thejax
Regular Member
imported post
So my FL Permit covers me in PA and my friend I was with is a PA resident and has a Delco permit. We were open carrying anyway but as a rule that we go by in Philadelphia County or the suburbs, we wear that "Legally Armed" permit holder on our hip which openly shows the permit when we open carry so that there is no confusion. Never had a problem open carrying there since we wore them.
We were shopping at this computer store in Radnor. The one that has everything. Not naming names.
There was a uniformed municipal LEO in the store looking like he was doing shopping after work. We did not see him until he walked in the same isle. He was browsing the shelf looking for something and we were doing the same. He looks up at us and greets us friendly.
He then stops and looks at our firearms. He then got a stern stance. He started to say "Who are you wizzzzzzzzzz" as he was going to finish the word "with" I seen him eye our permits, which we don't need but have them there for the obvious reason.
He then says "Oh, you are holders of permits to carry those firearms. Oh. Ok". We both said, "Yep thats correct. I'm a techy kinda guy, did you need help finding something?". At that point I helped him find the external hard drive enclosure he wanted.
After I helped him he looks at me and says, "Why do you have a FL Permit?" I replied that I was a non-resident who lives across the river but my FL permit covers me here to carry concealed. He shakes his head in agreement and says "Well its valid here so you are good to go. Not like I care but you know."
Then he turns to my friend who has a PA county permit for the county we are in. He says "And you, well you have a Delco permit, eh? I think your PA residence really compliments your permit". My friend looks at him and says "What do you mean?". He says "Well some states you can get a permit but god forbid you mention to an officer you are legally carrying". He then looks at me and says "I was in NYC on official business for a funeral and I was carrying and afterwards we went to a diner to eat before we headed back and several NYPD officers were very unhappy about it. Even though we were in our dress uniform".
So we just nod and go "uh huh". So then he says "Yea, you living in PA really compliments your permit because if you are legally carrying we don't hassle you too much about it and you can kinda go wherever you want within the law without worrying about being harassed". We then understood why he made the comment and we shook his hand and said we appreciated it. He also said "You know you don't need to have your permits visible ever but I have to be honest, if they weren't visible to me we would of been having a very different conversation". We agreed and told him we know as sometimes an LEO just is doing his job and checking and that we are legit and when we open carry, it settles confusion with officers and even more importantly, the public. He than says "Yea, no one usually questions an armed security guard who is open carrying. He is in uniform. This is your way of also telling the public, its ok".
With that he walked away and we kept shopping. We shop in this store all the time open carrying and never any problems. We do sometimes get questions from people that work there that live across the river. We just laugh.
Good encounter though.
(I store my firearms in PA by the way)
So my FL Permit covers me in PA and my friend I was with is a PA resident and has a Delco permit. We were open carrying anyway but as a rule that we go by in Philadelphia County or the suburbs, we wear that "Legally Armed" permit holder on our hip which openly shows the permit when we open carry so that there is no confusion. Never had a problem open carrying there since we wore them.
We were shopping at this computer store in Radnor. The one that has everything. Not naming names.
There was a uniformed municipal LEO in the store looking like he was doing shopping after work. We did not see him until he walked in the same isle. He was browsing the shelf looking for something and we were doing the same. He looks up at us and greets us friendly.
He then stops and looks at our firearms. He then got a stern stance. He started to say "Who are you wizzzzzzzzzz" as he was going to finish the word "with" I seen him eye our permits, which we don't need but have them there for the obvious reason.
He then says "Oh, you are holders of permits to carry those firearms. Oh. Ok". We both said, "Yep thats correct. I'm a techy kinda guy, did you need help finding something?". At that point I helped him find the external hard drive enclosure he wanted.
After I helped him he looks at me and says, "Why do you have a FL Permit?" I replied that I was a non-resident who lives across the river but my FL permit covers me here to carry concealed. He shakes his head in agreement and says "Well its valid here so you are good to go. Not like I care but you know."
Then he turns to my friend who has a PA county permit for the county we are in. He says "And you, well you have a Delco permit, eh? I think your PA residence really compliments your permit". My friend looks at him and says "What do you mean?". He says "Well some states you can get a permit but god forbid you mention to an officer you are legally carrying". He then looks at me and says "I was in NYC on official business for a funeral and I was carrying and afterwards we went to a diner to eat before we headed back and several NYPD officers were very unhappy about it. Even though we were in our dress uniform".
So we just nod and go "uh huh". So then he says "Yea, you living in PA really compliments your permit because if you are legally carrying we don't hassle you too much about it and you can kinda go wherever you want within the law without worrying about being harassed". We then understood why he made the comment and we shook his hand and said we appreciated it. He also said "You know you don't need to have your permits visible ever but I have to be honest, if they weren't visible to me we would of been having a very different conversation". We agreed and told him we know as sometimes an LEO just is doing his job and checking and that we are legit and when we open carry, it settles confusion with officers and even more importantly, the public. He than says "Yea, no one usually questions an armed security guard who is open carrying. He is in uniform. This is your way of also telling the public, its ok".
With that he walked away and we kept shopping. We shop in this store all the time open carrying and never any problems. We do sometimes get questions from people that work there that live across the river. We just laugh.
Good encounter though.
(I store my firearms in PA by the way)