# Why do you have to take off your gun to go to the bathroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468 "2008-10-11T14:48:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/1 "2008-10-11T14:48:39Z")
[Re this article](http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/11/1011copgun.html)I’m assuming the gun is on belt holster. Why do you need to remove it from the belt or holster to drop trou and do your business? Why can’t it stay in the belt and on the holster? > [@](#): > > The criminal district judges in Travis County and representatives of the sheriff’s office, which provides courthouse security, next week will consider banning outside law enforcement officers from bringing guns into the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center downtown. > > State District Judge Julie Kocurek said she suggested the discussion after an Austin police officer left a loaded gun in a public bathroom outside her courtroom Sept. 24. The gunwas found and secured by a pair of felony defendants, Kocurek said. The gun was safely recovered by the officer, who is now the subject of an internal affairs investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/2 "2008-10-11T15:06:58Z")
Because the gun is quite heavy and could drag your pants down to the (nasty) floor. The whole gunbelt is heavy also, but between the inner and outer belts and the keepers, it’s a big hassle to take the whole gunbelt off. At least removing the gun makes it somewhat more manageable. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/3 "2008-10-11T16:07:52Z")
The gun belt by itself, with all the accoutrements, is several pounds. The gun belt is fassened to your regular belt by things called ‘keepers’, which are snapped circlets that wrap around both. This is because your regular belt goes through your belt loops and so is held in place relative to your pants, and by binding the gun belt to your regular belt like this, your gun belt is held firmly in place. You don’t want it moving when you draw your weapon. So when you go to the can, you have to unsnap the gun belt, then unhook your regular belt, then you have, with your gun, perhaps five or more pounds of dead weight that’s going to instantly drag your pants down around your ankles and onto the floor. Not something you want to happen in a filty public restroom. Some people will therefore remove the gun (the heaviest component) and place it on the back of the toilet before completing their business. If they get distracted, they may well forget it there. When I worked armored, we had a guy leave his gun in the restroom of an urban SuperAmerica and go on his merry way. Two stops later he noticed it missing. Needless to say, it wasn’t still waiting for him in the SA. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/4 "2008-10-11T16:22:12Z")
What **Chimera** said. I wear my cell phone on a belt clip and, without weighing nearly as much as a pistol, is darned awkward when I drop trou. So much so, I take it off and put it in a shirt pocket. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/5 "2008-10-11T16:26:06Z")
I’ve always wondered why cops don’t have suspenders for those belts? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/6 "2008-10-11T17:08:45Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I’ve always wondered why cops don’t have suspenders for those belts? This was the origional reason for [Sam Browne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Browne_belt)’s invention. Both the Sam Browne, and tradtional suspenders provide a means for an assailant to restrain the wearer, and are thus not used by law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/7 "2008-10-11T17:48:00Z")
If you have a Larry-Craig-style wide stance and your gunbelt is on the floor with your pants, can the person in the next stall grab it? The gun, I mean. The _actual_ gun, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/8 "2008-10-11T20:43:19Z")
Just how big a gun we talking here? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/9 "2008-10-11T20:46:11Z")
Because nobody wants their gun to fire before they’ve even taken off their pants. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/10 "2008-10-11T20:51:07Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I’ve always wondered why cops don’t have suspenders for those belts? As **Kevbo** said. That’s also why you don’t see police or security wearing anything but clip-on ties. You don’t want to give someone something to grab onto. Especially something wrapped around your neck that could be tightened very easily. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/11 "2008-10-12T12:59:12Z")
Any process that causes someone to remove an article is always going to have a chance that the artical will be left behind. You see it with laptops, umberallas, anything all all. Now when it comes to guns, well you wouldn’t want folk forgetting them and leaving those lying around. I suppose there is also the possibility that someone could reach under the wall dividers and steal it - after all, it is a courthouse and there’s likely to be one or two naughty folk about. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/12 "2008-10-12T13:56:28Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I’ve always wondered why cops don’t have suspenders for those belts? It’s more important to keep the belt from going “up”, not falling down. When drawing your weapon, you need the belt to stay in place. Suspenders would not fix that issue. You need to secure it to your pants belt. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/13 "2008-10-12T15:12:50Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I’ve always wondered why cops don’t have suspenders for those belts? There is a company that makes suspenders for cops and firemen. It’s purpose is to give support and help the back. But in most departments an officer cannot wear anything that is not approved by the department policy. On the department I used to be on [retired] an officer showed up wearing one and got his ass chewed by an inspector. Not only that, you’d still have to take them off to drop trau to sit on the throne. ---
**Author:** ![Thalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@Thalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thalion)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-have-to-take-off-your-gun-to-go-to-the-bathroom/467468/14 "2008-10-12T16:47:44Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I’ve always wondered why cops don’t have suspenders for those belts? Actually, some do. I know a few officers who wear [duty suspenders](http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=NP429) because of a bad back. By using the suspenders, a lot of the weight of the belt is carried by the shoulders instead of the hips/lower back. The suspenders do offer a bad guy an extra handle in a fight, so I think they are a bad idea. But some guys think it’s worth the risk for the extra support.