Strange car outside

Status
Not open for further replies.
"Confrontation" is a grey area. Approaching someone with a pistol open carrying might or might not count as "confrontation". If you are open carrying and approach someone to question them about their presence, I think that counts as confronting someone. You may not be pointing it at them, but it will take things to a different level.

Earlier in the thread there were mentions of open carrying on your property as a way to demonstrate to strangers. This method might be effective in certain situations and places, but Im just saying that doing this in every place may not be the most responsible thing to do. I would not approach a stranger open carrying unless its something which had to be done and there were no other options. I can see a few situations where it might have to be done, but most situations should not be resolved in this manner.
 
Quote- SgtLumpy - You seem focused on the "Oh I see a gun" issue. That may be an issue in your area, or maybe it's just specific to your personal way of viewing things. It's not in my state, nor in my personal way of viewing things.
Click to expand...

SgtLumpy I think you see things from a police officers point of view which is the other side of the law then normal civilians see and experience. Normal citizens run a much higher risk of going to prison for incidents involving firearms in all states.

Even if you are a retired police you still get special treatment that is why many companies hire retired police to deal with security issues.

Felonies are not something to take lightly. They destroy lives and families.
 
It's not a felony to open carry in my state. It's not a misdemeanor. It's not a crime. There's not even a permit needed. I never suggested confronting the car but even then, confronting a car or stranger while open carrying is not a crime in my state either.

Some of you just aren't getting that it's not illegal, nor at all uncommon to see people in AZ walking around everywhere with an open carry pistol. It's not scary or against the law or given a second thought. People will walk up to others that are carrying and say things like "Hey, do you like that Serpa holster? I'm thinking of getting one for my Beretta", stuff like that.

In contrast, by the sound of some of the posts, in some areas, or in some people's minds, it's scary to even go outside and look at a suspicious vehicle on your street.

Either way is fine with me. Different areas have different customs.


Sgt Lumpy
 
Parts of Arizona I could articulate why it might be a good idea to open carry. There is a good deal of drugs run over the border and so a stranger in a border town might not be a welcome site at times. There are also illegal immigrants crossing who might be desperate for food and shelter. That is a situation where it might be called for to display a firearm openly.

You live in a town by the border and see a stranger or car you know doesnt belong so you open carry around the property to reinforce the notion this isnt the place for their intended business.
 
Sounds like they may have you well trained.

What will they do when the lights don't come on?
Click to expand...

exactly... many burglars will scout out or [pattern profile] a potential home if they feel it meet their other requirement. Some ring the doorbell others goof around to see if their actions draw any attn. If the police are called, they already have their "story line" rehearsed to explain why they are there.

Personally, I call the cops anytime something odd is happening around my property, which boils down to about once a year. The last one was some dude in a old nova sitting diagonal from my house in the dark smoking a cig. My house is the only one around so I called the cops. They arrived before he finished his smoke and kept him there for nearly an hour. They let him go and I never saw him or his car again. He told the police that he was lost and trying a place to buy a map??? yeah right
 
It's not a felony to open carry in my state. It's not a misdemeanor. It's not a crime. There's not even a permit needed. I never suggested confronting the car but even then, confronting a car or stranger while open carrying is not a crime in my state either.

Some of you just aren't getting that it's not illegal, nor at all uncommon to see people in AZ walking around everywhere with an open carry pistol. It's not scary or against the law or given a second thought. People will walk up to others that are carrying and say things like "Hey, do you like that Serpa holster? I'm thinking of getting one for my Beretta", stuff like that.

In contrast, by the sound of some of the posts, in some areas, or in some people's minds, it's scary to even go outside and look at a suspicious vehicle on your street.

Either way is fine with me. Different areas have different customs.
Click to expand...

I am not debating it is legal or excepted in many areas.
What I am saying is if you get in a conformation and the other party calls the police and makes you/"the guy with a gun" sound like the aggressor it can lead to some very serous charges.

I have lived in places most all house holds have guns and most all trucks have a gun in them. And seen people get in serous trouble just because they had a gun in a confrontation even though they were not the problem.

All it takes it the wrong officer who wants to take a gun and act like they "stopped a gunman" or a prosecutor how needs an extra case. You will find them in all states. Many people claim "not in my town" but it is a national system it has no boarders.
 
The problem is not open carry. The problem is the mental aspect... WHY are you "open carrying", at THAT moment?

The responses in this thread seem to indicate that they would specifically open carry, even in places where it wouldn't be legal off your own property, specifically as a "show of force". This is a dangerous attitude.

If you happen to open carry and you happen to be washing your car or you're open carrying and it's perfectly normal to go over and inquire with the occupants of the car, super. Have at it.

Doing it to INTENTIONALLY make them aware that you have a gun, to intentionally show them the gun, is a different mental state. The occupants of the car might never know the difference but it IS different.
 
Brian, I think your "mental state" argument is odd. My mental state, my projected intention ANY time I'm carrying open or conceiled, or even any time I'm not carrying, is that "I'm aware of you and the rest of my surroundings and not afraid to let you know it".

I can't imagine anyone open carrying but having the mental attitude "I'm not really ready to use this" "I'm not really paying attention to what's going on around me'.

The idea that the suspicious people might get offended or scared, and then leave, is exactly the desired action, whether it involves a gun or just turning on the porch light.

Burglar, Fuller brush man, kids smoking pot or door to door religious fanatic, if they're parked where I don't feel comfortable, I want them to leave. I don't care a bit if I've hurt their feelings because of my mental attitude.

And for perhaps the dozenth time, that may be different than the way you in NY look at suspicious or undesirable people.


Sgt Lumpy
 
It's got nothing to do with location. Guns aren't tools of intimidation for law-abiding folks.

What's particularly odd is that in the thread about the convenience store robbery, you made the same point that you're arguing against in this thread, when you said:

SgtLumpy said:
is there anything else I could have possibly done, being that I would've had my gun on me?
Click to expand...

I don't think we should look at any differently when armed vs unarmed. We shouldn't be putting ourselves into MORE danger, just because we're armed.

Sgt Lumpy
Click to expand...


Thanks exactly my point. You are doing something specifically because you ARE armed. You're putting yourself in a situation that you would not put yourself in without arming yourself. Else ways, why would you not just go wash your car or get your paper or go talk to them WITHOUT specifically making sure that you do it while armed, specifically so they can see your gun?

It's not about open carry or otherwise. It's about mindset.
 
You're putting yourself in a situation that you would not put yourself in without arming yourself.
Click to expand...

Negative.

I wash my car armed. I go into my front yard armed. I go to the grocery store armed. I do not intervene in armed robberies armed (or otherwise).

Let's back up, Brian.

What would YOU do if there was a suspicious vehicle parked in front of your house? Not what you think I should or shouldn't do. But what would YOU do?


Sgt Lumpy
 
You might wash your car armed but you weren't planning to wash your car, at that moment. You're doing it, at that moment, specifically because there's a car parked outside. Same action, different reason. The point is intimidation, not a clean car.

Also, when did this car become "suspicious"? It started out "strange", which is to say "unknown".

What do I do when an "unknown" car stops in front of my house? Nothing.

Absent some exigent circumstance, why should I do anything?

I now live in a small village (a few hundred people), I used to live in a larger village (couple thousand), before that, in the country with a few neighbors, before that, in a city of about 15,000. In all cases, an "unknown" car stopping elicits no response from me whatsoever.
 
Cars stop on my street rather frequently. Sometimes that happens when I am sitting on the porch. If the occupants see me, I wave.

If I am indoors, I make no effort to let them know that I am aware of their presence.

Why would I?
 
I make no effort to let them know that I am aware of their presence.

Why would I?
Click to expand...

You wouldn't. Because you've made that decision.

But you didn't post to a gun forum about what you should do about a strange vehicle that repeatedly parks in front of your house and that you turn on the lights "to let them know" that you see them.

Everybody's neighborhood is different. Everybody's suspicion factor is different.


Sgt Lumpy
 
NOBODY posted on the forum about A car that "repeatedly" parks in front of their house.

Once again, the fact that this is a gun forum should not color the responses in any way. Just because you have a hammer doesn't mean every problem is a nail. It's a tactics question. Not all tactics require firearms. Hell, not all scenarios require "tactics".

I heard a cat fight last night. I posted that on a gun forum. Should I have shot the cats?
 
But you didn't post to a gun forum about what you should do about a strange vehicle that repeatedly parks in front of your house and that you turn on the lights "to let them know" that you see them.
Click to expand...
Why would I post something like that on a gun forum? Why would anyone think that the subject is appropriate for a gun forum?

Why would I want them to "know that I see them"?

Everybody's suspicion factor is different.
Click to expand...
If every car that stopped on my street more than once made me suspicious, I would be very unhappy indeed. Several of my neighbors have large extended families in the area, and they often have visitors.

They arrive in cars.
 
Here is an unknown car - you think it could be filled with bad people.

So, instead of just calling the law - you go out (in many variants) and expose yourself to them.

They ARE bad people and they shoot you or beat you up or stab you (of course, you can handle it).

Why is this continuing?

Or they are innocents and they call the cops on you. Man with a gun (for instance). Not a man engaging in open carry lawfully - but man with a gun - for a fun night time adventure.

Turn on the lights and call the cops, if you truly expect a threat and it isn't two kids necking.

My wife and I were returning from the park (our neighborhood hooks into a neat trail system). In the far reaches of the parking lot, we heard cries and moans. Thus, I took out my Surefire and Glock 19 and crawled to the car, jumped up and yelled - I'm from the Internet.

Or, we looked at each other, smiled and remembered our youth. :)
 
And I think we've exhausted all worthwhile lines of discussion, and a number of lines of discussion a good deal less worthwhile.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top