4angrybadgers
Regular Member
imported post
At the OC breakfast this morning I was asked whether I had experienced any negative LEO attention. I said that I had never had any trouble from anybody, not even a question or a scared look. Today that changed...
This afternoon I went to the Lowe's in Hammond with my parents and wife (they were looking for trees to plant in their back yard, and I just went along, well, just because). I was OCing my XD in a Serpa, wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeve USM T-shirt - typical casual wear for me.
Lowe's was quite crowded, and they had many employees working on the floor. We spent maybe 5 minutes in the outdoor garden section, and then my wife and I wandered over to the main building. Along the way an employee asked if we needed help, and I told him no thanks, we were just checking out plants that we may buy later for our new house. He then pointed to my pistol and asked "Is that real?" I said "Yes sir," and he kinda smiled and nodded, and then mentioned his gun "was taken away this week." Apparently he had to draw on an intruder, and the St. Tammany sheriff said he had to hold his gun for 7 days. (Is that even remotely legal?) I told him "good luck" and he walked on.
We looked at some bird feeders for a couple minutes, and then a young guy (late 20s) not wearing a uniform walked up behind me. I moved aside and was about to apologize for blocking his way. He sorta looked embarrassed and hesitant, explained he worked in Lowe's Loss Prevention, and asked if I was an LEO. Of course I told him "No sir," and then he asked if I had a permit. He said that a couple cashiers had "sorta freaked out" and called him to check me out. I explained that Louisiana did not require any permit for OC, but that if it was causing problems I had no issues leaving my pistol back in my car. He said it wasn't necessary, that he just wanted to make sure I wasn't causing trouble. I thanked him, and then he left.
The whole exchange was very polite and calm, and he never asked me to leave. I was rather impressed with how he handled it. I spent maybe 3 more minutes in the store getting the merchandise and checking out, and nobody approached me again.
Just goes to show you that courtesy and politeness from both parties does wonders for avoiding conflict (and police involvement ).
At the OC breakfast this morning I was asked whether I had experienced any negative LEO attention. I said that I had never had any trouble from anybody, not even a question or a scared look. Today that changed...
This afternoon I went to the Lowe's in Hammond with my parents and wife (they were looking for trees to plant in their back yard, and I just went along, well, just because). I was OCing my XD in a Serpa, wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeve USM T-shirt - typical casual wear for me.
Lowe's was quite crowded, and they had many employees working on the floor. We spent maybe 5 minutes in the outdoor garden section, and then my wife and I wandered over to the main building. Along the way an employee asked if we needed help, and I told him no thanks, we were just checking out plants that we may buy later for our new house. He then pointed to my pistol and asked "Is that real?" I said "Yes sir," and he kinda smiled and nodded, and then mentioned his gun "was taken away this week." Apparently he had to draw on an intruder, and the St. Tammany sheriff said he had to hold his gun for 7 days. (Is that even remotely legal?) I told him "good luck" and he walked on.
We looked at some bird feeders for a couple minutes, and then a young guy (late 20s) not wearing a uniform walked up behind me. I moved aside and was about to apologize for blocking his way. He sorta looked embarrassed and hesitant, explained he worked in Lowe's Loss Prevention, and asked if I was an LEO. Of course I told him "No sir," and then he asked if I had a permit. He said that a couple cashiers had "sorta freaked out" and called him to check me out. I explained that Louisiana did not require any permit for OC, but that if it was causing problems I had no issues leaving my pistol back in my car. He said it wasn't necessary, that he just wanted to make sure I wasn't causing trouble. I thanked him, and then he left.
The whole exchange was very polite and calm, and he never asked me to leave. I was rather impressed with how he handled it. I spent maybe 3 more minutes in the store getting the merchandise and checking out, and nobody approached me again.
Just goes to show you that courtesy and politeness from both parties does wonders for avoiding conflict (and police involvement ).