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Life In Dickson City

jahwarrior

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
393
Location
, ,
so, i took my son to get some vaccinations yesterday. rotovirus, hep b , and so on. he took them remarkably well, and i decided to stop at a Dunkin Donuts before heading home; there's one less than 2 blocks from my home.

i decided to carry him in instead of of taking the stroller, because it would be quicker, and he'd fuss less. as i waited on line, a young guy, probably in his 20's, kept staring at me. i ordered a coffee with a Turbo shot, and a multi grain bagel, toasted, with light cream cheese. as i turned to leave, he barked out, "you need to cover that up!"

"excuse me?"

"i said you need to cover that up. you can't carry a gun like that."

"oh yeah?"

"yeah."

"says who?"

"says me. i'm a cop. and i say, you need to cover that up."

"can i see your badge?"

"what? why?"

"you just told me you're a cop. now you're obligated to prove it to me. you can't just go around telling people you're a cop. if you're not, you're committing a crime."

"i don't have to show you a damned thing!"

"then i'm calling the police myself."

"what? fine." he went into his back pocket, took out a wallet, and showed me his badge...for the Paterson, NJ PD.

"wait, you're a cop in NJ?"

"yeah, so? i'm a cop, and that's all that matters."

"hahahahaha! listen, buddy, that badge means absolutely dick here. for one thing, open carry is legal throughout PA. for another thing, you can't enforce NJ law here. for one last thing, every cop in this town is now painfully aware that open carry is legal."

"oh yeah? how about we call them, and let them decide that when they get here?"

"how about i call them on my own phone? and when they get here, we can both watch them do NOT A DAMN THING." he sat in silence, thinking of a response, i think. "well, you want me to call them, or are we done?"

"you're gonna get jammed up one of these days, and when--"

"shut up."

"what?"

"i said shut up. just shut the **** up, already." he mumbled something under his breath, and i walked out.

...and today, i went to Giant market, to pick up some tortilla chips, soda, and other munchies. as i walked up and down the aisle, a large man walked in my direction. when i say large, i mean...obese. not just obese, but sloppy, offensively obese. he had low slung arms, short legs, a dirty t shirt that was too small for him, and an extra neck. he looked like what a gorilla would look like if they could get obese. his breathing was labored; he sounded like he was sweating under his clothes.

he was pushing a cart full of junk food. i immediately regretted some of my purchase choices, looking at him. but at least i junk out in moderation. he stopped short, looked at me, and stated flatly, "you know, you shouldn't carry a gun in here. it's offensive."

"say what, now?"

"the gun. that's the stupidest thing i've ever seen. you should leave it home, or at least cover it up."

"speaking of covering up, you should wear a shirt that covers that flab next time you leave the house."

"what? you *******. i'm getting the manager." he shuffled off.

i continued shopping without incident. the manager was working a register, and i paid for my items, and left.
 

SP101

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
231
Location
somewhere, Pennsylvania, USA
I had a similar situation with a NJ cop a few years ago, on my way out to Harrisburg for the 2A rally. I stopped for gas on I78 and was filling my truck when the gentleman pumping on the opposite side from me peaked between the pumps and said, "you better cover that up". I said, "you better mind your own business"! He then flashed me a badge and quickly put it away. I said "let me see that again". He says "what for"? I say "because if you don't, I'm calling the cops"!

He gets it out again and shows me. The first thing I see is New Jersey. I start laughing and he gets all pissed off, "what are you laughing at? It's REAL!" I say,"so what, your from Jersey"! "Here in Pa, men carry guns everywhere, and anyhow we like. If you don't like it, go back where you came from!"

With that, he goes back to his side of the pumps and puts the nozzle away and drives off. I must have hurt his feelings, but I really didn't care what he thought. He had just made my day, and I had not even had breakfast yet.
 

fjpro2a

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
280
Location
North Carolina
Good Job, no Great Job

To Jahwarrior72 and SP101 - You guys make my day. I hope that when I leave NJ and go to a State that does not restrict open carry, I have the ability to respond to a NJ LEO or any other LEO the same way you did. I just don't think I could respond as well. If it happened exactly as you both said, you are my heroes. Keep up the good work.
 

jahwarrior

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
393
Location
, ,
To Jahwarrior72 and SP101 - You guys make my day. I hope that when I leave NJ and go to a State that does not restrict open carry, I have the ability to respond to a NJ LEO or any other LEO the same way you did. I just don't think I could respond as well. If it happened exactly as you both said, you are my heroes. Keep up the good work.

hell, i respond to local cops this way, if they give me a hard time. i've heard of other guys in PA being approached by out-of-state cops, usually from one of our border states (NY, NJ, MD), and telling said officers to screw off. i don't know what goes on in their heads. do they think they can enforce their own state laws concerning carry here? are they really that dumb?
 

Curmudgeon

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
307
Location
York, Pennsylvania, USA
.
This thread is full of win!

fail-owned-first-amendment-win-fail.jpg


:monkey
 

jahwarrior

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
393
Location
, ,
this morning, i stopped at Dunkin Donuts in town, after dropping off my girlfriend at her job. i had our son with us, and he was giving me his "i'm hungry" whine, so i decided to go in, instead of going through the drive-thru, so i could have a coffee, and give him a bottle at the same time. i lugged him inside in his two ton car seat, and stood on line, waiting to order. i've been wearing a leather crossdraw holster, on the advice of a friend; it makes it easier to draw while in a seated position, in case i have to. i'm still not a fan, but i'm going to give it a few more weeks. it also is a bit more visible than my normal holster; i usually use either black kydex or a black leather holster, strong side. this was a light brown holster, just left of my navel.

i got a bagel with cream cheese and coffee, and sat with my son. we sat, munching/guzzling down our breakfats, when a police officer walked in. he was from the next town over, a little place called Olyphant. their uniforms consist of a knit cap, black jacket with the police insignia on it, and green camouflage BDU pants, with boots. there's something about the militarization of local PDs lately that's a little disconcerting. they look more like militia than peace officers. the lady at the counter said something to him, and they both looked over my way. he looked back at her, nodded, then waited for his order. i kept track of all this, and continued feeding and talking to my son, while trying not to burn my mouth with coffee.

the officer sat and drank his coffee for few minutes. he then got up and walked over to me. "excuse me, sir. the lady at the counter said you're carrying a gun. is that true?"

"yeah."

"okay. she was concerned about it, and asked me to talk to you. where is it, exactly?"

"right here, in a holster." i pointed at my waist. "why?"

"well, you're carrying a gun. that makes people nervous."

"how about carrying a five month old boy? does that freak people out, too?"

"she didn't mention anything about your baby. just your gun."

"okay. so, is that all?"

"do you have a permit on you for that?"

"no."

"you don't have a permit?"

"i don't have my license on me."

"wh- why not?"

"because it's not concealed. my license is in my truck, in my wallet. i usually leave it in there, unless i'm walking around concealed. but, i'm not concealing it now, so i don't need it, right?"

"right. no, i know it's legal to open carry. but you have to know that it makes people nervous, right? i'm just saying, maybe it's better if you concealed it, just so people don't keep calling the police on you. you don't strike me as a bad guy, or anything, and i don't want to bother you for no reason."

"i get that. but, if i had to worry about every single schmuck who i could possibly make nervous, i'd have to stay home all the time. i don't know if you've noticed, but the Mid Valley area isn't exactly filled with minorities. i mean, the average resident is at least 55 years old, and white. i make people nervous when i check my mailbox, or walk my dog. my own neighbor has complained to the Dickson City PD about 'some rough looking ethnic guy walking around waving his gun around', and i've frickin' lived here over a year."

"that's what i'm talking about, though. why give people another reason to complain? why not just cover it up, and try and blend in?"

"because i shouldn't have to." i paused, and went further with my explanation. "i can't change my complexion, or my bone structure. i'm sure people would rather a spic not live in their town, but i can't worry about those people. i'm not going to wear makeup to make myself look lighter for them, or get plastic surgery to change my features, just so they feel better about living next door to a bilingual ******. i shouldn't feel forced to try and blend in. people can either accept me, or ignore me. i usually just ignore things i don't like. so, if people don't like guns, they don't have to own or carry one. if they don't like seeing people carry them, they can look away, or better yet, move to NJ. i don't care about their opinions. all i care about is my own safety, and the safety of my son. if open carrying a gun discourages some dude withbad intentions, then that's what i'm going to do."

"you really think it's a...what's the word? a...deterrent?"

"i know it is." i relayed to him a few experiences i had, when the sight of my gun discouraged a few people from making a bad situation even worse. he stood there, and listened. we then spoke for a few minutes about other things, like what he carried off duty, where to go and shoot locally, calibers, shot placement, and kids. "well, i gotta go. take care, bud."

"you too, officer."

i turned to my son, and said, "that didn't turn out too bad, did it?"

"mmmmmBAAA! pe pe pe hmmm a baaa. hmmm PA! naw da!"

"exactly." i finished up my coffee, and lugged him back out to the truck, and headed home.
 

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,462
Location
Lansing area, Michigan, USA
so, i took my son to get some vaccinations yesterday. rotovirus, hep b , and so on. he took them remarkably well, and i decided to stop at a Dunkin Donuts before heading home; there's one less than 2 blocks from my home.

i decided to carry him in instead of of taking the stroller, because it would be quicker, and he'd fuss less. as i waited on line, a young guy, probably in his 20's, kept staring at me. i ordered a coffee with a Turbo shot, and a multi grain bagel, toasted, with light cream cheese. as i turned to leave, he barked out, "you need to cover that up!"

"excuse me?"

"i said you need to cover that up. you can't carry a gun like that."

"oh yeah?"

"yeah."

"says who?"

"says me. i'm a cop. and i say, you need to cover that up."

"can i see your badge?"

"what? why?"

"you just told me you're a cop. now you're obligated to prove it to me. you can't just go around telling people you're a cop. if you're not, you're committing a crime."

"i don't have to show you a damned thing!"

"then i'm calling the police myself."

"what? fine." he went into his back pocket, took out a wallet, and showed me his badge...for the Paterson, NJ PD.

"wait, you're a cop in NJ?"

"yeah, so? i'm a cop, and that's all that matters."

"hahahahaha! listen, buddy, that badge means absolutely dick here. for one thing, open carry is legal throughout PA. for another thing, you can't enforce NJ law here. for one last thing, every cop in this town is now painfully aware that open carry is legal."

"oh yeah? how about we call them, and let them decide that when they get here?"

"how about i call them on my own phone? and when they get here, we can both watch them do NOT A DAMN THING." he sat in silence, thinking of a response, i think. "well, you want me to call them, or are we done?"

"you're gonna get jammed up one of these days, and when--"

"shut up."

"what?"

"i said shut up. just shut the **** up, already." he mumbled something under his breath, and i walked out.

...and today, i went to Giant market, to pick up some tortilla chips, soda, and other munchies. as i walked up and down the aisle, a large man walked in my direction. when i say large, i mean...obese. not just obese, but sloppy, offensively obese. he had low slung arms, short legs, a dirty t shirt that was too small for him, and an extra neck. he looked like what a gorilla would look like if they could get obese. his breathing was labored; he sounded like he was sweating under his clothes.

he was pushing a cart full of junk food. i immediately regretted some of my purchase choices, looking at him. but at least i junk out in moderation. he stopped short, looked at me, and stated flatly, "you know, you shouldn't carry a gun in here. it's offensive."

"say what, now?"

"the gun. that's the stupidest thing i've ever seen. you should leave it home, or at least cover it up."

"speaking of covering up, you should wear a shirt that covers that flab next time you leave the house."

"what? you *******. i'm getting the manager." he shuffled off.

i continued shopping without incident. the manager was working a register, and i paid for my items, and left.

Wait, What? A cop in a donut shop...so cliché.
 

Glock9mmOldStyle

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Messages
2,038
Location
Taylor, Wayne County, Michigan, USA
Great thread! +1

It (thread) made me laugh until tears ran. It amazes me how "some" servants of the law try to usurp it with their own "special laws". Sadly this dink has probably used this on other less informed OCers and intimidated them into complying.

Keep up the good work in PA guys.
 
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jahwarrior

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
393
Location
, ,
so, today while running errands, i stopped at a local supermarket chain, Giant Food Stores, to pick up some dog food. while i was on line, with my son and a shopping cart, i was approached by someone who said he was the store manager. "excuse me, sir? i hate to be a nuisance, but i'm going to have to ask you to take that out to your car."

"huh?"

"your gun...i'm going to need to to take that to your car and leave it there."

"uh, i've been shopping here for over a year, since i moved into the neighborhood. and, i've been carrying a gun like this since June. it hassn't been a problem before now....what's up?"

"oh, well, we had a customer complain about it. they said they didn't feel safe with you walking around like that."

"why, were they afraid i was gonna throw my son at them?"

"um, huh? no, i think they were talking about your gun, sir."

"if i leave, i won't be coming back. i don't think it's fair to ask a regular customer to leave because one person didn't like the way i looked."

"i'm sorry, sir, it's just safer for..."

"stop. i'd rather just leave before you get a chance to patronize me." i picked up my son and left, and shot off an email to their corporate office. i'll keep everyone posted.
 

DocWalker

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
1,922
Location
Mountain Home, Idaho, USA
so, today while running errands, i stopped at a local supermarket chain, Giant Food Stores, to pick up some dog food. while i was on line, with my son and a shopping cart, i was approached by someone who said he was the store manager. "excuse me, sir? i hate to be a nuisance, but i'm going to have to ask you to take that out to your car."

"huh?"

"your gun...i'm going to need to to take that to your car and leave it there."

"uh, i've been shopping here for over a year, since i moved into the neighborhood. and, i've been carrying a gun like this since June. it hassn't been a problem before now....what's up?"

"oh, well, we had a customer complain about it. they said they didn't feel safe with you walking around like that."

"why, were they afraid i was gonna throw my son at them?"

"um, huh? no, i think they were talking about your gun, sir."

"if i leave, i won't be coming back. i don't think it's fair to ask a regular customer to leave because one person didn't like the way i looked."

"i'm sorry, sir, it's just safer for..."

"stop. i'd rather just leave before you get a chance to patronize me." i picked up my son and left, and shot off an email to their corporate office. i'll keep everyone posted.

You should have pointed out an old lady with a "walker" and told him that you were affraid they could use the walker as a weapon and asked him to have them take it out to their car...you know for everyones safety...
 

DocWalker

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
1,922
Location
Mountain Home, Idaho, USA
"the officer sat and drank his coffee for few minutes. he then got up and walked over to me. "excuse me, sir. the lady at the counter said you're carrying a gun. is that true?"

"yeah."

"okay. she was concerned about it, and asked me to talk to you. where is it, exactly?"

"right here, in a holster." i pointed at my waist. "why?"

"well, you're carrying a gun. that makes people nervous."



I would have said, well you have a gun maybe she was meaning you are making her nervous and if she didn't like the color red would you tell everyone driving a red car that they should paint their cars blue. Really this it makes someone nervous excuss needs to stop, the cops need to tell people that complain about someone making them nervous for doing nothing wrong needs to be told to go home and don't leave...EVER
 

knight0334

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
52
Location
Brookville, Pennsylvania, USA
hell, i respond to local cops this way, if they give me a hard time. i've heard of other guys in PA being approached by out-of-state cops, usually from one of our border states (NY, NJ, MD), and telling said officers to screw off. i don't know what goes on in their heads. do they think they can enforce their own state laws concerning carry here? are they really that dumb?

Since he's a "cop", he should know that OC is even legal in NJ(with a permit). lol
 

RJB1075

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2008
Messages
12
Location
, ,
so, today while running errands, i stopped at a local supermarket chain, Giant Food Stores, to pick up some dog food. while i was on line, with my son and a shopping cart, i was approached by someone who said he was the store manager. "excuse me, sir? i hate to be a nuisance, but i'm going to have to ask you to take that out to your car."

"huh?"

"your gun...i'm going to need to to take that to your car and leave it there."

"uh, i've been shopping here for over a year, since i moved into the neighborhood. and, i've been carrying a gun like this since June. it hassn't been a problem before now....what's up?"

"oh, well, we had a customer complain about it. they said they didn't feel safe with you walking around like that."

"why, were they afraid i was gonna throw my son at them?"

"um, huh? no, i think they were talking about your gun, sir."

"if i leave, i won't be coming back. i don't think it's fair to ask a regular customer to leave because one person didn't like the way i looked."

"i'm sorry, sir, it's just safer for..."

"stop. i'd rather just leave before you get a chance to patronize me." i picked up my son and left, and shot off an email to their corporate office. i'll keep everyone posted.

Just curious which GIANT was it ?

Peckville or Green Ridge ?

Rob
 

jahwarrior

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
393
Location
, ,
Just curious which GIANT was it ?

Peckville or Green Ridge ?

Rob

it's in Dickson City. there isn't one in Peckville, as far as i know. i've never had a problem there, or the one on Greenridge, either. it's not far from Peckville, though, maybe 5 minutes away, past Olyphant.
 

jahwarrior

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
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Location
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well, i stopped by today to buy baby formula and other things, and no one said anything to me. my neighbor also reported that while he was shopping there yesterday, no one asked him to leave; he also open carries regularly. it's nice to have gun owning neighbors. :)
 

Haz.

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
1,226
Location
I come from a land downunder.
this morning, i stopped at Dunkin Donuts in town, after dropping off my girlfriend at her job. i had our son with us, and he was giving me his "i'm hungry" whine, so i decided to go in, instead of going through the drive-thru, so i could have a coffee, and give him a bottle at the same time. i lugged him inside in his two ton car seat, and stood on line, waiting to order. i've been wearing a leather crossdraw holster, on the advice of a friend; it makes it easier to draw while in a seated position, in case i have to. i'm still not a fan, but i'm going to give it a few more weeks. it also is a bit more visible than my normal holster; i usually use either black kydex or a black leather holster, strong side. this was a light brown holster, just left of my navel.

i got a bagel with cream cheese and coffee, and sat with my son. we sat, munching/guzzling down our breakfats, when a police officer walked in. he was from the next town over, a little place called Olyphant. their uniforms consist of a knit cap, black jacket with the police insignia on it, and green camouflage BDU pants, with boots. there's something about the militarization of local PDs lately that's a little disconcerting. they look more like militia than peace officers. the lady at the counter said something to him, and they both looked over my way. he looked back at her, nodded, then waited for his order. i kept track of all this, and continued feeding and talking to my son, while trying not to burn my mouth with coffee.

the officer sat and drank his coffee for few minutes. he then got up and walked over to me. "excuse me, sir. the lady at the counter said you're carrying a gun. is that true?"

"yeah."

"okay. she was concerned about it, and asked me to talk to you. where is it, exactly?"

"right here, in a holster." i pointed at my waist. "why?"

"well, you're carrying a gun. that makes people nervous."

"how about carrying a five month old boy? does that freak people out, too?"

"she didn't mention anything about your baby. just your gun."

"okay. so, is that all?"

"do you have a permit on you for that?"

"no."

"you don't have a permit?"

"i don't have my license on me."

"wh- why not?"

"because it's not concealed. my license is in my truck, in my wallet. i usually leave it in there, unless i'm walking around concealed. but, i'm not concealing it now, so i don't need it, right?"

"right. no, i know it's legal to open carry. but you have to know that it makes people nervous, right? i'm just saying, maybe it's better if you concealed it, just so people don't keep calling the police on you. you don't strike me as a bad guy, or anything, and i don't want to bother you for no reason."

"i get that. but, if i had to worry about every single schmuck who i could possibly make nervous, i'd have to stay home all the time. i don't know if you've noticed, but the Mid Valley area isn't exactly filled with minorities. i mean, the average resident is at least 55 years old, and white. i make people nervous when i check my mailbox, or walk my dog. my own neighbor has complained to the Dickson City PD about 'some rough looking ethnic guy walking around waving his gun around', and i've frickin' lived here over a year."

"that's what i'm talking about, though. why give people another reason to complain? why not just cover it up, and try and blend in?"

"because i shouldn't have to." i paused, and went further with my explanation. "i can't change my complexion, or my bone structure. i'm sure people would rather a spic not live in their town, but i can't worry about those people. i'm not going to wear makeup to make myself look lighter for them, or get plastic surgery to change my features, just so they feel better about living next door to a bilingual ******. i shouldn't feel forced to try and blend in. people can either accept me, or ignore me. i usually just ignore things i don't like. so, if people don't like guns, they don't have to own or carry one. if they don't like seeing people carry them, they can look away, or better yet, move to NJ. i don't care about their opinions. all i care about is my own safety, and the safety of my son. if open carrying a gun discourages some dude withbad intentions, then that's what i'm going to do."

"you really think it's a...what's the word? a...deterrent?"

"i know it is." i relayed to him a few experiences i had, when the sight of my gun discouraged a few people from making a bad situation even worse. he stood there, and listened. we then spoke for a few minutes about other things, like what he carried off duty, where to go and shoot locally, calibers, shot placement, and kids. "well, i gotta go. take care, bud."

"you too, officer."

i turned to my son, and said, "that didn't turn out too bad, did it?"

"mmmmmBAAA! pe pe pe hmmm a baaa. hmmm PA! naw da!"

"exactly." i finished up my coffee, and lugged him back out to the truck, and headed home.

Good on you mate. I totally agree.

"you don't strike me as a bad guy, or anything, and i don't want to bother you for no reason.""
,

He was bothering you for no reason. He would have been better off telling the whiner that its legal to OC in your county! His question, "Is it a deterent?" It sure is. Long before the gun ban in Australia I saved myself and my young daughters from a gang of criminal thieves threatening us simply by drawing my Remington xpress 12 guage from the back of my truck. You should have seen these craven cowards run! Well done mate, Regards haz.
 
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Haz.

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
1,226
Location
I come from a land downunder.
well, i stopped by today to buy baby formula and other things, and no one said anything to me. my neighbor also reported that while he was shopping there yesterday, no one asked him to leave; he also open carries regularly. it's nice to have gun owning neighbors. :)

I dont fear Law abiding citizens with guns, I fear criminals with guns. The only place I feel totally safe and secure throughout all of Australia since the firearms ban is when I'm at my pistol local pistol club or hunting on my private property, which is still legal down under. Regards, Haz.
 
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