I Have To Go To Chicago...

V

VirgilCaine

New member
I have to attend a conference in Chicago next month and will be staying in a hotel in the downtown area. I will be driving myself to the conference from Michigan thru Indiana and on into the city. How do i go about getting my sidearm in and out of my hotel... or are handguns totally verboten in the Windy City? This is going to be a bad trip, I think. Can I keep it unloaded in my luggage until I get my room?

Maybe I'll take my bird gun.
 
As Packing.org is currently down I will make it short and sweet. DON'T BRING IT.

IL is bad, Chicago is even worse though.
 
Residing in the great Buckeye State and traveling to Chi town on a regular basis, must travel the same routes as you....And just like my American Express card, never leave home without it.....I just enclose it in a zippered cloth case and place it in my luggage....although never loaded during transit. Only takes 10 secs. to change that situation though.!!
 
I live in NW Indiana about 45 minutes away from Chicago. I usually go to Chicago a few times a year. If your staying downtown there is really no major threats. Cops are everywhere and people are always out. I always carry a knife with me when I go just so i have something to use to defend myself in case something happens. Pretty much all your gonna encounter are yuppy city people(absolutely no threat),bums(all they do is smell and ask for money),and the mostly normal people. The suberbs are what gives the city a bad name. Just be aware of your surroundings and always leave yourself a way out.

-Gordo-
 
We have no concealed carry here anyway. Last I knew guns were pretty much banned in Chicago. It's mayor (a notoriously corrupt man who the city re-elects every year for some reason) is VERY anti-gun.

If you look deeper you'll discover that all of the anti-gun legislation in this state comes out of Chicago/Cook co. I looked up the supporters of the assault weapons ban they've tried passing. Every single one was a Cook Co Democrat.

Interestingly enough, pro-gun legislation shows up here too, that comes from the rest of the state. I wish we could just split the territory and let Chicago govern it's self and the rest of us have things our way.
 
I've been to Chicago many times on business. NEVER had a problem downtown any time of day or early evening. I am comfortable walking around with just a knife in my pocket. Your best protection is staying in a group and aware of your surroundings.

Are you going to the main convention center, McCormick Place, or are you staying downtown the whole time?

-Dave
 
I'll second the sentiments re:downtown Chicago. I traveled there last year for a professional conference and stayed at one of the hotels in that area. Encountered no problems and did not feel threatened in any way, and I was out quite late and alone on a few nights.

There's a great tapas place in that area, but I can't remember the name of it just now.
 
I will be staying and training at the Westin Chicago River North,
320 North Dearborn Street

Thanks for the intel.

I will be heading out on the town to take in some local color. I live in the sticks and I rarely go to Detroit, or any city for that matter.
 
I will be heading out on the town to take in some local color.
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I went to Chi town for a training class about 5 years ago.
The traffic, weather, politics and the toll roads just plain bite. (Their baseball team does too :P - and I don't mean the Cubs)

OTOH - the people of Chicago are simply wonderful!
IMNSHO - Chicagoans are the most hospitable, friendly and outgoing people I've run across.

My flight got into O'hara about 3 hours late. It was around 11:00pm when I got on the tram to the rental car agency, and the temp was about 5 below zero & howling wind/blowing snow - IN MID FREAKING APRIL!!!!
The young lady at the car rental was standing outside in the bitter cold waiting to greet me with a very large and warm smile. Nobody would have faulted her for staying inside at both that hour of the night and considering the weather. I 've used the same rental agency in other cities and have never been greeted like that before, so I know it isn't company policy.

On the way to the motel, I manged to get sidetracked and pulled into the wrong hotel and went inside to check in. Again,,,big warm smile as a greeting.
When my mistake of hotels became evident,,,the young lady called ahead to my hotel to make sure they still had my reservation, informed them I was on my way and handed the phone over to me so I could get detailed directions how to get there. Whe I hung up, the young lady grilled me about the directions to make sure I had them right. Then she bid me safe trip and gave me a cup of coffee to boot!

The whole 5 days I was there, the people I ran into were pretty much all the same friendly bunch. - Heck even the class instructor was halfway Ok (which is high praise for a swelled ego database admin ;))

I'm no way a "people person",,,but I have to say the outgoing nature of the people there left me with a very good impression of Chicago.
 
As Packing.org is currently down I will make it short and sweet. DON'T BRING IT.

IL is bad, Chicago is even worse though.
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You can carry a spork from Taco Bell, though - it's not a totally hopeless situation!:barf:

I would do the same thing when going to Chicago as I do when I go to Canada - take a big freaking knife!:D

Either the USMC Ka-Bar or the Becker Knife & Tool BK-7 can be had for around $50 each and are big enough for defensive use (7" blade, 12" OAL) and are priced such that if you have to ditch the knife, it's not a major loss moneywise.

Take a look at the Becker here http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CMBK7
And the Ka-Bar here http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7321
 
I always have a blade handy.

The truth of it is, I most likely wouldn't be carrying much in Chicago even if it were legal. I'd want to have a beer/glass of wine or two perhaps with a nice meal or take in some music at a juicery. But, traveling 8hrs each way is when I like to have my Colt .45acp near by. Gas stops and rest areas in unfamiliar surroundings and so on. Hence my wanting to unload and lock it in my hotel room somehow.

I guess I'm driving solo on this trip. How am I going to break the news to my Colt?
 
big freakin knife?

a big freakin knife can land you into as serious a trouble as a gun.

watch the knife length. not sure whats legal in Illinois 3" blade is pretty much safe coast to coast. some states dont like anything bigger than 4-5". some states have extra penalties blades even longer. in chicagoland the small cities have ordnances to make thing more difficult
 
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