I was not a good ambassador for open carry today. But .....

[ett]

Working from home today. Had to run out for lunch. Stopped at local Wawa, on Lehigh st., on south side of Allentown to get a sub.
Being lunch time; the place was rather busy, very few open parking spaces, and a fair amount of NJ plated cars.

While I was placing my order on one of the touch screens.
This half professional looking, half scruffy looking guy walks uncomfortably close to me on my weak side and says:

Him: "Are you a policeman ?"
(He may have said "cop". And I do not recall if he even said "Excuse me.")
Me: As I keep typing on the touch screen.: "No."
Him: "Are you allowed to carry your gun out in the open like that ?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "You sure ? 'Cause I was at a gun shop. Ya know; Cabellas in Hamburg. And I was talking to one of the guys at the counter and he said you have to keep guns concealed."
Me: "Total bullshit."
Him: "Why do you say that ?"
Me: "What are you from NJ or something ?"
(Yea I know, I'm a NJ transplant myself. But I never fit in with; or liked; most people in NJ + NY.)
Him: Does not say another word and walks away.

Normally I've very polite and try to educate people by answering their questions.
And usually hand them one of our LVTP, 2A, PA Firearms law, trifolds.

But this guy's demeanor in the situation and his response to my "Yes". Just gave me bad vibes.
And I got the feeling he was an anti-gun liberal from NJ who was not remotely interested in learning that open carry is legal in PA.
When you tell most people that open carry is legal. They usually have a response of surprise. NOT a response of trying to tell you otherwise.
Hence my abrupt change in voice, and curt response of foul language.

Sorry for not being a good ambassador today.

[free]

Don't be sorry. He was being rude. He got it deflected right back at him. Good for you.

[Lexington]

Don't be sorry. He was being rude. He got it deflected right back at him. Good for you.

Agreed. I try to be super polite and professional while openly carrying, and even when someone is initially abrasive I'll maintain that demeanor. But, after a point meek and mild has to drop away, especially when someone perceives "meek" as "weak." There's a time and a place to answer rudeness with rudeness, and I think you did fine.

At least you didn't run into the lunatic I encountered at the Kutztown Giant a couple years back. That guy was nuts, following me outside the store, pacing around me like a jackal, flailing his arms and screaming profanities. Never saw him again, so I'm not even sure he was a local.

[free]

At least you didn't run into the lunatic I encountered at the Kutztown Giant a couple years back. That guy was nuts, following me outside the store, pacing around me like a jackal, flailing his arms and screaming profanities. Never saw him again, so I'm not even sure he was a local.

...and the irony is, if people walking around with guns OC are so dangerous, why was that guy hanging around you when he didn't have to?

[Lexington]

...and the irony is, if people walking around with guns OC are so dangerous, why was that guy hanging around you when he didn't have to?

Yeah, I know. He thought he was a white knight protecting the sheep around him who were too scared to tell the big bad brigand with the leg-iron that he was terrifying them. Meanwhile I'm a regular at that store and most of the career workers there know me and are on friendly terms with me. But, apparently they just act friendly so that I don't shoot them in their stupid faces. Who knew?

[Democrat Gun Owner]

<snip>

This half professional looking, half scruffy looking guy walks uncomfortably close to me on my weak side and says:

<snip>

What was Steve Bannon doing in Allentown, and why was he asking you about open carrying??

[Lexington]

What was Steve Bannon doing in Allentown, and why was he asking you about open carrying??

[Krichardson]

You did well....at the very least I would have replied by asking the guy who the Hell was he to question anything about me.

[crffl]

You did well....at the very least I would have replied by asking the guy who the Hell was he to question anything about me.

A variation of this

.

[bogey1]

WHAT A DICK!!!

Eating at wawa, you should be ashamed of yourself