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The other day I was leaving Albertson's grocery store (driving out of my parking space in the truck).

I spot a woman bringing her cart back to the cart corral. She's middle class, about 50 and a very solid fireplug of a gal.

She's wearing a brown and white flowered blouse, completely tucked in, and brown pants. She was open carrying
a black semi-auto (couldn't scope out the brand/model) on her left side, which was her strong side.

Since her blouse was fully tucked into her pants, it wasn't a case of a loose long blouse blowing up in the wind.
My assumption was that she was either a Texas CHL who was new and somehow thought she could OC, or more
likely that she was a CHL from either Arizona, Virginia, or some other place where OC = OK.

I drove over to her, got out of the truck on her right side and asked "Are you CHL?" She said "Excuse me?" and
asked me to repeat my question. I asked her again "Are you a Texas CHL?"

She turned halfway around to show me her holster and said "No, I'm a police officer." At the bottom of the holster,
she had a police badge, which had not been apparent to me initially.

I said "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just trying to help a person out." (So, an Arizonan would not get arrested is what I meant).
She seemed nonchalant about the whole thing and we went our separate ways.

It sure surprised me that she was a LEO. Next time I'll know where to look for a badge - right at the muzzle end of
the person's holster.

SIA

lol, I saw a guy at a car wash who was open carrying, he had 5.11 pants on and a polo with an emblem on it (never did get a good look at it) so I figured he was some kind of law enforcement.

Reminds me of last year, well groomed man in a suit, but without a coat, shopping at HEB, smallish black auto like a PM9, OWB in a kydex type Serpa holster or similar, cuffs case with cuffs in it, no badge, (I watched him a while, got a 360 view of him) no one seemed startled, he didn't do anything out of the ordinary,. he shopped and left; so did I. I, and I guess everyone else "assumed" he was ok, by dress, his calmness/actions/confidence ... but I kept an eye out due to no badge on him a while.

RPB wrote:Reminds me of last year, well groomed man in a suit, but without a coat, shopping at HEB, smallish black auto like a PM9, OWB in a kydex type Serpa holster or similar, cuffs case with cuffs in it, no badge, (I watched him a while, got a 360 view of him) no one seemed startled, he didn't do anything out of the ordinary,. he shopped and left; so did I. I, and I guess everyone else "assumed" he was ok, by dress, his calmness/actions/confidence ... but I kept an eye out due to no badge on him a while.

Are they required to open carry the badge?

The Annoyed Man wrote:Are they required to open carry the badge?

It's not required by law but may be required by department policy.

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:The other day I was leaving Albertson's grocery store (driving out of my parking space in the truck).

I spot a woman bringing her cart back to the cart corral. She's middle class, about 50 and a very solid fireplug of a gal.

She's wearing a brown and white flowered blouse, completely tucked in, and brown pants. She was open carrying
a black semi-auto (couldn't scope out the brand/model) on her left side, which was her strong side.

Since her blouse was fully tucked into her pants, it wasn't a case of a loose long blouse blowing up in the wind.
My assumption was that she was either a Texas CHL who was new and somehow thought she could OC, or more
likely that she was a CHL from either Arizona, Virginia, or some other place where OC = OK.

I drove over to her, got out of the truck on her right side and asked "Are you CHL?" She said "Excuse me?" and
asked me to repeat my question. I asked her again "Are you a Texas CHL?"

She turned halfway around to show me her holster and said "No, I'm a police officer." At the bottom of the holster,
she had a police badge, which had not been apparent to me initially.

I said "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just trying to help a person out." (So, an Arizonan would not get arrested is what I meant).
She seemed nonchalant about the whole thing and we went our separate ways.

It sure surprised me that she was a LEO. Next time I'll know where to look for a badge - right at the muzzle end of
the person's holster.

SIA

You would've probably felt real funny if she pulled it and shot you.

I am glad to see more non-uniformed LEO open carry. It would condition the public not to panic with they see a man with a gun. That makes OC acceptable for all. Yes, to OC (with CHL).

Beiruty wrote:I am glad to see more non-uniformed LEO open carry. It would condition the public not to panic with they see a man with a gun. That makes OC acceptable for all. Yes, to OC (with CHL).

I think this was a woman?

i was at a gas station recently and spotted a very large guy, wearing all black and open carrying a glock 19 on his right side. i thought it was odd, because he wasnt wearing a uniform... just black t-shirt and black slacks. he had a badge around his neck and once i was close enough to read what the markings were, i realized it was a security company badge.

my first thought was to ask him about the OC... then i realized it might be better to just leave a giant guy with a gun on his hip alone.

schufflerbot wrote:i was at a gas station recently and spotted a very large guy, wearing all black and open carrying a glock 19 on his right side. i thought it was odd, because he wasnt wearing a uniform... just black t-shirt and black slacks. he had a badge around his neck and once i was close enough to read what the markings were, i realized it was a security company badge.

my first thought was to ask him about the OC... then i realized it might be better to just leave a giant guy with a gun on his hip alone.

IOW, MYOB perhaps?

Oldgringo wrote:

schufflerbot wrote:i was at a gas station recently and spotted a very large guy, wearing all black and open carrying a glock 19 on his right side. i thought it was odd, because he wasnt wearing a uniform... just black t-shirt and black slacks. he had a badge around his neck and once i was close enough to read what the markings were, i realized it was a security company badge.

my first thought was to ask him about the OC... then i realized it might be better to just leave a giant guy with a gun on his hip alone.

IOW, MYOB perhaps?

That's exactly what I do when I see someone open carrying.

pbwalker wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:

schufflerbot wrote:i was at a gas station recently and spotted a very large guy, wearing all black and open carrying a glock 19 on his right side. i thought it was odd, because he wasnt wearing a uniform... just black t-shirt and black slacks. he had a badge around his neck and once i was close enough to read what the markings were, i realized it was a security company badge.

my first thought was to ask him about the OC... then i realized it might be better to just leave a giant guy with a gun on his hip alone.

IOW, MYOB perhaps?

That's exactly what I do when I see someone open carrying.

Yup. Not my job to determine the legality of their actions. So, unless they are in the middle of something obviously bad, I'm going to leave them alone. Now, if it is really out of place I might call the police.

surprise_i'm_armed wrote: I drove over to her, got out of the truck on her right side and asked "Are you CHL?" She said "Excuse me?" and
asked me to repeat my question. I asked her again "Are you a Texas CHL?"

you asked her if she was a License?

she likely is accustomed to a little extra attention due to the gun/badge thing. Glad the interaction went well.

I saw a guy at a range here in Wa, who was "attempting" to conceal a revolver under a tight sweatshirt. most of the barrel was poking out from under the thing! haha
I said to him, "Hey buddy, your 2nd Amdt is showing."
he didn't seem to appreciate it nearly as much as I did. yes, OC is legal here, but if you're trying to CC, shouldn't it be, you know, concealed?

anyway, it's sunny and 67° out, so I'ma chill now...

DoubleJ wrote: anyway, it's sunny and 67° out, so I'ma chill now...

You had to rub that in, didn't you?

yeah, but in a month, everyone up here gets pasty and soggy from the 5 months straight of rain and clouds.

we have two seasons, wet, and not as wet.

a 60% chance of rain doesn't mean that there's a 60% chance of whether or not it'll rain, it means that it rains for 60% of the day.
20%/rain is only 20% of the day.

forecasting is easy up here.
"Well, Skip, how's the weather look this weekend?"
"Prolly gonna rain, in the morning, be sunny for a few hours, and cool off tonight!"

it's just a VHS tape of a dude from 1983 they play every day at 6pm...