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Phoned cops about OC, story + first time OC questions

conwict

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Hello fellow Carolinians.

I'm hailing from Greensboro NC. I'm a 21 year old college student and I recently purchased a Keltec P11 and Uncle Mike's Sidekick hip holster. I'm pretty intrigued from the stories on here, and the "real world" experiences I've read about in NC and Greensboro seem exclusively positive. I plan on getting my CCW just for versatility's sake, but OC really intrigues me.

I'm originally from North and West of Gboro, and will open carry there without worry at next opportunity. However, I'm still kind of paranoid about police harassment here in Greensboro.

I spoke with a lady at the sheriff's dept, apparently a deputy, who said I "have to have a permit to do that" and that she would "have to talk to me" if she encountered me I was "wandering around with a gun on my hip." According to her "only cops" are allowed that priviledge. :banghead::banghead::banghead:


Anyway, she transferred me to the sheriff's dept, who transferred me to the police dept again! Sound familiar? I hung up.

I'm pretty familiar with the "Terror of the Public" commonlaw, and am not very worried about it actually being enacted in my case. I plan on taking the usual precautions, dressing nicely and being polite.

But what I am worried about are two things. Most people who OC seem to have their CCW, which I don't yet have. Should I have that to "fall back on" if an ignorant cop harasses me? Also, what do you NC OCers do whilst in the car? I am probably going to carry the pistol at the "2 o clock" position on the hip but I am aware that a unique and special set of rules can be enacted when there's a weapon in the car, even if it's in plain sight.

So basically my concerns are, should I be able to OC without my CCW here in Gboro, and can I have my gun in a holster on the hip without worry while driving?

Thanks for reading, and I really appreciate the existence of these forums!

Conwict
 

DreQo

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Welcome! It looks like you've learned the first lesson that most OCDO members find out eventually: Asking law enforcement for legal advice usually doesn't do any good, as they are usually wrong. Sad, but true.

Anyway as far as open carry w/o a CHP, it is perfectly legal and there's no reason to be concerned. You will probably never have a problem with law enforcement. On the off chance that you get questioned, not having a CHP could even work to your favor. If they "suggest" that you simply conceal so you don't scare the sheeple, you can kindly inform them that you don't have a permit to do that :D. I often leave my CHP at home or in the car while I am open carrying for the same reason.

For openly carrying in your car, it can be done in a number of ways. It is widely understood that as long as the weapon is clearly visible in the vehicle, either on the dashboard or in the passenger seat, then it is not concealed. The theory is that someone (normally a cop) should be able to clearly see the weapon while looking through the window.

Some also believe that a weapon, holstered on your hip, is not concealed even if you're sitting in your car. The theory here is that if you're openly carrying, and you sit down in a chair with arms, your gun may be covered, but that doesn't mean you're concealing the weapon. This should also apply to your vehicle, since by sitting in your car you're not intentionally concealing the gun. Rather, it's simply not visible since you're sitting down.

What I suggest to those w/o a CHP is that they leave the gun in their holster. If the unlikely happens and you get pulled over, simply move the gun to the passenger seat before you stop. This is what I have done in the past, and there was plenty of time to move it while I pulled off the road. The only thing you want to avoid is having the gun in your hand after the LEO is out of his car. I don't need to tell you why that would be a bad idea :D.

Keep in mind, I'm not a lawyer, but this is the advice and information that I live by.
 

conwict

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Thanks DreQo,

I appreciate the encouraging post. I think I'm still brainwashed by the "conceal it or don't take it out at all" mentality because I am basically just trying to get the guts up to carry it openly. It's reassuring to know that if I act like a reasonable human being, I will not be punished here in NC for exercising one of my rights.

Conwict
 

Plotthound

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I OC in Greensboro all the time when I am homeand have never had the cops called on me...EVER! Now I have come across a few cops and they may stop me and ask if I am a police officer and when I tell them no we may talk for a while about something(I have actually had an officer ask to see the gun I was carrying because he was a gun collector) and then we will be on our merry way. Greensboro has no ordinance against any type of guns that are legal nationaly. Some places to look out for are the resturaunts that sell alcohol, your college, and anywhere that has that little sticker on the door saying no firearms. If it says no concealed firearms under the sign then you are good to go and the worst they can do is have a manager ask you to leave. Oh the mall which I know is a big hangout is ok to OC in. They have no signs at the door and have no code of conduct on their website. You may get a funny look by the police who are patroling but just be kind and curtious to them if they confront you. How you dress and how you present yourself are probably the biggest things to think about when OCing...it is what will have a cop look at you and not say anything or have a cop confront you hand on hip, its up to you. The GPD officers I have talked to on the street are actually inteligent when it comes to OCing, they understand it is legal and it is taught in their academy but ofcourse you will always have the ignorant ones and they may try to tell you diffrent but as long as you are kind and curteous to them you will be OK. Well I hope this was helpful and I hope to see you and your college friends start to OC alot more in the near future.
 

conwict

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Plott...thanks a lot!

My experiences have been nothing but positive. I've had three people actually ask me about it in a positive way--one asked how much I paid for my CCW class (I don't have a CCW), one asked me (in a health food store of all places) if I'd heard much about that 2A Supreme Court case, and one, a security guy at Barnes and Noble, basically just mentioned that I was cool to carry and I seemed like a responsible guy. I commended him for noticing I was OCing:

I've open carried to practically all the major retail places (Target, B&N, Sports Authority, Walmart, etc) here with maybe 10 people actually noticing. Isn't that sad? I mean, I'm not constantly checking who's noticing but
it's obvious most people have 0% situational awareness, period, end of story.

Anyway it's a very positive experience, expressing myself in this way while carrying personal protection. I'm really enjoying it. Big thumbs up to OC in Greensboro.

:celebrate:arrow::cool:
 

USNRCorpsman

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For the most accurate information regarding any municipal codes restricting possession, contactthe City Attorney's Office. Law enforcement is usually woefully uninformed about many laws.
 

Carolina40

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I feel more comfortable with CC - primarily due to the fact my 5 1/2 year old is extremely curious about things. I have taken her to the range already and we put some .22 holes in paper. On a regular basis I review the "Stop, don't touch, leave the room, get a grown-up" process and she seems to really understand it - at least as much as a 5 1/2 year old can.

My only concern with OCing in her presence is she may call undue attention to it - also may reveal it known to others that I am carrying while CCing.

I do carry a copy of an email from my county sheriff stating that OC is legal here in NC, but for now only OC while either alone or pushing my 16 month old in her stroller...
 

swillden

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Carolina40 wrote:
My only concern with OCing in her presence is she may call undue attention to it - also may reveal it known to others that I am carrying while CCing.
I went to Office Max yesterday to pick up a new chair for my home office, with my six year-old son.

We were standing at the checkout when my son says (at the nearly-shouting volume that is his only setting) "Dad, why are you wearing your handgun?". The checker (an older guy, probably in his early 60s) and everyone else within 50 feet looked over to see my gun on my hip. I answered him "In case there are bad guys". The guy behind the register said "Never know where you're gonna run into those, these days", shook his head regretfully, and smiled at me. Then, since no one was lined up behind me, he offered to help me carry the chair out to my truck.

Don't sweat a little "undue" attention, especially if it's caused by your five year-old girl. No one is going to think you're a crazed killer or even a robber while you've got a cute little girl hanging on your hand and calling you daddy. In fact, I think it's about the best possible situation for OC -- people aren't going to be suspicious of you and if anyone asks why you're carrying you have a perfect reason standing right next to you.
 

jeepinbanditrider

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Or expose your kid to them more often so they are not a "neato look at that deal".

I OC and CC daily and my kid sees it on a regular basis, never has he ever blurted out, reached for, or even looked at my firearm. It's becuase he dosen't care it's just another object.
 
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