ak56
Campaign Veteran
imported post
THE GUY: For most of you who have not met me, I'm an overweight fifty-something white guy - yes, I fit the stereotype.
THE GUN: Since I got interested in carry while unemployed, and have only recently returned to work, I have bills to pay before I can invest in a new gun, so all I have to carry is my Ruger Standard (.22lr = see my avatar). Not exactly a small gun in its brown leather holster on my hip.
THE PLAN was for my wife and I to just go for a hike saturday, and since I normally carry a backpack with emergency supplies, even on short day-hikes, I decided to go one step farther and OC my Ruger as well. I figured that on the trail was a good place to get used to carrying without a lot of people around.
Just about ready to leave the house and my wife has one question:
Mocha?
Which means a stop at Starbucks before hitting the trailhead.
Now I know that Starbucks is gun-friendly, and the baristas all know me and my wife well, so no worry about them. The concerns are the other customers.
On sunny weekend mornings, the Carnation Starbucks is packed, inside and out, with spandex-billboard wearing cyclists. Not locals to our small town, but people from Redmond and Bellevue, etc.
So we drive up to Starbucks - sure enough it's packed. Walk past the crowd seated outside - hold the door for someone leaving - wait in line - order drinks - wait - get drinks - walk out past everyone again.
And NOTHING HAPPENED. Just as it should be. Nobody screaming and running. Didn't even see anybody take a second look.
On to the trailhead. Hiked about a five mile round trip on the Snoqualmie Valley trail, sharing the trail with joggers, cyclists (not the spandex-billboard types, more couples and families) and horseback riders. No issues at all on the trail.
A good day for my first OC.
THE GUY: For most of you who have not met me, I'm an overweight fifty-something white guy - yes, I fit the stereotype.
THE GUN: Since I got interested in carry while unemployed, and have only recently returned to work, I have bills to pay before I can invest in a new gun, so all I have to carry is my Ruger Standard (.22lr = see my avatar). Not exactly a small gun in its brown leather holster on my hip.
THE PLAN was for my wife and I to just go for a hike saturday, and since I normally carry a backpack with emergency supplies, even on short day-hikes, I decided to go one step farther and OC my Ruger as well. I figured that on the trail was a good place to get used to carrying without a lot of people around.
Just about ready to leave the house and my wife has one question:
Mocha?
Which means a stop at Starbucks before hitting the trailhead.
Now I know that Starbucks is gun-friendly, and the baristas all know me and my wife well, so no worry about them. The concerns are the other customers.
On sunny weekend mornings, the Carnation Starbucks is packed, inside and out, with spandex-billboard wearing cyclists. Not locals to our small town, but people from Redmond and Bellevue, etc.
So we drive up to Starbucks - sure enough it's packed. Walk past the crowd seated outside - hold the door for someone leaving - wait in line - order drinks - wait - get drinks - walk out past everyone again.
And NOTHING HAPPENED. Just as it should be. Nobody screaming and running. Didn't even see anybody take a second look.
On to the trailhead. Hiked about a five mile round trip on the Snoqualmie Valley trail, sharing the trail with joggers, cyclists (not the spandex-billboard types, more couples and families) and horseback riders. No issues at all on the trail.
A good day for my first OC.
Bat
