I live in a right to carry state

[Pagan]

I can hear the Taos hum. But then again, I'm crazy

Heh, I knew there was a reason I liked you!

You don't have to be nuts to hear the Taos hum, just have the right combination of sensory acuity. Sensory stimulus below the conscious threshold is often associated with a vague impression of a sound, smell or sight.

Well, considering it's almost never someone that actually grew up in Taos that can hear it. Seriously, Taos (and Santa Fe) are known for having nuts that have moved in.

I've been to Taos many, many, times and have never heard it (and I am sensitive to ghosts, faeries, shadow people, etc. and can hear things, high & low pitch, that nobody else can hear) and know people that were born and raised in Taos that have never heard it either.

[computeraide]

-Preface- I'm not accusing the OP of anything. -Preface-

But isn't it considered "menacing" to threaten someone with bodily harm, even if the weapon is holstered? (And it's a felony if done with a weapon.) Or maybe that's just a local thing. (I'm more curious than anything.)

[Broomjockey]

Agreed. I think I would wet myself if I ever saw anyone other than a police officer with a gun, holstered or not.

One of my first days on my way to work, I was sitting in a bus shelter in the transit station in the bad part of the city, and some punk gangbanger-wannabe slammed the butt of a gun into the plexi-glass as he walked by in order to startle me. Not fun. First and only encounter to date with a gun though.

And I was actually looking this up the other day, just randomly. In Canada you need to apply for a temporary permit to move your firearm from one location to another. This includes from the store to your home, and from your home to the range. You can apply for a long-term transport licence. When transporting a firearm, it must be kept in a sturdy, locked case. I just found that interesting, so I don't want anyone turning that into something Fratching-worthy.

[Evil Queen]

Well, I still think it's a good idea to have a license if you're going to be walking around town doing your errands with a gun in your pocket. Sure, the fee to simply see if you qualify is sky high (150$ non-refundable in TN and NC) but I'd rather pay that and be turned down then discover that any one with a ID card just walking into a gun shop and coming out fully loaded.

[tollbaby]

Remind me not to visit Arizona....

[ditchdj]

But isn't it considered "menacing" to threaten someone with bodily harm, even if the weapon is holstered? (And it's a felony if done with a weapon.) Or maybe that's just a local thing. (I'm more curious than anything.)

Only if you point it at them and threaten to use it on them. That's why if you notice that when a cop pulls you over for a simple traffic violation they may have their right hand on their holster when they first approach you but they dont point it at you off the bat and they take their hand off of it when they see that you aren't a likely threat to them.

[Record Store Tough Guy]

I don't know about New Mexico, but if you live in Paulding County, GA, you are legally required to own a firearm.

Actually, it's Kennesaw, Georgia. Also has one of the lowest break-in rates in the nation...

[Evil Queen]

Actually, it's Kennesaw, Georgia. Also has one of the lowest break-in rates in the nation...

Gee, I wonder why.

[blas]

So I came up with this idea. If I buy a huge boa.....like grown adult.......leave it roaming free at night.......that would be even better than keeping a gun in my bedroom when I'm asleep or having an alarm.

Except it'd be a real mess when I came home the next day.......

"Hmmm.....you look awful fat today, Mr Snake. Oh well......guess I don't gotta feed you for another month, eh? How did that thief taste? You aren't gonna puke are you?"

Word would spread across local thiefs. "Dude, she's got a snake. Stay out of that place!"

"No way, man....it can't be that bad...."

"I'd have you ask Nelson that, but he's been gone for weeks."

[PepperElf]

i'm pretty much use to guns now - we do have them at work. i've carried "condition 1" m9s before (magazine inserted, round in the chamber). so ... yeah, i'm use to them

of course before we even get to touch one of the fake guns (rubber molded, in blue or red) we have to memorize "Treat, Never, Keep, Keep" - the four basic rules of gun safety.

1 Treat every gun as if it is loaded. (so basically, if someone gives you a gun check for the magazine and bullets even if you know 100% that it's empty)
2 Never point a gun at something you don't want to destroy.
3 Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire;
4 Keep your weapon on sate until you intend to fire.

(and a rule 5 for us... we have to be sober before arming up and cannot consume any alcohol 12 hours prior.)


But there are also ways to use a gun as a deterrent without ever aiming it at someone or even threatening them

One of my co-workers had his own personal guns at his house. One day one of the neighbors had a teenage son who'd been gone for a while (possibly at juvie) ... and the teen started walking around the neighborhood SLOWLY, kinda looking like maybe he was casing out houses to rob. At least that's what my co-worker felt...

So one day when the kid was doing his casing-walk, my coworker just happened to be on his front porch. Very carefully cleaning his guns. After that the teen never did a casing-walk by that house again. And of course nothing illegal on my co-worker's side cos... hey cleaning your gun is proper maintenance.


And... a bit of advice from one of my friends from virginia too... He got stopped by a cop once for some traffic violation. when the cop asked if he had anything in the car, he nodded to the glove compartment and told him bout the gun there. cop complimented him on the fact that he nodded and didn't move his hands away from the wheel to point

[zzapp the witch]

I view people that carry firearms as extra security. I grew up around guns, have guns, sleep with a gun, (been threatened with guns). TBH I'd feel safer around any of the locals walking around with a gun properly holstered than I would a cop.

Now I don't mean that last bit to sound inflammatory, so don't go off. But responsible civilians are less likely to "brandish" or use their firearms than a police officer simply because they'd get in trouble for it. Civilians use firearms as a last resort.....cops don't need to worry about that constraint. I'm just very touchy about firearms being used (or shown) in situations its not called for.

And as someone said before, how you behave with a firearm, how seriously you take that responsibility, separates the men from the boys.

So don't be scared of people who exercise their right to carry. That guy just getting his groceries? He's the guy you want to be behind when someone decides to knock over the store, cause it'll seem like an eternity before the cops get there.

(I also speak as someone who was saved from a violent rape by a gentleman who exercised his right to carry).

[TheRedHawk]

So don't be scared of people who exercise their right to carry. That guy just getting his groceries? He's the guy you want to be behind when someone decides to knock over the store, cause it'll seem like an eternity before the cops get there.

(I also speak as someone who was saved from a violent rape by a gentleman who exercised his right to carry).

You just reminded me of this image I saw a while ago(and found again really quick thanks to google):

[Broomjockey]

Okay, this is starting to veer to Fratching territory, instead of being about the customers. We'll have to close it if it stays on this track.

[ditchdj]

I just got a flashback to a welcome mat that I once saw that had a caracature of a guy pointing a loaded pistol and next to it was the message, "Forget about the dog. Beware of the owner!" I'd love to buy one if I ever saw one at a flea market or something like that.

[wanderingjoe72]

Remind me not to visit Arizona....

A little over reacting me thinks?

It isn't as common as this thread makes it sound. Most of the time you will never even notice it. Not every man, woman and child walks around armed. The people that do carry in public are always trained to some degree. Coming from the military, I have had firearms safety drilled into my head. Inform yourself about firearms. Learn the basics and then you can let go of your fear.