# Ever wished you had a concealed weapon with you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846 "2011-09-19T18:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/41 "2011-09-20T18:24:28Z")
[QUOTE=Blaster Master;1427177 As for the one case where I’d wished I had one but didn’t, I was on vacation in Puerto Rico and a guy ran a stop sign almost hitting me in the process. Naturally, I honked at him, as I’ve done a thousand times before and since with no incident. However, this time, he immediately slammed on his breaks, almost making me rear-end him. He popped his trunk and got out a bat and aggressively came toward my window. He was just posturing, and after a little cursing and a few swings coming close to the car, he turned around and got back in his car. In that position, for at least a couple seconds I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, I’d have felt a lot more comfortable knowing I could have defended myself had he decided to initiate any violence. As it was, had he decided to start swinging the bat wantonly, there was nothing I could do. It also scared the hell out of my then fiancée and I’d have liked to have made her feel safer too and, well, I didn’t hear the end of it for a while.[/QUOTE] Lucky you didn’t have a gun. If you shot him you would have the pleasure of dealing with Puerto Rico"s judicial system. That might not have been fun. It would surely have been expensive. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/42 "2011-09-20T19:19:03Z")
I’ve never wished for a gun. I’ve been in plenty of sketchy areas, but I’m not an especially confrontational person. On the other hand, I remember one day in Phnom Pehn in 1999 when I spent a fair amount of time fervently wishing that not so many other people had guns… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/43 "2011-09-20T20:05:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > In Copan, Honduras, I was leaving a bar at about 1AM and 3 teenagers attacked me and tried to rob me (I was in my late 20s, 6’, \>200 lbs). They were unarmed, but threw bottles and rocks at me. I fought them off with minor injuries. I’m sure I could have scared them off with a gun, but I really wish I had just had a knife or (even better) an extendable baton. I was in the Navy and am comfortable with guns, but considering that I probably would not have been willing to shoot an unarmed teenager, I would worry that it might increase the chance of serious injury to myself if I had had one with me at the time. Perhaps it’s islands that are the problem. The time I mentioned wherein I had my knife at the ready was on St. Thomas, USVI. Got myself in a proper jam in a bar where I didn’t belong. They let me leave, but I felt threatened enough to where I ducked into the first doorwell I came to, took out my puny electrician’s knife, and waited to see if anybody was going to follow up. It was a [sheepsfoot](http://www.service.kleintools.com/Tool/PRD/Category/Pocket%20Knives%20-%20Sheepfoot%20Slitting%20Blade%20KNIVES-POCKET%20KN-SHEEPFTSLT) knife, which has a pretty vicious hook, so somebody would have paid. Probably me. Waited about three minutes, then took off at a run to put some distance between me and the bar inhabitants. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/44 "2011-09-20T20:09:12Z")
No. Not even when I was mugged by a crackhead (though had it turned out worse, I may have wished I had a gun, provided I knew he couldn’t take it from me). ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/45 "2011-09-20T20:22:04Z")
I always carry a 9 mm when I’m out-n-about. Thankfully, I have never had to use it. I think of it as insurance. Is it likely I will have to use it? No. But what if I _do_ need it? So that’s why I carry. It’s not heavy or uncomfortable, so why not carry it? To me, carrying a concealed weapon is not much different than having a smoke detector in my house, or putting on my seatbelt in a vehicle. The biggest difference is liability, obviously; if I use poor judgment in using my weapon, I will be in a boatload of trouble. I’m of very sound mind, and have trained with my weapon, so for me the benefit outweighs the risk. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/46 "2011-09-20T21:57:18Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I always carry a 9 mm when I’m out-n-about. Thankfully, I have never had to use it. > > I think of it as insurance. Is it likely I will have to use it? No. But what if I _do_ need it? So that’s why I carry. It’s not heavy or uncomfortable, so why not carry it? > > To me, carrying a concealed weapon is not much different than having a smoke detector in my house, or putting on my seatbelt in a vehicle. The biggest difference is liability, obviously; if I use poor judgment in using my weapon, I will be in a boatload of trouble. I’m of very sound mind, and have trained with my weapon, so for me the benefit outweighs the risk. Okay. None of which answers the question, and I’d prefer that the thread not go down the debate path. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/47 "2011-09-20T22:02:52Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![What\_i\_think](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@What\_i\_think](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_i_think)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/48 "2011-09-21T00:52:21Z")
yes and no there have been a few times in life i have wished for mace or 10%+ OC pepper spray (the 2% OC pepper spray you can buy is near useless if you miss the eyes) but i’m one one those people who would end up shot with my own gun. What i find odd is that while i would have little to no trouble getting a gun i cant carry mace 10% + OC pepper were i live. Odd I mean really lets choose 1 my kid and his/her friend find my gun one child is dead and the other severely traumatize or 2 my kid and his/her friend find my mace one child is in a lot of pain but will be fine and both have learned to stay out of my stuff not a great experiences but one they will live through ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/49 "2011-09-21T00:53:30Z")
Yes, but I didn’t have a gun or a permit at that time (I was not yet 21 and couldn’t get it). Since then I have remedied that situation, and now I don’t wish I had a concealed weapon with me, I very often do have a concealed weapon with me. Different strokes and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/50 "2011-09-21T03:58:34Z")
I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve felt that my carrying a weapon would have made it better. Maybe me being unarmed works to keep me out of those locations/situations. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846/51 "2011-09-21T17:32:55Z")
I’ve thought seriously about getting a CHL lately. However, I have enough legal weapons on or about me 24/7 that it’s hard to justify the cost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-wished-you-had-a-concealed-weapon-with-you/596846.md?page=2)