We’ve had a lot of gun threads lately - no doubt some of them inspired by thoughts of Virginia Tech. But I have what I think is a new question (or, at least, I couldn’t find a similar one in recent discussions).
What would you think if you meet someone at a party, and you catch a glimpse of a pistol under his jacket? Or if you meet an acquaintance of yours for lunch, or something routine like that, and you feel something rock-hard with an unmistakable outline under his sweater? Would that provoke a train of thought that was far from casual?
I want to get answers from dopers who DON’T consider it normal to own a firearm. How uncomfortable would you feel? Would you be nervous? Would you keep away? What would you think? Would you bring it up?
I expect most women would probably ask about it and then stay away from me… usually when I even just bring it up in conversation, they are pretty well put off.
as always, location is crucial to answering such a question. here in Canada, I’d call the cops because concealed carry is a criminal offence except in very rare circumstances (peace officer being the main one).
Circumstance is key. A restaurant?! Why the hell would they have that, unless they’re federal officers, cops, etc (which tend to be my crowd anyway). I doubt I’d be shocked. I’ve eaten 365 consecutive days worth of meals w/ hundreds of people with rifles, but you’re not asking about me. If they didn’t have a reason, I’d tell an authority.
I was on a set once, and a fellow crew member mentioned that he didn’t think we were in a safe neighborhood. For reassurance, he lifted his shirt to show me the gun in his waistband. I nodded and did not pursue the matter further.
The following week, he was fired for an unrelated reason. At that time, I informed the production that he had a gun. Didn’t know if he had it on him that day, but it existed, and he’d brought it at least once. Yeah, I guess I should have spoken up as soon as I saw it, but at that time, I’d figured it was none of my business, and heck, he might end up really needing it. For the record, he left the set without firing a shot, but he did have VERY harsh words.
In casual situations? I probably wouldn’t have the most rational reaction. I would not bring it up, and if this were at a party, I’d probably make an excuse to walk away. I do not know any gun owners and I don’t place myself in situations where carrying a gun is part of “normal” behavior, so I would likely kick into better-safe-than-sorry mode and put some distance between us.
It’s nothing personal. You might be a great, fun person, but I can’t relax and chat and get to know you if you’re packing heat. I might have some curiosity about what it’s like to fire a gun, what it feels like, etc., but for the most part, a gun is not a comforting sight.
I must admit anyone who shows me his gun would freak me out. That is brandishing. In my past life, brandishing was thought unprofessional. I still think so.
Make my excuses, leave the scene, make VERY sure the person didn’t follow me. If it were at a party, I’d possibly be less freaked out because I would assume that the person had hostile intentions toward someone else at the party, but I wouldn’t want to be there when it went down. If it were at a restaurant and I was having a one-on-one meal with the person, I’d assume they had hostile intentions towards me, which would be even creepier.
On a fun side note, a guy was spotted wandering around the campus on Friday with a gun. The cops swept the campus, and didn’t find anything, and I imagine that it’s 99.9% likely that it was nothing, but still, it’s the time of year when people go insane (finals). Guess who is scheduled to write on Monday, in one of the major exam rooms, with 1000 people writing all trapped in one dead end hallway before the final. The VA shooting is very distracting.
I’d like to know how CCW’ers respond to the posts above.
Personally, after reading the above, I no longer have any desire to get a CCW license. You may say, “oh, well, they don’t carry all the time.” I’m sure some don’t, but isn’t that the whole point? “*Always *be ready to defend yourself?” After all, if you only lock your car when you expect someone to steal it, you’re not going to have it for long.
BTW, I don’t think it would bother me much at all if I saw someone carrying discreetly - but it would probably depend on their demeanor and manner of dress. Funny how that works.
*Edit: *CCW means Concealed Carry Weapon (with a license, generally).
This happened to me in a way. I went to a bachelor’s party with an acquaintance and while we were driving there they pulled out a couple of handguns and pulled over. They plinked a couple of cans. We ended up camping out and there was some serious drinking going on. They’d go out shooting when moderately buzzed and I didn’t worry too much about it. I was a captive audience and I knew several of the guys so I figured there wouldn’t be much trouble. As it turned out, no one got stupid and nothing happened. I don’t really like the combination of guns and alcohol though.
If I was at a party and noticed someone packing a concealed weapon (or unconcealed weapon for that matter), I’d probably leave unless there was some compelling reason to stay(like Jessica Alba hitting on me).
Alcohol+Guns=bad idea. I guess it would depend on the exact situation, but if it were my party I’d probably ask them to leave or put the gun in the car.
It would depend upon the circumstances, but if I didn’t have some solid reason to think the person was justified and/or very responsible, I think I’d absent myself from the party. I’d probably have a discreet conversation w/ the host first.