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Open carry, does it really freak people out?

Godscreation

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
231
Location
Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
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My brother is convinced beyond all that is sound and good in this world (He is a LEO and is sincerly concerned about me) that open carry is not wise because I won't be able to go ANYWHERE or do ANYTHING without being hassled, interrigated, and confronted by people and police. I told him that it isn't as bad as he thinks, and that there are testimonies on this forum that seem to indicate that open carry isn't as big a deal as he is making it out to be. He then speculated that because this is a pro open carry site, that any stories of being hassled could easily be edited and taken off the site to appear as if open carry is OK. I assured him that is not the case. He still remains skeptical of opencarry.org testimonies and open carry in general. He understands that it is a right, but he doesn't understand why I would- quote: "want to attract so much unessecary attention to myself". So I am going to ask you all straight and hard. Can you step out the door without getting bombarded with people freaking out? Do you get hassled mulitple times on a daily basis, either by LEO or sheeple? Weekly? Let's keep in mind that while I am young (22), I will still dress accordingly and neatly (pretty much like I do anyway). Any testimony will be great, but I am extremly interested in college age folk. To all you OC vetrans, please type out your opinion as well. You have the experience and knowledge to refute what folks like him say. To all the OC newbies like me (still waiting on my gun), what happens when you OC? While he probably won't except any of your testimonies, I can at least assure myself that I won't be walking into a political warzone when I OC. Thanks
 

burninsteeda04

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Mar 25, 2008
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I was hassled once by a security gaurd and so far I have never had an experiance other than pleasurable with LEO. I have gotten the nod twice and go to them and make converstation. What LEO dept is he at. It does cause attention or at least at first you feel like everyone is like oh shit gun. But after about a week of Carrying all day everyday you get used to it.

I also have been carrying for 1 week. and the Nod has come from Campus PO PO
 

.40 Cal

State Researcher
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
1,379
Location
COTEP FOREVER!, North Carolina, USA
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I'm 30, and a suit and tie guy. So I guess I don't draw as much attention as you might. But on the weekend I'm a flip flops and shorts guy. I don't get hasseled all that often, but people do ask. Act casually, be prepared to answer confrontation with information. Remember, not everyone will understand. If they just don't get it, move along and bid them a safe and good day.
 

acritical

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Messages
211
Location
Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA
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I live in Raleigh, and I open carry every weekend, if the weather is permitting. When I first started, I was paranoid that everyone that I passed was staring at my firearm and whispering. Soon, I realized that the one that was most concerned was me.

Since then, I carry as if I was born with the pistol on my hip. The only ones that has ever asked about my pistol are cashiers at grocery stores and one State Trooper when I was a witness at an accident scene. In all cases, the first question was, "What precint are you with?" When I inform them that I am not an officer, but carry for the saftey of myself, family, and friends, the usual comments from the cashiers are "Cool". The State Trooper actually said that it was a smart idea and law abiding citizens carrying firearms actually make his job a lot easier. Tends to be less crimes around places where people carry firearms.

Sure, there will be the occasional look and comment from people until they get used to seeing you around. There will always be those people with such an inherent fear of guns that will approach you as a mad man vigilante. However, that will be few and far between. Been carrying for six years now, only had two people insist that firearms are for LEO, and neither person was LEO.

The best way to prove your brother wrong, is to carry your firearm and then share with him your experiences. Even invite him with you to go out when you are carrying, and he is not in uniform so that he will see that you do not cause mass hysteria in the streets and entire police departments holding a standoff with you at gun point. It doesn't happen. It never happened. If it did, it would make the news. There would be examples that he could cite and show you, as an officer. It is misinformation, and it is sites like this and people like us that take the duty to educate both "sheeple" and misinformed LEO alike. After all, they are only human.
 

DreQo

State Researcher
Joined
Jan 8, 2007
Messages
2,350
Location
Minnesota
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I'm 23, and have been carrying since I was 22. I've never been negativelyapproached by a cop, on or off duty, or any random concerned citizens. The only people that have ever questioned me were those in positions of pseudo authority (i.e. wal-mart manager) who were completely mistaken, notonly abouttheir companies' policies, but about the law in general. On the other hand, I receive positive comments and questions from people on a regular basis.

If you lived outthis wayI'd insist on taking your brother out for the day to show him that he's just plain wrong. I dunno how else to put it! Heck, I'll even put money on it!
 

Godscreation

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
231
Location
Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
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steeda04, he is starting with the Concord police dep. april 21

Drequo and acritical, He has already informed me that when I get my firearm that he will not go places with me because of all the hassle I'll get, he doesn't want to be there to witness it. If he really thinks this way, I can understand how that would be awkward, Drequo, maybe I WILL pay him to tag along one day.

Keep the posts coming. This is really helping me a lot; I'm sure other peeps are reading this and gleaning off this as well?
 

burninsteeda04

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Mar 25, 2008
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I say that you take a trip into Monroe and drag him along no one will know he is LEO accept you.
 

Custodian

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2007
Messages
283
Location
The Capital City of Oaks - Raleigh, NC
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A firearm is a necessary self-defense tool. Does he not believe that all people should have this right and NOT hide it, like some common criminal? There should be no shame in being armed. Armed citizens are the true citizens and without those people, LEO cannot turn the tide of crime in the favor of the law abiding.
 

acritical

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
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211
Location
Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA
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It looks like he has already conditioned to believe that this is a bad idea and is unwilling to step outside his conditioning. This is not uncommon for prospective LEO. The only way you are going to ever convince him is to share your experiences with him. He cannot argue that those are edited, can he?
 

burninsteeda04

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Mar 25, 2008
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Another way to convince him and i hope it never happens but a Armed Civilan Comes to his rescue on an attacker.
 

FogRider

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Joined
Jul 23, 2007
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1,412
Location
Centennial, Colorado, USA
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If you go by my experience, most people won't notice and most of those that do will be surprise to find it's legal but they won't care. The most trouble you will have will be from LEO's, and you may not have much from them.
 

DreQo

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Joined
Jan 8, 2007
Messages
2,350
Location
Minnesota
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Godscreation wrote:
steeda04, he is starting with the Concord police dep. april 21

Drequo and acritical, He has already informed me that when I get my firearm that he will not go places with me because of all the hassle I'll get, he doesn't want to be there to witness it. If he really thinks this way, I can understand how that would be awkward, Drequo, maybe I WILL pay him to tag along one day.

Keep the posts coming. This is really helping me a lot; I'm sure other peeps are reading this and gleaning off this as well?
It's DreQo..lol. Anyway so he'll claim that people will run in terror but he wont stick around to be proved wrong, huh? And when you show him proof in the form of testimony on this forum, he claims it's fake? Does he realize how silly he's being? lol If you stick with him, then you've got more patience than I do. Talk about a horse that wont drink... :?
 

OC-Glock19

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2006
Messages
559
Location
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
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Other than interested glances, the occasional "stinkeye" and once being asked to leave a store because I was making customers uncomfortable, my open carry experiences are pretty unremarkable. The people I worry about the least when I'm open carrying are the police. Oh, yes, they notice all right, but I've never been approached by any police officer so they could determine why I'm carrying. I can't imagine that Prince William County has a monopoly on a professional police force, so maybe your brother just hasn't been exposed yet to open-carrying citizens, and visions of wild-west shootouts are dancing through his head. You'll just have to educate him by proving him wrong.
 

Godscreation

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
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231
Location
Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
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again, let me say about my LE brother, he recognizes it's a right to open carry, and he thinks it's a cool idea, but he said it is not worth it because everywhere you go you will get stopped by sheeple and leo alike and you will attract WAAAAY to much unneeded attention to yourself.

Also, when he went and took his Basic Law Enforcement Training, he was taught nothing about open carry...nothing. When I told him about it's legality, he said "Wow, cool!" He then went on to say how it would be a horrbile idea though. When LEOs are ignorant of OC, We probably shouldn't get too upset when they approach us, but rather take the time to show them it's legality. If then, they still stop other OCers, it's then time to get on their case.

When my PURCHASE permit is available (the wonderful meck. county system is taking 3 stinkin weeks as of today) and I get my glock, ammo and holster in one day, I'm tempted to OC right as I walk out the door, or at least strap up in the car. hehe, my brother wants to go with me when I get my gun. anyway, so what I'm getting is, OC does attract an occasional evil eye, scared eye, and suspicous eye, LEO for the most part in the Charlotte area don't seem to care, and you mostly go unbothered. Can anyone tell me in the last year roughly how many times you have been "Hassled, or stopped, and generally had a bad experience" OCing?
 

acritical

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
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211
Location
Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA
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In the Raleigh/Durham area, in the past year or two years, I have had one negative experience when open carrying. That is when I went to a Wal-mart at 12:30 am looking for automotive fuses for a friend, and I got stopped by "security" saying that I cannot come in with a weapon.

The security was training a new guy and I guess trying to show their authority over shoppers. Unfortunately, I was not happy at the time for I was working on someone elses car at 12:30 am instead of being at home with my g/f.

Anyway, instead of immediately leaving, I asked to speak to the manager. The trainee seeinga volatile situation, immediately walk outside for a cigarette, saying as he passed me, "Let me know how this ends."

When the manager arrives, the security person is there, with a smirk on their face and the new guy comes back in. I informed the manager that I was carrying a firearm, she could not see it for it was in a SOB holster (Bersa Thunder .380), and I was wondering if there was an issue with me entering the store with my firearm.

She immediately raised an eyebrow and said, "No, why would there be?" When told that the security guard refused my entrance, due to the fact, she stated, "We are in NC and it is my understanding that this is a firearm friendly state. Even if it wasn't, Wal-Mart does not have any policies against customers carrying firearms. Just employees. If you want to come in, feel free." She then turned to the security guard and said, I will talk to you about this later. No more smirk.

Long story short, went back a couple of day later, and the trainee was there with a new trainer. I heard that security guard got transferred to another store.

That was my only negative experience in the past two years.
 

schj98

Regular Member
Joined
May 2, 2007
Messages
18
Location
Harrisburg, NC, , USA
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I live in Harrisburg, NC and open carry allot in Charlotte and Concord.

I have never had any problems with LEO. As far as regular people go there has been the occasional question but that’s it.

Follow the law but open carry and have fun. BTW I’m 26.
 

Plotthound

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Dec 29, 2007
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First of all Im glad to see that some college age people out there still willing to use the rights given to us instead of beeing hearded around. Anyway I am 23 yo and have been OCing since I was 21. I have had many people ask me about why I was carryng but only one person try to tell me it wasnt right, luckly for me the rockingham county sheriff was sitting at the table behind me in the resturaunt(BOBS resturaunt for any of you from the greattown of Madison) and quickly told the man it was fully legal and that if he wanted to the man could go strap on his pistol too. I have been asked many times what department I am with(I am in the Army so I blend in with many off duty officers) but never had anyone tell me to leave a store or refuse me service. I will say the worst part of the NC law is that you cant carry into resturaunts that serve alcohol even if you arent going to partake. Pretty much you cant go to any nice resturaunt in the state without leaving the iron in the car. Really once you get used to having it with you all the time you wont even notice it is there. Just be sure to dress the part of a law abiding citizen carrying a pistol. Anyway I hope your brother comes to a better realization that all it is is people exercising their right and hopefully you can have more of your friends follow in your footsteps and start to OC too. Well happy carrying.
 

jeepinbanditrider

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
203
Location
Mineral Wells, Tx., ,
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Been doing it for a few years and haven't even had an LEO look my way for more than a second or two. His "fears" are completly out there in this subject and it simply doesn't happen.
 
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