"Are You a Probation Officer?"

[Paradigm]

Yeah, you gotta wonder the mindset (and legal history) of a person who asks that question when he sees you OCing...


Anyway, yesterday afternoon I went to the Moraine Pointe Plaza (Butler) Taco Bell for some of those uber-yummy volcano tacos. Cargo shorts, plain navy blue t-shirt, high-and-tight haircut. There were two young guys behind the counter. One didn't say a word. One talked...a lot.

Dude: "How's it going?"
Me: "Fine, thanks. You?"
Dude: "Are you a probation officer?"
Me: "Pardon?"
Dude: "Are you a probation officer?"
Me: "Nah. I'm just a regular guy."
Dude: (light laughter) "A regular guy? And you can carry a gun like that on your side?"
Me: "Yep! In PA it is totally legal to carry it in the open, right on your hip."
Dude: "What's the point of carrying it? You can't pull it out and shoot anyone."
Me: "If my life is in danger I can."
Both dudes: *eyes bulge*
Me: "If a fellow citizen's life is in danger, I can choose to respond, like if a armed guy came in here threatening to shoot you two - or customers like me - then I can respond."
Dude: "Is is cocked and locked?"
Me: (thinking that I don't own a 1911) "It's ready to go. Otherwise, it's just a paperweight."
Dude: "Don't you need a license?"
Me: "Not to carry it open like this. Now, you need one if you carry it on you in your car, or in certain places like...blah, blah, blah."
Dude: "I thought you had to keep the gun and the clip *cringe* separate or something like that when in your car."
Me: "If you have a license, you can keep it just like this. If you don't have a license you can only carry it...blah, blah, blah."

By then, my food was ready to eat. It was a cool experience - even with the disgusted, evil look I got from some twentysomething girl there with her boyfriend.

Carry on, my friends. Carry on!

[berettajones]

I love taco bell! Anyway...great story, cool to inform those young kids, isn't it?

[chrisjames_71]

Yeah, you gotta wonder the mindset (and legal history) of a person who asks that question when he sees you OCing...


Anyway, yesterday afternoon I went to the Moraine Pointe Plaza (Butler) Taco Bell for some of those uber-yummy volcano tacos. Cargo shorts, plain navy blue t-shirt, high-and-tight haircut. There were two young guys behind the counter. One didn't say a word. One talked...a lot.

Dude: "How's it going?"
Me: "Fine, thanks. You?"
Dude: "Are you a probation officer?"
Me: "Pardon?"
Dude: "Are you a probation officer?"
Me: "Nah. I'm just a regular guy."
Dude: (light laughter) "A regular guy? And you can carry a gun like that on your side?"
Me: "Yep! In PA it is totally legal to carry it in the open, right on your hip."
Dude: "What's the point of carrying it? You can't pull it out and shoot anyone."
Me: "If my life is in danger I can."
Both dudes: *eyes bulge*
Me: "If a fellow citizen's life is in danger, I can choose to respond, like if a armed guy came in here threatening to shoot you two - or customers like me - then I can respond."
Dude: "Is is cocked and locked?"
Me: (thinking that I don't own a 1911) "It's ready to go. Otherwise, it's just a paperweight."
Dude: "Don't you need a license?"
Me: "Not to carry it open like this. Now, you need one if you carry it on you in your car, or in certain places like...blah, blah, blah."
Dude: "I thought you had to keep the gun and the clip *cringe* separate or something like that when in your car."
Me: "If you have a license, you can keep it just like this. If you don't have a license you can only carry it...blah, blah, blah."

By then, my food was ready to eat. It was a cool experience - even with the disgusted, evil look I got from some twentysomething girl there with her boyfriend.

Carry on, my friends. Carry on!

Probably thought his PO sent another one to check up on him

[Curmudgeon]

Must be something in the refried beans!

The last 2 times Mrs. Curmudgeon and I visited the "Taco Smell" on E. Market here in York, we had similar encounters.

The first was with a young guy and girl, both over 18 but not yet 21. Believe it or not, both had decent firearms knowledge and knew OC was legal, but had not seen anyone doing it before.

Both got flyers, and a suggestion to keep their noses clean if they wanted to get their LTCF!

They both seemed like really good people.

+rep sent.

[30Glock]

I am not sure how I feel about educating the young as far as OCing, And yes I am aware that the constitution is for everyone, But I prefer they do the leg work and educate them self's, There are gang bangers who are just starting and are not felons and can legally carry, and that’s not a sight I really want to see, A bunch of thugs legally carrying firearms, IMO I think it will hurt us all, In self educating they will read and learn the law, And hopefully becoming law abiding citizens. Now please save the who the F%$k are you to decide who can and should carry, I am just stating my opinion. At a gas station in Easton I was filling up my bike, and some guys got out of the cars and said DANG OH SHIT, Dude you gotto be 5.0, Now I could have gone into my educating mode and explain to them all that they to can legally carry, But I just was not comfortable doing that, and I just gave them a look and ignored them. If for any reason they are going to assume I am 5.0 and that puts them at their best behavior I think that’s a plus for us all.

[StealthBeast]

It was a cool experience - even with the disgusted, evil look I got from some twentysomething girl there with her boyfriend.

[angus]

Good report, and interesting that the young man's initial reaction was PO, not "cop," unless your casual attire for some reason made him think probation instead of LE. As you said, he might have an "interesting" legal background.

[headcase]

As long as they don't start the conversation with, "Is that a real gun?!", I'm all for educating the young


BTW, thanks, now I am stuck on the couch and have an incredible craving for a couple of steak nacho cheese chalupas......

[Curmudgeon]

As long as they don't start the conversation with, "Is that a real gun?!", I'm all for educating the young


BTW, thanks, now I am stuck on the couch and have an incredible craving for a couple of steak nacho cheese chalupas......

[fingers80002]

I am not sure how I feel about educating the young as far as OCing, And yes I am aware that the constitution is for everyone, But I prefer they do the leg work and educate them self's, There are gang bangers who are just starting and are not felons and can legally carry, and that’s not a sight I really want to see, A bunch of thugs legally carrying firearms, IMO I think it will hurt us all, In self educating they will read and learn the law, And hopefully becoming law abiding citizens. Now please save the who the F%$k are you to decide who can and should carry, I am just stating my opinion. At a gas station in Easton I was filling up my bike, and some guys got out of the cars and said DANG OH SHIT, Dude you gotto be 5.0, Now I could have gone into my educating mode and explain to them all that they to can legally carry, But I just was not comfortable doing that, and I just gave them a look and ignored them. If for any reason they are going to assume I am 5.0 and that puts them at their best behavior I think that’s a plus for us all.

That's the price you pay for freedom!
I'll take freedom, any day.