# Is it ethical to carry a concealed weapon on another's private property without their knowledge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072 "2009-06-17T14:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/161 "2009-06-18T19:33:43Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I think the underlying assumption is that people don’t carry weapons unless they anticipate the need to use them. Unattributed anecdote: a lady noticed the local sheriff had worn his sidearm to the Sunday ice cream social. “I see you’re carrying your pistol, Sheriff. Are you expecting trouble?” “No, ma’am. If I was expecting trouble I would’ve brought my rifle.” ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/162 "2009-06-18T19:37:27Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Guns and alcohol do not mix. Um…?😕 Did I miss something? Did someone post it was ok to drink while carrying? ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/163 "2009-06-18T19:37:48Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No, it’s the same as sneaking a gun into the house. So sneaking a gun into the house will give people cancer? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/164 "2009-06-18T19:44:18Z")
FWIW, I quit. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/165 "2009-06-18T19:45:31Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Correct. > > Location matters. Sneaking a gun into someone else’s home without their knowledge or expressed permission is socially transgressive, and it’s _disturbingly_ transgressive if its the home of a person you have no reason to believe is a danger to you and with whom you have established an understanding of mutual trust. That’s not normal. It’s weird. You think it’s more transgressive if you have a relationship of mutual trust? If someone trusts you, they should be even less concerned that you’re armed. Again, you’re looking at this from the wrong perspective. You think people who are doing concealed carry are saying “hey, I’m going over my friend bob’s house, I better take a gun with me and sneak it in!” rather than the more realistic scenario where you simply carry a gun with you on a regular basis and you know Bob trusts you so what’s the big deal? You seem to be working under the impression that simply being armed is a hostile, malicious act and if you do it around people that trust you you’re somehow betraying them. I’d often stop by my friend’s places when I was carrying. I didn’t inform them, but they’re my friends - they trust I have good judgement, they know I had a permit and could be carrying, but they wouldn’t have minded if I was. They’re comfortable around guns and know how to use them safely and know I am too - they wouldn’t have cared a bit if they knew. But to you, this scenario is “disturbingly transgressive”, right? I was acting like a brooding psychopath. > [@](#): > > People have said, “well, what if I carry it everywhere?” > > Well, fine, but just have the decency to _tell_ me before you bring it into my home. It’s not carrying the weapon _per se_ that’s disturning and rude, it’s the secrecy and sneakiness about it. There is absolutely no reason to keep it a secret from your host. Look, quit with this. You may conclude that the responsible thing to do is to inform the host, but why resort to a hyperbolic statement of “there is absolutely no reason”? There are reasons. For one, the state that issued the CCW doesn’t want you going around announcing to people that you’re carrying, and they train you not to. It has the potential to create conflict - lots of people become totally irrational at the sight of a gun - where if they didn’t know, nothing bad would’ve happened and conflict would’ve been avoided. In purely practical terms, that’s almost no upside to informing other people that you’re carrying - and lots of potential downsides. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/166 "2009-06-18T19:47:50Z")
I have another hypothetical for the CCW posters, here. You plan to hold a July the 4th BBQ, and invite your usual friends. Your friend “Bob”, who planned on meeting old acquaintances he hadn’t seen in ages, tells you he can’t make it. Feeling sociable, you tell “Bob” to bring them over for a burger or hot dog. (You really like “Bob”, and think he would liven up the BBQ/party.) Would you feel comfortable if you found out (from “Bob”) that possibly one (unidentified member) of his friends had a CCW, and may or may not be planning on carrying? Would you ask “Bob” to identify the permit holder? Disclaimer: I support the 2nd Amendment, I support the availability of CCW as determined by popular vote/referendums, assuming proper oversight of the program is maintained. I’m just posing a “shoe is on the other foot” type question. ---
**Author:** ![lonestar88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lonestar88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonestar88)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/167 "2009-06-18T19:49:21Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > This, fellow gun owners, is a perfect example of why there is no fruitful discussion to be had with committed antis. When they can think of nothing else, which doesn’t take long, the insults start. Moderation at this board is such that it goes unremarked. If I were, hypothetically, to ask “What kind of whiny, pussified, douchebag gets this incontinent over a gun he doesn’t even know about?” the results would be eaqsily predictable. > I suggest keeping your gun concealed, spending more time at the range, and less time worrying about changing the minds of pants wetters. I am not an anti, far from it. But, if you are a guest in my home I’d better know about your weapon. And if you expect to stay and keep it on you, then I’d better know a little about your training, background and insurance. Just about everyone I know owns a gun, not everyone I know is competent enough to let them around my children with a gun. Here’s a question, who’s liable for damage if you have an accidental discharge in my house? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/168 "2009-06-18T19:55:53Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Interesting take. > > What about someone who’s in your home on business (furnace or TV repair, etc..) > > How about someone who’s not inside your house, but still on your property? (Chem Lawn, etc.) > > What about strangers who are in your garage during a rummage sale? Homes are sacrosanct. Anyone who is in my home has been personally invited, and in the case of a repairman, I think there is a professional expectation that they aren’t going to bring guns into my house. As to the garge sale…if I saw a barrel sticking out of somebody’s waistband, it would concern me (wouldn’t it concern you if a stranger walked onto your property with a holster bulge?), but it wouldn’t necessarily be _rude_ because there is no established relationship. It’s the breech of trust and friendship that would bother me. Why would a friend secretly bring a weapon into another friend’s house? If I was going to host a semi-public event like that, I’d probably post a “No guns” sign. They’re easy to get in the Cities here. You rarely see a public business or building that isn’t posted. I think it probably cuts down on CCW because you can’t bring them inside anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/169 "2009-06-18T20:00:23Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I’ve said this before, and I’m just about to say it one more time: > > The term “unethical” as used in the OP (and “ethical” as used in the title) has no or very little meaning. Holy crap, I’m agreeing with **Rand Rover** here. In the very first response **Bricker** argues that carrying a concealed weapon on someone else’s property is legal, therefore it is ethical. Unless “legal” and “ethical” are synonyms I’m not aware of, I’m not sure I understand that argument. Obviously, they’re not synonyms. But “ethical” is a floating standard, whereas “legal” is not. Observe: I’m invited to a party at **Bricker** ’s house and while I’m there try to seduce his wife. Legal? Sure…stupid, probably, but legal. Ethical? No. Or is it? Maybe **Bricker** and his wife have an open marriage. So it depends on the homeowner. And I’m sure my argument to **Bricker** that “it is legal for me to try to get your wife in bed” is going to hold little water. By the same token, it’s perfectly ethical for me to tell you that I do not want you to concealed-carry on my property, or that I do not want you to smoke, or wear stripes and plaids together, or whatever. Is it legal? Doesn’t matter, really. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/170 "2009-06-18T20:01:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > As to the garge sale…if I saw a barrel sticking out of somebody’s waistband, it would concern me (wouldn’t it concern you The **barrel** sticking out of their waistband? Darn right I’d be concerned. I’d need to teach them not to carry their pistol upside down. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/171 "2009-06-18T20:14:26Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Look, quit with this. You may conclude that the responsible thing to do is to inform the host, but why resort to a hyperbolic statement of “there is absolutely no reason”? > > There are reasons. For one, the state that issued the CCW doesn’t want you going around announcing to people that you’re carrying, and they train you not to. It has the potential to create conflict - lots of people become totally irrational at the sight of a gun - where if they didn’t know, nothing bad would’ve happened and conflict would’ve been avoided. In purely practical terms, that’s almost no upside to informing other people that you’re carrying - and lots of potential downsides. What a load of crap. They do not tell you that you should sneak guns into other people’s homes without their knowledge, and there is absolutely no reason for you to keep it a secret from people you trust. The only reason you would keep it a secret (assuming you neither mean any harm or fear any) is if you’re afraid they’ll tell you they’re uncomfortable with it and ask you not to bring it in the house. It’s like when a child doesn’t want to ask his mommy for permission to do something because he knows she’ll say no. It’s sneaky in exactly the same way. Not only is there no reason to keep it a secret, there’s no REAL reason to even bring it to my home in the first place. What are you people so afraid of? Do you guys just go around quaking with panic all the time? I can go to the store and get some milk without any weapon at all, and without the slightest fear that I’m going to attacked while I’m out. The thought doesn’t even cross my mind. You really don’t need the gun. Seriously, you’ll be fine. Just take a few deep breaths and go on out to the Piggly Wiggly. Nothing is going to happen to you. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/172 "2009-06-18T20:17:10Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Holy crap, I’m agreeing with **Rand Rover** here. > > In the very first response **Bricker** argues that carrying a concealed weapon on someone else’s property is legal, therefore it is ethical. Unless “legal” and “ethical” are synonyms I’m not aware of, I’m not sure I understand that argument. Obviously, they’re not synonyms. But “ethical” is a floating standard, whereas “legal” is not. > > Observe: I’m invited to a party at **Bricker** ’s house and while I’m there try to seduce his wife. Legal? Sure…stupid, probably, but legal. Ethical? No. Or is it? Maybe **Bricker** and his wife have an open marriage. So it depends on the homeowner. And I’m sure my argument to **Bricker** that “it is legal for me to try to get your wife in bed” is going to hold little water. > > By the same token, it’s perfectly ethical for me to tell you that I do not want you to concealed-carry on my property, or that I do not want you to smoke, or wear stripes and plaids together, or whatever. Is it legal? Doesn’t matter, really. I think my argument had a bit more nuance than your retelling grants it. I argued that in the absence of any other standard, we may be guided by the legal norms in determning an ethical breach. There is no widespread agreement that carrying a concealed weapon breaches a social duty, and the law reflects this. The law also does not (generally) criminalize attempted seduction of your host’s wife[sup]\*[/sup], but unlike the case of concealed weaponry, there _is_ widespread agreement that such an act breaches social norms. - Virginia law does in fact criminalize adultery, although it’s unclear whether the law would stand in light of the reasoning advanced in _Lawrence v. Texas_. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/173 "2009-06-18T20:18:16Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The **barrel** sticking out of their waistband? Darn right I’d be concerned. > I’d need to teach them not to carry their pistol upside down. You got me. Ok, so they’ve got a _butt_ sticking out of their waistband… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/174 "2009-06-18T20:25:34Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > Exactly! Finally, someone gets it! You don’t have any obligation to allow them to! You don’t need a valid reason! You don’t even have to enforce it evenly! You just have to inform them of your desires, so that they may comply! It seems pretty straighforward to me. But I also live in a place where it isn’t common for people to walk around armed so it hasn’t really ever come up. > [@Sinaijon](#): > > And just out of curiousity, how do you feel about pocket knives, hip flasks, cigarettes, and keychains with naked ladies on them? Should we require visitors to inform that they are carrying these as well, because some small minority of people find them objectionable? Personally I don’t care and don’t have any moral objection to them or guns. It’s more like someone bringing a chainsaw or some other power tool into my house. It’s a potentially dangerous item that belongs outside. I don’t want to have to trust that you know how to handle and operate it safely. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/175 "2009-06-18T20:26:37Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > … Would you feel comfortable if you found out (from “Bob”) that possibly one (unidentified member) of his friends had a CCW, and may or may not be planning on carrying? > > Would you ask “Bob” to identify the permit holder? > > Disclaimer: I support the 2nd Amendment, I support the availability of CCW as determined by popular vote/referendums, assuming proper oversight of the program is maintained. I’m just posing a “shoe is on the other foot” type question. Since I have a CCW myself and I know the lengths that one must go through to get and keep said permit, the first being approval by the local sheriff through a background check, the most I would ask is where he took his training or what he typically carried or what holster he preferred. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/176 "2009-06-18T20:30:49Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I think my argument had a bit more nuance than your retelling grants it. > > I argued that in the absence of any other standard, we may be guided by the legal norms in determning an ethical breach. I suppose so…but, as a devil’s advocate argument, who gets to decide whether there is “widespread agreement that (a certain) act breaches social norms”? There are a lot of gray areas out there, and I don’t think I’d be too remiss in claiming that–especially given the very different sentiments posed here–the subject of this thread is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/177 "2009-06-18T20:31:44Z")
I’d feel comfortable, but I’d like Bob to tell me who. pkbites, do you feel comfortable with my replies to you? I don’t so much care about the weapon, as much as I care about being informed that you might be carrying, before you actually do so. Once I have the chance to say yes or no, it’s pretty much cool from then on. So, every time, no. The first time, yes. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/178 "2009-06-18T20:32:29Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > Since I have a CCW myself and I know the lengths that one must go through to get and keep said permit, the first being approval by the local sheriff through a background check, the most I would ask is where he took his training or what he typically carried or what holster he preferred. Thanks for the reply! ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/179 "2009-06-18T20:49:38Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Once I have the chance to say yes or no, it’s pretty much cool from then on. So, every time, no. The first time, yes. That’s the way I do it. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072/180 "2009-06-18T20:49:59Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > What a load of crap. They do not tell you that you should sneak guns into other people’s homes without their knowledge, Well, yes, they sort of do. Since carrying it on private property unless specifically barred from it was legal, and they trained me not to tell other people I was carrying, that’s pretty much what they did. And again, your language indicates that I’m doing something nefarious and deliberately sneaking it in. That wasn’t the case - no more than that I was sneaking a cell phone or a pocket knife or a GPS device in my pocket in. It was an object I was carrying. Not a big deal. I’m not going in with malice. I’m not acting like a brooding psychopath. You are making out a huge deal out of something that’s not at all. > [@](#): > > and there is absolutely no reason for you to keep it a secret from people you trust. An example they gave me in training, which I stated earlier in the thread: If you’re ever in a situation that’s potentially violent, you want all options on the table. The situation may be best resolved by appeasing the offender, or running, just laying low, or as a last resort, using a gun. If you’re with someone that knows you’re carrying, they may try to pressure you into violent confrontation. Even the hint, like if they said “do something!” might escalate the situation. What’s the upside? I did tell people I hung out with that I had a permit - but not specifically when I was carrying. They didn’t ask. They didn’t care. They didn’t view me as a brooding psychotic when I was carrying and a trustworthy friend when I wasn’t, because they’re not irrational about guns. They knew I knew what I was doing so there was no need for it to even be an issue. > [@](#): > > The only reason you would keep it a secret (assuming you neither mean any harm or fear any) is if you’re afraid they’ll tell you they’re uncomfortable with it and ask you not to bring it in the house. It’s like when a child doesn’t want to ask his mommy for permission to do something because he knows she’ll say no. It’s sneaky in exactly the same way. None of the people I regularly hung out with would be at all disturbed by me carrying. Yet I didn’t tell them specifically whether I was or not. It wasn’t an issue - why would it be? Again, you’re making it a big issue. It really isn’t. Millions of people carry a gun on a regular basis and it’s almost entirely uneventful. It’s not a big deal. I suspect some people, if they knew how often they were standing next to someone carrying, would flip the fuck out - and yet it’s not causing them any distress or harm when they don’t know. > [@](#): > > Not only is there no reason to keep it a secret, there’s no REAL reason to even bring it to my home in the first place. You just ignore anything your opposition says as usual. I’ve already said that I left the house with a gun, and I carried it with me the whole time, untouched, in a holster. If I went to work, the grocery store, and my friend’s house, then I’d have the gun at work, the grocery store, and my friend’s house. Going to their house with it wouldn’t be a deliberate effort to be all sneaky and sit in their house committing a perverse social transgression while brooding like a psychopath. I just happened to have my gun with me, just like I’d have my cell phone with me. Not a big deal. > [@](#): > > What are you people so afraid of? Do you guys just go around quaking with panic all the time? I can go to the store and get some milk without any weapon at all, and without the slightest fear that I’m going to attacked while I’m out. The thought doesn’t even cross my mind. You really don’t need the gun. Seriously, you’ll be fine. Just take a few deep breaths and go on out to the Piggly Wiggly. Nothing is going to happen to you. Why do you keep a fire extinguisher? Are you truly so cowardly that you’re always living in fear of a fire? Don’t worry, fires aren’t that common and you can probably escape if one happens. You don’t need the fire extinguisher. Seriously, you’ll be fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-on-anothers-private-property-without-their-knowledge/500072.md?page=10)