Open Carry, a game to some?

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So I have turned 18 and I am very glad I can finally carry a weapon to protect myself and others, and having it loaded in my car makes me feel much more safe when traveling in dangerous areas of town. Its our right, and it should be put into action. But I am very skeptical of open carrying in stores or shopping centers. Not because im worried about law enforcment showing up or it slowing down my day. But more because it seems like alot of people think open carrying is a game to play while running to Walmart. People posting multiple videos on youtube of them being followed by police and questioned, and even goin in there general direction so they can get a reaction. Maybe I just see it that way because there are multiple forum catagories for states and what not to tell your stories. In my eyes some people just do it to so they can put people in there place when they become all offensive about carrying a weapon.

Please dont blast me haha, thats the last thing I would like. Especially with a first post. It's not ment to be offensive in anyway. Its just my observation of some select people.

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A gun left in your car won't help you when you aren't in your car. In fact, someone could steal it from your car while you abandon it there just because you don't want to offend people who are irrationally afraid of inanimate objects.

Further, police have no right to hassle people for carrying firearms for self-defense. Why are they so special that they should be the only ones allowed to carry a gun for defense in places where people could be offended?


When you come here to insult all of us, you might expect to be insulted back. You say your post was not meant to be offensive but your post seems constructed for the purpose.

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Im not insulting anyone. Im just curious to why I find multiple videos on youtube of people chasing police around a city on a police scanner wanting them to confront them. Thats all. I just dont want to be seen as one of those poeple.

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Most of us don't go chasing around police. However, none of us should be intimidated by the police. I will go about my daily business even if I am going into an area where I find that unlawful harassment is likely. One doesn't need to chase the police down to be harassed by them. Chances are if you carry a gun openly it is only a matter of time before one will go out of their way to find you and harass you.

Even if you just have it in your car they could do so if they find out. Just read any gun forum where you can hear stories of police confiscating legally owned firearms for no reason during a routine traffic stop.

Police need to abide by the laws even if we need to use the courts to force them to.

Further you implied that most of us carried openly mainly as a game or for ego. I find this insulting. To me, and probably for most of us, this is a matter of constitutional and personal rights. Is self-defense or carrying guns wrong in Wal-Mart? Carrying openly during one's regular routine is not the same as going out of our way to harrass police.

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I totally understand and agree with you. I know most of you are not running around thinking its fun, and that it is some sort of game. I guess since open carrying is so uncommon and since people are not aware of the laws, they will come across you asking themselves questions. So I guess having areas to talk about stories and people talking about there first OC is easy to understand. If you do something that less then 1% of the population does, your gonna be looked at diffrently. Question will be asked and some will react diffrently, so stories come from those peoples reactions. If this was a regular thing, we wouldnt have stories to tell. I guess im not used to being the one thats singled out from everyone else.

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There have been one or 2 posters on these threads (just turned 18) that might fit your description of OC as a game to them. They were challenged about their remarks and attitude by the more experienced members of this forum.

For the rest of us, OC as a game? NO WAY!

Recording videos of encounters by OC and posting them on Utube serves as educational material for all carriers. The videos can be analyzed for errors in conduct by carriers and LEO. They also serve a purpose when legal action is necessary, as evidence in court.

There is no game about OC. It is a serious LIFE style.

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Jackk719 wrote:

Im not insulting anyone. Im just curious to why I find multiple videos on youtube of people chasing police around a city on a police scanner wanting them to confront them.

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Can you provide one or two links to the videos you're talking about?

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Please do not feed the trolls, either of them in this thread.

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A personal precept of netiquette is to never, or carefully, address an individual. A public forum is like an outhouse wall where all sorts of names and offices are scribbled and offering all sorts of encouragement and discouragement.

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NavyLT wrote:

Jackk719 wrote:

Im not insulting anyone. Im just curious to why I find multiple videos on youtube of people chasing police around a city on a police scanner wanting them to confront them. Thats all. I just dont want to be seen as one of those poeple.

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Jackk719,

I hear you and I agree with you, except I would change the initial post to say there are a small minority of open carriers who seem to be making some kind of cat and mouse game out of open carrying. Don't let "not wanting to be seen as one of those people" stop you from protecting yourself. If you carry the gun on your belt and go about your normal business that you would be doing anyway, you won't be seen as one of them.

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Agreed, NLT.

Another thing that can, and should, be done is to attempt to educate the "small minority of open carriers" who insist on playing games with the cops. Let's not celebrate the escapades of certain showoffs with poor judgment (e.g., danbus at Suffolk).

Instead, let's celebrate the poise and rightnessof guys like Chet S. in Norfolk and Tony's 7 in Manassas. As well as all the other many non-yayhoo OCers that are part of this community.

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Jackk719 wrote:

Im just curious to why I find multiple videos on youtube of people chasing police around a city on a police scanner wanting them to confront them. I just dont want to be seen as one of those poeple.

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Thankfully, whoever these nimrods are who are behaving this way, are very few and far inbetween. You find these videos on YouTube because there are thoughtless, tasteless idiots everywhere and they seem to like to put their thoughtless, tasteless behavior up for all to see. I haven't been looking for these videos but have seen only one - where a woman is walking around town while openly carrying....topless. Yeah, these folks aren't our spokespersons, nor does this majority promote or condone such behavior.

No matter what group you single out, in it, there will be bad apples. The OC and Pro-2A movement is no exception. We, too, would like those who do not represent us in a neutral or positive manner weeded out but no organization or group is without its black sheep.

I wouldn't want to be thought of as one of those people, either. Nor would any good cop want to be generalized by the behavior of a bad cop. Nor would any decent black folks want to be generalized asgangsters/thugs. There will always be those who identify others by the worst of their likes. That's out of anyone's control. The best you can do is just NOT be one of those people. Cross your "t's" and dot your "i's" and carry with confidence. Don't want to be grouped as a bad apple? Simply don't be one and profess your dislike for those who are.

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What are you saying? If I don't want to be treated and looked upon like a dirtbag, I should just not act like one? (sarcasm off)

The sad thing is that so many people just don't get this simple bit of common sense.

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I think we need a special forum for these nimrods, so we can publicly ridicule them, and indicate they do not represent us here. Frankly, I had no idea there were any OCers confronting cops. That's just idiotic.

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Statesman wrote:

I think we need a special forum for these nimrods, so we can publicly ridicule them, and indicate they do not represent us here. Frankly, I had no idea there were any OCers confronting cops. That's just idiotic.

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Hey, great idea! Let's call it opencar..... Oh, already taken.....

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Same thing, over and over. We want open carry to expand legally and socially. We just don't want anyone different than us to do it.

Danbus had poor judgment? For shame Hank.

Its just plain cowardice that places these limits on your acceptance of other peoples' rights. The same cowardice that's hounded gun rights through history.

OC with a voice or video recorder. Or don't use them. Or CC. Or do neither. Make your own choices and live with the consequences while allowing others to do the same. They may have access to information or be in a situation you have not considered. Or they may be wrong. Either way, if you want OC to prosper, support what they do right and encourage them to improve what they do wrong.

The fact is that exposure of corrupt officers does serve the purposes of the OC movement as well as society at large. We may find some methods distasteful or lack the fortitude to do it ourselves but that doesn't change the end benefit of a hot head officer being educated. Certainly officers set traps for other citizens with no qualms whatsoever. You don't even have to search You Tube, several popular TV shows celebrate the undercover videos that result (often showing 4A/5A violations by the police).

Look at the broad range of view Mike and John tolerate on this website. I've seen them each make comments regarding the beneficent impact of nearly any publicity for OC.

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Just one question.... How can this 18 year old carry a loaded gun in his car..anyone catch that..???

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NavyLT wrote:

Lthrnck wrote:

Just one question.... How can this 18 year old carry a loaded gun in his car..anyone catch that..???

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In some states it's perfectly legal. Florida and Texas, for instance. You can't assume that all states have the horrible gun laws that Ohio does.

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Nevada comes to mind. An 18 year old can lawfully open carry a firearm, and IIRC, OC in an automobile is ok. With permit, so is CC.

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I'm sorry, but I can't get on board with decrying the "other" open carriers.

Walking about with exposed breasts and carrying a firearm openly for self defense, is a perfectly reasonable exercise of God given rights.

Treating it as a cat and mouse game, getting attention, protecting your family, protesting Byzantine government are all times where it is not up to me, a humble American citizen to say when another can or cannot exercise those rights.

There is no way that I have the moral or legal justification in which to say that someone is "wrong" for the legal exercise of their rights.

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Not every thug is locked up on his birthday, some take a while to
get back in the system. He never said he could now legally carry loaded
in the car, just he was 18 and finally doing it.:uhoh:

I for one would like to see the you tube videos as well.
The freedom foundation in NH does have some great ones, but those are not
following the cops around, it is just the opposite, and haven't seen one from
a wall mart. Just public buildings and locations.

Now I must admit I have had a small baggy of catnip in my center console
for over 20 years now for those illegal car searches. Either they figured it
out, or after all this time it doesn't look like it's criminal enterprise cousin.
Just thought the other day I should worry it was swapped for the real thing
last time the car got impounded.:X

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Sorry I thought I was on the OhioCCW.org site.. was board hopping to much..

If your in a state where an 18 year old can carry in a vehicle then...............



CARRY ON!!!