Domino's Pizza delivery

Tonight I have been busy packing up my apartment getting ready for my long and torturous move across the street, so I decided about a hour and half ago to call my local Poulsbo Domino's. I always carry even while inside my apartment so I didn't think much about my gun when I opened my door for the delivery driver. The delivery man was a middle age male who was distracted when I first opened my door trying to find my receipt in a mess of papers in his hands. As he lifted his head up to greet me you could watch his head pause midway as he saw my gun. He looked confused for a moment like he was trying to do a difficult math problem but never showed any emotion other than confusion. He paused for only a moment, kind of shrugged and then greeted me and handed me my pizza. This also confused me at first because I had forgotten it was even wearing it. We chatted for a few minutes, he was very friendly and looking at the amount of receipts he had in his hands I think he was trying to take a quick break before getting back in his car. The rest of the encounter went very well he never again seemed to notice my gun, or did he ever give me a dirty look or ask me about it.

It sounds like he was just surprised to see someone openly carrying a gun. After that, I guess figured "What the heck! I have a pizza to deliver."

Probably figured you were a cop (after all, who else would carry a gun around inside their house? Or at all for that matter? ). Given the kinds of things pizza delivery drivers end up seeing when that door opens, he probably counted himself lucky

Why are those described so often by members in a negative way when someone is surprised by someone wearing a firearm?
I know many here want the open carry to be common in today's society but it is unrealistic to expect it to be so soon, avoid conveying this attitude in these encounters as it will turn more away then do good.

The statement of "I had forgotten it was even wearing it" is sadly a statement of not taking wearing a firearm serious enough.
How many people really forget they are carrying a firearm in this group?

Big Dave you have a point carrying a gun is definitely something to take seriously but there is definitely a difference between me carrying down the street and in my apartment. I am always aware of my gun and the people around me when I'm out in public but once I get inside my home and lock the door the stress level goes way down. I certainly never forgot I had a loaded gun on my hip but once I'm home I revert back to the mind set I had in my home growing up. That is men carry guns, a man not carrying a gun when I was growing up would have been abnormal. After a few hours of lifting boxes and moving around my mind had forgotten it was even possible to get a reaction out of someone. I had forgotten even the possibility of getting a reaction out of someone for carrying if that makes sense.

BigDave said:

Why are those described so often by members in a negative way when someone is surprised by someone wearing a firearm?
I know many here want the open carry to be common in today's society but it is unrealistic to expect it to be so soon, avoid conveying this attitude in these encounters as it will turn more away then do good.

The statement of "I had forgotten it was even wearing it" is sadly a statement of not taking wearing a firearm serious enough.
How many people really forget they are carrying a firearm in this group?

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That puzzles me too.

While wearing a pistol certainly has become routine in daily life, I do not EVER forget that its on me. And while I wouldn't necessarily bother covering up to keep from startling the pizza guy, I also don't need every Joe and Jane delivery person to know I have guns in the house. You don’t exactly have to pass a background check to deliver pizzas, and convicted criminals on probation have to work too. :uhoh:

OCing in public to make the act more "normal" to the general public is one thing, but I personally draw a line at advertising the fact I have firearms to every stranger that comes to my home, or advertising it on my car which could easily be traced back to my address or notify a car prowler that I may have a firearm hidden within.

fire suppressor said:

This also confused me at first because I had forgotten it was even wearing it.

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What would you have done if the Pizza Guy turned out to be a Home Invader? If you forgot you were wearing your gun what would you have used to defend yourself?

In well over 40 years of carrying a handgun I have never "forgotten" that I was wearing it. May not have been something I thought of every second but was always "aware" of its presence. Never forgotten.

I get pizza delivered fairly often, never had a bad encounter with the delivery person. I have had a few comments but all have been positive. I have handed out several gun rights pamphlets that way.

OCing in public to make the act more "normal" to the general public is one thing, but I personally draw a line at advertising the fact I have firearms to every stranger that comes to my home, or advertising it on my car which could easily be traced back to my address or notify a car prowler that I may have a firearm hidden within.

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FMCDH,
Although I understand your line of reasoning, I often carry around my house, or at the very least I have my holster on and the gun is sitting close by. I would rather have the stranger at the door know that if he comes back in a "less than friendly" fashion that he will have a fight on his hands, rather than think I'm Joe average homeowner who can be taken advantage of.
I feel it comes down to the mindset that many share on here, that a criminal will likely choose the easier place to knock over rather than the place he knows may be hazardous to his health.
The counterpoint to my line of thought certainly is that if they know there are firearms and they really want them, they will come in force.
Although I too don't like to advertise that I have guns at home, I have found that when having contractors over to the house, both of my safes are generally visible to the individuals working on the house. Although I'm not necessarily comfortable with this, I've not found a way around it yet. I often choose to be armed when they are working in the house.

(after all, who else would carry a gun around inside their house? )

I do. At home it may get covered by a sweatshirt, maybe not. Outside the home I just keep making sure it is out in the open. The people I have been dealing with on a semidaily basis, (shops, hardware, today my bank) do not even seem to notice. If I feel calm and comfortable, those around me seem to be calm and comfortable.

MSG Laigaie said:

I do. At home it may get covered by a sweatshirt, maybe not. Outside the home I just keep making sure it is out in the open. The people I have been dealing with on a semidaily basis, (shops, hardware, today my bank) do not even seem to notice. If I feel calm and comfortable, those around me seem to be calm and comfortable.

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That was meant to be facetious

Don't you think you guys are being a lil harsh towards the OP? Perhaps he used a poor choice of words, but there's "forgetting" and then there's "forgetting." Especially at home.

Perhaps the fact it was on his hip was simply not on the front burner, but rather on the back burner. Still there, just not in immediate thought. When I'm at home I don't constantly think "There's a gun on my hip." over and over. I'm fairly confident that if a situation had risen, the OP would have gone for the right hip.

Lighten up, guys.

.45ACPaddy said:

Lighten up, guys.

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Where's the fun in that? What's wrong with a friendly poke

or two?

Pizza guy needs to get his head out of Condition White, or one of these days he'll find a gun pointed at his face, instead of holstered on someone's hip.

I've answered the door for pizza while OCing in my house (in Texas). The only thing anyone notices are the dogs. Our Domino's labels say "WARNING MONSTERS IN YARD". lol

I've never forgot I'm carrying OC but have carrying CC in the house. I was laying on the couch and turned and then said "Ouch!" Guns don't feel good pressed in your side, even when you're wearing them.

BTW. The pizza guy thing seems like a non-story to me.

OlGutshotWilly said:

FMCDH,
Although I understand your line of reasoning, I often carry around my house, or at the very least I have my holster on and the gun is sitting close by. I would rather have the stranger at the door know that if he comes back in a "less than friendly" fashion that he will have a fight on his hands, rather than think I'm Joe average homeowner who can be taken advantage of.
I feel it comes down to the mindset that many share on here, that a criminal will likely choose the easier place to knock over rather than the place he knows may be hazardous to his health.
The counterpoint to my line of thought certainly is that if they know there are firearms and they really want them, they will come in force.
Although I too don't like to advertise that I have guns at home, I have found that when having contractors over to the house, both of my safes are generally visible to the individuals working on the house. Although I'm not necessarily comfortable with this, I've not found a way around it yet. I often choose to be armed when they are working in the house.

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Don't get me wrong, I carry around the house normally, or its somewhere near at hand if not on me. I just don't answer the door OC unless I know the person.

well,,,

FMCDH said:

Don't get me wrong, I carry around the house normally, or its somewhere near at hand if not on me. I just don't answer the door OC unless I know the person.

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this sounds some how backassward!

if i know the friend thats at the door,
i dont bother to arm up!

if i dont know who that is at my door,
you can bet ill be carrying!

He hasn't forgotten like he doesn't know he is wearing a firearm. Just like you don't think about the underwear you put on until you take it off, doesn't mean you forgot you were wearing any. It's just not an issue except those who believe in compromising or concealing not to "scare" anybody, or worse yet I feel about many CC'ers looking for a chance to use it.

well,,,

well,,,,

I really think too many folks are turning into barracks lawyers or English teachers and reading waaaaay too much into the way something is presented.

So the fact that he was wearinf a firearm was not at the front of his mind, he didn't think as he was greeting the pizza driver "Gee, I'm wearing a GUN!"

After wearing (mostly CC) one or more pistols for over 40 years, I am aware of having them on me, and would feel naked without them, just as I am aware of my wristwatch and feel naked without one.

That doesn't mean that every minute of my waking life I'm hyper-aware of having a firearm, wristwatch, or even a ____ and _____ in my pants - though that is certainly important, at least to me. :lol:

So give the OP a break, OK. He simply wasn't hyper-aware of his firearm or it being visible and possibly startling to the pizza driver. He didn't mean that he had literally forgotten he had a firearm.