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First time OC in Carnation on Saturday

ak56

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
746
Location
Carnation, Washington, USA
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THE GUY: For most of you who have not met me, I'm an overweight fifty-something white guy - yes, I fit the stereotype.

THE GUN: Since I got interested in carry while unemployed, and have only recently returned to work, I have bills to pay before I can invest in a new gun, so all I have to carry is my Ruger Standard (.22lr = see my avatar). Not exactly a small gun in its brown leather holster on my hip.

THE PLAN was for my wife and I to just go for a hike saturday, and since I normally carry a backpack with emergency supplies, even on short day-hikes, I decided to go one step farther and OC my Ruger as well. I figured that on the trail was a good place to get used to carrying without a lot of people around.

Just about ready to leave the house and my wife has one question:

Mocha?

Which means a stop at Starbucks before hitting the trailhead.

Now I know that Starbucks is gun-friendly, and the baristas all know me and my wife well, so no worry about them. The concerns are the other customers.

On sunny weekend mornings, the Carnation Starbucks is packed, inside and out, with spandex-billboard wearing cyclists. Not locals to our small town, but people from Redmond and Bellevue, etc.

So we drive up to Starbucks - sure enough it's packed. Walk past the crowd seated outside - hold the door for someone leaving - wait in line - order drinks - wait - get drinks - walk out past everyone again.

And NOTHING HAPPENED. Just as it should be. Nobody screaming and running. Didn't even see anybody take a second look.

On to the trailhead. Hiked about a five mile round trip on the Snoqualmie Valley trail, sharing the trail with joggers, cyclists (not the spandex-billboard types, more couples and families) and horseback riders. No issues at all on the trail.

A good day for my first OC.
 

Batousaii

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
1,226
Location
Kitsap Co., Washington, USA
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Thats really good to hear! - And Congratulations :celebrate

- I too have experienced..... well...... almost nothing. well, nothing negative at least. I get alot of cool conversation, curious questions, people that like the look of the old Ruger i wear, a few handshakes, sometimes forces me to relinquish a flier or two if the conversation partner is interested in firearms or OCing too. 99.9% good.

Glad to hear your first run was comfortable on a nice day.

;)Bat
 

ak56

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
746
Location
Carnation, Washington, USA
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gogodawgs wrote:
NOTHING HAPPENED?

AGAIN?

HOW CAN THAT BE????

Your gun didn't shoot any children? I call BS on this one folks!



:what::dude::cuss::cry::banghead::p

No, really, absolutely nothing happened:D. It stayed in its holster like a good little gun, behaved itself perfectly.

And thanks to everyone (ok, maybe not everyone, but most of you) on OCDO, and what I've learned from you on this site, I walked in there feeling confident and not at all nervous (just very aware of my surroundings).
 

Bookman

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
1,424
Location
Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States
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ak56 wrote:
gogodawgs wrote:


... I walked in there feeling confident and not at all nervous (just very aware of my surroundings).

Isn't it amazing how much awareness heightens when you start carrying openly? My problem, at first, was to keep myself from looking like a nervous Meth freak. I also felt a little paranoid, thinking everybody was looking at me. It took me a few times to get really comfortable with it. Now I rarely go anywhere without something hanging from my belt.
 
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