How intrusive is concealed carry for you, if at all? I had a brief discussion with someone while at SHOT Show, and the topic was this; Do we avoid anything in our lives because we carry a firearm?
I said yes, absolutely.
Things I avoid:
- Post Office
- Drinking at bars
- Public bathrooms
That’s… it.
It’s rare that I need to go to the post office but when I do, I leave my firearm behind. Fun fact; my Post Office has metal detectors. While they’re not overly sensitive, they’d surly be able to pick up a concealed pistol.
Drinking at bars isn’t a big deal to me. I rarely drink and if I do go to a bar, I don’t actually sit at the bar. In Florida, carrying inside a bar is a legal no-no (subject to interpretation), but I’m rarely there. It’s not really on my radar.
If I can hold it, I’m waiting until I get home verses using a public bathroom for number two. That’s not even a concealed carry thing. That’s just a life thing.
The person that I was having this conversation with, however, had a whole other list of things.
Those were:
- The gym
- The bank
- Biking/running
- Visiting a 4-year-old nephew
- The beach
- Visiting family who does not appreciate firearms
Numbers 1 and 3 can be overcome with proper holsters.
Number 2 is a problem that he has in his state, where it’s illegal to carry inside a bank.
Number 4 is up in the air, because there are a few factors at play here. Is the child familiar with firearms that aware that they are not toys? How secure is the firearm? These are questions that need answers.
Number 5 seems like a person is out of luck.
And Number 6 seems like it’s one of those cases where you just keep in concealed and keep your mouth shut.
In any event, this list restricts this person from carrying as much as he would like to do. That’s why the question is posed today, because we don’t really talk about this specific topic.
For you personally, does carrying a firearm stop you from doing certain things that you’d normally do?
