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Mostly uneventful day

Nivek

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
43
Location
Port Orchard, Washington, USA
imported post

I am still very new to OC, but decided to fully conquer my fears yesterday, since I planned to be running around town for several hours. Needed some ammo and boots, so I went to Sportsman's first thing in the morning. While I was looking at so #000 buckshot (insert evil smiley here) a man walks up to me and nods towards my gun "Do you need a permit to carry like that?" I tell him "Not at all," and then procede to stumble through RCW 9.41.290... he chuckles, and corrects me "It's 9.41.270," then he hands me a flyer and introduces himself as the Trigger Dr. Discussed the 31 Aug picnic, and then we parted ways. Great to meet another OC, and a very good "first encounter"

Well, I got the ammo, but wanted to try other boots, so I left for the mall. Wandered around there for a couple hours, including food court, sears, and Barnes & Noble, and had no issues. Decided on the boots at sportsmans, so went back for them.
Here's the scary part of my day...
While I'm standing in line with my new boots, there's a problem with the register, so we're all in line, going nowhere for a few minutes. The guy in front of me keeps looking back at me/my gun, almost to the point of staring. Finally he asks me (now remember, I'm holding a BIG yellow shoebox)...
Him "Are you getting boots?"
Me "Yeah, my old ones are pretty bad"
Him "I bet those are nice boots"
Me "Me too, they seem okay..."
Him "And you have a gun?"

At this point, he leans towards me and tries to TOUCH my gun!! I stepped back with my right foot to place my body and the shoe box between him and the gun, and dropped my strong side arm from holding the box to laying against the gun (just my forearm, so i had contact with it) and said
"Yes, sir, I have a gun" (I was pretty torqued, so i said that REALLY firm)
Him "Is it a Glock?"... it didn't seem to bother him that he shouldn't try to touch someone's gun...

Anyway, he didn't do anything else threatening, and I don't think him reaching for my gun was supposed to be a threat, but holy crap, is spun me up fast!!! He asked a few more questions "Do you have a knife too?/Spyderco?" and then commented that I must have security covered...
Finally the line moved and he went away. Very odd encounter though.

Thoughts on how to handle a situation like that? Could I have done better?
 

Trigger Dr

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
2,760
Location
Wa, ,
imported post

Nivek,

It was a good meeting. you handled the situation well. At the risk of being redundant,...Buttefrflies in the stomach are always going to be there. However you can teach them to fly in formation.

Welcome to OC and looking forward to future meets. See you at the Picnic Aug 31.

Jim
 

Bear 45/70

Regular Member
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
3,256
Location
Union, Washington, USA
imported post

Nivek wrote:
I am still very new to OC, but decided to fully conquer my fears yesterday, since I planned to be running around town for several hours. Needed some ammo and boots, so I went to Sportsman's first thing in the morning. While I was looking at so #000 buckshot (insert evil smiley here) a man walks up to me and nods towards my gun "Do you need a permit to carry like that?" I tell him "Not at all," and then procede to stumble through RCW 9.41.290... he chuckles, and corrects me "It's 9.41.270," then he hands me a flyer and introduces himself as the Trigger Dr. Discussed the 31 Aug picnic, and then we parted ways. Great to meet another OC, and a very good "first encounter"

Well, I got the ammo, but wanted to try other boots, so I left for the mall. Wandered around there for a couple hours, including food court, sears, and Barnes & Noble, and had no issues. Decided on the boots at sportsmans, so went back for them.
Here's the scary part of my day...
While I'm standing in line with my new boots, there's a problem with the register, so we're all in line, going nowhere for a few minutes. The guy in front of me keeps looking back at me/my gun, almost to the point of staring. Finally he asks me (now remember, I'm holding a BIG yellow shoebox)...
Him "Are you getting boots?"
Me "Yeah, my old ones are pretty bad"
Him "I bet those are nice boots"
Me "Me too, they seem okay..."
Him "And you have a gun?"

At this point, he leans towards me and tries to TOUCH my gun!! I stepped back with my right foot to place my body and the shoe box between him and the gun, and dropped my strong side arm from holding the box to laying against the gun (just my forearm, so i had contact with it) and said
"Yes, sir, I have a gun" (I was pretty torqued, so i said that REALLY firm)
Him "Is it a Glock?"... it didn't seem to bother him that he shouldn't try to touch someone's gun...

Anyway, he didn't do anything else threatening, and I don't think him reaching for my gun was supposed to be a threat, but holy crap, is spun me up fast!!! He asked a few more questions "Do you have a knife too?/Spyderco?" and then commented that I must have security covered...
Finally the line moved and he went away. Very odd encounter though.

Thoughts on how to handle a situation like that? Could I have done better?
Chances are he knows no better. It was your chance to educate him on not only OC but OC etiquette (Don't touch my gun without permission).
 

Nivek

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
43
Location
Port Orchard, Washington, USA
imported post

joeroket wrote:
I wonder if this individual may have had some slight learning disability and been a little slow.

In all seriousness, you may be right. My OP was written as politely as I could, but the truth of the matter is that he came across as somewhat handicapped. That's part of the reason I was extremely passive in dealing with him reaching for my gun.
He talked rather slow and tended to drag out his words a bit. He was either slightly drunk or mentally slow, I'm not really sure.
Either way, I probably should have taken the chance to educate him about touching other peoples guns, as Libertarian and Bear said above.
 

joeroket

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
3,339
Location
Everett, Washington, USA
imported post

I know some people like this. They are the nicest people and have nothing but the best intentions, they just do not have the mental capacity to learn or remember things that do not help them survive daily life on thier own.

It sounds like you handled it perfectly. A strong stern, but not mean, voice is usually how the mentally handicapped are taught and remember that something is wrong.
 

just_a_car

Regular Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
2,558
Location
Auburn, Washington, USA
imported post

joeroket wrote:
I know some people like this. They are the nicest people and have nothing but the best intentions, they just do not have the mental capacity to learn or remember things that do not help them survive daily life on thier own.

It sounds like you handled it perfectly. A strong stern, but not mean, voice is usually how the mentally handicapped are taught and remember that something is wrong.

+1.

Well handled.
 

jbone

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
2,230
Location
WA
imported post

joeroket wrote:
I know some people like this. They are the nicest people and have nothing but the best intentions, they just do not have the mental capacity to learn or remember things that do not help them survive daily life on thier own.
Kind of what I was thinking, you may have just run into Rainman! My uncle is mentally challenged,I've have seen him approach people in the strangest ways. Unless you’re not exposedregularit can freak you out.

Or he my have beenMicrosoft Employee looking for game ideas, just kidding. :celebrate
 

Nivek

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
43
Location
Port Orchard, Washington, USA
imported post

On a follow-up, I had another encounter today at the Port Orchard albertson's. The guy stocking eggs looked up me and exchanged greetings, then he immediatelg says "You're ARMED??" I chuckled and said 'yeah'
It took me a couple minutes to convince him that I wasn't a policeman, sheriff, or fireman (?), and told him what I could about OC.
During the conversation he mentioned 13 combat missions, and special forces work that he had previously done (Grocery Store Ninja :shock:). I told him I had a flyer in the car (thanks to Trigger Dr), but when I brought it back in, I couldn't find the guy. Oh well, at least he didn't try to grab my gun!:lol:
 

Gene Beasley

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
426
Location
Federal Way, Washington, USA
imported post

Nivek wrote:
During the conversation he mentioned 13 combat missions, and special forces work that he had previously done (Grocery Store Ninja :shock:). I told him I had a flyer in the car (thanks to Trigger Dr), but when I brought it back in, I couldn't find the guy.
Poof! And like the special forces trained GS Ninja, he vanished into the teaming jungle of unopened boxes, as if he was never there... :uhoh:
 

CC27

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
136
Location
, Washington, USA
imported post

Trigger Dr wrote:
Nivek,

It was a good meeting. you handled the situation well. At the risk of being redundant,...Buttefrflies in the stomach are always going to be there. However you can teach them to fly in formation.

Welcome to OC and looking forward to future meets. See you at the Picnic Aug 31.

Jim
What timeand where is this picnic? I cant find any info on the Washington page.
 

Bear 45/70

Regular Member
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
3,256
Location
Union, Washington, USA
imported post

CC27 wrote:
Trigger Dr wrote:
Nivek,

It was a good meeting. you handled the situation well. At the risk of being redundant,...Buttefrflies in the stomach are always going to be there. However you can teach them to fly in formation.

Welcome to OC and looking forward to future meets. See you at the Picnic Aug 31.

Jim
What timeand where is this picnic? I cant find any info on the Washington page.

That would be this thread with the picnic info.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum55/14319.html
 
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