-=> Quoting Paul Nixon to Steve Gunhouse on 06-18-96  22:14 <=-
 Re: Dusters?
 PN> Fortunately I've managed to learn how to drive better, or something,
 PN> so that as I age I have fewer contacts with the police.  I prefer it
 PN> that way.
Happens to us all.
 SG> I have to disagree. There was a case - in Florida I think - where
 SG> someone decided to reach in through an open car window and try to grab
 SG> a gun that was on the seat. As I recall, it didn't work out.
 PN> You are stating one instance.  I believe, strongly, that we can infer
 PN> that more bad guys are gonna just pass by the obviously armed
 PN> individual.  Were it not the case there would be a whole lot more
 PN> instances of idiots trying to snatch guns -- and it just isn't
 PN> happening.
The thing in that case was the crook thought he could surprise the driver
- perhapps the driver was on a cell phone or some such. The gun was on
the passenger seat, and the window was open, and the crook thought he
could just reach in and take it before the driver would have time to
react. Of course, he was wrong, but he did try.
 SG> The important part there was "if they think they can get the drop on
 SG> you." Normally, they can't, and they know it. But if you parked at the
 PN> True...
 SG> mall with a gun in the gun rack, it might not be there when you get
 SG> back. If you're out of sight, it's not too hard. That's why most of my
 SG> friends don't use gun racks. It's not socially acceptable to bring your
 SG> shotgun into the mall (to put it mildly), and "in plain sight" while
 SG> you're not around is asking for trouble.
 PN> And that's true, too.  I took your "plain sight" statement to mean on
 PN> one's person, as opposed to being left unattended.  Left in the car
 PN> to be stolen is a bad idea, imo.
No. Most crooks have no real guts. The only attempts to actually snatch a
gun on one's person that I know of are against cops. Presumably crooks
know that cops have to live by stricter rules than the rest of us. That,
and we might not let them close enough anyway.
Either way, I was only considering cases where the criminal's access was
as good as yours or better - you're not around, or the gun is far from
you.
 PN> And besides, being openly armed keeps folks from invading your
 PN> personal space, as in supermarket checkout and atm lines .
 SG> Might be nice, but it's still illegal here. Honestly I've never had
 SG> problems with either of the above, though.
 PN> I prolly need more space than most folks...
Then you just need to be more selective in where you go. The only ATMs I
use where there are any lines are drive-up machines. And I usually shop
during the times when the store isn't so busy.
No need to intimidate people - especially as we don't have that option by
law here.
Steve
... An armed society is a polite society.
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