self defense while at work

[Futo Inu]

My view is this. In light of the facts that:

1. Open carry can cause many practical problems originating beyond your boss which are probably more trouble than they're worth;
2. You are young, and therefore probably quite physically fit/agile/responsive, relative to the average VICTIM;
3. You are not that far, time-wise, from being able to concealed carry, in the grand scheme of things; and
4. (If this is true) You ARE able to carry pepper spray and knives legally concealed (?);

I would opt for carrying the latter, and TRAINING with the OC and knives, for now, and applying for the CCW the day you become of age, UNLESS there are regularly reported violent crimes in the area where guns are used by the criminal, since pepper spray and knives obviously put you at a disadvantage there, in which case I'd carry openly, damn the consequences.

Having said that, I feel for you because I know th "itch" to carry a gun (concealed or not) is nearly insatiable at your age - it was for me. You'd have to weigh the chance of losing the job if some warm & fuzzy liberal complained to someone over your boss's head vs. the value of the job to you, etc.

BTW, in my state, the age for CCW is 23, which is WRONG and violative of the 2nd IMO. I think the age to drink AND own/use/carry firearms should be the same as when you can be drafted - 18, not 23 or 21!

[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited May 27, 2000).]

 

[chadintex]

Russell, you might want to go to glocktalk and talk to them. A lot of the guys over there are in Phoenix and carry openly. If I were in your shoes I would definetly carry. It's legal, and who cares if people have a problem with it. You are in the age group of people who are most likely to get hurt in a violent encounter and a lone man in desolate areas is a good victim. I'm not saying to shoot someone for your wallet, but your life is certainly valuable. You should also follow the advice about a good flashlight and pepper spray. I like the surefires and at least 10% pepper ratio. Or you could keep a 3D maglite in your back pocket, whatever works for you. Take care.

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Beware the three D's: The dumb, drunk, and deranged. Chadintex@hotmail.com

 

[Marcus]

I won`t tread on the sensitve sides of the issue (for once!) but I`ll inject a little anecdotal commentary. A fellow I know works for an excavating company. In the winter they do mostly snow removal. More than once he was attacked by crazed individuals for plowing their driveway shut(by accident on his part) or some such. After being chased out of his backhoe and down the street by a maniac wielding a coal shovel he decided to take matters into his own hands. In my state open carry is legal but almost never practiced and he has no CCW. He simply holstered a Ruger SP-101 on his belt between his cell phone and Leatherman tool. The holster,cell phone pouch and knife sheath are all the same color leather and it just blends in while in plain sight! One day I bumped into hin and remarked about the SP-101 and asked how he liked it. He looked shocked! He asked what I was talking about and I replied,you`re gun there,it`s an SP-101 right? How do you like it? Still a bit shaken he said Ohhhh,you kinda caught me off guard. I`ve been carrying it like this for 3 years and you`re the first person who ever noticed it let alone knew what model it was!!! I guess the lesson is that some folks may freak if they see an open carry gun but most aren`t perceptive enough to notice it anyway if you carry it right. Marcus