caltain
Regular Member
imported post
I've been carrying openly in NOVA, specifically Reston-Herndon-Sterling area, for over ten years. In all that time, I've only had one negative experience. This happened three years ago, but I just found you guys. ;-)
I was at the IHOP in Sterling on Rte. 7 on a Saturday morning. I've been having breakfast there, and carrying openly, several times a week since the day they opened. I don't order anymore, they just bring my usual when I sit down. Great people there, by the way.
Having finished my meal, I qued up to pay. For those that don't know, it's a pay at the front affair there. So I'm standing about three deep in the line and someone leans on my right side, from the rear, or about my 4 o'clock. I shoot right, so my Sig was holstered on that side, and someone was now leaning on me, making contact from thigh to shoulder.
Needless to say that I was pretty concerned because the pressure didn't immediately disappear, as it would if someone had fallen or been pushed into me. I turned to look and took a half-step left 'cause that was all the room I had in the crowd by the register. As I move left, so does the guy leaning up against me, sustaining the fill-side contact.
As soon as we make eye contact he says "Should I be worried?" Stunned and confused (just gave up caffeine the day before) I replied "Excuse me?!?"
He repeats the question and adds "I see a gun, but I don't see a badge." I stated that was because I have a gun and I don't have a badge. He immediately commanded me to show him some ID. I refused and he demanded again that I produce my ID. Lather, rinse, repeat. You all know the drill, I'm sure. All the while, he's still pinning my gun with his body and I have no room to move.
Near the end of this merry-go-round, he says he's with FBI and repeats the demand for ID. When I again refused, for the seventh time (I counted) and demanded that he show me his credentials, HE refused. Then he upps the ante saying show him some ID or he's going to call 911. I twice more demanded to see his credentials while he continued to demand that I produce ID. He caved first when I said that if he didn't produce his creds, I was gonna call 911 and whipped out my cell and started dialing. After he flashed his creds, I showed him my license, which he removed from my wallet and put in his pocket. He's still leaning on me, by the way.
He then orders me to exit the restaurant so he can call for a local cruiser to pick me up. I refused, on the grounds that I hadn't yet paid, which would be illegal. He said "they'll wait." I replied that so would I, and so would he.
Apparently, my bald defiance and icy calm demeanor made him decide that it would be a bad idea to try to frog-march me out the door, so we waited untill I had paid. As he was following me out the door, he asked "Is that thing loaded?" I stopped dead in my tracks. "Absolutely" I replied in a low tone, "and chambered." No response to that one...
When we got outside, he whips out his cell phone and orders me to go stand by a nearby sign, away from the door. I complied and leaned against the sign. Doing my best James Dean, I lit a cigarette and waited while he called 911. The rest of the story is best as dialogue, so...
"Police emergency," he says.
"I have a man here with a gun!"
Pause.
"No, Ma'am, he's not brandishing it..."
Pause.
"Well, it's in a holster on his hip."
Pause.
"No, he's not law enforcement."
Pause.
"Yes, ma'am..."
Pause.
"Yes,ma'am"
Pause.
"No, ma'am."
Pause.
"Agent -----, with the FBI..."
Pause.
"No, ma'am, I don't think we need an officer to respond. "
At this point I leaned forward and took the cell phone from him and told the operator that I was the victim, and I wanted an officer to respond immediately. I then hung up and returned his phone.
The cruiser arrived about a minute later. The nice deputy questioned us both, and then pointedly and loudly asked if I wanted to file assault charges. I stated that I feared reprisals, and asked him to just document the case, which he did.
Sorry for the long narrative, but the tale begs detail. Otherwise, it would just be too much to believe.
Thoughts? Comments?
Caltain aka Dan Brooks
I've been carrying openly in NOVA, specifically Reston-Herndon-Sterling area, for over ten years. In all that time, I've only had one negative experience. This happened three years ago, but I just found you guys. ;-)
I was at the IHOP in Sterling on Rte. 7 on a Saturday morning. I've been having breakfast there, and carrying openly, several times a week since the day they opened. I don't order anymore, they just bring my usual when I sit down. Great people there, by the way.
Having finished my meal, I qued up to pay. For those that don't know, it's a pay at the front affair there. So I'm standing about three deep in the line and someone leans on my right side, from the rear, or about my 4 o'clock. I shoot right, so my Sig was holstered on that side, and someone was now leaning on me, making contact from thigh to shoulder.
Needless to say that I was pretty concerned because the pressure didn't immediately disappear, as it would if someone had fallen or been pushed into me. I turned to look and took a half-step left 'cause that was all the room I had in the crowd by the register. As I move left, so does the guy leaning up against me, sustaining the fill-side contact.
As soon as we make eye contact he says "Should I be worried?" Stunned and confused (just gave up caffeine the day before) I replied "Excuse me?!?"
He repeats the question and adds "I see a gun, but I don't see a badge." I stated that was because I have a gun and I don't have a badge. He immediately commanded me to show him some ID. I refused and he demanded again that I produce my ID. Lather, rinse, repeat. You all know the drill, I'm sure. All the while, he's still pinning my gun with his body and I have no room to move.
Near the end of this merry-go-round, he says he's with FBI and repeats the demand for ID. When I again refused, for the seventh time (I counted) and demanded that he show me his credentials, HE refused. Then he upps the ante saying show him some ID or he's going to call 911. I twice more demanded to see his credentials while he continued to demand that I produce ID. He caved first when I said that if he didn't produce his creds, I was gonna call 911 and whipped out my cell and started dialing. After he flashed his creds, I showed him my license, which he removed from my wallet and put in his pocket. He's still leaning on me, by the way.
He then orders me to exit the restaurant so he can call for a local cruiser to pick me up. I refused, on the grounds that I hadn't yet paid, which would be illegal. He said "they'll wait." I replied that so would I, and so would he.
Apparently, my bald defiance and icy calm demeanor made him decide that it would be a bad idea to try to frog-march me out the door, so we waited untill I had paid. As he was following me out the door, he asked "Is that thing loaded?" I stopped dead in my tracks. "Absolutely" I replied in a low tone, "and chambered." No response to that one...
When we got outside, he whips out his cell phone and orders me to go stand by a nearby sign, away from the door. I complied and leaned against the sign. Doing my best James Dean, I lit a cigarette and waited while he called 911. The rest of the story is best as dialogue, so...
"Police emergency," he says.
"I have a man here with a gun!"
Pause.
"No, Ma'am, he's not brandishing it..."
Pause.
"Well, it's in a holster on his hip."
Pause.
"No, he's not law enforcement."
Pause.
"Yes, ma'am..."
Pause.
"Yes,ma'am"
Pause.
"No, ma'am."
Pause.
"Agent -----, with the FBI..."
Pause.
"No, ma'am, I don't think we need an officer to respond. "
At this point I leaned forward and took the cell phone from him and told the operator that I was the victim, and I wanted an officer to respond immediately. I then hung up and returned his phone.
The cruiser arrived about a minute later. The nice deputy questioned us both, and then pointedly and loudly asked if I wanted to file assault charges. I stated that I feared reprisals, and asked him to just document the case, which he did.
Sorry for the long narrative, but the tale begs detail. Otherwise, it would just be too much to believe.
Thoughts? Comments?
Caltain aka Dan Brooks