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What happened to all the funny looks?

kenzmad

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
96
Location
Kent, ,
When I first started OCing, almost everywhere I went, someone gave me a funny look. Quite a few of them had something to say, (are you a cop, is that legal ie.) now, no one says anything. Haven't even had a sideways look in at least 5 months. I know this is a VERY good thing and people might, just might be coming to accept us and what we do but I do kinda miss the education that I was able to provide to those that didn't know that OC is legal.

kenzmad
 

kenzmad

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
96
Location
Kent, ,
Millions of dollars in free advertising. Thanks to the OC folks in California and Starbucks.

Ya, ya gotta like free advertising. As a business owner, it is golden. who would've thought that if you honor state law, you run a successful business(starbucks)

kenzmad
 

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
c
When I first started OCing, almost everywhere I went, someone gave me a funny look. Quite a few of them had something to say, (are you a cop, is that legal ie.) now, no one says anything. Haven't even had a sideways look in at least 5 months. I know this is a VERY good thing and people might, just might be coming to accept us and what we do but I do kinda miss the education that I was able to provide to those that didn't know that OC is legal.

kenzmad

That's our goal ultimately, normalizing OC. It is working, in many respects. I usually only get questioned by Canadians now. Most folks around here seem to respect the right to carry openly even if they don't agree with it.
 

Lucky_Dog

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
71
Location
Kenmore
I got the look & question Friday in Woodinville.
A lady held the door for me as I carried a 20" square 40 pounder into the Fed X. On my way out to get the other box, she hit with such disdain in her voice I almost choked. "Why do you carry a gun?" I replied "For self protection." The superiority and disgust in her sigh as she got in the car was priceless.
I got the other box into the Fed X without further issue.
 
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kenshin

Regular Member
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
285
Location
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
When I first started OCing, almost everywhere I went, someone gave me a funny look. Quite a few of them had something to say, (are you a cop, is that legal ie.) now, no one says anything. Haven't even had a sideways look in at least 5 months. I know this is a VERY good thing and people might, just might be coming to accept us and what we do but I do kinda miss the education that I was able to provide to those that didn't know that OC is legal.

kenzmad

I could also very well be your level of comfort with OC has grown. I know that when I first started OCing I was more than a little nervous and I'm sure it showed a bit in my body language, etc.. I got a lot more funny looks when I first started as well. But OCing is much more natural for me now and I think being calm and confident in your right to OC also puts others around you at ease.
 

Ajetpilot

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2007
Messages
1,416
Location
Olalla, Kitsap County, Washington, USA
I could also very well be your level of comfort with OC has grown. I know that when I first started OCing I was more than a little nervous and I'm sure it showed a bit in my body language, etc.. I got a lot more funny looks when I first started as well. But OCing is much more natural for me now and I think being calm and confident in your right to OC also puts others around you at ease.

Very true, kenshin. People seem to "mirror" other people. If they perceive you as nervous or uneasy, they will appear they same way, probably because they are. That's another good reason to simply OC every time we can.
 

kenzmad

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
96
Location
Kent, ,
I honestly don't think that there has been much change in opinion. But if you are around the same people every day, those individuals may become more accepting/desensitized to the issue. For instance, I carried at my local Starbucks in Kirkland quite often. I could always account on someone calling the police and a band of four or more police showing up and checking the situation out. To their credit, I was never approached or harrassed. They simply showed up, grabbed a coffee, stayed a few minutes then bolted. After time, the Starbucks employees actually started talking to me and recognizing me as someone they could have a casual conversation with. Many even asked me about why I carry. My response is never to say simply reply "personal protection" when asked. I respond with a question. I say "Are you aware that the police have absolutely no duty to defend or otherwise help you as an individual?" That starts an actual conversation and usually the response is "that can't be true". In which case I get to educate the individual on landmark "no-duty to protect" cases. I then get to tell them of instances where this no-duty was applied in the state.

That was before my recent arrest. Now that my case is dismissed, and I'm getting my firearm back, I have come back to Starbucks tonight where I'm posting this message from. I realized in the three months it has taken my case to get dismissed, I have a whole new set of employees here. I'm hoping I don't have to go through the same silent treatment again.

was your arrest related to OCing your firearm?

kenzmad
 

BigDave

Opt-Out Members
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
3,456
Location
Yakima, Washington, USA
Not meant to pick on you and your choice of carry (I am just glad you carry), I am curious if OC might have deterred the whole scenario.

Is there anything indicating open carry stops or prevents crime? something besides speculation.
Is it not more about ones awareness and choices ones makes will greatly influence an encounter?
 

xxx.jakk.xxx

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
467
Not meant to pick on you and your choice of carry (I am just glad you carry), I am curious if OC might have deterred the whole scenario.

From what I've seen on the forum, I don't think that it would have stopped anyone. It seems that BGs out there will advance on a law abiding citizen, whether carrying or not, and not think the person will fight back.
 

acmariner99

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
655
Location
Renton, Wa
Good question SVG. I have anecdotal reasons for believing they would have advanced more quickly if I was OCing. After drawing my firearm, the bad guys jumped back. They were still yelling at me, but at least they were no longer a credible threat to me. There were initially five BGs involved and I only had sight of four of them, I didn't need a surprise from behind, so once there was enough space between me and the BGs, I holstered my firearm. Once they realized that I holstered the weapon, they came back at me. They circled me repeatedly swatting at me, taunting and making threats. They knew I had the firearm. So, I think if I was OCing they would still have acted the way they did.

Just because someone is OCing doesn't mean there is no guarantee of no confrontation if a BG wants to go after you. OCing does have the advantage of possibly making a BG reconsider his choice of victim and therefore the gun does its job without ever leaving the holster. On the other hand, it may encourage a BG to think you are looking for a fight. Even after defending yourself with your firearm, they still tried to threaten you. It would have been a whole different ball game if you didnt have the gun at all.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
Just because someone is OCing doesn't mean there is no guarantee of no confrontation if a BG wants to go after you. OCing does have the advantage of possibly making a BG reconsider his choice of victim and therefore the gun does its job without ever leaving the holster. On the other hand, it may encourage a BG to think you are looking for a fight. Even after defending yourself with your firearm, they still tried to threaten you. It would have been a whole different ball game if you didnt have the gun at all.

Totally agree that there is no guarantee. There is no guarantee that an openly carried firearm will deter and there is even the possibility that it may lead to a confrontation. There's always that one person that likes a confrontation. If the fact you are OC'ing "offends" them they will no doubt have something to say. That doesn't mean that every confrontation will result in you having to defend yourself. People like this are not necessarily "Bad Guys" but often they are just stupid.

OC or CC is a matter of choice. Learning how to deal with people that dislike OC is all part of that choice. For those that don't want to bother, then their is CC.
 

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
Good thoughts all I just ask because I have experienced the deterrent effect and so have others I have talked to on here of open carry.

Most BG's still have an inherent sense of self preservations.
 
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