No. Especially not in Lafayette... been open carrying around there for many years without issue.
Sounds like you just happened upon an uninformed person with a blurting problem.
Your lack of reaction (and acting more "normal" than they are) really does go a long way toward establishing the normalcy of armed citizens, so hang in there if and when you choose to.
You are correct, that is NOT normal, but not the worst either.
Several years ago I was working around the house and realized I had run out of cigarettes. Wow, that HAS been so time ago because I quit smoking 10 years ago!
Anyway, I left the house in a t-shirt and jeans. Walked a block and a half to the local V.P. on 14th and Union Sts. in Lafayette.
I walked in, asked for my smokes, and some lottery tickets, paid and left the building.
I walked across the parking lot and stepped out into Union St. to cross. All of a sudden I was surrounded by no less than 5 squad cars and at least 8 officers. All officers had their guns drawn and trained on ME!
I was confused! I hadn't done anything wrong or illegal.
Cops asked where I was coming from, headed to, and "why are you carrying a gun?"
It is then I realize I was open carrying. It didn't dawn on me to pull my t-shirt over my belt.
Police told me that they had received a call about a man with a gun erntering a V.P. I told them the clerk didn't act like it was a big deal. Police said it was NOT the V.P. clerk that called in the report.
It was instead, some busy-body women standing outside of a medical services building next door to my house. They were outside smoking when a group of them watched me walk through the parking lot on my way to V.P.
After determining that I was legal to carry, the police handed me back my pistol, magazine (which they had emptied) and my ammunition. They told me I was "not allowed" to carry open. I told them they were mistaken, but did not want to push the issue.
When the officer handed me back my firearm and ammo, he asked me not to load it until they were gone!??!
They turned to leave, and so did I. I turned toward my house and started to walk, while reloading my magazine, and walking back through the medical services lot.
As soon as my foot hit the medical services parking lot, about 15 women threw their cigarette butts down and RAN in the door.
I passed their glass front building re-inserting the now re-filled mag into the mag-well, and then into the grip of my pistol.
I just glared at them as I walked by, and never had another incident with them.
I do NOT make a habit of open carrying these days. I REALLY did not like looking down the barrels of 8 different firearms at once.
as long as you do it in private and wash your hands afterwards...or was it writing that Heinlein said that about?
