Still afraid to OC in clay county.

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I live in a small town called Hayesville, NC and I afraid of being harassed and being thrown in jail. I want to open carry but I also don't want to see the inside of their jail. I don't know if my little town Leo's will like the idea or if they won't. I CC carry all the time with my permit here but, I haven't tried OC'ing yet. What should I do? Or how should I approach this fear?

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Start with small trips.

Gas station, grocery store, and other short errands.

You could also call them and ask their opinions on lawful OC and how they would react.

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The very first day I ever OC'ed, I was spotted by two cops.

First I went into Wal-mart, which was uneventful (just a lot of curious looks from people, as always).

Second I went into my local Sheetz gas station, and while I was in there two on-duty cops walked in and they both "checked me out", one of them eyed my 9mm, as it was bulging off of my waist in a paddle holster. I thought for sure they would at least mention something to me, although I wasn't worried about it since I knew I was legal. Neither of them said anything, just a stern facial look and they kept on walking past me.

Since that day, I OC 95% of the places that I carry a handgun (ASIDE from my job), and only CC about 5%.

I cannot count the number of times that I have been seen by cops (as well as the rest of the world, of course) OC'ing with a 9mm on my hip. Sometimes the cops give me a nod when they see that I am carrying. No LEO has ever said a word to me.

You just have to get used to the massive amounts of curious looks from all the sheeple.

Stay in the laws, and enjoy your rights.

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My experience has been a bit different. My trips out it seems that almost noone notices. Maybe a cashier will. But most of the other shoppers seem to be mostly clueless. I try to pay attention, but most people don't even want to look at you.

Except the obnoxious kid as I walked out of walmart the other night. He was cussing about people crossing the road and the lady loading her groceries in traffic. I made a point to turn towards the rear of the car to stay out of the way. This put my pistol on the side he could see it. I almost started laughing when he says, "F.......g people can't get out of the road. Dudes got a gun!" :lol: Not sure if the two are related but they did not stick around in the parking lot very long after that.

Start small, know your rights, and know how you will respond when you get questions. Whether the questions are from LEO or the public. I also keep an envelope with relevant laws in the truck with me. Never know when you may have to educate the law on the law.

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All of the above are good answers,,however ask in this forum if anybody from your surrounding home town would like to join you for a OC adventure,,, Good company sure does ease the pressure..

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AudioOutlawz wrote:

I live in a small town called Hayesville, NC and I afraid of being harassed and being thrown in jail. I want to open carry but I also don't want to see the inside of their jail. I don't know if my little town Leo's will like the idea or if they won't. I CC carry all the time with my permit here but, I haven't tried OC'ing yet. What should I do? Or how should I approach this fear?

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First off, check state and local laws about carrying a firearm. Municode.com can help you there.

Next, check out your appearance. Do you look like you could reasonably be mistaken for a LEO or at least look like joe everyman? Meaning short hair (shorter the better), clean shaven, etc..? If this holds true you can probably OC with minimal or no hassles.

Look anything other thanyour averagesheep (long hair, tattoos, beard, etc..) expect that stares will be the LEAST of the reactions you get. OC at your own risk.

It doesn't matter what kind of person you are, you'll be judged by how you look.

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Next, check out your appearance. Do you look like you could reasonably be mistaken for a LEO or at least look like joe everyman? Meaning short hair (shorter the better), clean shaven, etc..? If this holds true you can probably OC with minimal or no hassles.

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very good point. im a career firefighter so i have the clean shaven short hair look. i also carry the same 2way radio as PD when im not at work so im sure im always mistaken for LEO. suits me just fine...and like another member pointed out...hardly anyone notices.

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OC is constitutionally protected in NC. Google up State v. Kerner.