LEO encounter in Lusk

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Carried openly allacross Wyoming when on a trip with my semi auto 9mm on my belt in a highride holster. It was very visible. Stopped to eat at a local restaurant in Lusk, was seated by the waitress to noticed the gun but treated me no different than anyone else. The restaurant was packed with out of state folks on vacation. I am from South Dakota so was traveling thru myself.

I sat so my firearm was in plain sight of anyone who looked my way. Soon after ordering a SO walks in and looks directly at me and has a few words with my waitress. The SO finds a table nearby and sits down. Soon two more SO deputies arrive and join him. I never got the idea that anyone was concerned and I was treated well by the restaurant staff. I paid my bill at the register and left taking my time.

Obviously, the town and SO deputies know the open carry rules and have no concerns with those of us who choose to carry openly. I tend to think it is very important to be polite, friendly and relaxed when carrying. I think your demeanor has a great deal to do with how you are seen. I openly carried at Wyoming rest stops, gas stations and restaurants without any comments or encounters. Just a few looks of wonder a few times.

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SDguy wrote:

Carried openly allacross Wyoming when on a trip with my semi auto 9mm on my belt in a highride holster. It was very visible. Stopped to eat at a local restaurant in Lusk, was seated by the waitress to noticed the gun but treated me no different than anyone else. The restaurant was packed with out of state folks on vacation. I am from South Dakota so was traveling thru myself.

I sat so my firearm was in plain sight of anyone who looked my way. Soon after ordering a SO walks in and looks directly at me and has a few words with my waitress. The SO finds a table nearby and sits down. Soon two more SO deputies arrive and join him. I never got the idea that anyone was concerned and I was treated well by the restaurant staff. I paid my bill at the register and left taking my time.

Obviously, the town and SO deputies know the open carry rules and have no concerns with those of us who choose to carry openly. I tend to think it is very important to be polite, friendly and relaxed when carrying. I think your demeanor has a great deal to do with how you are seen. I openly carried at Wyoming rest stops, gas stations and restaurants without any comments or encounters. Just a few looks of wonder a few times.

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Iusually CC, but it's not generally a big deal to see folks OC. I'm glad your experience was positive. As they used to say "Wyoming is, what America was".

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You hit it square on the head. Most of the time being polite and not unfriendly will avoid any problems.

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jbowers24 wrote:

Iusually CC, but it's not generally a big deal to see folks OC. I'm glad your experience was positive. As they used to say "Wyoming is, what America was".

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You are absolutely correct! After moving back to Wi after living in Wyoming for a few years, I can't tell you how much I miss how common sense living in WY is. Not only did I CC but I also OC'd all over, even when riding motorcycle and never had an issue. When I was working I CC'd because I was all over and on call 24/7 and some of the places I went to were military and of course they were from all over and not as friendly. I always like to say that WY is at least 20 years in the past, and that is a good thing. Moving back here was always a regret, and I only did it because of the wife (or rather X-wife) getting a good job here. After the move back she decided she wanted to be on her own, and I think waiting to tell me was her way of screwing with me.

But anyway, WY is very no nonsense as long as you don't act like a complete a$$hole. After being in a lot of houses and seeing some pretty nice collections, I don't see any nasty changes in administration making a huge or quick change in living there. In WI where a$$holes are puckered so tightly they use crowbars to sh!t, it's a lot different and our governor would sell us to the reds on a moments notice. So if the SHTF, expect my truck and camper heading back west because I'm not dealing with that crap. At least by you, there's a fighting chance.

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opusd2 wrote:

jbowers24 wrote:

Iusually CC, but it's not generally a big deal to see folks OC. I'm glad your experience was positive. As they used to say "Wyoming is, what America was".

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You are absolutely correct! After moving back to Wi after living in Wyoming for a few years, I can't tell you how much I miss how common sense living in WY is. Not only did I CC but I also OC'd all over, even when riding motorcycle and never had an issue. When I was working I CC'd because I was all over and on call 24/7 and some of the places I went to were military and of course they were from all over and not as friendly. I always like to say that WY is at least 20 years in the past, and that is a good thing. Moving back here was always a regret, and I only did it because of the wife (or rather X-wife) getting a good job here. After the move back she decided she wanted to be on her own, and I think waiting to tell me was her way of screwing with me.

But anyway, WY is very no nonsense as long as you don't act like a complete a$$hole. After being in a lot of houses and seeing some pretty nice collections, I don't see any nasty changes in administration making a huge or quick change in living there. In WI where a$$holes are puckered so tightly they use crowbars to sh!t, it's a lot different and our governor would sell us to the reds on a moments notice. So if the SHTF, expect my truck and camper heading back west because I'm not dealing with that crap. At least by you, there's a fighting chance.

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It's never too late to move back. Life if too short to be ina place you don't love.

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a SO walks in and looks directly at me and has a few words with my waitress.

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She was just asking him if he wanted to sit with the off-duty or under-cover officer over there!

I mean, they have to eat too.

When I am OCing, I try my best to appear to be ignoring the officers when they are around.

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You know, since my little guy was born things have been too tight to move anywhere without promise of a job. So I plan on sticking around here (for now anyway) and just raising him, and the next generation comprising of my nieces and nephew, the way I was raised with respect for liberty and intolerance for complacency. If anything I know that when they eventually grow up they will never fear the stormtroopers but rather when pushed push back just a bit harder.

But I promise you that I am always thinking of an eventual move back. I am working on Mommy so that if she ever loses her good job that she consider the move, however. But I still wonder if it is more important to make a difference in the nieces and nephew's lives as opposed to just living where I want. I'd rather teach them the values that are disappearing with every WWII and Korean Vet that passes on. We are losing a generation of important people who remember what it's like to fight for their values and rights.

I know my nieces see me carry and are never alarmed, they see it as an everyday thing. I don't let them get too close to it, because they are still pretty young yet and although their folks both hunt, they don't get a lot of exposure to guns. But they ask questions and when I am watching a show with firearms on it I just explain what it's all about. Maybe I am wrong, but have you ever seen someone show fear when exposed to something completely foreign to them? In my opinion, it's better to show what it is all about so there is no fear.

But like I said, the camper is always packed because I camp with it even in winter, and if the pedal drops I am gone in a heartbeat and will deal with things then.

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Just not alone...

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Good reasoning. My dad wasa WW2 vet, gone for many yrs. now. I remember the things he taught me though. Love of America ( the one spelled with a "c" and not with a"k") Love of Liberty and to never, under any circumstances, nomatter what "law" is passed, to give up my guns. Molon Labe.

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My dad served in Vietnam and a lot of who I am was instilled in me by him. I grew up on a dairy farm and we kids always worked close to him, which he loved and we did too. What I was taught was to try to keep your shadow as small as possible so that others don't know what you are up to, instead of the flagrant flinging of opinions and of duties and actions best kept hidden. Some of which I learned right off as he told me, and the other lessons I learned by getting busted for being me and being open about too many things.

Because he was in Vietnam in the early days of the "conflict" he has a lot of stories to tell that could really curl your toes. His lack of love for the M16 is very well known as he is one of those equipped with "one of those plastic guns you don't need to clean" and ditched his at first chance for an M14 and a pump shotgun. So some decisions I've made are contrary to his beliefs, like my purchase of a .223 shootin' stick. I own one because I got it cheap, it's accurate, and ammo will always be easy to find. But like him I love my .45acp. Being raised to take one shot and make it count, I could see his logic. But that's something I picked up at home, whether it works or not in the crap I don't know first hand. I just practice situations to see, hypothetically, what should work.

Growing up I had many relatives, neighbors and friends of my folks who served somewhere. I have an uncle with sever shell shock and who is mad as hell at the GOV for what he believes they did to him during Korea. A teacher of mine from high school was in the Bataan death March and could really pull the class together with his stories. Bear in mind this was the 80's and we had easy enemies to fight. More clear cut than what is pushed now anyway. I even remember my HS social studies teacher with those sayings from WWII posted around the room, and I never forgot the meaning of things such as "Loose lips, sink ships" or my favorite saying was "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Or how my Grandma ran a drill press during the "Big War" and remembers rationing and knowing how to live when times got hard. I lived with her for a while after school and before I made my big moves in life, she was a wonderful person that made a huge impact on me. Now she teaches my nephew and nieces about all of that.

Soon we will be without all the people that made those huge impressions on us, the ones that gave us the strength to fight our fights and not give in to oppression. Just say NO shouldn't be the motto for drugs, it should be the motto for passivity.

Sorry, this response took a long time to write and I lost train of thought. The little guy is sick and needed me, and he comes first.

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Excellent!! Very articulate and profound. Yes, we will be without the generation who gave so much. Both my parents are gone now. Both raised during the First Great Depression. I count it a true blessing to have gotten to speak with them and know them. I didn't listen as much as I should have,but did learn a few things. All I have now are the memories, but they are something to draw from. I am able to use things that were taught me and will be using more soon. Love of Liberty and America. My religious beliefs. Not shooting till you're sure whatyou see,and focusing on the front sight. NEVER giving up. We were given so much from these wonderful people, it is up to us to keep it.

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<snip> Soon after ordering a SO walks in and looks directly

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Please define a SO ?

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M1Gunr wrote:

<snip> Soon after ordering a SO walks in and looks directly

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Please define a SO ?

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I'd hazard a guess he means Sheriff's Office, since Deputies were mentioned shortly thereafter.