My friend Lisa offered to take me to one of our favorite restaurants for my birthday (last week). We met at the Red Pearl Kitchen at 7 pm. I lucked out and got a parking space right up front, turned on the recorder, strapped on the 17C and waltzed in. No problems whatsoever. Lisa was already there and met me in the bar area and then we were seated and ordered drinks: Grey Goose and soda for me and a Tsingtao beer for her.
They have a really tasty Kobe beef-chili-watermelon salad that is so good I get it every time I go there. Lisa wasn't in the mood to share and neither was I so we each got our own. That salad is only 9 bucks by the way. We also shared beef soya noodles and then had a chocolate souffle for dessert. By that time, I was ready to go as I banged up my back in the desert this weekend and it aches if I sit for too long.
From there we wandered around downtown, just enjoying the evening. Then some guy in a group of guys asked us for directions to Dick's Last Resort. A conversation ensued in which we talked them out of Dick's (when you go there, you're paying the wait staff to be rude to you. I'll insult you for free, right now if you like, and you can get a cheaper beer somewhere else. )
We recommended the Field or Patricks, two irish pubs nearby. Patricks also has live music most nights. Heck, if they have it monday night they probably have it every night.
It turned out that the guys were from England, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. If any of them noticed my gun, they didn't mention it. Nor did they run screaming in fear. No one wet their pants, and I didn't shoot anybody.
We said our goodbyes as they departed, and I heard someone call my name. I looked up and there in the door of Thirst was my friend Chris, working as the doorman. That was as good a reason as any to stop in there for a drink. Seated at the bar drinking beer, eventually a couple of the patrons asked about my gun and I went through the usual routine. Everyone was very supportive, and it turned out that one of the patrons was actually a chef or something at that bar. Chris walked behind the bar and said he was buying me a shot which I declined on the grounds that I am the biggest lightweight you'll ever find in a 200 lb package. That wasn't good enough for him, so I pulled out my trump card, "I appreciate the offer and I'll take a raincheck. But there's a good chance I'm going to run into a cop tonight and I have to have my A-game."
That satisfied.
Five minutes later the chef guy (who said I was doing a great thing by carrying and that more people should do it) offered to buy us drinks. Lisa accepted, and I asked for a Coke.
Another five minutes later, and a third employee behind the bar sets a row of shots in front of everyone. The funny thing is, in my whole life the only time a bar employee has bought me a drink was some months ago at the Tilted Kilt, and that was only because I was wearing a kilt. But again, my polite decline was not acceptable and I had to again play the police card. Lisa drank most of my shot, plus hers. That girl can sure throw them back for being so petite.
We handed out some open carry flyers to interested people and then split.
Back on the street we got passed by a couple police cruisers but they either didn't notice or didn't care.
We decided to stop in to Patrick's to check out the blues band. The bouncer was a really nice guy, very polite, definitely noticed the pistol and didn't care. We came in in the middle of something bluesy, and Lisa and I soulfully lindy-hopped the rest of the number and then the one after that as well. Yes, I was swing dancing in a bar downtown with a 9mm and 25 rounds on my hip. Luckily, my gun did not take advantage of the distraction to act violently of it's own accord.
I still don't trust it though; Sarah Brady has said that handguns are dangerous and do all sorts of terrible things and she wouldn't say that if it weren't true. I bet while my handgun is nestled snugly in its holster, canted to a saucy angle, it's just biding it's time...playing possum.
We bailed Patrick's, said adios to the bouncer and thanked him and I walked Lisa home and then drove home myself and here I am, tired. Good night and CARRY ON!
-elsensei
Monday, March 30, 2009
Harbor Freight and John Deere
I stopped by Harbor Freight today to pick up a set of expandable pruning shears for my Dad and while carrying I had no issues. A few customers took notice but said nothing.
On the way home I stopped by John Deere irrigation to pick up some goof plugs, again with no issues. The manager did ask "What's with the gun?" and I replied with "Oh, I open carry", which prompted me to give him a business card and participate in a small talk about how only gun stores seem to be making money right now.
Good times.
CARRY ON!
-N8
On the way home I stopped by John Deere irrigation to pick up some goof plugs, again with no issues. The manager did ask "What's with the gun?" and I replied with "Oh, I open carry", which prompted me to give him a business card and participate in a small talk about how only gun stores seem to be making money right now.
Good times.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Saturday, March 28, 2009
T-mobile and Walmart
So I stopped by the T-Mobile store in San Mucus (er, Marcos :) ) with my brother OJ to look at some phone options for me, as my Dash is quickly becoming the next possible next victim of my revolver's ballistic fury. While in there I had no issues. Even the manager came up to me and said that he apologized for the line and it should just be a moment, shook my hand and didn't even mention a thing. Beautiful.
Later on at 8:40 or so, I went to Walmart to try and pick up some ammo and spray paint. The ammo counter was PATHETIC! I can't believe how much ammunition is NOT there! FUDGE!
While at the counter and contemplating how Obama has really messed up my shooting plans, two guys came over and asked me about open carry. I conversed with them about it and handed out some of my business cards to them and they seemed very excited about it. Score one for the good guys!
After that I went over to the paint counter for my spray paint and the paint guy asked me about why I was carrying. I explained that I open carried and he said "Gee, I wish a few people were doing that up there in Oakland." WOW! Actual support! I gave him one of my business cards so he could check it out further.
Now I am not sure about this, but after checking out and leaving the store, I did pass one of those lame rent-a-cop cruiser vehicles with its lame lights blinking all over. Not sure if it was for me or he was just trying to look cool but he ended up parking in the middle of the parking lot, lights blinking and possibly filling out paperwork.
A good day. A good day indeed.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Later on at 8:40 or so, I went to Walmart to try and pick up some ammo and spray paint. The ammo counter was PATHETIC! I can't believe how much ammunition is NOT there! FUDGE!
While at the counter and contemplating how Obama has really messed up my shooting plans, two guys came over and asked me about open carry. I conversed with them about it and handed out some of my business cards to them and they seemed very excited about it. Score one for the good guys!
After that I went over to the paint counter for my spray paint and the paint guy asked me about why I was carrying. I explained that I open carried and he said "Gee, I wish a few people were doing that up there in Oakland." WOW! Actual support! I gave him one of my business cards so he could check it out further.
Now I am not sure about this, but after checking out and leaving the store, I did pass one of those lame rent-a-cop cruiser vehicles with its lame lights blinking all over. Not sure if it was for me or he was just trying to look cool but he ended up parking in the middle of the parking lot, lights blinking and possibly filling out paperwork.
A good day. A good day indeed.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Friday, March 27, 2009
UTC Whole Foods, UTC Elijah's Deli, Filter Coffeehouse North Park
I had the honor of being the guest speaker at the monthly Libertarian Supper Club meeting at Elijahs, but as I arrived 15 minutes early and it was rush hour, I decided to wander into the Whole Foods located in the same strip mall to see if the all-natural melons look any better than the artificially enhanced ones. They don't, but knowing that they're natural makes all the difference. But that is neither here nor there, as I actually bought a bag of apples and departed. Oh, I was carrying my Glock 17C and 25 rounds and strangely I left the store with the same number of bullets as I went in with. Something must be wrong with my gun. Mental note: contact the folks at Glock and ask them when gun is going to develop a mind of its own. Or maybe that was a factory option that I inadvertently declined....
I stopped back at my truck to drop off said apples, then walked across the lot to Elijah's. Then a funny thing happened. I was crossing the last traffic lane in the parking lot, using the crosswalk like the safety-conscious freak I am, and a guy approaching from my strong side wasn't paying attention and darned near ran me over. He stopped in time as I was coiling to leap out of the way, and he made the "sorry, sorry"motion with his upraised hands. Just as I was thinking, "Great, supposedly I'm some sort of walking hazard because I have a weapon, and this clown has been LICENSED and is still dangerous," I saw his eyes lock on my gun and get VERY wide.
He then went on his way, blowing the myth that "people with guns are susceptible to road rage shootouts" clean outta the water.
I kept walking.
Entering Elijah's was no big deal, no one noticed or cared, and I spent the next 2.5 hours describing to a great group of people the size, color, construction, texture and frequency of all hoops you have to jump through to exercise a right that "shall not be infringed."
What a joke.
I'm loosely a part of a politics and religion discussion group that meets at the Filter Coffeehouse in North Park. Mind you, the group is heavily tilted to the big-government nanny-state liberal socialist side, but why preach to the choir? Get out there and find some people you might be able to enlighten!
This was the first time I wore my gun, though.
The topic was "is this the death of laissez-faire markets?" and my contention was that we haven't had anything resembling free markets since 1913. Regardless, all the sheep are parroting what they hear on the news, specifically that the economic difficulties we're experiencing are due to a "failure of capitalism".
Hilarious.
Oh, my gun didn't shoot anyone there either. No one noticed that I was carrying and if they did, they didn't care.
So at this point, you can add Whole Foods, Elijah's, and Filter Coffeehouse to the list of places where you won't necessarily be wholly at the mercy of an armed interloper in a "gun-free" zone.
I stopped back at my truck to drop off said apples, then walked across the lot to Elijah's. Then a funny thing happened. I was crossing the last traffic lane in the parking lot, using the crosswalk like the safety-conscious freak I am, and a guy approaching from my strong side wasn't paying attention and darned near ran me over. He stopped in time as I was coiling to leap out of the way, and he made the "sorry, sorry"motion with his upraised hands. Just as I was thinking, "Great, supposedly I'm some sort of walking hazard because I have a weapon, and this clown has been LICENSED and is still dangerous," I saw his eyes lock on my gun and get VERY wide.
He then went on his way, blowing the myth that "people with guns are susceptible to road rage shootouts" clean outta the water.
I kept walking.
Entering Elijah's was no big deal, no one noticed or cared, and I spent the next 2.5 hours describing to a great group of people the size, color, construction, texture and frequency of all hoops you have to jump through to exercise a right that "shall not be infringed."
What a joke.
I'm loosely a part of a politics and religion discussion group that meets at the Filter Coffeehouse in North Park. Mind you, the group is heavily tilted to the big-government nanny-state liberal socialist side, but why preach to the choir? Get out there and find some people you might be able to enlighten!
This was the first time I wore my gun, though.
The topic was "is this the death of laissez-faire markets?" and my contention was that we haven't had anything resembling free markets since 1913. Regardless, all the sheep are parroting what they hear on the news, specifically that the economic difficulties we're experiencing are due to a "failure of capitalism".
Hilarious.
Oh, my gun didn't shoot anyone there either. No one noticed that I was carrying and if they did, they didn't care.
So at this point, you can add Whole Foods, Elijah's, and Filter Coffeehouse to the list of places where you won't necessarily be wholly at the mercy of an armed interloper in a "gun-free" zone.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
GI Joe's and Walter Reed (er, Anderson)
So I went down to GI Joe's in El Cajon (wearing my kick-ass "Got Liberty?" t-shirt, thanks Diceman!) to pick up some body armor (cheaper and more secure than exercising for that buff look the ladies love) and while carrying I had no issues. Go figure being a military surplus store, but ya never know :)
On the way home I went to Walter Anderson nursery to pick up some more tomato plants (My family is sooo getting canker sores between the tomatoes and citrus fruits) and *GASP*, no one freaked! No one even asked me about it, not even the employee that was giving me growing advice.
Also, non-OC related but I totally wore my brand new (to me) body armor to El Plantio Nursery to give it a "test run" and I got to meet not only a gun-curious employee (gave him some pointers on which rifles to buy) but also a Wholford F&G Range Master, both of whom got got handed one of my brand new business cards, YAY! The rangs master hadn't heard of open carry but was really stoked when I gave him the rundown of it. I would have carried at this nursery location but there is some Christian academy right across the street.
Well, time to plant all the plants I bought.
CARRY ON!
-N8
On the way home I went to Walter Anderson nursery to pick up some more tomato plants (My family is sooo getting canker sores between the tomatoes and citrus fruits) and *GASP*, no one freaked! No one even asked me about it, not even the employee that was giving me growing advice.
Also, non-OC related but I totally wore my brand new (to me) body armor to El Plantio Nursery to give it a "test run" and I got to meet not only a gun-curious employee (gave him some pointers on which rifles to buy) but also a Wholford F&G Range Master, both of whom got got handed one of my brand new business cards, YAY! The rangs master hadn't heard of open carry but was really stoked when I gave him the rundown of it. I would have carried at this nursery location but there is some Christian academy right across the street.
Well, time to plant all the plants I bought.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Home Depot, Ralph's and Trader Joe's followup
I went to Home Depot today to pick up some tomato plants (16 Beefsteak tomatoes!) and I had no issues while OCing. I was there for about 25 minutes and I talked to 4 different employees about finding some Roma or San Marzano tomatoes and they didn't even blink.
I also went to Ralph's to pick up some Rit dye for my Mom. On the way over I left the gun on the front seat and while carrying inside I had no issues. I also asked several employees for assistance there too (hate the detergent sections)
Now, as to Trader Joe's...
I called this morning to get a verdict on the legality of OC and the service rep, Tiffany, told me that the issue of carrying a firearm had never been brought up, there was no policy on the books and they are looking to implement a no guns policy (BIG mistake, considering the amount of carry states they conduct business in.)
Upon hearing that, I sent an email to Mike Stollenwerk with all the pertinent information and asked him to reason with them. I just got an email back from him and here is what he had to say:
I called, they said they now have a policy - managers will ask gun carriers to leave if any customers complain.
Oh well, there store. Pretty easy go policy, so I would let it alone.
Not exactly the best policy but it is far better than what they were considering.
Perhaps if I don't like people with mohawks I can complain and see what the managers do about it...
Crikey.
Anyways, off to tutor a kid in Spanish. He is going to get the "Spanish Hammer" today!
CARRY ON!
-N8
I also went to Ralph's to pick up some Rit dye for my Mom. On the way over I left the gun on the front seat and while carrying inside I had no issues. I also asked several employees for assistance there too (hate the detergent sections)
Now, as to Trader Joe's...
I called this morning to get a verdict on the legality of OC and the service rep, Tiffany, told me that the issue of carrying a firearm had never been brought up, there was no policy on the books and they are looking to implement a no guns policy (BIG mistake, considering the amount of carry states they conduct business in.)
Upon hearing that, I sent an email to Mike Stollenwerk with all the pertinent information and asked him to reason with them. I just got an email back from him and here is what he had to say:
I called, they said they now have a policy - managers will ask gun carriers to leave if any customers complain.
Oh well, there store. Pretty easy go policy, so I would let it alone.
Not exactly the best policy but it is far better than what they were considering.
Perhaps if I don't like people with mohawks I can complain and see what the managers do about it...
Crikey.
Anyways, off to tutor a kid in Spanish. He is going to get the "Spanish Hammer" today!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Interview, WAMU, Range and Denny's
OK guys, I did the interview with Rosa and it went very well. Rosa is going to do a good job on this and was not weirded out by anything. She interviewed us for 2.5 hours, got 12031'd with us (she wanted to carry a gun and I had my Single Six, she was thoroughly stoked :) ), was delighted about her first shooting experience and just generally took everything in. Grammaton76 spent a great deal of time with her on pistols and we also got her to shoot a Mini-14, Keltec SU-16 and AR-15 to show her the difference in weapon type but how they are all essentially the same rifle (to illustrate the "assault weapon" crap). All in all, this was an EXCELLENT interview!
Some highlights from the day
-Really weird druggie guy trying to explain how we should put away our guns, asking to see our guns and explaining how Jesus Christ is against violence, etc. Sam, grammaton76 and myself all took turns arguing with him. Audio posted here, it is priceless!
-Meeting a girl and her boyfriend that had a pet pygmy goat on the beach! Totally cool! Lifeguards came by and said that they just had to put a leash on it but couldn't do anything else since it isn't a dog. Apparently, said goat loves cigarette butts and wine... druggie goat!
-Some random guy saying "This isn't Mexico!" and reporting us to the police. I tried to inform him of Mexican laws but he wouldn't listen to reason as he thought we were in the wrong. Kind of funny to think that he, a disarmed person out for a jog, would have an effect on us?
-Police eventually finding us and performing a VERY PROFESSIONAL 12031 check on all of us... as in, no questions asked beyond "does your holster have any form of retention on it?" WAV FILES HERE! (Only 21 days until expiration!)
-Meeting some nice ladies at the range and educating them on marksmanship and safety. I gave them my phone number, email address, Calguns.net handle and the complimentary schpeal about Calguns and the ladies section and said that I would be happy to accompany them to the range again if they wanted to learn more. Very nice ladies and they were very interested in shooting (Sam and I were primarily instructing them, grammaton76 was training Rosa at the time :) )
-DGM employees only billing for the initial $10 range fee and the muff rentals for both lanes ($24 total) because I was bugged twice about OCing in the store. They all apologized for not knowing/bugging me but I said it was a lot better than what was received at the boardwalk so no harm done :). It was really fun to see the guy that was busting my balls the first time I OC'd look at me, roll his eyes and say nothing the entire time, haha!
-Rosa said that she might want to buy a rifle after she gets her camera fixed! We will see what happens but she really liked my 10/22. I think that for the sake of economy, a Marlin 60 would also be a good choice but she is going to call me when she is ready.
In other news, KPBS won't agree to the terms of the interview, as Amita's editor, Alan, does not see how a range trip could make Amita more knowledgeable about gun laws than an interview at Starbucks, this coming from a man that said essentially admitted that revolvers are "assault weapons". I believe that KPBS was just looking to do a hack job on OC and I am putting the word out there on OCDO and CG to tell people to stand down on any interviews with them, at least until further notice.
I also open carried into WAMU bank today not once, but twice; once to cash my checks and once to go get my cell phone that I left there. Both were eventless.
I also open carried into Denny's at around 10:30pm while visiting a friend of mine whom I haven't seen in a while. I thought for sure one guy was going to call the cops on me but as usual, no issues.
I know this post is a little disorganized but it is 2AM and what good is an interview if I don't make you guys wait for it in the SD Reader? :)
CARRY ON!
-N8
P.S. I got my business cards today!
Some highlights from the day
-Really weird druggie guy trying to explain how we should put away our guns, asking to see our guns and explaining how Jesus Christ is against violence, etc. Sam, grammaton76 and myself all took turns arguing with him. Audio posted here, it is priceless!
-Meeting a girl and her boyfriend that had a pet pygmy goat on the beach! Totally cool! Lifeguards came by and said that they just had to put a leash on it but couldn't do anything else since it isn't a dog. Apparently, said goat loves cigarette butts and wine... druggie goat!
-Some random guy saying "This isn't Mexico!" and reporting us to the police. I tried to inform him of Mexican laws but he wouldn't listen to reason as he thought we were in the wrong. Kind of funny to think that he, a disarmed person out for a jog, would have an effect on us?
-Police eventually finding us and performing a VERY PROFESSIONAL 12031 check on all of us... as in, no questions asked beyond "does your holster have any form of retention on it?" WAV FILES HERE! (Only 21 days until expiration!)
-Meeting some nice ladies at the range and educating them on marksmanship and safety. I gave them my phone number, email address, Calguns.net handle and the complimentary schpeal about Calguns and the ladies section and said that I would be happy to accompany them to the range again if they wanted to learn more. Very nice ladies and they were very interested in shooting (Sam and I were primarily instructing them, grammaton76 was training Rosa at the time :) )
-DGM employees only billing for the initial $10 range fee and the muff rentals for both lanes ($24 total) because I was bugged twice about OCing in the store. They all apologized for not knowing/bugging me but I said it was a lot better than what was received at the boardwalk so no harm done :). It was really fun to see the guy that was busting my balls the first time I OC'd look at me, roll his eyes and say nothing the entire time, haha!
-Rosa said that she might want to buy a rifle after she gets her camera fixed! We will see what happens but she really liked my 10/22. I think that for the sake of economy, a Marlin 60 would also be a good choice but she is going to call me when she is ready.
In other news, KPBS won't agree to the terms of the interview, as Amita's editor, Alan, does not see how a range trip could make Amita more knowledgeable about gun laws than an interview at Starbucks, this coming from a man that said essentially admitted that revolvers are "assault weapons". I believe that KPBS was just looking to do a hack job on OC and I am putting the word out there on OCDO and CG to tell people to stand down on any interviews with them, at least until further notice.
I also open carried into WAMU bank today not once, but twice; once to cash my checks and once to go get my cell phone that I left there. Both were eventless.
I also open carried into Denny's at around 10:30pm while visiting a friend of mine whom I haven't seen in a while. I thought for sure one guy was going to call the cops on me but as usual, no issues.
I know this post is a little disorganized but it is 2AM and what good is an interview if I don't make you guys wait for it in the SD Reader? :)
CARRY ON!
-N8
P.S. I got my business cards today!
PB and IKEA
This is Pullnshoot25's big bro Elsensei. Nate gave me admin rights a while ago, but the first time I tried it it didn't work and I have been busy with other things recently. I do check the blog every day because it is always interesting and informative, and just for the hell of it today I clicked the "New Post" link and viola! I am authoring!
I've been OCing for a while, though not as much as Pullnshoot25 has. That kid is an inspiration. For the most part I have not had any issues. Most people simply do no care.
Two days ago, Saturday, I had some time on my hands and had to see my accountant who has an office down in PB. After that brief meeting, I strapped on my glock 17 on my right hip with two full mags on my left hip and took a stroll down to the beach.
I checked the surf first- I don't surf as much as I wish I did, and dang it right now the water is the coldest I can remember. It was 2-3 feet and kinda closing out, and the wind was shifting to onshore. Pretty day though. So I strolled to 7-11 and grabbed a copy of the SDReader, a free local rag with listing all the goings-on about town and with more plastic surgery ads than you could want. It runs about 100 pages. I sat on a bench facing the ocean and flipped through the whole thing, reading the interesting parts and skipping the rest. All told I think I spent an hour on that bench. Didn't see any police in the area. No one screamed or fainted. My gun didn't once sprout legs, overpower me, load itself and run amok, shooting people. All in all uneventful.
Yesterday I stopped by IKEA in Mission Valley. All I needed were a couple of cabinets for my laundry room. They have a pretty neat system with cleverly assembled and attached doors and all. Melamine over particle board, but should hold up as long as you don't hang on them. The way IKEA is set up, you have to walk through the entire place to find what you want. It's like a maze. I couldn't help but wonder how much they paid some marketing crew to design the layout so that we'd be bewildered and follow the path like cattle. I tried taking a shortcut on my way to the cabinet area and of course missed it and had to backtrack. Finally found the cabinets and waited for help from one of the sales girls. She ordered up my stuff, gave me a receipt to present at the cashier, and I was on my way.
At the pickup area, I presented my receipt for my paid goods and was told to wait 15-20 minutes. I walked back to the store exit and sat on a red couch they have there for that purpose. I sent a couple emails on my Iphone while I waited. If you haven't used an Iphone, they are pretty amazing. The error correction on the keyboard is so good that I can actually coherently type faster than on a regular keyboard- even without cut and paste, which will be added in the free software upgrade this summer.
The carryout employee approached and said my order was ready. I rolled the cart out to my truck, loaded everything into the bed and drove home. Again, no issues.
I'm dying to know what SDPD dispatch does when they get a "man with gun" call now. Hopefully its:
Dispatch: OK , man with gun. What's he doing?
Caller: Um, it looks like he's buying cabinets.
Dispatch: Is he threatening anyone or brandishing his weapon or causing any disturbance?
Caller: Noooo...but he did have some trouble using an IKEA gift card. I think the magnetic strip had worn off and the cashier had to type in the number manually.
Dispatch: OK, thanks for the call but open carry is legal. If I have any officers eating hot dogs at Costco across the parking lot, I'll send them over to ensure his weapon is not loaded but barring that, this is legal. Call back if you witness an actual crime. Adios.
I've been OCing for a while, though not as much as Pullnshoot25 has. That kid is an inspiration. For the most part I have not had any issues. Most people simply do no care.
Two days ago, Saturday, I had some time on my hands and had to see my accountant who has an office down in PB. After that brief meeting, I strapped on my glock 17 on my right hip with two full mags on my left hip and took a stroll down to the beach.
I checked the surf first- I don't surf as much as I wish I did, and dang it right now the water is the coldest I can remember. It was 2-3 feet and kinda closing out, and the wind was shifting to onshore. Pretty day though. So I strolled to 7-11 and grabbed a copy of the SDReader, a free local rag with listing all the goings-on about town and with more plastic surgery ads than you could want. It runs about 100 pages. I sat on a bench facing the ocean and flipped through the whole thing, reading the interesting parts and skipping the rest. All told I think I spent an hour on that bench. Didn't see any police in the area. No one screamed or fainted. My gun didn't once sprout legs, overpower me, load itself and run amok, shooting people. All in all uneventful.
Yesterday I stopped by IKEA in Mission Valley. All I needed were a couple of cabinets for my laundry room. They have a pretty neat system with cleverly assembled and attached doors and all. Melamine over particle board, but should hold up as long as you don't hang on them. The way IKEA is set up, you have to walk through the entire place to find what you want. It's like a maze. I couldn't help but wonder how much they paid some marketing crew to design the layout so that we'd be bewildered and follow the path like cattle. I tried taking a shortcut on my way to the cabinet area and of course missed it and had to backtrack. Finally found the cabinets and waited for help from one of the sales girls. She ordered up my stuff, gave me a receipt to present at the cashier, and I was on my way.
At the pickup area, I presented my receipt for my paid goods and was told to wait 15-20 minutes. I walked back to the store exit and sat on a red couch they have there for that purpose. I sent a couple emails on my Iphone while I waited. If you haven't used an Iphone, they are pretty amazing. The error correction on the keyboard is so good that I can actually coherently type faster than on a regular keyboard- even without cut and paste, which will be added in the free software upgrade this summer.
The carryout employee approached and said my order was ready. I rolled the cart out to my truck, loaded everything into the bed and drove home. Again, no issues.
I'm dying to know what SDPD dispatch does when they get a "man with gun" call now. Hopefully its:
Dispatch: OK , man with gun. What's he doing?
Caller: Um, it looks like he's buying cabinets.
Dispatch: Is he threatening anyone or brandishing his weapon or causing any disturbance?
Caller: Noooo...but he did have some trouble using an IKEA gift card. I think the magnetic strip had worn off and the cashier had to type in the number manually.
Dispatch: OK, thanks for the call but open carry is legal. If I have any officers eating hot dogs at Costco across the parking lot, I'll send them over to ensure his weapon is not loaded but barring that, this is legal. Call back if you witness an actual crime. Adios.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Trader Joe's weird on guns?
OK, so another eventful open carry adventure!
It all started when my sister Abby called me this morning to chat and I learned that she was going to the Costco in Carmel Mountain Ranch to help her temporarily gimpy friend to pick up some essentials. Since my life is a little bit boring and this is spring break, I decided to go down there and join them for a bit. For this occasion, I decided to wear my brand spanking new tan Calguns.net t-shirt that I got from the gun show yesterday. It is a shirt that is most choice, by the way.
Carrying in Costco was pleasant and we had no issues. I was there for about 45 minutes and no one said a word, even though I passed by multiple employees and older patrons, usually the "I'm scared!" demographic that so many people speak of.
Afterwards, we drove across the street to Trader Joe's to pick up some pizza dough and other assorted organic goodness. I was in there for about 25 minutes before I encountered a Hawaiian shirt clad manager and his lackey.
-Sir, are you a sheriff or...?
-Me? No.
-Is that a live gun?
-As in real?
-Yes.
-Yes
-'Cause generally we don't have those on the premises unless you are an officer or, uuh, a security guard of some sort.
-Oh, OK. Well, I am a normal citizen and I am carrying in the confines of the law.
-Well, its just that you can kinda understand that is makes people a little nervous
-Oh, OK. Has anyone complained or...?
-Uh, we did have one person complain.
-Oh, one? OK. Is there a corporate policy against carrying?
-In general, we would rather not have guns on the premises unless you are an officer of the law.
-OK.
-I understand America, you know, we have the right to bear arms, but you gotta understand our position.
-OK, I understand that. Well, we are on our way out.
-Thank you for your understanding.
More on this one later...
After Abby and Sarah and I parted our separate ways, I went over to Ralphs to pick up some tonic water, as I have a good sized bottle of Tanquerray that is begging to be imbibed (Love that stuff!) No issues there.
Feeling a bit hungry, I went over to In-n-Out to grab a burger. Again, no issues there .
Now, back to Trader Joes...
I just called their corporate customer service number and they are currently investigating the corporate policy on the carrying of weapons. The customer service lady I spoke with had never heard of such an issue and was seemed quite curious herself about all of this. After explaining the issue and informing her of the legality of OC, not needing a license, etc., I told her that the issue of carrying weapons probably isn't in the policy book or even really brought up as a lot of the states that Trader Joe's conducts business in (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.) are "Free States" and one (Wisconsin) is OCO (open carry only).
I told her that I frequent Trader Joe's, I love their store and I understand a shopkeeper's right to refuse service but that I felt that I was being singled out for exercising a Constitutional right and ultimately not causing a problem with anyone or hampering business (I know that it is still a privilege here in CA, but she doesn't know that :) )
We shall see what her research turns up. I've got a beautiful feeling that everything's going my way (OKLAHOMA!)
Until then, peace out and CARRY ON!
-N8
It all started when my sister Abby called me this morning to chat and I learned that she was going to the Costco in Carmel Mountain Ranch to help her temporarily gimpy friend to pick up some essentials. Since my life is a little bit boring and this is spring break, I decided to go down there and join them for a bit. For this occasion, I decided to wear my brand spanking new tan Calguns.net t-shirt that I got from the gun show yesterday. It is a shirt that is most choice, by the way.
Carrying in Costco was pleasant and we had no issues. I was there for about 45 minutes and no one said a word, even though I passed by multiple employees and older patrons, usually the "I'm scared!" demographic that so many people speak of.
Afterwards, we drove across the street to Trader Joe's to pick up some pizza dough and other assorted organic goodness. I was in there for about 25 minutes before I encountered a Hawaiian shirt clad manager and his lackey.
-Sir, are you a sheriff or...?
-Me? No.
-Is that a live gun?
-As in real?
-Yes.
-Yes
-'Cause generally we don't have those on the premises unless you are an officer or, uuh, a security guard of some sort.
-Oh, OK. Well, I am a normal citizen and I am carrying in the confines of the law.
-Well, its just that you can kinda understand that is makes people a little nervous
-Oh, OK. Has anyone complained or...?
-Uh, we did have one person complain.
-Oh, one? OK. Is there a corporate policy against carrying?
-In general, we would rather not have guns on the premises unless you are an officer of the law.
-OK.
-I understand America, you know, we have the right to bear arms, but you gotta understand our position.
-OK, I understand that. Well, we are on our way out.
-Thank you for your understanding.
More on this one later...
After Abby and Sarah and I parted our separate ways, I went over to Ralphs to pick up some tonic water, as I have a good sized bottle of Tanquerray that is begging to be imbibed (Love that stuff!) No issues there.
Feeling a bit hungry, I went over to In-n-Out to grab a burger. Again, no issues there .
Now, back to Trader Joes...
I just called their corporate customer service number and they are currently investigating the corporate policy on the carrying of weapons. The customer service lady I spoke with had never heard of such an issue and was seemed quite curious herself about all of this. After explaining the issue and informing her of the legality of OC, not needing a license, etc., I told her that the issue of carrying weapons probably isn't in the policy book or even really brought up as a lot of the states that Trader Joe's conducts business in (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.) are "Free States" and one (Wisconsin) is OCO (open carry only).
I told her that I frequent Trader Joe's, I love their store and I understand a shopkeeper's right to refuse service but that I felt that I was being singled out for exercising a Constitutional right and ultimately not causing a problem with anyone or hampering business (I know that it is still a privilege here in CA, but she doesn't know that :) )
We shall see what her research turns up. I've got a beautiful feeling that everything's going my way (OKLAHOMA!)
Until then, peace out and CARRY ON!
-N8
March 21-22 Del Mar Gun Show
OK, so I open carried the ENTIRE TIME (both the Tracker AND the Puma 92) at the Del Mar Gun Show and I didn't get bugged by one cop the entire time! (Might be because Silva wasn't there.) I also got in through the vendor entrance (since I was a Calguns rep) and I was able to sell my Mossberg M44US before the show even started! Freaking awesome.
Here is a pic of some of us at the booth. The makeup changed a bit after this was taken but the Best Buy logo is priceless.
I also got to peruse a bit while there. Didn't pick up my Butler Creek 10/22 folding stock like I wanted but I did manage to get a brick of Aguila Super Maximum, a box of Winchester .44SPL hollowpoints (carry ammo of choice), three .44mag/spl speed strips and two shirts. Fun stuff :)
Here is a pic of some of us at the booth. The makeup changed a bit after this was taken but the Best Buy logo is priceless.
I also got to peruse a bit while there. Didn't pick up my Butler Creek 10/22 folding stock like I wanted but I did manage to get a brick of Aguila Super Maximum, a box of Winchester .44SPL hollowpoints (carry ammo of choice), three .44mag/spl speed strips and two shirts. Fun stuff :)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
San Diego News (Beach and Bay Press) Article
I got interviewed about the OC meet that happened on the 28th and I took screenshots of the article. Not high quality by any means but until I get a hold of the original ink-filled tree stump this shall have to do :)
Also, here is the KPBS article on our outing. She got the whole police involvement thing wrong and it is severely biased (stupid attorneys...) but I am working on getting that fixed.
KPBS Article here
Also, here is the KPBS article on our outing. She got the whole police involvement thing wrong and it is severely biased (stupid attorneys...) but I am working on getting that fixed.
KPBS Article here
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Kaiser Pharmacy, Turners
I went to Kaiser Permanente Escondido today to pick up a refill on some medication and lo! No issues!
Feeling the need for a homework break (Been hitting O-chem like no other) I went over to Turners to have a chat with some of the guys behind the counter. As usual I had no issues but it was a cool visit as I got to see my very first Albanian SKS and I did get to talk with a Marine about loaded vs. unloaded per People vs. Clark. All in all, an educational experience.
Speaking of education, back to O-chem and Genetics!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Feeling the need for a homework break (Been hitting O-chem like no other) I went over to Turners to have a chat with some of the guys behind the counter. As usual I had no issues but it was a cool visit as I got to see my very first Albanian SKS and I did get to talk with a Marine about loaded vs. unloaded per People vs. Clark. All in all, an educational experience.
Speaking of education, back to O-chem and Genetics!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Maintaining good form with Open Carry
Alright fellow OCers and gun enthusiasts, I have been prompted to write this blog post based on the urging of a friend of mine and it is to urge you guys to keep your cool, maintain your good standing in the community and keep your eyes on the goal. Allow me to explain.
You have to AT ALL TIMES be a an IMPECCABLE role-model and citizen, for both the OC community and the non-gun owning or bearing citizens in your midst. You as a gun owner and OCing individual have to take the moral, ethical and legal high ground in EVERYTHING that you do, whether you are OCing or not. You need to make yourself look like Johnny Q. Citizen all the freaking time.
On a more legal note, I want to caution everyone that the OC movement is not some silly game, this is some serious **** and you cannot mess around. If you want to OC, you better have a WORKING voice recorder, a knowledge of your domain or wherever you are traveling, FRIENDLY WITNESSES, knowledge of the penal code that is SO GOOD that you can make a cop's head spin, be proficient in exercising your 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Amendment rights, know all the applicable court decisions and, last but not least, HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK!
The OC movement in California is still very much in the educational stage and it will not be until Nordyke that we can get the ball rolling on getting our rights back. In the meantime, we CANNOT AFFORD ANY BAD COURT DECISIONS! Also, we are pretty much on our own right now in terms of support, especially $$$$$. While a lot of higher-up guys like Gene Hoffman and the other guys at CGF (Calguns Fund) are supportive of our activities insofar as the exercising of our rights, getting people into the guns community, etc., the potential for a setback with bad case law is immeasureable and as such we cannot be backed by any pro-RKBA groups all the way, if at all.
The bottom line is if we mess up one iota, if we lose any cases, if we set any bad examples to the public or to other organizations, we could ruin, set back or sully many important advances for our rights. I am not asking you guys to back down nor am I advocating for a retreat. What I am asking though is that you guys keep your cool, know your stuff and play it safe. We can't have any more half-assed, gung-ho, Lone Ranger, Charge of the Light Brigade crap going on. Either go big and stand strong or stay home and keep your guns in the safe. Simple as that.
Also, in other news.
-I got interviewed by the Beach and Bay Press about OCing. Article should be out sometime this week.
-I might get interviewed for the SD Reader and I might be taking the reporter to the shooting range for her first range trip. Stay tuned for that, we might have a good pro-gunner reporter joining the ranks soon!
-I am still trying to get the writer of the inflammatory anti-gun article here to go shooting with me so I can educate her properly and inform her of her constitutional rights. I hope she responds as it is a favorite hobby of mine to educate new shooters.
-Gene Hoffman has stated that if we are intent on OCing that we need to support our own. Click here to read his statement and to support Theseus!
-My spring break is coming up in short order and I am working on collaborating with my brother and possibly one other individual for making a set of OC/OLL/etc. training videos . This should streamline the training process and tone of seriousness about OC and other aspects of asinine California firearms laws. Stay tuned, the cavalry is coming.
You have to AT ALL TIMES be a an IMPECCABLE role-model and citizen, for both the OC community and the non-gun owning or bearing citizens in your midst. You as a gun owner and OCing individual have to take the moral, ethical and legal high ground in EVERYTHING that you do, whether you are OCing or not. You need to make yourself look like Johnny Q. Citizen all the freaking time.
On a more legal note, I want to caution everyone that the OC movement is not some silly game, this is some serious **** and you cannot mess around. If you want to OC, you better have a WORKING voice recorder, a knowledge of your domain or wherever you are traveling, FRIENDLY WITNESSES, knowledge of the penal code that is SO GOOD that you can make a cop's head spin, be proficient in exercising your 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Amendment rights, know all the applicable court decisions and, last but not least, HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK!
The OC movement in California is still very much in the educational stage and it will not be until Nordyke that we can get the ball rolling on getting our rights back. In the meantime, we CANNOT AFFORD ANY BAD COURT DECISIONS! Also, we are pretty much on our own right now in terms of support, especially $$$$$. While a lot of higher-up guys like Gene Hoffman and the other guys at CGF (Calguns Fund) are supportive of our activities insofar as the exercising of our rights, getting people into the guns community, etc., the potential for a setback with bad case law is immeasureable and as such we cannot be backed by any pro-RKBA groups all the way, if at all.
The bottom line is if we mess up one iota, if we lose any cases, if we set any bad examples to the public or to other organizations, we could ruin, set back or sully many important advances for our rights. I am not asking you guys to back down nor am I advocating for a retreat. What I am asking though is that you guys keep your cool, know your stuff and play it safe. We can't have any more half-assed, gung-ho, Lone Ranger, Charge of the Light Brigade crap going on. Either go big and stand strong or stay home and keep your guns in the safe. Simple as that.
Also, in other news.
-I got interviewed by the Beach and Bay Press about OCing. Article should be out sometime this week.
-I might get interviewed for the SD Reader and I might be taking the reporter to the shooting range for her first range trip. Stay tuned for that, we might have a good pro-gunner reporter joining the ranks soon!
-I am still trying to get the writer of the inflammatory anti-gun article here to go shooting with me so I can educate her properly and inform her of her constitutional rights. I hope she responds as it is a favorite hobby of mine to educate new shooters.
-Gene Hoffman has stated that if we are intent on OCing that we need to support our own. Click here to read his statement and to support Theseus!
-My spring break is coming up in short order and I am working on collaborating with my brother and possibly one other individual for making a set of OC/OLL/etc. training videos . This should streamline the training process and tone of seriousness about OC and other aspects of asinine California firearms laws. Stay tuned, the cavalry is coming.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
I interrupt my studies to bring you this...
Hey, just taking a quick break between royally BSing a paper on Meryl Streep and contemplating the uselessness of my knowledge (or lack thereof) of organic chemistry to bring you this...
I just ordered 500 of them for about 12.45 TMD (to my door) and they should be here in about two weeks or so. Once I get a break from my studies I really want to have my friend Stephanie design a logo for me (those who went to the San Diego Meet, she is the girl in the motivational poster :) ) but until then I think these will do just beautifully.
Also, I don't know if you guys noticed over on opencarry.org, but there is talk from Mike Stollenwerk himself about making "Carry on!" the informal saying of the OC movement. Being that it is now a fad, I would like to be able to say that I was one of the people that associated that phrase with the OC movement (if for anything but a good bar story, haha) but if anyone can point me to a person that began to use it regularly before I did (Dec 22, 2008) then I will gladly relinquish my self-indulgent title of "trendsetter," HAHA! :)
Well, off to study for chemistry!
CARRY ON!
-N8
I just ordered 500 of them for about 12.45 TMD (to my door) and they should be here in about two weeks or so. Once I get a break from my studies I really want to have my friend Stephanie design a logo for me (those who went to the San Diego Meet, she is the girl in the motivational poster :) ) but until then I think these will do just beautifully.
Also, I don't know if you guys noticed over on opencarry.org, but there is talk from Mike Stollenwerk himself about making "Carry on!" the informal saying of the OC movement. Being that it is now a fad, I would like to be able to say that I was one of the people that associated that phrase with the OC movement (if for anything but a good bar story, haha) but if anyone can point me to a person that began to use it regularly before I did (Dec 22, 2008) then I will gladly relinquish my self-indulgent title of "trendsetter," HAHA! :)
Well, off to study for chemistry!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Friday, March 13, 2009
Oceanside Beach Cleanup: POSTPONED
Due to some questionable legal wording and the lingering threat of arbitrary police action, the Oceanside Beach Cleanup has been postponed for the time being. While this event has prompted the OPD to write an OC memo, it is the OPD's unpredictable nature, my need to study for finals and my desire to not harm myself nor my fellow Calgunners is causing me to postpone this event until I can get some more concise legal clarification.
I am sorry for the short notice and I don't mean to jerk you guys around, I will work on better notifying you guys ahead of time.
-N8
I am sorry for the short notice and I don't mean to jerk you guys around, I will work on better notifying you guys ahead of time.
-N8
Monday, March 9, 2009
A whole mess of places
Well, I covered quite a bit of ground tonight due to some varying circumstances but rest assured, no one was spared the generous helping of 2nd Amendment cheer!
So here we go...
At around 5:10 I left my house for Chili's 4S Ranch to give a severely belated Christmas present to one of the bartenders and to see some of the regulars I know from my days of working there. I was there for approximately 40 minutes and had no issues, though the place was pretty much dead so that contributed greatly to it. Would have been fun if someone had called since the Sheriff's sub-station is right around the corner.
After leaving Chili's I walked across the parking lot to Ralph's and picked up some celery. No issues there, I was in and out in about 3 minutes.
After I walked back to my car and dethroned the Tracker, I realized that I needed to go to Ace Hardware to get a torx head for my pocket knife clip (I found my Spyderco Endura!) so I drove over, holstered up and went in to see if one was available. Several sales associates and some customers saw I was carrying and made no commotion about it.
On my way out of the shopping center, I got a call from my Mom that my sister was sick and needed to be driven to the hospital, throwing a small wrench in the works for hanging out with my friend for a short time before going back to my studies. On the way to pick up my sister I coordinated with him to meet me at Palomar hospital and check on his GPS to see if there were any schools within 1000'...
After picking up my sister, getting to the hospital and parking the car, I walked up to the door of the Radiology area but I saw the surveillance camera sign and backed down. While no laws would be broken carrying into a hospital, I think that the situation would have escalated unnecessarily, being that it is a hospital and I would rather have a visit than get my face cracked for a stay. My friend Chris (LA Sheriff) left his gun in the car as well (gave him the complimentary "friend tap reacharound" to check :) )
After checking in my sister to the Emergency Room, Chris and I went to his car, drove by my car to pick up my gun and then went down Grand Ave to find a place to eat. We eventually ended up at Miller's Field since it was a new place for both of us and proceeded to have a mediocre dining experience at best. Overall though, an eventless session. The bartender's eyes got a little wide when he saw my gun but nothing followed it.
Eventually we went back to the hospital where we parted our ways and I went back into the hospital to wait for my sister to finish up so I could pay the bill and get over to a pharmacy. Since the only one open at 9:00 was CVS Pharmacy on El Norte Parkway, that is where we went.
This is the spot where I have my only issue for the entire night. While Kat and I were waiting around for her fungal metabolites to be processed, a few customers apparently complained about me carrying a weapon. Here is how the conversation went with Jerry, apparently the only male on staff at CVS Pharmacy at the time...
Jerry: Excuse me sir, umm... I need to see a license for that gun.
Me: Uh, there is no license needed for open carry.
Jerry: Pardon?
Me: There is no license needed for open carry
Jerry: No license?
My sister chimes in: There isn't a license, it is actually a law. It's you're able to carry as long as...
Jerry: I didnt know you were allowed to do that in like this state, I know that Arizona and a couple other states...
Me: Oh yeah, its totally legal.
Jerry: Well, I need you to cover it.
Me: I can't do that, that is a misdemeanor.
Jerry: So you can't conceal it?
Me: If I had a permit I would conceal.
Jerry: So you don't have a permit for this gun?
Me: No, I need a permit to carry CONCEALED, open carry does not need a permit. (Just to clarify, the capitalization is for the purpose of inflection to emphasize the difference)
Me: In any case, we are leaving right now so are there any issues?
Jerry: Well, some customers came up and made it an issue so I have to follow up.
Me: Oh, ok, that's fine. Have a good night.
Nothing like getting the good ol' "permit question" every time you get a curious yet severely misinformed participant.
Well, that concludes the eventful portion of my night. I shall retire for in the morn I must arise early.
CARRY ON!
-N8
So here we go...
At around 5:10 I left my house for Chili's 4S Ranch to give a severely belated Christmas present to one of the bartenders and to see some of the regulars I know from my days of working there. I was there for approximately 40 minutes and had no issues, though the place was pretty much dead so that contributed greatly to it. Would have been fun if someone had called since the Sheriff's sub-station is right around the corner.
After leaving Chili's I walked across the parking lot to Ralph's and picked up some celery. No issues there, I was in and out in about 3 minutes.
After I walked back to my car and dethroned the Tracker, I realized that I needed to go to Ace Hardware to get a torx head for my pocket knife clip (I found my Spyderco Endura!) so I drove over, holstered up and went in to see if one was available. Several sales associates and some customers saw I was carrying and made no commotion about it.
On my way out of the shopping center, I got a call from my Mom that my sister was sick and needed to be driven to the hospital, throwing a small wrench in the works for hanging out with my friend for a short time before going back to my studies. On the way to pick up my sister I coordinated with him to meet me at Palomar hospital and check on his GPS to see if there were any schools within 1000'...
After picking up my sister, getting to the hospital and parking the car, I walked up to the door of the Radiology area but I saw the surveillance camera sign and backed down. While no laws would be broken carrying into a hospital, I think that the situation would have escalated unnecessarily, being that it is a hospital and I would rather have a visit than get my face cracked for a stay. My friend Chris (LA Sheriff) left his gun in the car as well (gave him the complimentary "friend tap reacharound" to check :) )
After checking in my sister to the Emergency Room, Chris and I went to his car, drove by my car to pick up my gun and then went down Grand Ave to find a place to eat. We eventually ended up at Miller's Field since it was a new place for both of us and proceeded to have a mediocre dining experience at best. Overall though, an eventless session. The bartender's eyes got a little wide when he saw my gun but nothing followed it.
Eventually we went back to the hospital where we parted our ways and I went back into the hospital to wait for my sister to finish up so I could pay the bill and get over to a pharmacy. Since the only one open at 9:00 was CVS Pharmacy on El Norte Parkway, that is where we went.
This is the spot where I have my only issue for the entire night. While Kat and I were waiting around for her fungal metabolites to be processed, a few customers apparently complained about me carrying a weapon. Here is how the conversation went with Jerry, apparently the only male on staff at CVS Pharmacy at the time...
Jerry: Excuse me sir, umm... I need to see a license for that gun.
Me: Uh, there is no license needed for open carry.
Jerry: Pardon?
Me: There is no license needed for open carry
Jerry: No license?
My sister chimes in: There isn't a license, it is actually a law. It's you're able to carry as long as...
Jerry: I didnt know you were allowed to do that in like this state, I know that Arizona and a couple other states...
Me: Oh yeah, its totally legal.
Jerry: Well, I need you to cover it.
Me: I can't do that, that is a misdemeanor.
Jerry: So you can't conceal it?
Me: If I had a permit I would conceal.
Jerry: So you don't have a permit for this gun?
Me: No, I need a permit to carry CONCEALED, open carry does not need a permit. (Just to clarify, the capitalization is for the purpose of inflection to emphasize the difference)
Me: In any case, we are leaving right now so are there any issues?
Jerry: Well, some customers came up and made it an issue so I have to follow up.
Me: Oh, ok, that's fine. Have a good night.
Nothing like getting the good ol' "permit question" every time you get a curious yet severely misinformed participant.
Well, that concludes the eventful portion of my night. I shall retire for in the morn I must arise early.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Taco Shop Fun
So I went down to my brother's place last night around 10 or so for a little hanging out and we decided that since we had both been indoors pretty much the entire day, we would go out and eat. Initially we considered Denny's, en route changed our minds to Del Taco and then ended up at a random taco shop.
Walking in was rather interesting as there were three drunk people sitting at a table to my left and being rather loud. The main guy was making an impromptu rap (got almost the whole thing recorded too!) filled with various obscenities and was making remarks about how my brother and I should hurry up and order. Eventually we did order and while waiting we exited the shop. On the way out the main guy interrupted his rap and said "That guy is packing a f*****g revolver!"
While waiting, we walked over to the club next door to just look at the interior from the outside. The security guard looked a little wary but no issues there. After about 20 seconds we walked over to the taco shop again.
While waiting a group of three guys came in to order and right as they came in our food came up. Eventually, they came to sit next to our table and guy took notice of me carrying. After about 2 minutes, one of them ventured to ask me about the licensing, the procedures, getting harassed, etc. In the course of conversation I informed him of the law and learned that he is from Illinois, which then prompted further discussion on current case law, upcoming court decisions, etc.
While talking, one guy poked his head in
-Hey, someone said that there is some monkey running around with a gun on his hip
-Yeah, that's me
-Wow, I had to come here and see it for myself. Why are you carrying a gun like that?
-Because I am apparently not important enough for a CCW permit.
-Alright man, just asking. Have a good night .
After finishing up I told the guys to Google me and that it was nice talking to them.
Yet another night of educating people and eating Mexican food, YAY!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Walking in was rather interesting as there were three drunk people sitting at a table to my left and being rather loud. The main guy was making an impromptu rap (got almost the whole thing recorded too!) filled with various obscenities and was making remarks about how my brother and I should hurry up and order. Eventually we did order and while waiting we exited the shop. On the way out the main guy interrupted his rap and said "That guy is packing a f*****g revolver!"
While waiting, we walked over to the club next door to just look at the interior from the outside. The security guard looked a little wary but no issues there. After about 20 seconds we walked over to the taco shop again.
While waiting a group of three guys came in to order and right as they came in our food came up. Eventually, they came to sit next to our table and guy took notice of me carrying. After about 2 minutes, one of them ventured to ask me about the licensing, the procedures, getting harassed, etc. In the course of conversation I informed him of the law and learned that he is from Illinois, which then prompted further discussion on current case law, upcoming court decisions, etc.
While talking, one guy poked his head in
-Hey, someone said that there is some monkey running around with a gun on his hip
-Yeah, that's me
-Wow, I had to come here and see it for myself. Why are you carrying a gun like that?
-Because I am apparently not important enough for a CCW permit.
-Alright man, just asking. Have a good night .
After finishing up I told the guys to Google me and that it was nice talking to them.
Yet another night of educating people and eating Mexican food, YAY!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Radio Interview and O'side Beach Cleanup!
Hey everyone, I just got called by Ron Godwin of El Cajon Gun Exchange and I have been scheduled to appear on his radio show on Sunday, March 8th at 6:30PM on KCBQ 1170. We will be discussing the OC movement and taking in questions from various listeners.
In addition, I would like to set up a small OC meet in Oceanside for Saturday, March 14th from 9 to 11AM. We will be doing a beach cleanup with the Surfrider Foundation and gathering at the south end of Oceanside Pier. As a courtesy, I will be putting the OPD on notice as a courtesy for potential newbies and the poor dispatchers that are sure to be slammed. I called and asked about any local ordinances and the dispatcher actually said "That would be illegal to have a local ordinances against that" (That's just what I like to hear!) In any case, they seem to be cool with me (not that I am looking for any form of government "cool factor" or endorsement concerning my civil rights) so I think our party will have no issues. Pretty much everything has been arranged and there are no schools to worry about for thousands of feet so lets go hog wild!
Email or post a comment if you have any questions.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Friday, March 6, 2009
To the interested members of ARFCOM...
Dear ARFCOM members,
I have tried to sign up for the ARFCOM multiple times but since I do not have the lame ISP email address in my name (nor do we even know it) I have had generally lurk on ARFCOM and watch some of the threads, particularly the one concerning the recent SD outing.
I would like to lay a little groundwork for you guys so that you all actually know what occurred.
1) We invited only one police officer to join us in off-duty capacity. He is a personal friend of Calguns members and the OC movement and a good man, which is why we invited him. Word got around the station and the Captain decided to get in on it and bring extra guys along, apparently due to her "strong ties to the community." In essence, they generally came to our party uninvited, not the other way around. In the end though, it was beneficial but still unnecessary.
2) In the future, we are going to have meets where the cops are not informed of them. As our SOP, we will inform them the first 2-3 meets FORMALLY and after that, all communication will be dropped. If there is going to be any reform in the carry laws the cops need to understand that unless they issue CCW permits, they will keep getting their resources drained.
An exception to the notification rule is the El Cajon Police Department, for they have been a little too uppity for my liking and I think it would be fun to screw with them.
3) "Carry for real?" Sure, I plan to go down there by myself sometime to see the sights without notifying anyone, as it is my legal right. Not a lot of pretty women here at UCSD so the boardwalk is oh-so-enticing. In fact, I think I will wear it crossdraw just to add some extra-visible "realism" for you guys. :)
4) If you want to check out the various open carry stories, go to the Californiaopencarry.org and Opencarry.org (California section) to read more about the various stories and police interactions that various citizens have posted.
For a full writeup of the San Diego Open Carry Outing, click here.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me, comment on this post or even post on the ARFCOM thread here, as I shall be watching it as you all go along.
Edited to add: In response this post by Tunafingers (ARFCOM member)
First off, that fellow member is full of shit. There were plenty of hot chicks at my alumni. I dare him to open carry on any other day in PB or any other populated county in SD and he'd get the shit beat out of him, by citizens and cops. It's legal to open carry locked and loaded in NV but have personally seen cowboys and ghetto gangsters get the shit beat out of them on the Las Vegas strip by cops for carrying openly. It may be legal but not okay in city limits or private property. Keep the John Wayne attitude on the outskirts of town. I'm sure that's the case for most populated areas, no matter what state.
OK, game on. I will OC by myself, with no police notification and for a duration of no less than an hour down on the boardwalk, if for any other reason than to spite you. If you actually read any of the 75 or so blog posts that I have, you would see that I have carried into many populated areas with nary a scratch by either cop or citizen (er, criminal).
When I find a cute girl at UCSD it will more than likely be because Oktoberfest has come to campus and all the St. Pauli's girl look-alikes have swarmed the place.
I might even take pictures along the way, who knows. Rest assured though, it will happen.
I have tried to sign up for the ARFCOM multiple times but since I do not have the lame ISP email address in my name (nor do we even know it) I have had generally lurk on ARFCOM and watch some of the threads, particularly the one concerning the recent SD outing.
I would like to lay a little groundwork for you guys so that you all actually know what occurred.
1) We invited only one police officer to join us in off-duty capacity. He is a personal friend of Calguns members and the OC movement and a good man, which is why we invited him. Word got around the station and the Captain decided to get in on it and bring extra guys along, apparently due to her "strong ties to the community." In essence, they generally came to our party uninvited, not the other way around. In the end though, it was beneficial but still unnecessary.
2) In the future, we are going to have meets where the cops are not informed of them. As our SOP, we will inform them the first 2-3 meets FORMALLY and after that, all communication will be dropped. If there is going to be any reform in the carry laws the cops need to understand that unless they issue CCW permits, they will keep getting their resources drained.
An exception to the notification rule is the El Cajon Police Department, for they have been a little too uppity for my liking and I think it would be fun to screw with them.
3) "Carry for real?" Sure, I plan to go down there by myself sometime to see the sights without notifying anyone, as it is my legal right. Not a lot of pretty women here at UCSD so the boardwalk is oh-so-enticing. In fact, I think I will wear it crossdraw just to add some extra-visible "realism" for you guys. :)
4) If you want to check out the various open carry stories, go to the Californiaopencarry.org and Opencarry.org (California section) to read more about the various stories and police interactions that various citizens have posted.
For a full writeup of the San Diego Open Carry Outing, click here.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me, comment on this post or even post on the ARFCOM thread here, as I shall be watching it as you all go along.
Edited to add: In response this post by Tunafingers (ARFCOM member)
First off, that fellow member is full of shit. There were plenty of hot chicks at my alumni. I dare him to open carry on any other day in PB or any other populated county in SD and he'd get the shit beat out of him, by citizens and cops. It's legal to open carry locked and loaded in NV but have personally seen cowboys and ghetto gangsters get the shit beat out of them on the Las Vegas strip by cops for carrying openly. It may be legal but not okay in city limits or private property. Keep the John Wayne attitude on the outskirts of town. I'm sure that's the case for most populated areas, no matter what state.
OK, game on. I will OC by myself, with no police notification and for a duration of no less than an hour down on the boardwalk, if for any other reason than to spite you. If you actually read any of the 75 or so blog posts that I have, you would see that I have carried into many populated areas with nary a scratch by either cop or citizen (er, criminal).
When I find a cute girl at UCSD it will more than likely be because Oktoberfest has come to campus and all the St. Pauli's girl look-alikes have swarmed the place.
I might even take pictures along the way, who knows. Rest assured though, it will happen.
Hollywood Video and Chito's
So my little sister's boyfriend flaked out on her tonight and she was feeling a little bit bummed so I took her to Hollywood Video to get a movie and Chito's Taco Shop to get our Lenten special of fish tacos and burritos.
OCing in Hollywood Video was just peachy and I had no issues, not even a freaked out child. I caved in to renting Made of Honor to make her happy... not too bad on the chick-flick scale of things, I will admit. (7 sisters, I am licensed to make such statements, hehe :) )
Since no schools are on the way from Hollywood Video to Chito's, I left the gun in my holster while driving. No one was really around at Chito's so I had no issues there. Plus, I am a fairly regular regular so I think they know me fairly well by now.
Back to O-Chem for a bit.
CARRY ON!
-N8
OCing in Hollywood Video was just peachy and I had no issues, not even a freaked out child. I caved in to renting Made of Honor to make her happy... not too bad on the chick-flick scale of things, I will admit. (7 sisters, I am licensed to make such statements, hehe :) )
Since no schools are on the way from Hollywood Video to Chito's, I left the gun in my holster while driving. No one was really around at Chito's so I had no issues there. Plus, I am a fairly regular regular so I think they know me fairly well by now.
Back to O-Chem for a bit.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Metal detector, Ralphs and SDCCU
Yep, I got through a metal detector! So weird! Here is how it happened...
I was in the 4S Ranch area running an errand and I went over to Union Bank to withdraw some cash. Going into the bank I noticed that the left hand door said "Enter" with a green symbol and had a list of things not allowed in the bank. A quick glance showed nothing about guns so I walked in. Once in I walked to the second door and I was greeted with a loud "EEERGH!" and that is when I realized I just went through a metal detector. I stood forward of the clearing area and looked around, noticing a sign on the door that said to wait for the green light. After waiting a few seconds, the green light came on!
After getting through that little event I had a chat with the teller and he said that they installed the security system 3 months ago and that a guard buzzes in each person. Not that I am breaking any laws or even bank policies, but how does one miss a 9" OAL revolver?
On the way out I had to exit through one door, wait until the first door closed and then open the second door. Since I was strongside to the teller at this point, I am sure that he noticed. Wonder if I could do that again...
After that, I put my gun on the front seat and drove over to Ralph's to pick up cilantro and a red onion. No problems.
Remembering I had to pay my friends car bill (he pays me back :) ) I went up to SDCCU in Escondido and paid the bill for him. Again, no issues.
Well, back to writing my paper. I kind of want to go rat hunting tonight so I just might bust out the Single Six and some Aguila Colibris for that... who knows.
CARRY ON!
-N8
I was in the 4S Ranch area running an errand and I went over to Union Bank to withdraw some cash. Going into the bank I noticed that the left hand door said "Enter" with a green symbol and had a list of things not allowed in the bank. A quick glance showed nothing about guns so I walked in. Once in I walked to the second door and I was greeted with a loud "EEERGH!" and that is when I realized I just went through a metal detector. I stood forward of the clearing area and looked around, noticing a sign on the door that said to wait for the green light. After waiting a few seconds, the green light came on!
After getting through that little event I had a chat with the teller and he said that they installed the security system 3 months ago and that a guard buzzes in each person. Not that I am breaking any laws or even bank policies, but how does one miss a 9" OAL revolver?
On the way out I had to exit through one door, wait until the first door closed and then open the second door. Since I was strongside to the teller at this point, I am sure that he noticed. Wonder if I could do that again...
After that, I put my gun on the front seat and drove over to Ralph's to pick up cilantro and a red onion. No problems.
Remembering I had to pay my friends car bill (he pays me back :) ) I went up to SDCCU in Escondido and paid the bill for him. Again, no issues.
Well, back to writing my paper. I kind of want to go rat hunting tonight so I just might bust out the Single Six and some Aguila Colibris for that... who knows.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Monday, March 2, 2009
My apologies to DGM and my fellow gun enthusiasts
Some of you have seen one of my blog posts, titled "Discount Gun Mart, 626.9 Stupidity and Albertson's" and read about my perceived mistreatment at Discount Gun Mart. Please revisit that blog post and read the edited material, as both the manager of DGM and I have made amends. I apologize for going off "half-cocked" so to speak.
Sincerely,
N8
Sincerely,
N8
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Macaroni Grill (again!)
Today was the day we all got together to celebrate my sister's birthday and it was held at Macaroni grill. I showed up about 30 minutes early with my appropriate gear strapped on and I waited with OJ and Ashley (brother and sister) while my parents and other siblings arrived.
I had one interaction the entire night. I was standing in the lobby with my arms crossed and chilling out and a parks management worker (a regular at the bar) looked, stopped, looked again and said...
-Oh, you must be a cop.
-Nope
-Well then, that must not be real.
-Nope, it's real.
-Should I be concerned?
-Nope.
He ended up just going to the bar and I went outside to hang with my brother and sister.
Eventually the parents showed up and neither noticed I was carrying (my little test on them) and shortly after Sam showed up and was OCing as well. After sitting down and getting acclimated I asked OJ why he wasn't carrying, whereupon he remembered that he didn't put his Glock back at his apartment so while I went to the bathroom he holstered up and came back in.
What happened the whole night? No screams, no yells, no cops. Absolutely eventless as it should always be. Even my Dad is coming around now, maybe he will join us on the next OC outing :)
Well, off to bed.
CARRY ON!
-N8
I had one interaction the entire night. I was standing in the lobby with my arms crossed and chilling out and a parks management worker (a regular at the bar) looked, stopped, looked again and said...
-Oh, you must be a cop.
-Nope
-Well then, that must not be real.
-Nope, it's real.
-Should I be concerned?
-Nope.
He ended up just going to the bar and I went outside to hang with my brother and sister.
Eventually the parents showed up and neither noticed I was carrying (my little test on them) and shortly after Sam showed up and was OCing as well. After sitting down and getting acclimated I asked OJ why he wasn't carrying, whereupon he remembered that he didn't put his Glock back at his apartment so while I went to the bathroom he holstered up and came back in.
What happened the whole night? No screams, no yells, no cops. Absolutely eventless as it should always be. Even my Dad is coming around now, maybe he will join us on the next OC outing :)
Well, off to bed.
CARRY ON!
-N8
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