Hi, I'm new to all this...will take a CCW class hopefully in September or October.
I have a few practical questions for you carriers here (and hopefully this is an appropriate forum for it).
Now, I fully realize that disaster can strike anywhere, any time, and that "safe" suburban areas where I mostly live, work and play are prime targets for crime precisely because we don't expect it to happen. But statistically, at least, I spend the majority of my time in areas that have had nothing more dramatic than petty theft off a store shelf. (I know, I know! Tell that to the people in San Bernardino or the CO movie theater, and it could happen in my local grocery store tomorrow afternoon, and I'm not arguing against that point).
Now here's my conundrum: most of the places where I would want to be protected, where crimes do happen much more frequently, where people are robbed or held up or assaulted on the streets, are in downtown areas--people walking to or from their parked cars are always prime targets. I occasionally visit places in downtown Dayton (performing arts theaters), Cincinnati (like the zoo, with my kids), Columbus, etc. I would want to be protected walking through areas known to be much higher risk.
But here's the deal. Every damn one of those destinations has a no-gun policy! So even with my CCW permit, I can carry from my car to the front door of where I'm trying to go...and...then what? I'm not interested in being just an armed escort for my family, although I suppose I could walk them there, then walk back to the car, disarm, then walk again *by myself* and be an even bigger target?
I also work in two different locations, neither of which will allow firearms on the premises (in one instance I can leave it in my car, in the other, I don't believe I can have a loaded firearm anywhere on the installation at all--it's a military base). So again, if I'm headed to work and can't even leave my CCW in the car, then I won't have it with me if I go anywhere else before or after work.
It just seems like a logistics nightmare. If the only places where I can realistically carry for defense, are the places where I'm least likely to ever encounter an emergency, then it all seems entirely upside down.
Your advice and experiences???
I have a few practical questions for you carriers here (and hopefully this is an appropriate forum for it).
Now, I fully realize that disaster can strike anywhere, any time, and that "safe" suburban areas where I mostly live, work and play are prime targets for crime precisely because we don't expect it to happen. But statistically, at least, I spend the majority of my time in areas that have had nothing more dramatic than petty theft off a store shelf. (I know, I know! Tell that to the people in San Bernardino or the CO movie theater, and it could happen in my local grocery store tomorrow afternoon, and I'm not arguing against that point).
Now here's my conundrum: most of the places where I would want to be protected, where crimes do happen much more frequently, where people are robbed or held up or assaulted on the streets, are in downtown areas--people walking to or from their parked cars are always prime targets. I occasionally visit places in downtown Dayton (performing arts theaters), Cincinnati (like the zoo, with my kids), Columbus, etc. I would want to be protected walking through areas known to be much higher risk.
But here's the deal. Every damn one of those destinations has a no-gun policy! So even with my CCW permit, I can carry from my car to the front door of where I'm trying to go...and...then what? I'm not interested in being just an armed escort for my family, although I suppose I could walk them there, then walk back to the car, disarm, then walk again *by myself* and be an even bigger target?
I also work in two different locations, neither of which will allow firearms on the premises (in one instance I can leave it in my car, in the other, I don't believe I can have a loaded firearm anywhere on the installation at all--it's a military base). So again, if I'm headed to work and can't even leave my CCW in the car, then I won't have it with me if I go anywhere else before or after work.
It just seems like a logistics nightmare. If the only places where I can realistically carry for defense, are the places where I'm least likely to ever encounter an emergency, then it all seems entirely upside down.
Your advice and experiences???