Its odd that you feel that way, I'll probably blame it on the media and this increased access to information. After all, statistics show that violent crime has been declining everywhere (ok, with a few exceptions) in the last 30 years.

No weapons on me just see no point too it.

My hands are registered lethal weapons. I have to keep them locked in a cabinet when I'm not using them.

I'm so sorry, normal service will be resumed shortly.

:rotfl2:

Now that was good! :yep: :rock:

Yes we're both having a laugh on Skype at that :)

Didn't see that. I have him squelched for ample reasons. Never feeling the need never even occurred to me. Probably because at the earliest age, i at times felt a need to carry something, even if only temporary. I think the earliest I've encountered a time when, "Gee I wish i had something on me", was Jr High when one of the schoolyard bully's decided to ambush me while walking home and held a knife to my throat with my back quite literally against a cinder block wall. Funny, to this day, I can still identify that blade by sight. In sum, i think having felt the need is all about perspective or what one experiences in life.


Growing up in Southern California in the 80's and 90's, I know ALL about that. But I would extend that further to clothing. Some brands of clothing, or clothing style you do not wear, less you be confused with one street gang or another. EDIT: One thing i forgot to mention is that sometimes the "seedy" parts of town come to you.

As the_tyrant pointed out, violent crime has been on the decline. The media and special interest groups sensationalize tragic events for ratings, and political gain. Proponents said it themselves. "Never let a good tragedy go to waste." So they focus on it so much until you'd swear what they were rallying against was as common as gum stains on a sidewalk.

I would agree. Things going on in my area I get updated on in the Facebook App. AA Counting Breaking New as it is called. If I did not have this feed in Facebook I would never know. But, it has helped in that I'm more aware of my surroundings.

I can see in your situation when growing up always having to looking behind yourself. I only feel that way in some locations, ie. Baltimore city proper. By and large, I feel safe but still keep aware of my surroundings.

I sometimes get the two confused

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kU0XCVey_U

Only thing I carry (except obvious as pointed out by five-eight-niner :D) is white cane. Makes good club if crook is dumb enough to allow me to fold it, has nice cord for strangling, can be swiftly disassembled for pointy sticks... Not that I ever have had need to use it as weapon. Much more a tool.

I would carry firearm if:
a) it was legal and
b) I could actually hit my target
I would carry knife if:
a) it was legal...

Where I live there are instances when something more lethal would be nice to have. Drunks aren't trouble, nobody has tried to rob me - actually nobody has ever stolen anything from me (yet) and we don't (yet) have gang problem (other than Hell's Angels, Cannonballs etc.). Unfortunately I seem to attract drug addicts and other nutjobs who want to share either:
a) their view of the world... or what ever it is where they are at the moment
b) tell that they are dwarfs, elves, gnolls... (tends to change along the way)
c) that they can fly
d) what they are going to do to me or
e) ramble something I can't reasonably figure out
So far calm attitude and treating them as totally sane has kept me out of trouble. However I would prefer to have something to defend myself as running away isn't in the cards (where would I run?).

Well, I'll tell you why I decided to exercise my option to carry, as briefly as i can. This event has become rather infamous in my immediate circles as the story of the shady movers.

Attempting to make a long story short, my wife has an old friend that is really down on her luck. She has moved from our area to Florida, but had a storage unit full of merchandise she sells on Ebay for income still in our area. This friend of my wife is on a fixed and limited income, and is only in town for a few days, and has come to move her stuff. Since she's on a really tight budget, she hire's the cheapest movers she can find.

Said movers are supposed to show up late morning. They don't show up tell the evening, and when they do show up, they are throwing up a bunch of red flags that I immediately recognize:

- The truck is an out of state ryder rental with a california plate. (We are in Utah)
- The movers are dressed in gang attire.
- The movers have tattoo's in places most ordinary people don't. ON the back of their neck, back of the head, most notable is the tear drops below their eyes.

So after some conversation, come to find out, the cheapest movers my wifes friend can find hires convicted felons. Or should i say, Ex con's. I am completely on edge. So there we are, at the back of a storage facility. My wife and her friend, completely oblivious being locals to "happy valley" (because nothing ever happens here), decide to sit in the very back of this storage unit to play cards, while these movers load up this truck.

So let me reiterate this situation. We are in the back of a storage unit, in the very back of a storage facility, its 10 PM (so we are there after hours), nobody is around, and 3 ex cons are blocking the ONLY exit to this storage unit. It's just me, my wife, and her friend. If they wanted to, they could have EASILY put me down, and did whatever they wanted to with my wife or her friend, and nobody would have seen a thing. Not even a security camera.

I grew up in such away, where I would never allow myself to be put in that situation. However, my wifes friend is an idiot, my wife wasn't about to abandon her friend, and I wasn't about to abandon my wife.

Nothing happened, but it could have very easily gone very bad. As an aside, as i look back on that situation, I often wonder if those shady movers thought I had a gun on me, because It wasn't cold enough for a flannel shirt, but I was wearing one anyway. Wearing an "over shirt" that covers your waist, is a common concealment method. It could very well be that, that thought I was carrying was the only reason they didn't try something. Or maybe they just didn't feel like going back to prison, ill never know. One thing i do know, I swore to myself I would never allow us to be in that situation again.

Have you ever considered a gas pistol if that is legal in Finland? They are non lethal, look sometimes like the real thing and a dose of tear gas and/or pepper should render an attacker unable to strike at you effectively.:cool:

I carry a Browning Hi-Power.

No big deal, it's just the "better to have than to not have" aspect to me.

I'm carrying a Ruger LC9 right now, whilst sipping coffee at a shop and updating the Subsim News. No big deal. I doubt I will ever need to draw it, and if I do, it will be only after the chance to get away has been stopped. But, in a large US city like Houston, you see idiots robbing people at gun and knife-point every day. I would like to have a prayer of a chance to fight back if that were to happen.

Well, since were naming carry pieces, I currently carry a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm with the factor sights replaced with Ameriglo Tritium I dot pro. Before I was able to actually find a shield in one of my local gun shops, I was carrying my Beretta M9A1 as my concealed carry. Yes it is possible without too much printing with the right IWB holster, but heavy after awhile. It has since been relegated to it's more proper place as the home defense piece.

I do agree that after carrying for awhile, it really isn't a big deal. Though I do think the responsibility that comes with carrying is kinda big. If that makes any sense without coming across as contradictory. :88) (probably does. :shifty: )