imported post
Today I OC'ed in the Springfield Mall. We were in JCPenney's, New York and Company, Charlotte Russe, Hallmark (corporate gun-unfriendly), Sports Authority, Brookstone, a nail salonand at the food court with no problems at all.
I did overhear a couple guys saying "Damn..you see that gun?" but that was it.
Carrying in a crowded mall certainly makes you hyper-situationally aware and the one thing that did make me leerywas while waiting for my wife and daughter to get their nails done, I was seated in the store with my back to a thick glass window and mygun was visible through the glass.I noticed about 5-6 hispanic youth that kept hanging near the windowand then near both entrances. I realized thatif they rushed me with no deadly force, I couldn't even pull the gun and it would have gotten ugly. Thankfully they moved on after 5-10 minutes. Maybe it was my own imagination, maybe they were just checking out the hardware, and maybe not.
The food court was packed and while there I noticed thatwhile most people didn't look twice,I noticed that a select few peoplethat kept looking over at me as if to be aware of where I was and what I was doing. Believe me,they didn't look like off duty LEO's, FBI, Secret Service (I have friends in all of those), but were more disheveled and looked like illegals.
Next stop was the Lifeway Christian store in the Springfield Plaza and not one mention of the gun there at all. I was all prepared to whip out Luke 22:36 on them too!! A stop at CVS to pick up a prescription, no problem there, then while walking to 7-11 to get some soda, I spoke to my neighbor and her husband. She saw the gun and asked me if I had to carry for my job and I explained the whole Open Carry thing to her and her hubby. They were great about it and understood completely.
Knowing Southland/7-11 is gun unfriendly, I checked the door and having no sign (not that it mattered, just want to be prepared), I entered, bought some soda with no problems and left.
All in all, it was a great day to OC!