man helping her said something else which I also did not hear and then she said 'I dont feel safe until that man leaves this store' I thought great..here we go its the first week I have oc'ed so I was slightly nervous..the man helping her called the manager on the radio and I almost said something to the woman but I thought it might make matters worse so I kept quiet. One manager came out of the back of the store watching me as he walked past I then went to the front counter to check out and the general manager and another employee were there watching me and kept glancing down at my waist but said nothing they stayed there until I walked out of the store.

I wanted to explain to the lady that I was legally carrying the handgun and that I was doing nothing wrong. I know that when I open carry in the future something like that will most probably happen again. Did I do right by not saying anything? I would just like some opinions about how to handle a situation like the one I had today

Yes, you did fine.

Don't wrestle with a pig or explain to the ignorant, it just makes you dirty or tired and they enjoy it.

You should have screamed "THAT MAN HAS A GUN!!!"

I think you did just fine. This will happen to you from time to time...or perhaps someone will come up to you and talk to you about it. Just take it in stride. Some folks just do not get it... and never will sadly.

I think you did fine. If the lady had come up to you, you should have put her at ease. Maybe think about in the future how you would handle an encounter. I think it's pretty safe to say that you should remain civil and respectful. People have irrational fears. What you did was you helped desensitize her to gun toting folk. So while you may not have said anything to her, your actions said plenty.

What was she scared of......that you may shoot a robber??? It seems that people (more so women than men) who were not raised around guns have a dumb ass fear of them. As the others have said, it sounds like you did fine in being cool, calm and civil about the matter. I actually try to be just a bit nicer to people when I OC. It seems to ease tension and shines a more positive light on us OC'ers. Just remember that when you OC you represent us all.

I was in Morehead Wal Mart just the other day in the sporting goods dept. buying a box of .22's. The guy behind the counter took notice of my sidearm and struck up a conversation about what S&W was coming out with, what SIG was doing different on their new models..etc. It was nice to see an employee so much at ease with me. You say that you just started to OC... Let me give you some good advice that others on this forum have given me. First off, you WILL have good and bad encounters if you carry long enough. Buy a recorder and carry it at all times (turn it on before you leave the house and record all day..don't wait to turn it on when you think you need to or you will forget)

Second, go to the top of the forum page to "KY gun laws".... I believe Issac put it together. Learn all you can about the CAN and CAN NOT of OC'ing (or any carry for that matter) I even got a 3 ring binder and printed off every KY gun law I could so I could review them from time to time. When I first started to OC I carried in a few places that I shouldn't had and could have gotten my ass in some hot water simply because I didnt know any better. It's up to you to be a responsible OC'er instead of just "a guy that carries a gun"

I hope your next encounter is more positive.

a lady walked up to the counter beside me and I saw her out of the corner of my eye staring mouth wide open at my Ruger at my side I thought nothing of it until I heard her say to the man helping her 'That man has a gun' she said it several times in a hushed tone. The man said something back to her which I did not understand the whole time she was just staring me down looking scared to death. The man helping her said something else which I also did not hear and then she said 'I dont feel safe until that man leaves this store'

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Lady is frightened by sight of gun.
Lady stands there and stares open-mouthed at gun she is frightened by.
Lady stands right next to gun she is frightened by and has hushed conversation with key-counter guy.
Lady stands there next to gun she is frightened by and "stares you down" while looking "scared to death".
Lady stands next to gun she is frightened by and says "'I dont feel safe until that man leaves this store".
Profit?

I'm not sure, but I think there is something wrong with that.

Could it be that the lady continued to stand right next to the thing she was "scared to death" by?

Wonder if she'd reach down and pet a rattlesnake coiled up right next to her?

If I were not such a kind, considerate and empathetic person known far and wide as being anything but a curmudgeon with a sarcastic streak a mile wide I would have looked right at her and asked why she was continuing to stand right next to the gun if she was so frightened of it. (Actually, I've done something like that when having conversations with folks while OCing. Strike up a conversation at an art fair or farmers market, get told they would "faint right away" if they were ever to see someone other than a cop with a gun, and several minutes later ask them to look at my hip while reminding them that they have been standing next to one all the time. It's like watching someone turn on a lightbulb with a dimmer switch - thwe light goes on and gets brighter over time.)

stay safe.

skidmark said:

If I were not such a kind, considerate and empathetic person known far and wide as being anything but a curmudgeon with a sarcastic streak a mile wide....

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Cite please....

:lol:

I personally like the people that come up to me and ask "You're not going to shoot me are you?"


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I think that if it were me, I would have tried to engage in conversation with her. If she asked about the gun, I would have tried to explain it to her. But, I think I would have tried to break the tension by engaging in conversation with her about something. When you engage on conversation, it tends to put them more at ease, although they will still ask about why you're carrying.

paul@paul-fisher.com said:

I personally like the people that come up to me and ask "You're not going to shoot me are you?"


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I usually get asked "Is that a real gun?" like I would be carrying around a toy.

09jisaac said:

I usually get asked "Is that a real gun?" like I would be carrying around a toy.

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Or, "Is it loaded?"

an obvious case of 'multiple moon eyes'.

i had a little old Lady stare at mine, and say; you have a gun, i am afraid of you (obviously in jest), i countered with: that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day. i observed no moon eyes though. dont see much moon eye around lately. either i'm better at open carying more discreetly, or my manner of dress or smiling face imparts peace and safety, or then again maybe john q. public no longer gives a damn.

The broad should go back to new jersey. I would have asked the managers "is there a problem, or do you have nothing better to do than stare at me?"

paul@paul-fisher.com said:

I personally like the people that come up to me and ask "You're not going to shoot me are you?"


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....uh, no, not unless you do something that derserves getting shot for.

skidmark said:

Lady is frightened by sight of gun.
Lady stands there and stares open-mouthed at gun she is frightened by.
Lady stands right next to gun she is frightened by and has hushed conversation with key-counter guy.
Lady stands there next to gun she is frightened by and "stares you down" while looking "scared to death".
Lady stands next to gun she is frightened by and says "'I dont feel safe until that man leaves this store".
Profit?

I'm not sure, but I think there is something wrong with that.

Could it be that the lady continued to stand right next to the thing she was "scared to death" by?

Wonder if she'd reach down and pet a rattlesnake coiled up right next to her?

If I were not such a kind, considerate and empathetic person known far and wide as being anything but a curmudgeon with a sarcastic streak a mile wide I would have looked right at her and asked why she was continuing to stand right next to the gun if she was so frightened of it. (Actually, I've done something like that when having conversations with folks while OCing. Strike up a conversation at an art fair or farmers market, get told they would "faint right away" if they were ever to see someone other than a cop with a gun, and several minutes later ask them to look at my hip while reminding them that they have been standing next to one all the time. It's like watching someone turn on a lightbulb with a dimmer switch - thwe light goes on and gets brighter over time.)

stay safe.

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Agreed! OP encountered a anti that used emotion and fear tactics that clearly did not work. If she was so afraid she would get as far from the her fear as possible. OP you did fine by continuing on like normal and not giving the anti a chance to blow things out of proportion. She wanted a scene and did her Oscar performance to get it, sounds like the staff did just enough to appease her, and not hassle you. Shame they didn't tell to get the XXXX out if she was so scared.

i usually frequent that ace hardware also... but i have yet to open carry because there is a post office in there.. i was not sure if it was legal.. havent had the time to check up on it..

Earlier this evening, I was at a Shell station waiting in line to pay for my gas...

I reached back to grab my wallet, going to count my money, then my hand hit my Hi-point, must have hit it at the right spot, because my magazine fell out of the pistol grip, and hit the floor. There was a older gentleman standing behind me, wearing a Vietnam veteran hat, he reached down and picked up my mag, and handed it to me, to which I said thanks, and locked it back into my pistol.

Not but a second later, this vet asked me with a straight face; "dat a real gun?"

After watching my mag fall out by accident, picking it up, he had to have noticed the Hollow-point rounds, and i know he watched me put the mag back in. He seriously asked that question.

I responded with a straight face, dripping with sarcasm; "No sir, it's a paint ball gun, I can't afford the real thing".

This guy carried on a conversation with me about how realistic paint ball guns are these days, and how similiar they are to the real things. It was as though this veteran seriously didn't know I was OC'ing a real pistol, and actually didn't pick up my sarcasm.

Its things like these, that you must become accustomed to when you're OC'ing in public. And you should treat every OC event special-like~

You did great on your encounter, btw, just keep that up.

Will.40 said:

I wanted to explain to the lady that I was legally carrying the handgun and that I was doing nothing wrong. I know that when I open carry in the future something like that will most probably happen again. Did I do right by not saying anything? I would just like some opinions about how to handle a situation like the one I had today

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I think you did fine. You are under no obligation to explain your lawful behavior. If the time is not right for education (and, based on your description, it doesn't seem like anyone was in a mood to be educated), silence is often your friend.

Carry on!

ManInBlack said:

I think you did fine. You are under no obligation to explain your lawful behavior. If the time is not right for education (and, based on your description, it doesn't seem like anyone was in a mood to be educated), silence is often your friend.

Carry on!

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True, you are under no obligation, but if one of your goals is to promote acceptance of open carry, one possible course of action is this: carry a card or pamphlet summarizing open carry laws (with citations) to hand out to the curious. In this case, I might have said, "Ma'am, I see you look worried. Here's a listing of the applicable laws. You can see that I'm in full compliance with the law, and I'm no threat to you." It probably wouldn't have changed her mind, but it would have removed the mystery.

That said, it appears no one has posted a card or pamphlet for Kentucky...yet.