List Your Open Carry Experiences Here

smellslikemichigan said:

obviously. it's her choice to have a police report that names her in a firearms complaint as well.

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When I was stopped by Grand Rapids PD and asked about my OCing a few years ago, the FOIA'd report did not have my name and the officer never wrote it down or otherwise made note of it. My guess is that the OCer was just listed as "the individual". But we will probably never know...

The Vac Shack

Open carried last week at the Vac Shack on the corner of 36th st and Division Ave. The sales person there asked if I though this was the wild west. I asked him if he has read the news lately? He said he was from Flint and I said if i were in Flint I would likely be carrying two guns instead of one.
Another member here went to there today and the same young man said he was going to put up "no weapon" signs.
Clearly the VacShack is not open carry friendly and we should do business elsewhere!

Dr. Curth said:

This'll be my first post.
Angel

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Welcome to OCDO, and thank you for your well thought out post. You've obviously given it a lot of thought, and I appreciate it.

You've no doubt noticed that the scenario has stirred passions on both sides of the discussion. Some are sensitive to the potential of any movement toward a 'police state', never mind how small the movement is. We applaud their position.

Some are following a more winsome approach, presenting a more moderate approach to LEO interactions. We applaud them, as well. They are providing a more compassionate approach to a working cop responding to a nuisance complaint. They know its legal, but still have to slog out, and worry about dealing with someone who is potentially a little passionate about the rights.

I personally lean toward your approach; I take the approach that best reflects on the movement, and my personal opinions and beliefs. That being said, I have no doubt that you could easily hold your ground if the situation warranted it. Dynamite comes in small packages.

The best part, a third party got 'schooled' by seeing a low impact LEO interaction, and no doubt came away with some additional thoughts. Sure, they may have the feeling that the cop didn't 'do his job'. Some people just don't care for facts- guns are just 'bad'. They have placed their fears and prejudice on an object, ignoring the basic human rights surrounding firearms.

Again, thank you for a thoughtful and informative first post! Steel Magnolia and I look forward to meeting you some time at one of the many open carry luncheon / dinners / picnics held in West MI by Michigan Open Carry, another, more local, organization that supports your rights!

People that have voluntarily provided their identification when not required to do so have later received a citation in the mail sometime later which necessitated getting a lawyer and going to court in order to fight the charges.

This could have all been avoided if the individual simply declined the request.

I have provided my id when not required, but the above is one reason a person may choose not too.

lapeer20m said:

People that have voluntarily provided their identification when not required to do so have later received a citation in the mail sometime later which necessitated getting a lawyer and going to court in order to fight the charges.

This could have all been avoided if the individual simply declined the request.

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Thank you! I knew this could happen, and I have read it being talked about, but I was unsure if it ever had happened. Thanks for confirming this!

Went to Target and bought a new back up audio recorder. I want to get a cheap microphone on a wire for it, but I think I'll have to order that from the web since it's kind of a niche item you don't see in stores.

No questions comments or looks, aside from perhaps the people watching their walmart ish quantity of security cameras. :lol:

DrTodd said:

First, let me welcome a fellow OCer to the forum. I have personally openly carried in Grand Haven many times and have had no issues. Many of the same places you listed are the same that I have frequented.

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Grand Haven didn't used to be such a welcoming place for OCers. There was actually an NRA "sting" several years back because Grand Haven attempted to ignore Michigan's preemption law and state that carrying was not permitted within the city. They had a guy carry through the annual Coast Guard Festival. I don't know all the details, but the gist of it as I've been told is that he was stopped, his weapon was taken, and he was charged with a crime. The end result was the law (or ordinance) being overturned, the charges being dropped, and the man's weapon being returned. Grand Haven has come a long way since then. I open carried through the festival this year multiple times, and never got much more than a double-take.

Because of all of that, I had a hard time getting my boyfriend used to the idea of OCing. The first time we went out for lunch together, he leaned across the table and whispered, "Your gun is showing." I smiled and whispered back, "I know, it's okay!" It took him a year, but now he'll comfortably open carry as well when we go out.

Couple places I forgot to add to the list:

Applebee's - Grand Haven
Home Depot - Grand Haven and Owosso
Menards - Muskegon
PetCo - Muskegon
Chow Hound - Grand Haven

The last time I went to Barnes and Nobel in Muskegon I had a fun encounter with the cashier. She commented that it was nice to see a woman carrying. I had to laugh at myself because I'm so used to carrying that I forget the gun is there, and I wondered for a moment why it was so unusual to see a woman carrying a baby.

Dr. Curth said:

There was actually an NRA "sting" several years back because Grand Haven attempted to ignore Michigan's preemption law and state that carrying was not permitted within the city.

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I never realized the NRA was so pro-active and re-active. Got any cites? Google produces no joy.

griffin said:

I never realized the NRA was so pro-active and re-active. Got any cites? Google produces no joy.

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Really? The NRA does a lot to fight bad gun laws all over the US. They were involved in fighting the Chicago ban on owning firearms. I don't have any cites for the story, it's one I've been told several times by multiple people since moving to the area. If I can find any official mention of it, I'll post it.

griffin said:

I never realized the NRA was so pro-active and re-active. Got any cites? Google produces no joy.

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A quick Google search turned up a couple mentions of the case, but no news articles or "official sites," and no mention of the NRA involvement. The issue happened in '08, the man was arrested and charged with a 90 day misdemeanor for violation of a Grand Haven local ordinance, his gun was confiscated, and he was allowed to leave with an order to appear. The charges were dropped when the prosecutor examined the case and realized that Michigan's preemption law would prevent the charges from sticking in court. The ordinance has since been dropped or is simply no longer enforced.

Dr. Curth said:

I don't have any cites for the story, it's one I've been told several times by multiple people since moving to the area.

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Urban legend?

Dr. Curth said:

A quick Google search turned up a couple mentions of the case, but no mention of the NRA involvement.

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The entire issue is NRA involvement. Please cite NRA involvement like you originally stated. The NRA created a sting. That's the salient point. That's what you said.

You won't find it. You won't find that the NRA did a sting as you stated here.

But feel free to cite what you do find. We'll research it further.

As a personal favor to me, can you explain your "Dr. Curth" forum name? Thanks.

griffin said:

As a personal favor to me, can you explain your "Dr. Curth" forum name? Thanks.

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Dr. Curth is a character in my favorite Warhammer 40k book series by Dan Abnett. She's a mainish character - a medic.

Bronson said:

I OCed a stainless 1911 to the Super China Buffet in Battle Creek yesterday Okay I totally didn't carry my stainless 1911 but I did OC there and with the exception of the terrible food quality there were no issues.

Bronson

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OMG! I quit going to Chinese Buffet's 17 years ago..... my wife used to eat lunch regularly with her work buddies at one on Plainfield in GR. She stopped a couple months later when part of her salad crawled off the plate. I had warned her to only get the hot food! : )



When I get home I'll have to put away the Hard Chrome 1911's and carry the Stainless 1911 for a week or so .... just for fun! : )

griffin said:

You won't find that the NRA did a sting as you stated here.

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That's because it didn't happen. Many of us were around on the forums when that happened to Chris Fetters. It wasn't an "NRA sting" it was just a guy exercising his natural rights that was accosted and abused by the police. The NRA had nothing to do with it.

Bronson

Dr. Curth said:

I think the encounter would have gone much differently had I immediately become defensive, refused to show ID or CPL, and simply started spouting off my rights. So that's my two cents.

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I agree with the others that stated that you don't seem to be able to separate refusal from belligerence. It is possible to refuse and remain polite and respectful.

Dr. Curth said:

Only 10% of the interaction was "official business" and 90% pleasant social interaction.

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To contrast this a story was told on MGO about somebody that was having a friendly chat with the police after a small traffic accident. The driver kept sniffling and the officer asked him if he was ok. The driver responded that he had a bad cold and was taking all kinds of cold medicine for it. He was then issued a citation for operating under the influence and causing an accident.

They are not your friends, they are there to investigate you. Had you said ANYTHING during your "pleasant social interaction" that they could have used as RAS or PC to detain, search, or arrest you they would have done just that.

Talking to the police is like giving the hangman more rope so he can tie a better knot.

Bronson

griffin said:

Thank you! I knew this could happen, and I have read it being talked about, but I was unsure if it ever had happened. Thanks for confirming this!

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Ask Zig, he might have a story.

Bronson

Dr. Curth said:

Grand Haven didn't used to be such a welcoming place for OCers. There was actually an NRA "sting" several years back because Grand Haven attempted to ignore Michigan's preemption law and state that carrying was not permitted within the city. They had a guy carry through the annual Coast Guard Festival. I don't know all the details, but the gist of it as I've been told is that he was stopped, his weapon was taken, and he was charged with a crime. The end result was the law (or ordinance) being overturned, the charges being dropped, and the man's weapon being returned. Grand Haven has come a long way since then. I open carried through the festival this year multiple times, and never got much more than a double-take.

Because of all of that, I had a hard time getting my boyfriend used to the idea of OCing. The first time we went out for lunch together, he leaned across the table and whispered, "Your gun is showing." I smiled and whispered back, "I know, it's okay!" It took him a year, but now he'll comfortably open carry as well when we go out.

Couple places I forgot to add to the list:

Applebee's - Grand Haven
Home Depot - Grand Haven and Owosso
Menards - Muskegon
PetCo - Muskegon
Chow Hound - Grand Haven

The last time I went to Barnes and Nobel in Muskegon I had a fun encounter with the cashier. She commented that it was nice to see a woman carrying. I had to laugh at myself because I'm so used to carrying that I forget the gun is there, and I wondered for a moment why it was so unusual to see a woman carrying a baby.

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Oh, as Bronson stated in an earlier post, some of us were here then and it definitely was not an NRA "sting". If by "stopped" you mean "forced to the ground at gunpoint" by the PD then, yeah that's sort of how it happened.

Yes, things have changed for the better and I can honestly say in my 8 or so years of OCing in West Michigan, real problems have become almost non-existent. Like I said earlier, I've OC'd in Grand Haven for many years, usually 6-8x a year, and have had no problems. However, just a few months ago I did have an Ottawa County Deputy get a little agitated regarding me OCing in a gas station convenience store in Hudsonville... that though is another issue.

Since you and your boyfriend are apparently OCing somewhat regularly and if you are open to modifying your opinion of a surprisingly diverse group of individuals who have found common interest around openly carrying handguns and firearms in general, send a PM if at some point you and your significant other head out towards GR; perhaps a few of us can meet up... the more the merrier. BTW, we do have a member from Muskegon who meets up with every now and again, too. But like the proverbial "crazy uncle" who lives in the basement, we don't talk about him much (sorry backenj) :uhoh:


Carry openly... and often!

welcome DR.CURTH to OCDO, sorry about OT
as other have pointed out. you can respectively decline, without being belligerent.
think of it this way, it is because people in the past have declined violation of their 4th A rights. is the reason that the LEOs approached you in a more respectful manner.

if a LEO is respectful and polite then i would inform them that i did not have to, but i would turn over my papers to them. if they were demanding it, they would have to take me to jail.

remember, LEOs "are out to get you". it is their job to arrest someone. if they had not been after you, they would have let you do what you were legally doing to start with.

since you are new here. i thought maybe you hadn't seen this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fZQWjDVKE&feature=relmfu

carry and carry often

papa bear said:

remember, LEOs "are out to get you". it is their job to arrest someone. if they had not been after you, they would have let you do what you were legally doing to start with.

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Really? I don't know about everyone but, in all my experiences with LEOs they never seemed to be "out to get me." From Dr. Curth's description, the officers she encountered were following up a complaint. I once had a Leslie officer show up at my home in Mason on a complaint about my OCing in Leslie. His concern was the complainant stated they saw me get into a car. So he was curious if I had a CPL or not. When he was informed, he dropped the whole thing, right then. He didn't even ask to see my CPL, just took my word for it.

And FYI, if anyone living in Ingham county is reading this, he's running for Sheriff. So, vote for Clyde Smith, he's tops in my book.

Big Gay Al said:

I once had a Leslie officer show up at my home in Mason on a complaint about my OCing in Leslie. His concern was the complainant stated they saw me get into a car. So he was curious if I had a CPL or not.

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Hmmm...Leslie cop showing up in Mason? Checking to see if you have a CPL when his system would tell him that before he ever knocked on your door? And if you hadn't, what was he going to do, arrest you on the word of some third party?

A few things seem wrong with this story.