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Your responses to "Are you a LEO?"

USMC1911-MilSpec

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
22
Location
Clayton
Just curious about what others' reply to this question is. I've been asked several times and can't come up with anything better than just a simple "no I'm not". I'm not looking for smart a** responses either. I take carrying very serious and don't want to ruin somebody's outlook on it by responding in a negative way. Out of the five times or so that I've been approached about carrying this was the person's first question in four of them. Thanks ya'll!
 

MainelyGlock

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
615
Location
Portland, ME
Just curious about what others' reply to this question is. I've been asked several times and can't come up with anything better than just a simple "no I'm not". I'm not looking for smart a** responses either. I take carrying very serious and don't want to ruin somebody's outlook on it by responding in a negative way. Out of the five times or so that I've been approached about carrying this was the person's first question in four of them. Thanks ya'll!

Not sure what else you'd say. I've only once told someone that I was Jack Bauer ;). Other times a simple "No Ma'am" usually works well.
 

CCinMaine

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
193
Location
Windham, Maine
"Nope. Just exercising my second amendment rights, and I wouldn't mind using my first amendment rights to explain it more if you'd like."

Can't get much more polite then that. If they don't like that response then I say tear into them with a wise ass remark.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 

REDFIVE48

Regular Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
255
Location
Charlotte, NC
I try to defuse while not answering: in a slightly hesitant manner "Why, do you have something against cops?"
 

Fuller Malarkey

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
1,020
Location
The Cadre
"Aw....., no. I work as a book keeper in a cathouse. I wouldn't work a job that shamed my family".
 
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SFCRetired

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,764
Location
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Not an intellectual donkey reply, but one designed to cause the other person to, hopefully, laugh and see me as just another citizen:

"No, I didn't qualify. My parents were married for over a year before I was born."

After having said that, and both of us enjoying a laugh, I then go on to explain that open carry is legal in my state and that, given the heat and humidity here, I am far more comfortable carrying openly. I will also explain that the fact that my sidearm is visible acts as a very real deterrent to most of the criminal element.

At that point, if they are interested, I will refer them to either this site or to Alabama Open Carry.
 

DrakeZ07

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
1,080
Location
Lexington, Ky
I've had two people in the last four months, ask me specifically; "Are you a LEO?". And on both occasions, I have responded with; "No, I'm a virgo" prior to walking away.

:D

Humour keeps encounters short, sweet, and fun :3
 

F350

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
941
Location
The High Plains of Wyoming
On the 3 occasions I have been asked that I responded "No, I'm a law abiding citizen exercising a constitutional right".

One occasion with a lady and her husband who just retired and moved to Colorado from Illinois led to a 5 minute or so conversation on gun laws and personal protection where at one point the woman turned to her husband and said "We should get ourselves a couple pistols".

I try to be open and friendly when people ask me questions, more often it is "Is that legal"? I explain that the Colorado state constitution bill of rights guarantees the right to keep and bear arms for personal protection but excludes carrying of concealed weapons because at the time of adoption only persons of nefarious intent would carry a concealed weapon; honest people carried in the open.
 

USMC1911-MilSpec

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
22
Location
Clayton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-x9V-pVBOs

Maybe the OP is a cop .. on this video?

Not a cop, just wondered how others respond and thought it make an interesting and informative thread. Ive always just said "no I'm not" and its always been followed by them staring at me, my pistol, me, my pistol.......lol Just wondering if there is a better way to respond that doesn't leave them with so many questions that they either don't know how to ask or might not want to.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Not a cop, just wondered how others respond and thought it make an interesting and informative thread. Ive always just said "no I'm not" and its always been followed by them staring at me, my pistol, me, my pistol.......lol Just wondering if there is a better way to respond that doesn't leave them with so many questions that they either don't know how to ask or might not want to.

I'm not a teacher and try not to be. Your reply is appropriate. How many people ask just to pick an argument?
 

Motofixxer

Regular Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
965
Location
Somewhere over the Rainbow
I was also asked by a young punk looking minority while in a gas station. I just replied "nope, are you?"To which he replied "naaaw" I said good and entered my vehicle.
 

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
Whether a reply is smart-alecky or not is in the delivery, not the words. You can say the exact same words with a friendly smile or playfully and it comes across entirely differently.

My standard reply to the cop question is playfully exaggerated surprise and obviously mock indignation while saying with a smile, "Oh, my! Do you always insult strangers? I would never stoop so low as to be a cop." The playful tone and smile change the whole ballgame. Then, "No, I'm just a regular guy." This has only ever failed once.

Also, unless it is an obvious attack, keep your response lighthearted, friendly, warm. For example, I was in a bank recently, OCing. A new teller. As I arrived at the window, she asked, "Was that a gun on your belt?" I replied very friendly, "Yes." Her expression looked a little doubtful, and she said, "That's dangerous." To which I replied with a playful grin, "Only to the bad guys." This started to win her over. By the end of the transaction she was relaxed and friendly herself. A big part of that was that I kept all the conversation of the transaction playful and friendly. Basically, I know from retail experience that clerks get really bored dealing with drones for customers. Almost all of them appreciate the warm, friendly, or playful customer. If you want to win over a clerk on the spot, just ask or say something that shows you are interested in them. Few customers ever do this--they just pay for the stuff, mutter a robotic thank-you and head out the door.

If there's a lot of customers, ask, "How do you keep from going crazy with all these customers?"
If there are few or no customers, ask, "How do you keep from being bored to death when its this slow?"
Any comment, question, or compliment that isn't creepy will almost always work. Then just have a twelve second, two-comment conversation while you're being rung up. The key is to be interested in them as their own person. And, don't be surprised if that clerk gives you a cheerful hello the next time you walk in the door.

Back to the cop question. If you don't like my response, you can always tweak it to suit you. The important part is lighthearted, playful, friendly. "No, that job requires fighting skills. I'm a big softy. The very thought of being a cop makes me shiver." Put your own twist on it. And, follow it up with a question to keep the conversation going. For example, "why do you ask?"

Now, of course, the gun is the object of the discussion, so sooner or later the cop-question person or the curious is going to mention the gun. At which point, if the person is not hostile, I'll often deliberately look at their belt and ask in friendly way where their gun is. Of coure, they're not carrying one, but that's not the point. The point is to steer the conversation a little bit. And, this question just assumes that everybody is supposed to be carrying a gun. Now, you would be surprised at how many men actually do think they should be carrying a gun. You can tell by the slightly sheepish excuses you get when you ask where their gun is. The reason for asking is to establish that they should be carrying one, which also opens the door to conversation that lets you promote carry. If they don't want to OC (most don't), then promote how easy it is to get a CC permit in your state and how important it is to be able to defend yourself. Just mention the recent movie theater, Batman massacre or the headline robbery du jour.
 
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