Macboo
New member
imported post
I am a Texas native and my work takes me all over the U.S. I frequently visit this site to see where I can openly carry my pistol. Upon arriving to PA, I immediately went to theMoon TownshipPD and spoke with an officer. I lethim know I had a CCW in Texas and Alabama and I knew that PA was an open carry state. I asked if there were any restrictions I needed to be aware of. The officer told me that I had to have a permit to carry in a vehicle and in the city of Philadelphia. The officer also told methat although open carry was legal, but he would recommend that I carry concealed if I had a permit. He was very courteous and told me "it would be wrong for me to tell you not to open carry, but concealed will keep down any inconvenience."
Last night, I was in Walmart in North Fayette, PAshopping with my fiance and my grandson. As we are waiting at the customer service booth to cash my expense checks, a man (apparently a Walmart employee) approached me and asked if I was a cop. I told him I was not. He then asked if I had a carry permit. I said I did, but this state permitsOC and I did not need a permit. He told me that Walmart does not permitOC because "it scares the customers". I told him there was nothing posted at the entrance to indicate that. He then told me I had a choice of either taking my pistol to my car or he would have to call the police. I told him he had already approached me and that he needed to call the police. I finished cashing my checks and accompanied him outside to wait for the police. As we waited, he told me he had a permit to carry concealed, but he was against open carry.
When the police arrived, the Walmart employee told the officer what was going on. I gave the officermy license and carry permit. The officer began writing down information and asking me questions.Theofficercommented about "the guy last week" and asked if I was him. The Walmart employee told him that was a different guy. During all of this my pistol was in plain view for all to see. After he had asked all of the necessary questions, he asked me to relenquish my weapon so he could check the registration and make sure it wasn't stolen. I gave him my weapon and told him he would not find any registration, as Texas does not require gun owners to register. He called his supervisor to verify that information.
While we were waiting for the dispatcher, the Walmart employee began talking about open carry and how it was a bad idea. He said that if you OC'd you would be the first one a criminal took out during a crime. The officer said he did not even carry his pistol off-duty because he didn't want to be a target. I told them they were thinking only in the singular. Picture the look on a criminal's face if he walked into a bank and there were several citizens with pistols prominently displayed on their hips. The choice toOC is an individual choice and if they chose not to, then that was their right. My choice is to OC and as long as I could legally do so, I would.
After everything checked out, the officer returned my pistol to me. He handed me theshell he had removed from the chamber, my clip and then my pistol. He said "wait until you get in your car to reload your gun". Whenthe officertold me I had been asked to leave Walmart, the Walmart employee told him I was more than welcome to return back to the store and continue my shopping. The officer then said I could go back into Walmart, but I would need to leave my pistol in my car. The Walmart employee told the officer that I was more than welcome to carry in the store, I just have to have my pistol concealed. The officer then gave me "the lecture" about how I needed to look into a different holster or getting an ankle holster so I could keep my pistol concealed while I was there. I told him as far as I knew, it was still legal to open carry in PA and I wasn't going to go the extra expense to buy equipment I didn't need. Both the officer and the Walmart employee apologized for the inconvenience and shook my hand.
One additional point I would like to make to anyone who open carries. When approached by police or and individual, don't get defensive or hostile. This only gives ammo to those who oppose OC and it will put a police officer on the defensive. Be polite and cooperative. You can simply state you have a right to OC and not seem like a nut job. From the reference the officer made about "the guy last week", I could only conclude that he had gotten irate at being inconvenienced. I take every opportunity to educate the public and law enforcement on open carry and they tend not to listen if they think you are a radical.
I am a Texas native and my work takes me all over the U.S. I frequently visit this site to see where I can openly carry my pistol. Upon arriving to PA, I immediately went to theMoon TownshipPD and spoke with an officer. I lethim know I had a CCW in Texas and Alabama and I knew that PA was an open carry state. I asked if there were any restrictions I needed to be aware of. The officer told me that I had to have a permit to carry in a vehicle and in the city of Philadelphia. The officer also told methat although open carry was legal, but he would recommend that I carry concealed if I had a permit. He was very courteous and told me "it would be wrong for me to tell you not to open carry, but concealed will keep down any inconvenience."
Last night, I was in Walmart in North Fayette, PAshopping with my fiance and my grandson. As we are waiting at the customer service booth to cash my expense checks, a man (apparently a Walmart employee) approached me and asked if I was a cop. I told him I was not. He then asked if I had a carry permit. I said I did, but this state permitsOC and I did not need a permit. He told me that Walmart does not permitOC because "it scares the customers". I told him there was nothing posted at the entrance to indicate that. He then told me I had a choice of either taking my pistol to my car or he would have to call the police. I told him he had already approached me and that he needed to call the police. I finished cashing my checks and accompanied him outside to wait for the police. As we waited, he told me he had a permit to carry concealed, but he was against open carry.
When the police arrived, the Walmart employee told the officer what was going on. I gave the officermy license and carry permit. The officer began writing down information and asking me questions.Theofficercommented about "the guy last week" and asked if I was him. The Walmart employee told him that was a different guy. During all of this my pistol was in plain view for all to see. After he had asked all of the necessary questions, he asked me to relenquish my weapon so he could check the registration and make sure it wasn't stolen. I gave him my weapon and told him he would not find any registration, as Texas does not require gun owners to register. He called his supervisor to verify that information.
While we were waiting for the dispatcher, the Walmart employee began talking about open carry and how it was a bad idea. He said that if you OC'd you would be the first one a criminal took out during a crime. The officer said he did not even carry his pistol off-duty because he didn't want to be a target. I told them they were thinking only in the singular. Picture the look on a criminal's face if he walked into a bank and there were several citizens with pistols prominently displayed on their hips. The choice toOC is an individual choice and if they chose not to, then that was their right. My choice is to OC and as long as I could legally do so, I would.
After everything checked out, the officer returned my pistol to me. He handed me theshell he had removed from the chamber, my clip and then my pistol. He said "wait until you get in your car to reload your gun". Whenthe officertold me I had been asked to leave Walmart, the Walmart employee told him I was more than welcome to return back to the store and continue my shopping. The officer then said I could go back into Walmart, but I would need to leave my pistol in my car. The Walmart employee told the officer that I was more than welcome to carry in the store, I just have to have my pistol concealed. The officer then gave me "the lecture" about how I needed to look into a different holster or getting an ankle holster so I could keep my pistol concealed while I was there. I told him as far as I knew, it was still legal to open carry in PA and I wasn't going to go the extra expense to buy equipment I didn't need. Both the officer and the Walmart employee apologized for the inconvenience and shook my hand.
One additional point I would like to make to anyone who open carries. When approached by police or and individual, don't get defensive or hostile. This only gives ammo to those who oppose OC and it will put a police officer on the defensive. Be polite and cooperative. You can simply state you have a right to OC and not seem like a nut job. From the reference the officer made about "the guy last week", I could only conclude that he had gotten irate at being inconvenienced. I take every opportunity to educate the public and law enforcement on open carry and they tend not to listen if they think you are a radical.