imported post
Well, my boyfriend (Mike) and used this site extensively as we embarked on our quest to open carry, so when I saw there were no stories for Idaho I figured it was my duty to share mine.
We have been OCing around Moscow, ID for a couple months now. I have a Springfield XD-40 Sub-Compact that I carry in a kydex hip holster, and he has a Beretta 96 .40 that he also carries on his hip.
So far we really haven't run into any problems. We checked and double-checked online resources that told us where we could and couldn't go (pretty basic in Idaho, really, no bars, schools, the usual) and talked to a few LEO's to make sure. (No resistance there, they just had the "WHY would you want to do that?!" or "Why don't you just get a CCW?" attitude.)
I've only been asked about the gun once. Well, technically twice. The first time, I was in the grocery store and ran into a guy Mike works with. We were chatting and he glanced down at my hip and saw the XD. His eyes got wide and he half-yelled "WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?" I was kind of concerned that he was going to call attention to me with such a reaction, but nobody really responded. It was at this point that I realized explaining OC reasons to someone I know is in many ways harder than explaining it to someone I don't know. Someone I don't know can make a lot of assumptions (like maybe I was attacked in the past) that helps to rationalize away any discomfort. Someone who knows me better is just wondering what in the heck the Laurel they know is doing with a gun! Anyway, I ran through a list of reasons (being a local, he gave me the whole "You're totally not going to run into violent crime here" argument) and had a bit of banter back and forth. He asked if I had a "gun permit" and I explained that I don't need one. I learned that he had been shooting once and nobody had explained to him the mechanics of a double-action trigger. He thought something was wrong with the gun after firing once, and aimed it in an unsafe direction as he pulled the trigger again. Apparently he "almost shot somebody" and is thereby uncomfortable with guns. I just smiled and explained that I've never almost shot anybody and am not uncomfortable with guns, so I guess we're okay.
My real first question from a stranger, ironically, came just a few minutes later as I was checking out of the same grocery store. I was bagging my groceries and I heard a voice beside me say "Are you a cop?" I looked over to see a guy who was probably in his late twenties looking inquisitive, but not alarmed. I explained no, I carry in self-defense. He said "Well, that's not something you see every day in the grocery store!" and I agreed, then said "But I'd like to change that." We had a short conversation and walked out together as I talked about raising awareness about firearms and trying to change the negative ideas about gun owners and OCers. He later said "Yeah, I'm getting one myself, for my job" (I assume by "one" he meant a pistol) and when I asked what he did, he said "I'm a pilot, we carry them on the flight line." I didn't find out more than that but all in all he was very polite and didn't seem troubled by my OCing at all.
So - that's really the extent of it so far. I'm going on a trip with my mother late in September and provided I can get my handgun to the airport in the first place (some problems with WA laws, I'll probably post about that elsewhere) I will get the opportunity to OC through UT, WY, and maybe a bit of CO. This site has been an excellent resource as I check into which places respect my RKBA and to what extent - I look forward to sharing more stories (hopefully all positive) as they come up!
Laurel
Well, my boyfriend (Mike) and used this site extensively as we embarked on our quest to open carry, so when I saw there were no stories for Idaho I figured it was my duty to share mine.
We have been OCing around Moscow, ID for a couple months now. I have a Springfield XD-40 Sub-Compact that I carry in a kydex hip holster, and he has a Beretta 96 .40 that he also carries on his hip.
So far we really haven't run into any problems. We checked and double-checked online resources that told us where we could and couldn't go (pretty basic in Idaho, really, no bars, schools, the usual) and talked to a few LEO's to make sure. (No resistance there, they just had the "WHY would you want to do that?!" or "Why don't you just get a CCW?" attitude.)
I've only been asked about the gun once. Well, technically twice. The first time, I was in the grocery store and ran into a guy Mike works with. We were chatting and he glanced down at my hip and saw the XD. His eyes got wide and he half-yelled "WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?" I was kind of concerned that he was going to call attention to me with such a reaction, but nobody really responded. It was at this point that I realized explaining OC reasons to someone I know is in many ways harder than explaining it to someone I don't know. Someone I don't know can make a lot of assumptions (like maybe I was attacked in the past) that helps to rationalize away any discomfort. Someone who knows me better is just wondering what in the heck the Laurel they know is doing with a gun! Anyway, I ran through a list of reasons (being a local, he gave me the whole "You're totally not going to run into violent crime here" argument) and had a bit of banter back and forth. He asked if I had a "gun permit" and I explained that I don't need one. I learned that he had been shooting once and nobody had explained to him the mechanics of a double-action trigger. He thought something was wrong with the gun after firing once, and aimed it in an unsafe direction as he pulled the trigger again. Apparently he "almost shot somebody" and is thereby uncomfortable with guns. I just smiled and explained that I've never almost shot anybody and am not uncomfortable with guns, so I guess we're okay.
My real first question from a stranger, ironically, came just a few minutes later as I was checking out of the same grocery store. I was bagging my groceries and I heard a voice beside me say "Are you a cop?" I looked over to see a guy who was probably in his late twenties looking inquisitive, but not alarmed. I explained no, I carry in self-defense. He said "Well, that's not something you see every day in the grocery store!" and I agreed, then said "But I'd like to change that." We had a short conversation and walked out together as I talked about raising awareness about firearms and trying to change the negative ideas about gun owners and OCers. He later said "Yeah, I'm getting one myself, for my job" (I assume by "one" he meant a pistol) and when I asked what he did, he said "I'm a pilot, we carry them on the flight line." I didn't find out more than that but all in all he was very polite and didn't seem troubled by my OCing at all.
So - that's really the extent of it so far. I'm going on a trip with my mother late in September and provided I can get my handgun to the airport in the first place (some problems with WA laws, I'll probably post about that elsewhere) I will get the opportunity to OC through UT, WY, and maybe a bit of CO. This site has been an excellent resource as I check into which places respect my RKBA and to what extent - I look forward to sharing more stories (hopefully all positive) as they come up!
Laurel