I go to second hand stores on Saturday mornings with my wife.
Today we pulled up at the store and got out, I normally CC there becauce I "may" have heard that they are not necessarily OC frindly. But I forgot my light cover and it was really warm. There are no signs posted so I went in. I mean what is the worst that can happen? They may ask me to leave, so I tell them they have lost a customer and leave, right?
Well, I walk through the store and pick up a couple of items. Walking through the aisles, excusing myself(very crowded), smiling at folks, not trying to be noticed and not trying to hide. One lady says "you're smart, I left mine in the car. There were lots of people there and lots of empooyees. No one recoiled or even acted as if they noticed.
My wife told me she was ready to go so we went to the check out and were standing there chatting with the check out lady, who recognized us as regulars but didn't realize we were married.
Just before we were finished a police officer, wearing body armor (sans helmet and M16), walks up to the supervisor three feet away from me and says someone called about a MWAG. Is he still here? She says "yeah, I'll get the manager". I am standing there looking at the cop, I have two stsinless 8 round kimber .45 mags on my left hip facing him and a full size 1911 in an OWB holster, cat 1, on my right. Another officer walks up and they are both standing within ten feet of me with their hands on hips/gun but scanning the crowd.
I paid, told the checker to have a nice day, picked up my bag, turned to my left with my right side toward both officers and exited. On the way to the car I walked intentionally calmly and told my wife what had just occourred. We got in the car and exited the lot just as one of the two big black SUV's whipped out of the east parking lot and drove to the west lot we had just vacated.
I have not seen any Hammond Police in SUV's before this. Does anyone know if those may be SWAT vehicles.
BTW I was not trying to make any kind of statement, and am glad that I avoided a confrontation. I just thought it wac a pretty good story.
Today we pulled up at the store and got out, I normally CC there becauce I "may" have heard that they are not necessarily OC frindly. But I forgot my light cover and it was really warm. There are no signs posted so I went in. I mean what is the worst that can happen? They may ask me to leave, so I tell them they have lost a customer and leave, right?
Well, I walk through the store and pick up a couple of items. Walking through the aisles, excusing myself(very crowded), smiling at folks, not trying to be noticed and not trying to hide. One lady says "you're smart, I left mine in the car. There were lots of people there and lots of empooyees. No one recoiled or even acted as if they noticed.
My wife told me she was ready to go so we went to the check out and were standing there chatting with the check out lady, who recognized us as regulars but didn't realize we were married.
Just before we were finished a police officer, wearing body armor (sans helmet and M16), walks up to the supervisor three feet away from me and says someone called about a MWAG. Is he still here? She says "yeah, I'll get the manager". I am standing there looking at the cop, I have two stsinless 8 round kimber .45 mags on my left hip facing him and a full size 1911 in an OWB holster, cat 1, on my right. Another officer walks up and they are both standing within ten feet of me with their hands on hips/gun but scanning the crowd.
I paid, told the checker to have a nice day, picked up my bag, turned to my left with my right side toward both officers and exited. On the way to the car I walked intentionally calmly and told my wife what had just occourred. We got in the car and exited the lot just as one of the two big black SUV's whipped out of the east parking lot and drove to the west lot we had just vacated.
I have not seen any Hammond Police in SUV's before this. Does anyone know if those may be SWAT vehicles.
BTW I was not trying to make any kind of statement, and am glad that I avoided a confrontation. I just thought it wac a pretty good story.