Carry?

[austin_voy]

Anybody carry? Do you carry on appointments? My attitude has been "always carry or never carry," but I don't want to freak someone out by popping the holster out and clearing the sucker (1911 in .40 S&W). I carry SOB under the shirt, so it never shows.

There's a liquor store near here that has a sign "The state let's you carry here, I encourage it."

And ladies, what's your take on this? So far I've left the whole rig in the car, but I hate leaving it there.

[Leslie Cochran]

I think it is a good idea! Of course, using it is a last resort. I have tased and pepper sprayed people before but no use of my 45.

[78704]

Really not a gun guy; EDC's a Cold Steel XL Voyager, plain edge, tanto point. 5" blade, legal in Texas. S&W 686 in the nightstand.

I had some nice rifles, kept them at my uncle's place in upstate New York for 12-point purposes, no kidding; he had a 14-point on the wall. Since he retired and moved to Florida I have no idea where they are, he probably sold them and bought a boat.

I've popped the knife a couple of times in Austin when it looked like trouble might be coming; trouble decided to go another way.

[Paven]

Please leave it in the car!
I usually hug when I greet and that would be very off putting, I'd make you turn around and put it in your vehicle.

My good friend Louis Ville Slugger has never let me down...your choice metal or wood.
I'm also a big fan of pocket knives.

I don't mind firearms at all, I like to shoot and have great aim but unless your hobbying in really bad neighborhoods, just leave it at home.

On a lighter note...is that a gun in your pocket? or are you just happy to see me?

[SpeedRacerXXX]

I do not carry and I would take great offense as a home owner if someone carried a concealed weapon into MY home. I would assume that providers would feel the same way.

[greymouse]

Carrying (legal licensed firearms) to an incall is an interesting question. I mostly do outcalls but that is unreasonable to ask from travelers. Texas makes it easy to legally arm oneself and I keep on getting older while the streets keep on appearing to get meaner. The confidence of a little Walter PPS in the back of one's waistband would make a nice difference when deciding whether it is too late to go out for a walk. This isn't a wimpy monoculture subdivision around here although it isn't a "bad neighborhood" either. In my downtown area there are always homeless on the streets and the young transients gather at sundown in groups that are sometimes 12-15 strong, all dressed like extra on a Mad Max remake.

When seeing a new lady I volunteer to "get completely comfortable" first thing. The last time I made a joke about that facilitating an inspection for recording devices or concealed weapons. She said that a weapon would have freaked her out. I can understand that. I used to see a lady who keep her .45 in her truck. Sometimes when I walked her to the vehicle I wished I had my H&K with me instead of back in the night stand. I know the homeless mostly aren't dangerous but seeing them around late night isn't exactly like seeing deer on your lawn either. They don't thin out toward the big hotels further downtown either.

[blenderhead]

I never ever ever carry when I go to an appointment. Other than that I always carry my .45 1911 IWB. Doesn't show even under a tight fitting t-shirt. The gun belt always gives the ladies trouble when they try to undress me, LOL.

[runswithscissors]

I also carry and have for years; but absolutley never to an appointment. My firearm is locked away in the privacy of my driveway before I leave to make the appointment. It has become second nature to me to pick up my firearm, phone, and keys in the morning just as someone else may pick up their newspaper, phone and keys.....

[Elephant]

Originally Posted by greymouse

The confidence of a little Walter PPS.....

Yuck, I hate the Magazine release on that pistol. I wouldn't feel very confident carrying that firearm...

[DRorchia]

I carry every day and have been doing so for most of the last 20+ years. Although there's always exceptions to the rule, most of the providers on here I would feel comfortable visiting while leaving my gun in the car. If I was unsure of someone or just got that "feeling", then I probably would not schedule with that person or at that location to begin with. For those uncomfortable about leaving your gun in the car, Cabela's and several other places offer in-vehicle safes to lock up your gun. This way even if someone was to break into your vehicle, you would not be giving them access to your weapon. They would need to steal the entire vehicle and then still have to spend a lot of time trying to crack the safe. These safes can be installed in the center console or other locations depending on your make and model. This way you can be armed to and from where you're going and have the peace of mind while you're away from your weapon that it won't fall into the wrong hands.

[Slotgoop]

Considering the background and criminal history checks involved with getting a CHL in TX, and when you look at the stats that DPS keeps regarding crimes by CHL holders VS non CHL folks, I would trust a CHL holder more than someone who does not carry. But I certainly respect the right of any property holder to determine who can or cannot carry on their property. I just wish people would base their decisions on fact and not emotion.

[SpeedRacerXXX]

Originally Posted by Slotgoop

Considering the background and criminal history checks involved with getting a CHL in TX, and when you look at the stats that DPS keeps regarding crimes by CHL holders VS non CHL folks, I would trust a CHL holder more than someone who does not carry. But I certainly respect the right of any property holder to determine who can or cannot carry on their property. I just wish people would base their decisions on fact and not emotion.

Slotgoop, my decision is based purely on fact, with no emotion involved at all. When is the last time that you heard about a totally random break-in and robbery/killing of homeowners in the Austin area? I have lived in the Austin area for almost 20 years and can't think of one instance. By random I mean there was no connection between the homeowners and the criminals. So once I eliminate the probability of criminals entering your home to do you harm, I take the next step and say I don't want ANYONE in my home with a gun, CHL or not. I fully agree with you that crimes by CHL holders is VERY low, but not zero.

I also find your last statement interesting in that it is my opinion that CHL holders base their decision on carrying a gun on emotion and not facts. Fact is that random break-ins of homes is close to zero, so you don't need a gun in the home. Fact is that car-jackings are close to zero so you don't need a gun in the car. Fact is that in most areas of Austin and the surrounding cities/towns, the rate of violent crimes is barely measurable, so you don't need a gun for protection of yourself.

Yes, crime is certainly possible at any time in any place, and I certainly am not campaigning for any gun restrictions. If you or anyone else chooses to have a weapon at home, in the car, or on your person, please do so.

[DRorchia]

http://weareaustin.com/fulltext?nxd_id=100786. This is one of the more recent examples in Austin. Although the initial victim and offender were known to each other (roommates), the second victim (woman simply standing in front of her house) was not known to the offender to my knowledge. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and unarmed.
Of course Nathaniel Sanders, the young man shot by Austin Police had committed an aggravated robbery of a man he did not know on 6th St shortly before his actions caught up with him.
In 2009 Austin experienced:
1. 265 Rapes
2. 1,415 Robberies
3. 2,322 Aggravated Assaults
4. 8,753 Burglaries
5. 22 Murders
Austin has a lower % of Officers per 100,000 citizens (2.03) than the national average (3.0). This translates to slower response times and less Police Officers on the street per 100,000 citizens.

I respect anyone's right not to carry and I request the same courtesy of my choice to carry.
Having said that I believe that a man or woman's home is their "castle" so to speak and they certainly have the right to ask people to refrain from coming in their home armed. Most criminals with bad intentions could care less what people want or don't want in regards to being armed. If they are intent on hurting you or a loved one or on committing a crime they simply will do so.
It's been said on this site many times........ screening is important!

[SpeedRacerXXX]

DTorchia, thanks for the response.

Yes, random attacks on innocent people do occur, even in Austin. It is up to each person to decide for themselves if such RARE occurances merit owning or carrying a gun.

In your statistics, carrying or owning a gun will not have an affect on the 8,753 burglaries, since burglaries happen when owners are not around. Again, if you look at the statistics of crime in the Austin area, the majority occur in specific areas of the city. If I lived in certain areas of Austin I would reassess my decision not to own or carry a gun.

Police officers on the street is a meaningless statistic to me. What are the odds, in any city, of a police officer being around when a crime is being committed? Virtually zero. But so are the odds of you being the victim of a violent crime.

Sorry, but your last paragraph again makes no sense. I've already pointed out how rarely random break-ins of homes when the homeowners are present occur. BTW, I'm sure you are aware of the so-called "castle" law, which gives a home owner the right to gun down virtually any person who is in the home illegally. I have been told that a person with a CHL is allowed to carry his/her weapon into my house without even informing me he/she is doing so. Aren't these two laws directly opposed to each other? One says my home is my castle and the second gives permission for others to carry a weapon into my home, even if I don't want them to.

[DRorchia]

SpeedRacerXXX, I understand your views, I've read them on other threads on this site. It's well known that statistics can be used one way or the other.
One of my teammates that I work with overseas has a wife who felt much the same way as you do about guns. Didn't like them, didn't like them in her house and saw no need for them. To be honest, she thought her husband was a little bit on the paranoid side for carrying a weapon all the time. My friend who, like me, carries a gun for a living, prodded her to at least learn how to shoot one and keep one around for the times he was away at work overseas. He told her it would make him feel better. 3 years ago, while he was in Iraq, she heard glass breaking during the night. She grabbed her phone, called 911 and while on the phone grabbed the pistol he had convinced her to keep nearby. Long story short, Hispanic male approx 20-25, unknown to her, was climbing through the living room window as she came to investigate. She fired several shots at the male who managed to escape. A small piece of a bloody shirt and several blood spots were found in the back yard by responding officers. She stated she heard a car drive off at a fast rate of speed. The suspect was never found. After this incident, she told her husband she was signing up for the concealed carry course and now carries almost everywhere she goes.
Whether someone believes it will never happen to them or that the statistics are in their favor is irrelevant to the victim that it DOES happen to.
The family who had adopted numerous needy children that was slaughtered in Florida recently, I'm sure never thought that such a violent crime would happen to them. After all, they were taking care of almost a dozen children with disabilities. Who would target them?? Well someone did on the mistaken belief that they had a large amount of cash in the house.
I could go on and on with many examples. It won't change your mind and honestly I don't expect it to. I simply know of many cases where firearms, properly used, have saved lives.
The NRA has volumes of documented cases (backed up by Police reports) where firearms were used properly by citizens in self defense.

We digress however. The original question was, do some clients carry concealed when going to an appointment with a provider and how do the providers feel about that. So far, few providers have addressed the issue. If I was intent on carrying while going to meet with a Provider, I would probably broach the subject with the Provider prior to our meeting. As I stated previously, I think that most Providers on this site provide a fairly safe incall environment for their clients so I would probably not feel the need to carry into their home. Hotels are a different story. Something for carrying clients to consider.....IF for whatever reason the Police were to get involved at the hotel location (either through a sting etc)....having a gun on your person during an arrest would automatically lead to loosing your CCW privileges.