Pleasant interaction with Allentown cop

**PennsyPlinker** · July 27th, 2010, 06:39 PM

Today I was in the Woodcraft store in Allentown. Everyone who works there knows me, and I am in there frequently. I used to teach there. Anyway, I was in there adding to my vises to support one of my vices, and was leaning on the counter at the front of the store, OCing my SIG Sauer P220, when all of a sudden I saw an Allentown cop who appeared to be browsing the merchandise!

As is always the case when a cop shows up, my first inclination is to wonder if someone called me in. I was already a little jacked up as I had a very unpleasant conversation with some Hispanic woman who almost took the front end off my truck just moments before. As an aside, it is people like her that really contribute to the stereotypes I try so hard not to assume. Anyway...

I continued my conversation with the employee behind the counter and kept an eye on the officer at the same time. After a few minutes, it became apparent that he was actually looking for some woodworking stuff. One of the employees approached him and asked him if he needed some help. After a brief discussion, they started looking for what he wanted together. As time passed, they strayed over into the woodturning stuff. That allowed me to get involved.

They call me from time to time with questions, and often when I am in the store I get questions from other customers. Heck, often I get customers coming up to me to tell me they have my videos!

So I walked on over, offered some assistance, and struck up a conversation with the officer.

We spent about five minutes talking about his project, the wood he was using, various tools and techniques to finish it off, and the difficulty of locating some specialty items. I don't know if he even saw my gun, but if he did, he was one of the coolest customers I have ever encountered. Not a word was mentioned, and he did not even bat an eye. Oh yeah, I was wearing a PAFOA tee shirt with a 1911 on the back about 12" across or better, as well as the PAFOA logo on the front, so there was no doubt I was a gun guy. Regardless, I chalk it up as yet one more positive police interaction. I've had a couple of very hostile ones, but most of them have been just like this one, even when the gun comes up in conversation. Maybe I look so old and feeble they don't think I could even pull the trigger if I had to.