Awkward situation at lunch...

[Guest UncleB]

I was headed to lunch with a few friends yesterday, and en route they decided to go to a sports bar, and immediately I began contemplating my options as to what to do with my sidearm per "onsite consumption ordinance". Do I go with the "concealed means concealed" approach, or stash the pistol in my friend's vehicle? When we pulled into the parking lot, I asked the driver (a good friend) if he had room in his glove box for me to store something during lunch. Without hesitation he said yes, and while the others walked inside, I unholstered and put the pistol in the glove box, and then locked the doors. The awkward moment arose when lunch was over, it was pouring rain outside, and I was the last one to the car. In view of all others in the car, I had to reach into the glove box to retrieve my pistol and holster it as I climbed into the back seat. There was an odd silence in the car and some looks of alarm (basically indicating their "WTF?" response). Finally, one of the guys spoke up and asked "So your packing now? What's up with that?" I simply explained that I have a permit that allows me to carry, and that I go armed for the same reason I wear a seatbelt in the car or a helmet on the motorcycle. We all hope that nothing goes wrong, but when it does I want to have every advantage to protect myself and my family. The point is, I prefer to be discrete and adhere to the principle of always carry, never tell. What does one do when faced with a situation where one is forced legally to disarm and everyone around will now see the firearm, and then you have to have this conversation to calm everyone down?

[Fallguy]

Well...I've never really been in that or similar situation so I can't say. I'm not sure what your next destination was or the order of depature there, but I guess could have left it in the glovebox until you go where you were going.

But personally I'm not worried about being discrete, even less so around friends. I mean I don't go around announcing it to the world, but don't really care who knows.

[molonlabetn]

I turned out okay... no reason to overanalyze it. It was a valid (and legal) choice you made.

Personally, I hope that the law is changed. But in the meantime, we do what we've got to do.

[Guest triggertime]

You should have left it in the glove box during the car ride and

retrieved it after everyone piled out of the car at the next

destination. See, this is why car-pooling sucks. You will

always find yourself in uncomfortable situations because

you never know where you'll end up.

[Guest 2HOW]

Now you get to see how good of friends your friends are.

[Guest UncleB]

I would add that later in the day a couple of the guys commented that they were initially caught off guard at the sight of a firearm, but are completely supportive of my decision to carry.

[Guest canynracer]

I would encourage them to go to the range with you... they will get bit by the bug, and jump onboard...hopefully get their permits, then you will have 5 guns in the glove box.

Most that dont understand why, are ignorant to the actual fun of shooting at the range, it all stems from there.

long story short?....bring em to the dark side, we can always use more pro-gun, pro-carry folks.

[dralarms]

I'd have told them that yes I carry, for my protection, and if it was a problem they could walk (since I always drive:D).Sorry. I say no harm no foul. at least they know that while at work if something happens they have a little more of a chance.

[cadillacdude1975]

i really dont care who knows that i carry. its better if your in a car with someone to let them know your carrying incase there is an accident and your knocked out and have to goto the hospital. that way, the friend can take care of what might be a big problem later.

[Daniel]

i dont understand your reaction tbh. i wouldnt be embaressed or feel i have to explain myself to anyone. if they asked id just say i have a permit.

[Daniel]

but then again i dont really have any friends who would be surprised to see me with a gun.

[strickj]

make a joke of it.thats the easiest way out of any awkward situation,and dont forget about the trunk,it would have been fully out of sight there!

[dunndw]

I had the same problem, only with a new vendor. He wanted to drive to meet a client we were going to cooperating on a project for. 3/4s of the way to the site, the client calls him and wants to take us to lunch...at OCharleys. I didn't leave my gun in Nashville while I was being driven to Clarksville, so I had to bite the "bullet" and ask a guy that barely knew me if I could borrow his glovebox.

Only bad thing that came out of it was now he asks me...in front of anyone if I'm packing

[dralarms]

i dont understand your reaction tbh. i wouldnt be embaressed or feel i have to explain myself to anyone. if they asked id just say i have a permit.

And ask why they didn't.

but then again i dont really have any friends who would be surprised to see me with a gun.

My friends would be shocked if I didn't carry.

I had the same problem, only with a new vendor. He wanted to drive to meet a client we were going to cooperating on a project for. 3/4s of the way to the site, the client calls him and wants to take us to lunch...at OCharleys. I didn't leave my gun in Nashville while I was being driven to Clarksville, so I had to bite the "bullet" and ask a guy that barely knew me if I could borrow his glovebox.

Only bad thing that came out of it was now he asks me...in front of anyone if I'm packing

Tell this dip to stop asking you in front of people, also tell him that it's nunya . Most "sales persons" I have met in my business are not to bright, sure they know their product (for the most part, I like finding something that they don't know it will do and baffling them ), but have absolutely NO common sense. Of course this goes back to the fact that I am a terrible passenger so I am the designated driver ALL the time.

[strickj]

Only bad thing that came out of it was now he asks me...in front of anyone if I'm packing

thats happened to me one time in a place i did not want anyony to know i was carrying so i said something like;yep,will ya untie my shoe and help me whip it out(maybe a little dirtier though)and he has yet ask me that again

[TGO David]

It sounds like the situation was handled very well. Your answer was succinct and professional, and it sounds like you played it down like it was no big deal... which is exactly what it is. It's no big deal at all. Law abiding citizens legally carry guns for their own protection and the protection of those around them. It's a normal thing.

[Guest ETS_Inc]

If my friends found out how often I don't carry, they'd probably drop dead from a heart attack.

(Don't worry guys, I'm just talking on-body carry. There's always guns nearby. Just most folks don't know where nearby.)

[dariks]

I was born and raised in IL so you can imagine how my parents feel about me carrying. My dad hasn't really said anything about it, but my mom definitely doesn't like it to say the least.

My parents are down here visiting for the week. The first night they were here I came home from work and sat in my recliner, after unholstering and setting my gun on the end table next to me, my mom looks at me and says "I hope you put all your guns up when you have kids." I don't have any kids so I keep several guns around the house that are loaded and ready to go. It is a very rare day indeed when there are kids in my house, but when there are kids in the house the guns get put either out of reach or in the safe.

My parents don't understand why I carry. They think I'm being paranoid. Someone has the phrase "When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away" as their sig line. I take that to heart. The safety of me and my wife is MY responsibility. You can not depend on others to provide it. My parents just don't "get it".

[Guest bkelm18]

I prefer to have as few people as possible know that I carry. Other than on here, I have a few friends in VA that know I carry, and that's about it. I think my Dad know's but he's never really asked and I've never really told. He's slightly liberal but he's open minded about firearms. Other than that, no one knows I carry and I'd really prefer to keep it that way.

[Guest UncleB]

That sentiment is exactly what prompted me to raise this issue. My decision to carry is very personal, and while I am certainly not embarrassed about it, I do prefer to keep it to myself. The last thing I need is to be questioned in front of others as to whether or not I am armed, or to have people pressuring me to intervene in a conflict (ie Hey, that guy is stealing my car, why don't you pull your gun and stop him?). Also, I value the relationships I have with family members, friends, and clients, who may not be as pro gun/pro carry as I am, so I lean toward being discrete when I carry. IMHO, concealed means concealed, always carry, never tell.

[Guest ETS_Inc]

I was born and raised in IL so you can imagine how my parents feel about me carrying. My dad hasn't really said anything about it, but my mom definitely doesn't like it to say the least.

My parents are down here visiting for the week. The first night they were here I came home from work and sat in my recliner, after unholstering and setting my gun on the end table next to me, my mom looks at me and says "I hope you put all your guns up when you have kids." I don't have any kids so I keep several guns around the house that are loaded and ready to go. It is a very rare day indeed when there are kids in my house, but when there are kids in the house the guns get put either out of reach or in the safe.

My parents don't understand why I carry. They think I'm being paranoid. Someone has the phrase "When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away" as their sig line. I take that to heart. The safety of me and my wife is MY responsibility. You can not depend on others to provide it. My parents just don't "get it".

dariks,

You might remember that future kids aren't the only ones who might get into your guns. Leaving loaded guns laying around the house while you're not home could be dangerous in itself. Think about this: you and your wife are both gone to work for the day, as is your daily routine. Except, you get sick and come home early. As you walk in the front door, you startle the guy who expected you to be gone while he ransacked your CD collection. And, before he started flipping through your music, he had just found that loaded gun you leave in the nightstand / under the bed / in the closet. Do you really want to have given him the means to kill you? That is another reason why it's advisable to keep your guns unloaded and secured when you're not home, and the guns aren't needed for possible use at a moment's notice.

Just a little food for thought, brother, that's all.

[Mike.357]

Dariks says

The safety of me and my wife is MY responsibility.

then says

You can not depend on others to provide it.

So which is it? And is it not kind of an insult to your wife that she is all helpless and depending on you for safety? Isn't that similar to sheeple comments of the like that the police will protect us all?

I think each and every person, children aside, is responsible for their own well being. Fine to assist in looking after somebody, but like the police can't be there all the time, neither can you.

[dariks]

dariks,

You might remember that future kids aren't the only ones who might get into your guns. Leaving loaded guns laying around the house while you're not home could be dangerous in itself. Think about this: you and your wife are both gone to work for the day, as is your daily routine. Except, you get sick and come home early. As you walk in the front door, you startle the guy who expected you to be gone while he ransacked your CD collection. And, before he started flipping through your music, he had just found that loaded gun you leave in the nightstand / under the bed / in the closet. Do you really want to have given him the means to kill you? That is another reason why it's advisable to keep your guns unloaded and secured when you're not home, and the guns aren't needed for possible use at a moment's notice.

Just a little food for thought, brother, that's all.

I haven't really given that a lot of thought, mainly because I've never had any trouble in my neighborhood. I do own a safe, but it is kind of a pain to use. Opening it requires you to get down on the floor, use a key and enter the combination, so I probably wouldn't use it on a daily basis.

I like keeping the revolver on the nightstand, because for a sleep addled brain it would be the easiest gun to use. Getting one of those biometric safes would probably be the best solution for that.

[Guest canynracer]

Dariks says

then says

So which is it? And is it not kind of an insult to your wife that she is all helpless and depending on you for safety? Isn't that similar to sheeple comments of the like that the police will protect us all?

I think each and every person, children aside, is responsible for their own well being. Fine to assist in looking after somebody, but like the police can't be there all the time, neither can you.

I think he meant because he made the decision to be a gunowner, (I could be wrong)

he said he leaves them around the house ready to go (im sure they are hidden??)...if he isnt home and his wife is, I am sure she knows where to find them...

not sure, that is what I got from it...

I also took the responsibility for protecting my family by buying handguns again...My wife knows exactly where they are and how to use them. when I carry my 40cal, the 9mm is still home with 32rds ready to go.

[dariks]

So which is it? And is it not kind of an insult to your wife that she is all helpless and depending on you for safety? Isn't that similar to sheeple comments of the like that the police will protect us all?

I'm probably a little old fashioned in my view, but that's just the way I am. I won't make excuses for it and I won't apogolize for it either.

I think each and every person, children aside, is responsible for their own well being. Fine to assist in looking after somebody, but like the police can't be there all the time, neither can you.

Would I want her to be able to look after her own safety? Absolutely.

Does she have even the smallest desire to learn? Not really.

I HAVE made some progress. The progress is slow, but it IS progress. When we first got married she absolutely hated guns and would not even touch one. Now I can occasionally get her to go to the range where I rent a little Walther .22 for her to shoot. Even that is sometimes too much for, but she does try. I won't/can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to, so all I can do is to just keep hammering away at it.