Concealment in Awkward Situations

[mgood]

We've discussed how important it is to keep your weapon concealed, the meaning of intentional failure to conceal, and how reluctant many posters here are to tell anyone outside the immediate family that they are carrying.

What do you do when you're carrying with friends or coworkers, in someone else's vehicle, and they decide to stop at a bar (51%)? You can't go in armed. There may be no easy way to leave your weapon concealed and locked in their car. Maybe if you have a briefcase or bag or something you could leave locked in their car, how do you get it off your belt and into that without announcing to the group that you're carrying? You just insist that you're not going in there and ask them to take you someplace else first?

I was in the locker room of a gym one time when another guy came in to change clothes. We were the only two in the room. As he's changing, I notice he takes off his pistol and puts it in the gym locker with his other stuff. This was in the very early days of CHL and I'd either just gotten mine or was about to get it and had wondered how I would handle this situation. I brought it up and we have a short discussion of CHL, pistols, concealment holsters, and stuff like that that gun guys like to talk about and then we separately go about our business.
What to do then? He (or I) might not have found a fellow firearms enthusiast in the locker room, but rather someone who'd be freaked out by the gun, or even someone who'd plot to steal it. Should one go into the stall in the restroom and remove the weapon, wrap it in a shirt or jacket, and then go place that in the locker so no one sees it (or at least so it's not quite so obvious)? The gym locker was padlocked and people come in and out of the locker room all the time with no warning, so the pistol is at least as safe, probably safer, there as locked in a vehicle in the parking lot.

What about buying clothes at a place where someone is going to measure your for alterations and such? I know that your pants should be sized appropriately if you carry IWB. So if you're trying on the pants at Men's Warehouse and the guy is checking them to see if they need to be taken up or let out and measuring where the hem needs to be and all that mess, are you packing? He's going to know. Do you discuss it with him in advance or just take the chance that he won't freak when he notices your weapon? Do you wear an empty holster to approximate what you need as far as fit?
I'm thinking you find one salesman and discuss your situation with him. If he doesn't have a cow about you carrying and understands the need for privacy when he measures you, then you can be measured in the back room while packing rather than out in the main room. And then just always use the same salesman.

I'm sure many more examples can be found. These are just off the top of my head.

[Excaliber]

We've discussed how important it is to keep your weapon concealed, the meaning of intentional failure to conceal, and how reluctant many posters here are to tell anyone outside the immediate family that they are carrying.

What do you do when you're carrying with friends or coworkers, in someone else's vehicle, and they decide to stop at a bar (51%)? You can't go in armed. There may be no easy way to leave your weapon concealed and locked in their car. Maybe if you have a briefcase or bag or something you could leave locked in their car, how do you get it off your belt and into that without announcing to the group that you're carrying? You just insist that you're not going in there and ask them to take you someplace else first?

I was in the locker room of a gym one time when another guy came in to change clothes. We were the only two in the room. As he's changing, I notice he takes off his pistol and puts it in the gym locker with his other stuff. This was in the very early days of CHL and I'd either just gotten mine or was about to get it and had wondered how I would handle this situation. I brought it up and we have a short discussion of CHL, pistols, concealment holsters, and stuff like that that gun guys like to talk about and then we separately go about our business.
What to do then? He (or I) might not have found a fellow firearms enthusiast in the locker room, but rather someone who'd be freaked out by the gun, or even someone who'd plot to steal it. Should one go into the stall in the restroom and remove the weapon, wrap it in a shirt or jacket, and then go place that in the locker so no one sees it (or at least so it's not quite so obvious)? The gym locker was padlocked and people come in and out of the locker room all the time with no warning, so the pistol is at least as safe, probably safer, there as locked in a vehicle in the parking lot.

What about buying clothes at a place where someone is going to measure your for alterations and such? I know that your pants should be sized appropriately if you carry IWB. So if you're trying on the pants at Men's Warehouse and the guy is checking them to see if they need to be taken up or let out and measuring where the hem needs to be and all that mess, are you packing? He's going to know. Do you discuss it with him in advance or just take the chance that he won't freak when he notices your weapon? Do you wear an empty holster to approximate what you need as far as fit?
I'm thinking you find one salesman and discuss your situation with him. If he doesn't have a cow about you carrying and understands the need for privacy when he measures you, then you can be measured in the back room while packing rather than out in the main room. And then just always use the same salesman.

I'm sure many more examples can be found. These are just off the top of my head.

Here are a couple of options that may be helpful:

The bar: When the discussion of where to go comes up, say you're hungry and suggest or request (if you don't know the area) a place that serves a lot of food. They're usually not 51%.

The gym: You know where you're going ahead of time. Wear the gun to the gym in a fanny pack. Put the fanny pack in the locker. End of story.

The clothes store: The situation is very common, and any experienced salesman has seen it lots of times. It's much less of an issue than you'd think. I've never had anyone raise an eyebrow when I explained I am licensed to carry a gun lawfully, do so frequently, and am currently wearing it to get a proper clothes fit that day.

Other folks may have other methods they can share, but these have worked for me over 37 years of carrying.

[mgood]

Thanks for your thoughts. They agree with some of my own.

The bar: When the discussion of where to go comes up, say you're hungry and suggest or request (if you don't know the area) a place that serves a lot of food. They're usually not 51%.

I'm thinking along the lines of when you're in someone else's car and when you least expect it, someone suggests, "Hey, let's stop here for a few minutes," and it's a bar or a place posted 30.06. You may end up in a situation where you have to say, "I really don't feel good, can you please take me home?" or "I'd rather not go in there [don't like the food, can't stand the people, want something else or whatever excuse you come up with]," or else just straight out tell them, "I'm packing and I can't go in there."
If I'm with a friend I know well and who I'm pretty sure wouldn't have an issue with my gun, I'd tend to opt for honesty. But then you may need to get into lecturing them (without seeming to be a jerk) that it's no one else's business that I carry and that they should never bring up the subject around anyone else.
If I'm not sure, I'd probably claim I don't feel well and wish they'd take me home. (I'm sick of being limited in where I can exercise my rights, but they don't need all the details of what ails me.)

The gym: You know where you're going ahead of time. Wear the gun to the gym in a fanny pack. Put the fanny pack in the locker. End of story.

Say that stopping at the gym is a part of your normal daily routine and you don't want to wear a fanny pack all the time. But still, your point is taken. You can take it out of the holster in the car, put it in a fanny pack or gym bag that you'll carry in with you, then lock that in the locker. Or as I mentioned, I could take it off in a toilet stall. (Also need to have my very small, light carry gun that can be pocket carried in gym shorts without being noticeable, falling out, or getting in my way.)

The clothes store: The situation is very common, and any experienced salesman has seen it lots of times. It's much less of an issue than you'd think. I've never had anyone raise an eyebrow when I explained I am licensed to carry a gun lawfully, do so frequently, and am currently wearing it to get a proper clothes fit that day.

That's about what I figured. I've just haven't been in that situation yet.

[WildBill]

Maybe, it's just me, but I happen to be more private about my CHL and other personal information. Even though the person that mgood encountered in the gym probably had a CHL, I have no desire to discuss concealed carry with people who are basically strangers. If I don't know the person well, it doesn't matter if I think they are an "RTKBA" person or not. I think that Excaliber's advice for all of the situations that he addressed are right on the mark. I haven't been carrying for 37 years, so unless I was very comfortable with the salesman, I still would feel weird about carrying while getting fitted for a suit. His suggestion about finding and using the same salesperson is a great idea.

[roberts]

If you're going to have a gun when you wear the suit, you should get fitted with it on. Otherwise it won't fit right.

[Oldgringo]

We got our flu shots the end of September at a Safeway store in Polson, MT. I took my shirt off and turned to take the shot in the arm opposite my OWB CC weapon. No big deal...but that was in Montana.

[LarryH]

In the case of the impromptu suggestion to stop at a bar, I'd either tell the driver that I quit drinking years ago and would rather stop somewhere else (the truth) or that I didn't have a kitchen pass (also the truth).

[bigmojo]

When getting fitted for clothes I just ask for the Manager and explain the situation. In almost every case they have a salesperson/tailor or two that is comfortable with it and go on about their business. I have either been taken back to a private fitting room with mirrors or they have given me a jacket to wear while being measured so as not to scare the other customers.

[A-R]

While getting fitted for a suit for my dad's wedding about two months ago, I carried in a duffle bag containing the shoes, belt, and shirt I planned to wear with the suit, along with a lockable pistol case. I went into a dressing room to put on the shirt (a ruse really) and secured my carry gun in the lockbox and placed it in the bag). When the tailor was fitting me for the suit I told them I wanted the pants a little looser than normal because I was bound to gain more weight over the holidays ... so I placed a little paperback book (bridal catalog I think) inside the waistband and said "I'll probably need this much extra room by New Year's" .... I don't think anyone at the store had a clue.

On the day of the wedding, there was a gap in time between end of wedding in one town and start of the reception in another town. This was to give everyone a chance to drive to the reception town. But the wedding planner left WAY too much time, so all the people from the small wedding had nothing to do for an hour before the larger number of guests for the reception arrived and the doors opened to the reception hall. So people I was with decided to go to a "sports bar and grill". I decided to poke my head inside to recon as there was no signage out front ... sure enough, big bold 51% sign just inside the front door. I made up a quick "I forget something back at the hotel" and spun a quick 180 back out the door. Walked back to the hotel and just relaxed in the room until the reception started.

Other awkward situations ... doctor's office, usually pocket carry and have not been "noticed" yet. But once had to go for a CT scan of my abdomen, and that was interesting. Had to fully disrobe, and there lockers available to store you clothes. No sweat, I thought, just roll up the gun in the clothes and lock them in the locker. The place was supposed to supply us with a padlock, but the nurse made a fuss and said "we'll just be gone a sec, hon" ... I protested, saying I had a very expensive cell phone and, no offense, but I was not comfortable leaving my things unlocked. She begrudgingly fetched the lock and all was well. CT scan even turned up "negative".

Another I deal with often this time of the year in Texas is what to do if your warmer outer layer/cover garment becomes unbearably warm once inside a building. This one still gives me trouble at times and I have to really think how I'm going to dress for cold outside and warm inside. Even had this trouble at the wedding - once the dancing got started it was way too hot inside that old reception hall to continue wearing the suit coat. Luckily, I was pocket carrying my LCP that day so no actual problem.