OC In the Doctor's Office

[Adam-12]

This morning I had a doctor's appointment. Since I'm working from home today, I'm carrying openly. It's the first time I've ever done that at the doctor's office, and I had mixed feelings going in. On the one hand doctors in general love to ask prying questions about guns in the home, and tend to make me suspicious. On the other hand I love this doctor to pieces--she's an older lady who can figure out what your problem is better than the specialists can. (If you're looking for a doc in the Pittsburgh area, I'll be happy to recommend her to you by PM.)

Signing in, there were a couple people in the waiting room. One of them was staring at me when I sat down, but nobody said anything. In a few minutes a young girl in scrubs called me back, led me to a room and weighed me. Either she was completely oblivious, or completely unperturbed. The biggest embarrassment of the whole experience was hearing a perky young lass announcing my weight to me.

Doc came in and went through the usual routine. Never noticed anything before having me up on the table. At that time she can't possibly not have noticed, but she didn't give the slightest sign of it. Reached right by it to untuck my shirt and stick a (courteously pre-warmed) stethoscope up my back.

First time it came up was when she indicated a scratch on my back. I told her, "When I carry concealed, the grep scratches a bit. I've ordered a new holster." (Spam: it's a Supertuck. I'll let you know in a couple weeks if it helps.) She asked, "So you always have it on you?" I answered "pretty much." (Yes, a tad bit of a cop-out. Didn't want to alarm her by narrowing my brows and saying, "Lady, if I'm unarmed, you'll know it because I'll be naked.") So far so good.

While checking my reflexes she asked, "So what do you think of our new President?" That's when my suspicious nature asserted itself. It was only recently that a local man was in the news, after all, and he reportedly "feared that Obama was going to take his guns away."

I answered truthfully enough: "He's probably no worse than his insane opponent. But I wanted neither one to win, frankly."

She replied that McCain would at least not try to take away my second Amendment rights. (At this point I'm lying on my back and she's feeling up my internal organs.) I murmured something or other and fell silent while she squeezed my small intestine, and that was the end of the subject.

So was it a good or bad encounter? Who knows? It wasn't terrible. But the way she expressed herself, she could have been pretending sympathy for gun rights to draw me out, or she could be a republican who voted for McCain. I couldn't really tell, and decided not to turn the tables and pump her.

[GetITCdot]

no get out of my office, MWAG 911 calls, OMG TAKE THAT OFF!, AHHHHHHHHH HERES MY WALLET PLEASE DON"T KILL ME!


sounded pretty good to me?

[HiredGoon]

...
I murmured something or other and fell silent while she squeezed my small
intestine, and that was the end of the subject.

All I can say is that I'm glad to see that the word intestine (and not something else) followed the words "squeezed my small"

[Pa. Patriot]

Never a word at the Dr's offices.... Only one to say anything is the dentist (a friend for a long time) and he thought it was great

[Adam-12]

sounded pretty good to me?

Yeah, I can't call it bad, that's for sure. If she's an anti, she handled it way better than many cops in encounters reported here, that's for sure. But I'm left wondering if I found someone with common ground, or was merely humored by an anti with lots of self-possession.

[headcase]

Anyone in a similar situation should just ask, "Have you ever gone shooting?".
I think it was a great, normal conversation..small talk, if you will. Part of the effort in OC is to eventually relegate conversation about our guns to small talk....
Nice

[Asterix909]

(Spam: it's a Supertuck. I'll let you know in a couple weeks if it helps.)

Did you get the combat cut? If not, it should help massively. If you did get combat cut I am not so sure.

[Adam-12]

Part of the effort in OC is to eventually relegate conversation about our guns to small talk....

WELL said! I just arrived at McDonalds for a "working lunch," and held the door for a guy coming out. He glanced down and then gave a big grin and said, "Gee, a gun, a laptop--you're ready for anything!"

I grinned back and said, "Sure! Whichever way things go, I'm set!" and he went on his way chuckling.

[HiredGoon]

One thing that always bothers me just a little with these posts about having your doctor know that you carry a gun...(and this is not referring to the OP or anyone else in particular).

Let's say that for whatever reason the doc thinks that you are not mentally capable of carrying a gun, even though of course you can pass a PICS check and are completely legal in owning guns and do have your LTCF.

Being a respected person that he/she is, if the doc feels that you should not be carrying a gun and mentions it to the sheriff or a LEO... could this be the beginning of problems for you concerning owning and carrying?

Could a sheriff legally revoke a LTCF if he feels the doc is correct in his assumption, using the part of the statute about "character and reputation are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety"?

Yes, I know, sheriffs have revoked almost just because they feel like it and the revocation can be appealed, but just wondering about this whole issue.

Or is this just paranoia?

[Adam-12]

HiredGoon, that's the sort of thing that worries me too.