The umbrella effect

C

C7AR15

New member
I live in Burnaby B.C. Canada. Think 200 miles North of Seattle.
Last year at this time, the wife and I went to the Museum of Flight. It is south of Seattle. We got a motel room in the city of ?
In the evening we wanted to go to a movie. My wife asks me if it would be safe to walk the 5km , because we do not know the neighborhood.
I thought for a second and said - Washington state is concealed carry state. Any bad guy looking at a couple in their 50s will just think , the old white guy has a Glock and she has a revolver.
So we went to the movie and drinks after . Walked home at 1:00 AM. No problem.
One thing I did notice was that if you run into another pedestrian, is that they cut you a wide berth !! Unless I'm just imagining that part :confused:
My point is that everyone in the state benefits from ccw . Including tourists. :D
 
I am not familiar with Seattle, its demographic, its crime rate and etc. I don't doubt your thinking.

It is not a high crime area around here, and there are far more churches than bars or bad neighborhoods.

I will say I do think there are drug crazed members of our society who don't think much beyond scoring the funds necessary for their next fix. They very well may consider "a couple in their 50s" prime pickings or at least someone with money on them.
 
I disagree. A thug's uncertainty as to who is carrying benefits everyone.
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and I'll have to respectfully disagree.

A person who is the type to CCW is also more likely to have a higher situational awareness that keeps them out of trouble. But I don't think many thugs consider much otherwise, they look for the easy victim.
 
The umbrella is an illusion.Its based on the illusion that a 50 yr old couple walking at 1 AM is armed.I would assume nothing about the thought process of the irrational criminal mind.
But then,sometimes,we just go for a walk.
Safety is an illusion.
Surfers go in the ocean with sharks.
1 AM is a good time to meet a drunk driver on the road.
According to the news,anything can happen at any time.
Imagine living in England in 1940 or so.

Its good to have a contingency plan,though. Bluffs do get called.
 
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Don't kid yourself about anyone thinking you might be armed. How many mass killings do we have and how often is one stopped by an armed bystander? The armed bystander is a rarity if you're honest with yourself. These nut jobs and criminals know that: 1) most people are unarmed. 2) Hardly anyone is situational aware to do anything about it.
I know a cop who was mugged and he had a gun on him. He simply let the robber get his wallet rather than try to get his gun out after being taken down and then having the robber get his gun. If it makes you feel good thinking you're safe because someone might think you have a gun....well you're blowing smoke up your own behind. If you don't believe me, ask someone who trains people in self defense or works for a PD in a city where crime takes place frequently.
 
Non event

My story is really a non event. ( I wanted some discussion on the topic) Next time I will ask the desk clerk - is this a safe neighborhood to be walking around at night ?

If I could I would carry a can of pepper spray, but I don't know the rules about bringing it into the US. I even leave my pocket knife at home, ( so I don't have it taken away at the border. )
Also The Museum of Flight is fantastic, 10 / 10 check it out. :)
Thanks for the input.
 
I would have taken a Taxi, both ways. Good solid walking stick, my Glock Instructor hat looks good. Is my Florida CCW License good there?
 
The name of that town south of Seattle is Tukwila, and it's actually the most dangerous city in the entire nation according to some statisticians. I am a resident of Tukwila for the best ten years as it happens.

I carry when I walk those streets and I was once the victim of an armed mugging style robbery at about 1am, it's the life event that prompted me to become a firearms owner and licensed to carry. Hopefully I am providing some sort of umbrella effect to others and I do think the idea that random people might be armed helps, it doesn't deter everyone but I have a feeling it raises the stakes enough that only the truly desperate and deranged will risk it.
 
C7AR15 said:
I thought for a second and said - Washington state is concealed carry state. Any bad guy looking at a couple in their 50s will just think , the old white guy has a Glock and she has a revolver.
Click to expand...
You Canadians certainly have some quaint notions about Americans.
 
Reply

Sorry, I misspoke- I meant to say " the old white guy for sure has a classic Model 1911 in .45 ACP and she has the credit cards " :)

PS - I bet you a majority of the people on this forum do carry concealed, if allowed in their state. :cool:
 
I imagine that a majority of people on this forum probably do carry. But a majority of people on the street? In Seattle? Not likely, and certainly not likely enough that a would-be mugger would default to assuming that a potential victim is probably carrying.
 
I grew up in, and lived in Rainier Valley my whole life. I expect very few people to understand what that means but it is the part of town that is considered a bad place to be, especially after dark. I have never had problems walking or driving and I walked a lot after dark. The cops are on edge and if they find a reason to stop you they will. Most of the problems are between young people and not against folks walking - especially if you recognize people and greet them in some way. Some of the bars downtown are known for physical violence so you stay away from them. I moved away from Seattle because the city taxes and the upside down politics but I only recall a couple of times I didn't feel safe. The gun laws are the same as the rest of Washington but you can't carry a fixed blade knife and a folding knife can't be more than 6 inches when open. You are legal to carry pistols openly but expect to get stopped and asked about it by the police.
 
The umbrella effect is in fact the "bunker" effect on a personal level. Ergo, my bomb shelter has been built for me and my family...not you and your family. You want protection build your own.

Likewise, my SELF DEFENSE firearm is for my family's self defense...not protecting South Seattle from muggers.

Walking 5 km on dark streets because you didn't know the neighborhood??? Do you and your wife normally take such risks?
 
I didn't realize umbrella swords were legal for Canadians to carry in WA state.

Sometimes keeping your strong hand in your pocket is enough to convince other targets are easier.
 
Reply 2

Dajowi, you make a good point about your bunker defense. Your ccw is to protect your family, not everyone in the neighborhood.

Do we normally take such risks? The murder rate in Vancouver was 15 in 2015 and 11 in 2016. Burnaby is at 3-6 per year.
Like in the US, it's almost always drug dealers killing each other.
We don't worry about walking around, pocket knife and pepper spray and I feel ok.

Umbrella swords? Lol No, we sure do use umbrellas a lot here .

If you want to check out people who have been disarmed, look at the UK.
No guns,pocket knives or pepper spray . Mandatory jail sentences on 2nd offense.
 
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