provita
New member
Hello everyone! I'm a constant lurker here on the forums, never posting, simply reading. To preface, I come from a family that is a mixed bag of anti-gunners (in Louisiana? Yeah... really), those that are more-than-likely apathetic to the concept, and one uncle who owns a shotgun that he has not fired in over twenty years. Point being: I was not raised around weapons of any sort. To give a brief explanation of my familiarity with firearms up-to-date: fired my first gun ever around four years ago, carried my first pocket knife at age 17, even though my anti-weapon mother shook her head in disgust. Went to college, and now at the age of twenty-one I have in the past few years of working through school and saving money acquired three rifles and two pistols. While certainly no expert, I pride myself in loving to read every forum I can find, watching every video, reading every book, watching every dvd, and discussing all I can at the range and at the gun shows to get a better familiarity with what I never had as a child. I am about to apply for my concealed carry permit; however, I waited until I had a firearm I was confident would function and also a firearm I could feel comfortable shooting without hitting any innocents (practice, practice, practice).
I honestly never planned to open carry. That being said, to pay the bills I found as a college student that tipped jobs pay far more than paychecks, and so I am a pizza delivery driver. Along with that come some obvious dangers, especially the concept of going to a stranger's house in a horrible neighborhood carrying food, money, and perhaps a free car. While we have only been robbed three times in the past two years (yeah... "only"), the last one was relatively violent in that three men flanked the driver after he turned a dark corner and put a gun behind his head. They stole everything. His money, food, social (which he idiotically kept with him), and everything in his car. They then made him drive them to a darker corner in the apartment complex and beat him up pretty good. That was 10 months ago, before I could purchase a handgun.
I've wanted to carry for years now, and have at least tried to keep a mature and level head about it all, learning what I could and being diligent to learn more. That said, during holidays most college students leave LSU... which leaves a substantial amount of the deliveries destined for the lovely hood. I know I should find a better job... better hours, better pay, better environment, etc. Until I find that in this economy, I sadly have to stick with what I have. So: last night, I was on my way to deliver to the "hood" again, and I got a bad feeling in my gut. Sometimes I go to the hood and remain cautious but unnerved. Other times I go in incredibly paranoid, a gut feeling I shouldn't be going where I'm going. Paranoia, common sense, call it what you will. I just so happened to have my j-frame in my car and an iwb holster in the back, so I strapped that baby on with my shirt tucked in behind it, as to open carry. Completely visible to a person with horrible eye-sight, I knew I was well within the law.
The gut feeling went away. I certainly was no idiot, I didn't walk around with a chip on my shoulder or felt at all invincible... if anything, I was even more cautious. However, I didn't have this sick feeling of throwing up that I occasionally get when delivering to a really bad neighborhood. This low level of comfort was met, though, with a new feeling... the fear that the attention my gun would give me might not be a deterrent at all, but might invite an attack for a "free gun." I've read the debates, so spare me, but honestly I've had no retention training, my holster only had passive retention (the belt), and five shots is only so much, even with a speedloader.
I'm new to this, obviously concealed carry for me is a better option until I do a meetup and get more comfortable (even then, in a bad neighborhood, I just don't know). I should have worn a holster with active retention, I shouldn't go to a bad neighborhood, I should have a carry licence, etc. I just wanted to share with you guys with far far more experience than I a day that I wore a pistol for the first time (ever, and openly) for a good ten-hour shift, and that I strangely felt less vulnerable in normal areas and more vulnerable in the hood.
Any thoughts?
I honestly never planned to open carry. That being said, to pay the bills I found as a college student that tipped jobs pay far more than paychecks, and so I am a pizza delivery driver. Along with that come some obvious dangers, especially the concept of going to a stranger's house in a horrible neighborhood carrying food, money, and perhaps a free car. While we have only been robbed three times in the past two years (yeah... "only"), the last one was relatively violent in that three men flanked the driver after he turned a dark corner and put a gun behind his head. They stole everything. His money, food, social (which he idiotically kept with him), and everything in his car. They then made him drive them to a darker corner in the apartment complex and beat him up pretty good. That was 10 months ago, before I could purchase a handgun.
I've wanted to carry for years now, and have at least tried to keep a mature and level head about it all, learning what I could and being diligent to learn more. That said, during holidays most college students leave LSU... which leaves a substantial amount of the deliveries destined for the lovely hood. I know I should find a better job... better hours, better pay, better environment, etc. Until I find that in this economy, I sadly have to stick with what I have. So: last night, I was on my way to deliver to the "hood" again, and I got a bad feeling in my gut. Sometimes I go to the hood and remain cautious but unnerved. Other times I go in incredibly paranoid, a gut feeling I shouldn't be going where I'm going. Paranoia, common sense, call it what you will. I just so happened to have my j-frame in my car and an iwb holster in the back, so I strapped that baby on with my shirt tucked in behind it, as to open carry. Completely visible to a person with horrible eye-sight, I knew I was well within the law.
The gut feeling went away. I certainly was no idiot, I didn't walk around with a chip on my shoulder or felt at all invincible... if anything, I was even more cautious. However, I didn't have this sick feeling of throwing up that I occasionally get when delivering to a really bad neighborhood. This low level of comfort was met, though, with a new feeling... the fear that the attention my gun would give me might not be a deterrent at all, but might invite an attack for a "free gun." I've read the debates, so spare me, but honestly I've had no retention training, my holster only had passive retention (the belt), and five shots is only so much, even with a speedloader.
I'm new to this, obviously concealed carry for me is a better option until I do a meetup and get more comfortable (even then, in a bad neighborhood, I just don't know). I should have worn a holster with active retention, I shouldn't go to a bad neighborhood, I should have a carry licence, etc. I just wanted to share with you guys with far far more experience than I a day that I wore a pistol for the first time (ever, and openly) for a good ten-hour shift, and that I strangely felt less vulnerable in normal areas and more vulnerable in the hood.
Any thoughts?
