TexasCHLforum.com

Good Sunday eve to all,
I just got yelled at for stirring the spaghetti sauce too much, so I thought I'd hang out on the forum for a bit. (Now, yall know why I want to carry! Just kidding, just kidding.

I'm awaiting the ole plastic and have been carrying arond the house. I'm carriying OWB and am feeling fairly good about the way it looks. But, every now and again I feel like I'm sticking out like a sore thumb.

Can/would anyone be willing to share any LEO experiences w/ getting questioned or (Gasp!) arrested for printing or "intentionally failing to conceal)?

Thanks.

I asked 1 of my LEO friends a similar question when I first started packin and he told me that if your gun is seen by accident and you are obviously making a reasonable effort to conceal that most cops will just tell you to be more careful and let you on your way. I personaly have had a few minor accidents which never resulted in LEO contact but I would advise being careful about people seeing your gun. Anytime I get a new rig I will wear it around the house and ask a few people I trust if they can tell I am armed and based on their input I either start using out in public or make adjustments til I get what I want which is concealed, comfortable, and easy to get to. I can say the first few times out will feel wiered but you will get comfortable with it pretty quick.

A friend of mine got hassled by a police officer in Plano back in 2005 when his cover garment got wedged behind his weapon. He got the whole treatment, while I got to sit and watch. The "treatment" was because some woman complained to the officer in a panic.

Now on the other side of the coin, while at a Chilis in Wylie, I had a similar problem, and a wylie officer just tapped me on the shoulder and said, "you're showing." I did and that was that.

From what i've heard from others, as long as you're obviously trying to conceal, and not causing a panic, you're fine.

nitrogen wrote:A friend of mine got hassled by a police officer in Plano back in 2005 when his cover garment got wedged behind his weapon. He got the whole treatment, while I got to sit and watch. The "treatment" was because some woman complained to the officer in a panic.

.

How is it being hasseled when an officer is responding to a citizen report? A amall percentage of the population actually have a CHL, and fewer carry often.

Is it your opinion that it was unreasonable for the officer to investigate the woman's report, or do you object to his method?

Sorry, I didn't give the whole story here (i've talked about it here previously though.)

My friend was handcuffed, disarmed, and placed in the back of a police car while the officer "investigated"

I felt it was excessive, yes.

Had it been a simple, "Sir, you're failing to conceal, please step outside, I need to speak with you" I think that would have been the most called for.
I have no problem that the officer responded to a citizen report, I think he was excessive in his response, however.


EDIT after my original post:
I've had a police officer arrive at my home when a kid looked over my fence, and saw me cleaning my rifle in my backyard. She called the cops, and the officer came over, basically saying, "I'm sorry, but a woman called me all paniced that her child saw you with a gun. I'm not worried, but I just wanted to come out."

Most police around here are great about these things, but you'll always find one that can spoil it for you. Due to the experience my friend had, I thought texas LEO's were hardcore about failure to conceal.

nitrogen wrote:Sorry, I didn't give the whole story here (i've talked about it here previously though.)

My friend was handcuffed, disarmed, and placed in the back of a police car while the officer "investigated"

I felt it was excessive, yes.

Had it been a simple, "Sir, you're failing to conceal, please step outside, I need to speak with you" I think that would have been the most called for.
I have no problem that the officer responded to a citizen report, I think he was excessive in his response, however.

gotcha.

nitrogen,
You should have asked the officer to go next door and tell them he was there to investigate a complaint about a "Peeping Tom".

If you are going to give it, you have to be able to take it!!

Regards, OE

I read somewhere that they tested the average person on their awareness. They had a guy wear and large handgun on his hip in plain view. He walked all around this supermarket and no one notice he was packing.

I use to worry about people noticing my firearm until I read this artical. Most people don't look at you to see if your carrying. I know I don't and even if you end up flashing someone by mistake changes are they just migh think your a LEO if you look clean cut.

I wish men could carry purses. I get a hard time when I carry a fanny pack and everyone knows your carrying. I tried other thing and get a hard time for carrying a man bag. I found this on the internet and might pick it up. What do you think about it.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/vie ... product=31

OverEasy wrote:nitrogen,
You should have asked the officer to go next door and tell them he was there to investigate a complaint about a "Peeping Tom".

If you are going to give it, you have to be able to take it!!

Regards, OE

The COP probably would tell you that you should of called 911.

Wear a purse. don't bother me none. it's the new milinneum, right?

me, I have a back pack. that's different

During one of our "high-wind" days here in West Texas recently, I accompanied my sixteen-year-old daughter to the DPS drivers license office to apply for her unrestricted permit. Halfway through the process, I exited to the parking lot to give our dog a break. As the dog and I rounded the corner of the building, a gust blew my jacket open, exposing a G21 and two mags. The trooper walking toward me nodded and walked past, completely unconcerned. I suspect he mistook it for a Sig.

This incident went like a few others in the recent past (I don't work terribly hard at concealing, and get "made" fairly often); that is, completely uneventfully. Just based on my experiences, the occasional "inadvertent printing" which does get noticed hasn't warranted a second glance from a cop.

I have walked past the cops that sit in walmart(yes, where i live, cops are present at walmart quite often), and none of them have given me a second look. Even with just shorts and t-shirt on, with my Kimber 3" they either had no idea, or didn't care.

There have been times I have been carrying one of my daughters and the gun becomes visible, and I've usually caught it rather quickly, but nobody has ever even looked twice.

I am afraid for what will happen when someone walks into the walmart strapped up with C4 and a wire hanging out of his jacket sleeve......

cyphur wrote: I am afraid for what will happen when someone walks into the walmart strapped up with C4 and a wire hanging out of his jacket sleeve......

Probably will be semtex.

Spacedoggy wrote:I read somewhere that they tested the average person on their awareness. They had a guy wear and large handgun on his hip in plain view. He walked all around this supermarket and no one notice he was packing.

I use to worry about people noticing my firearm until I read this artical. Most people don't look at you to see if your carrying. I know I don't and even if you end up flashing someone by mistake changes are they just migh think your a LEO if you look clean cut.

I wish men could carry purses. I get a hard time when I carry a fanny pack and everyone knows your carrying. I tried other thing and get a hard time for carrying a man bag. I found this on the internet and might pick it up. What do you think about it.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/vie ... product=31

Got one. It's basically a man purse. I keep it slung over my passenger seat.

FWIW I have it listed for sale in the for sale forum here on the site.

David