Viper's OC log

[Lexington]

I stopped at the Wawa on Frankford Avenue this afternoon after leaving my mom's place. Since it was raining, I didn't get a chance to walk to Wawa like I usually prefer to, so I got my hoagie and coffee and decided to stand outside under the awning for a few minutes and watch the rain while I gnoshed. As I was taking my first bite, a white, unmarked Ford with LED strobes in the grill and behind the windshield parked right in front of me. A taller guy than I, wearing black shoes, black slacks, and a light blue button down shirt underneath a black jacket, got out and head for the front door of the store.

He noted my 1911, and said, "Hey pal, are you a cop?"
I shook my head vaguely and said, "Nope." I glanced at him, then took another bite of my lunch.

He hesitated for just the briefest of moments before going into Wawa. If I were a betting man, I would say he bought cigarettes, because three and a half minutes later, he came back out, with no merchandise, food or coffee in his hands. He got into his "unmarked" car and spent about a minute putzing with his phone. By now, I had finished half of my hoagie, and decided to save the rest for later. As I was wrapping it up, he started his car, and left the parking lot before me.

When I got down to Academy Road and was waiting to make my left to head towards I-95, I saw red and blue flashing lights moving in my direction, about a quarter mile further ahead on Frankford. Coincidence? Who knows.

I had something similar happen at the Wal-Mart in Trexlertown a few years back. Some shopper or possible ne'er-do-well turned up the aisle I was standing in and froze when he saw my pistol. I glanced over at him, and he staggered away like he'd been punched, then he spun and ran off. To make a long story short, I grabbed the couple things I needed, paid, and left. As I was pulling out of the lot no fewer than three police cars came rolling into the lot, one behind the other. Could've been a coincidence.

[Carson]

I stopped at the Wawa on Frankford Avenue this afternoon after leaving my mom's place. Since it was raining, I didn't get a chance to walk to Wawa like I usually prefer to, so I got my hoagie and coffee and decided to stand outside under the awning for a few minutes and watch the rain while I gnoshed. As I was taking my first bite, a white, unmarked Ford with LED strobes in the grill and behind the windshield parked right in front of me. A taller guy than I, wearing black shoes, black slacks, and a light blue button down shirt underneath a black jacket, got out and head for the front door of the store.

He noted my 1911, and said, "Hey pal, are you a cop?"
I shook my head vaguely and said, "Nope." I glanced at him, then took another bite of my lunch.

He hesitated for just the briefest of moments before going into Wawa. If I were a betting man, I would say he bought cigarettes, because three and a half minutes later, he came back out, with no merchandise, food or coffee in his hands. He got into his "unmarked" car and spent about a minute putzing with his phone. By now, I had finished half of my hoagie, and decided to save the rest for later. As I was wrapping it up, he started his car, and left the parking lot before me.

When I got down to Academy Road and was waiting to make my left to head towards I-95, I saw red and blue flashing lights moving in my direction, about a quarter mile further ahead on Frankford. Coincidence? Who knows.

Appears to be a coincidence. If he was the police, he wouldn't need to putz with a phone and then drive off, if he was concerned.

[ViperGTS19801]

This morning at an Allentown-area Dunkin Donuts, an eastern woman stopped me.

"Excuse me, why do you carry a gun?"
"For self protection," I said with an honest smile.
"Oh. And do you work for NASA?" She gently touched the NASA patch on my dark blue jacket, and smiled back.
"Oh no, I just saw this jacket when we were down at the Kennedy Space Center and I had to have it."
"Oh, okay," she replied. We then discussed some of the latest findings regarding information on the TRAPPIST-1 system, and it's harmonious orbits.

[Rosco the Iroc]

No but I did say in a Holiday Inn last night.

[alpacaheat]

"Oh. And do you work for NASA?" She gently touched the NASA patch on my dark blue jacket, and smiled back.


If you had said yes, you could have taken her with you to explore Uran...nope, I can't do it. Too wrong.

She obviously has a thing for astronauts though.

[ViperGTS19801]

This afternoon, I stopped in at Chick-Fil-A for lunch. I'd been out for errands and stopped, placed my order, got my drink and picked out my little table. I went back up to fill my drink, and one of the ladies from behind the counter comes out and hands me the tray of food.

"Did she give you the discount?"
"Sorry, what discount?"
"The police - I saw you have a gun..."
"Oh no, I'm not a police officer - I just carry for protection."
"Oh, okay, never mind."

I chuckled.

After I'd been sitting and eating for a bit, the conversation behind me caught my attention. Two blue-collar guys were chatting - the words "nine millimeter" were what specifically jumped out at me. I didn't intend to eavesdrop, but you know it is when you hear someone talking about a topic you are interested in.

"...it just doesn't have the knockout power..."
"...twenty two is the cheapest, you can get like 500 rounds for ten bucks..."
"...my buddy has an [inaudible] he's gonna let me shoot..."
"...you can't carry out in the open like that..."

What?

"...yeah you can, don't even need a permit. You can get your License to Carry, but open carry isn't illegal."
"No you can't, I remember being specifically told that."

Needless to say, I grinned. Now paying attention, I listened as they went back and forth, one claiming it's prohibited, the other telling him he's wrong. After a bit, I couldn't help it. I turned around, smiling.

"Hey guys - sorry to eavesdrop, I don't mean to be rude, but I couldn't help but overhear the topic."
They both nodded, the one arguing in favor of OC's legality glancing down to get a look at my holstered 1911.
"If you don't mind, I was curious - what was that you were saying a minute ago?"
"About what?"
"About where you can and can't carry."
"Yeah, I was telling him that you can't open carry like that in a public...you know, an establishment like this." Like...Chick Fil A?
"I told you, yes you can, there's no law against it."
"In Pennsylvania, open carry is unlegislated - if you can own a handgun, you can carry it openly and on foot. If you get your License to Carry, you can then carry concealed, in a vehicle, or in a city of the first class, of which there's only one, Philadelphia."
"I'm telling you, I know you can't do that. I remember specifically being told -"
"Who told you that?" I didn't wait for a response. "Waitwaitwait - let me guess." His buddy chuckled to himself. "A cop."
He hesitated for half a beat, then claimed he couldn't remember where he heard it. Suuuure. I actually think he himself was an officer, or used to be.
"That's a very common misconception. Anyway, sorry to have interrupted!"
"No no, not at all, no interruption...I tried to tell him. I used to think the same thing til a buddy of mine told me otherwise, and I was like, 'nooo no, that can't be right,' and he showed me the laws and explained everything, and I was shocked I never knew better."

We all shook hands and they headed out. They were both super pleasant guys - I hope I didn't offend them by inserting myself into their lunchtime conversation.

[bogey1]

Oc is illegal, and the gadsden flag is racist. People need to turn off the shitbox,
and stop listening to cops. (Except for carson and a few others here)

[ungawa]

"Oh, okay," she replied. We then discussed some of the latest findings regarding information on the TRAPPIST-1 system, and it's harmonious orbits.

Can you rebuild the thrusters on my space shuttle?

[ViperGTS19801]

I touch myself at night when I think about how confidently the SpaceX program is able to do their return landings of the first stage Falcon rocket. Mmmmmm.

A couple of weeks back I was in line at K-Mart with the little one. An older woman behind me in what I can only refer to as a pink cardigan motioned to my hip.

"You know, some people don't feel comfortable with that sort of thing. But I want to let you know that I love it."
"Oh?" I turned and looked her over - late 60's maybe, white hair in a perm, pink cardigan with a pin on the one side. Like, quintessential gramma.
"I'm an arms dealer."

What?

She's the wife of the owner of Allem's Gun Craft Inc, in Zionsville. It looks like a cute little boutique shop for antiques and old school gear.

[ungawa]

I touch myself at night when I think about how confidently the SpaceX program is able to do their return landings of the first stage Falcon rocket. [I]Mmmmmm.

She's the wife of the owner of Allem's Gun Craft Inc, in Zionsville. It looks like a cute little boutique shop for antiques and old school gear.

You are touching yourself over Space-X and shopping boutiques for antiques?

Houston, we have snowflake