Open Carry Lunch in Merrifield VA area

imported post

Is anyone up for scheduling an open carry lunch?

My nervous nellie wife is always complaining about my open carrying. Up until about a week, she had held firm that no one open carries (except me).

My response has been and I still maintain, that most folks do not see the gun when it is being open carried because they are not looking for a gun and are preoccupied with their own task at hand.

If you have ever taken a seminar in which a video is shown of two teams passing a ball and being given the task of counting the passes, when about halfway through the video a man in a ape costume walks through and you did not see the ape - then you have experienced what I believe most people experience when overlooking the open carry. The phenomenon is called "inattentional blindness."

So, is anyone up for an open carry lunch in the Merrifield area?

Sorry for the rather long post. - Dean

imported post

Sure, put it together. But you might want to know that there is an OC lunch today at the Foster's Grill in Bristow, about 4 miles east of Gainesville in a new shopping center bordered by Linton Hall Road, Vint Hill Road, and Route 28. It starts at 11:45 this morning.

imported post

Well - Bristow is about a 35 minute drive from where I am located. And while I am supportive of the event in Bristow, I have a previous engagement at noon today. Ideally, we should have regular events in PW, Fairfax, Loudon, Arlington and Faquier Counties, that are attended by residents of their respective or neighboring county. I generally would not drive to outside of my local area, unless visiting family or making a special trip. The local traffic even on the weekends is so f'ing bad that I simply do not have a desire to travel more than 5-10 miles from home. Driving to the Gun Show in Chantilly was a real stretch for me and then getting there and the parking was so bad - I may never go again. - Dean

imported post

Local and regular events are always a good idea. It would be great to see people in the more close in areas to do this in order to spread the word in more liberal enclaves.

So you're 35 miles away... where do you live? A lot of times, we try to the most central location we can but of course, that can still present a problem for some.

imported post

I live near 495 close to the Annandale Campus of the NVCC. I have open carried at numerous eateries: Panera, Chipotle, Starbucks, Hong Kong Palace, China Star, etc. without incident. If anyone is up for some great authentic Sichuan Chinese food - I can suggest an open carry lunch in Falls Church near the Home Depot where the "snipers" shot and killed the unfortunate woman a few years back. - Dean

imported post

I'm in. I'm in Tysons C... when & where? I'll try to bring the family. I like the idea of having some opportunities a little closer to home... FFX county.



-gcrtkd

imported post

Well Seven Corners is not in the Merrifield area, but what the hey. Perhaps there are some OC'ers in that part of Fairfax, Falls Church, and Arlington who would find Seven Corners to be an ideal location.

Incidentally, Seven Corners is not in Falls Church... it's in Fairfax. Falls Church is small; just 2.2 square miles.

imported post

Seven Corners is in Falls Church, the ZIP Codes for Seven Corners are not Fairfax ZIP Codes. Much of the confusion regarding Falls Church stems around the fact that part of Falls Church has been incorporated as the City of Falls Church, while the rest of Falls Church is part of Fairfax County. Seven Corners is part within the part of Falls Church that is within Fairfax County not Falls Church City.

The Merrifield Area and nearby surrounding areas include (but are not limited to): Vienna, Dunn Loring, Tysons Corner, McLean, Fairfax, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Falls Church City, Annandale, Springfield and Arlington. From Merrifield (which is really Fairfax - but not Fairfax City) one may reach any of the above listed locales within approximately 10-15 minutes or less. Of course, the F-ing traffic in this area (read 495) can often be at a stand still and turn a 10-minute drive into a two hour drive. And the work being done (HOT Lanes) on 495 at the present time is more often than not a F'ing nightmare.

I will make it to a PWC event in the future, but will need to work in visits to Virginia Arms and the other gun/ammo shop out there.

- Dean

NRA Member
VCDL Member

imported post

Hey, it's all good to me. The GPS can get me anywhere. I need to go to Merrifield this week anyways. It's all pretty close. Lookslike there's only 3 of us talking to eachother on this thread tho...

imported post

Yep, three (3) people is pretty anemic given the population of Fairfax County.

imported post

dean2k wrote:

I can suggest an open carry lunch in Falls Church

Click to expand...

So.. pick a place, date and time.. put it in the main and second line of the main post and make it so.

carry on

Ed

imported post

dean2k wrote:

Seven Corners is in Falls Church, the ZIP Codes for Seven Corners are not Fairfax ZIP Codes. Much of the confusion regarding Falls Church stems around the fact that part of Falls Church has been incorporated as the City of Falls Church, while the rest of Falls Church is part of Fairfax County. Seven Corners is part within the part of Falls Church that is within Fairfax County not Falls Church City.

The Merrifield Area and nearby surrounding areas include (but are not limited to): Vienna, Dunn Loring, Tysons Corner, McLean, Fairfax, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Falls Church City, Annandale, Springfield and Arlington. From Merrifield (which is really Fairfax - but not Fairfax City) one may reach any of the above listed locales within approximately 10-15 minutes or less. Of course, the F-ing traffic in this area (read 495) can often be at a stand still and turn a 10-minute drive into a two hour drive. And the work being done (HOT Lanes) on 495 at the present time is more often than not a F'ing nightmare.

I will make it to a PWC event in the future, but will need to work in visits to Virginia Arms and the other gun/ammo shop out there.

- Dean

NRA Member
VCDL Member

Click to expand...

I grew up in Falls Church, carried mail out of the Mosby station (22042), and know very well where the boundries are. The best test of where you live? To what jurisdiction do you pay taxes? If you live in Merrifield for example, you pay your taxes to Fairfax.

Just because one has a mailing address of Falls Church does not mean they live in Falls Church. Another example? Falls Church High School is a Fairfax County school. The only high school in Falls Church is George Mason.

Not an argument, just a point of reference.


As an add-on, I do wish to stress that I am not arguing the point. Please let me explain. To those of us who actually grew up in Falls Church, within the city limits as did I, it is somewhat of a bone of contention when those who did not grow up in Falls Church claim they did. I used to hear years ago from people who went to George C. Marshall High School how it was a Falls Church school when it most assuredly was not. I may be wrong here but I think that the mail boundries were extended as a concession to water supplied from Fairfax (like I said, this could be wrong). I believe Falls Church was incorporated as a city in 1948.

Sorry gentlemen for diverting and I will stay on topic henceforth.

imported post

I don't know if they're considered Merrifield, but the Fuddruckers in both Annandale and Vienna are OC friendly, same with the Fosters Grill in Vienna. I don't make it out to those parts too often, I rarely travel north of 236 now that I think about it.

I'm always up for an OC get together regardless of where it is.

imported post

Count me in.

With the caveat that since I have kids, all plans are tentative.

Fuddruckers is good. I like the one at 3575 Chain Bridge Rd in Fairfax where 123/Chainbridge/Maple/Ox Rd crosses 50/29/Lee/Fairfax/Arlington.

They are generally friendly, and I've open carried in there previously. Though whether anyone noticed is another question. Baaaa...

ps. I love the way roads in Virginia are assigned a new name every twenty paces.

imported post

I'm in The Incorporated Town of Vienna, so most weekend days are good.

imported post

My office/studio is in the People's Republic of Falls Church.

I'm game.

imported post

If this is to be a Saturday, I would like to make it.


Good Lord. Going back and seeing some of my previous posts on this thread makes me look a little like an ass. Really didn't mean, people. I'll try better to stay put.

imported post

Sounds like Fuddruckers is a go - I myself enjoy a good burger and fries. Let's shoot for the Fuddruckers on Route 123 in Fairfax. It is a good location and right off of I-66 and not far from 495 for anyone that is driving more than a few miles - and not too far from the NRA range should anyone want to go shooting before or after.

Establishment: Fuddruckers

Day & Date: Saturday, August 15, 2009.

Time: 1:00PM

Location: 3575 Chainbridge Rd, Fairfax, VA, 22030

Tele: (703) 359-1040

website: http://www.fuddruckers.com/storepage.php?Store=199

imported post

SouthernBoy wrote:

I grew up in Falls Church, carried mail out of the Mosby station (22042).

Click to expand...

Hey SB, what time frame? My family has lived in 22042 since 1957 (Raymondale). I moved back into the family manse in '95.

On topic: I'd be up for a Merrifield lunch schedule permitting (which means weekends are usually out).