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Life In Dickson City

PistolPackingMomma

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Had a similar experience in MD a few years ago *shudder*...glad everything's shiny and yall made it out safely.
 

jahwarrior

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March 29th:
I just came back from what was supposed to be a short shopping trip at Wegman's. Normally, it's not too bad up there. Sometimes I'll go around 4am after work, and I'll be the only guy on the place.

Today, though, was Please Punch Me In My ******* Obnoxious Face Day, and everyone in the greater Scranton area was out celebrating. I distinctly heard someone call me an @sshole as I walked by, another person call me a freak, and two called me psycho.

The best, however, is the older guy who followed me around for about ten minutes, talking to I can only guess was the police on his cellphone. "Yeah...now he's walking through the frozen food section...he's just putting stuff in his cart....I already said, he's acting like he's shopping..."

Eventually I stopped and stated at him. He got nervous, smiled, and asked, "Can I help you?"

"Can I help YOU?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"You've been following me around the store for ten minutes, reporting what I'm doing to probably the police. The **** do you want?"

He got defensive, and started in with the whole, "I don't know if you're some psy ho with a gun" bullsh!t. To which I replied, "You see me putting groceries in a ******* cart, and you're wondering if I'm dangerous? Moron."

"Hey look, I'm all for you carrying, but its supposed to be concealed, like the permit says. I got a permit to carry, and that's the law."

"You dont have a permit."

"Yes i do!"

"Show me."

"What?"

"Show me the permit you don't actually have. Its not a permit. It's a license, and it doesn't say **** about concealing on it. Go ahead, show me."

"I'm not gonna pull out my wallet for you. You..."

"Shut the **** up. I'm gonna go over to the juice aisle. I see you following me again, I'm gonna punch you in the ******* face. Then you might actually have something to tell the cops, f@ggot."

"**** you!"

"**** your mother." I stood there, and waited for a response. He turned beet red, turned slowly, and walked off.

I got in line, without getting other stuff Imeant to get, because **** this place today. I paid, walked out, and saw a Dickson City patrol car parked outside. The officer stared at me, gave me the "I see you" wave, but did nothing else. I went home, irritated, and not in the mood to leave the house again today.

And before anyone else gives me any crap...yeah, I was completely uncivil. The last few months have seen little interactions with people, and the few that I have had were friendly. But this guy....following me around a store while I'm shopping, and reporting on my every move to the 911 call center was not only insulting, and a waste of resources, but these days...it can be dangerous. What came to mind is the the poor guy who was killed in Walmart over a damn airsoft rifle, or the jerk off who tackled the guy legally carrying in FL. Stuff like that is not only condoned by people like Shannon Watts and Ladd Everett, but encouraged. The last few months have seen hostilities towards people who carry grow exponentially, especially those of us who do so openly.

I could've ignored him, and run the risk of him making up something just to get the police involved, or confront him over his jackassery, and and make him hang up the phone. I chose the latter.

So yeah, **** him and his mother.
 
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Citizen

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SNIP yeah, I was completely uncivil.

You were uncivil? I would say about six people were borderline disorderly conduct toward you--words designed to provoke a disturbance.

Yeah, it woulda looked better if you had remained calm, but I have looked in vain in the Bill of Rights for a requirement that rights be exercised politely.

Thanks for the post. Gives an opportunity to plan for the future.

For example, having your experience in front of me, it occurs to me that should anyone follow me around a store for ten minutes, I'm calling the cops and reporting him. Lots of angles to this. For example, "I'm a little worried that his elevator doesn't reach the top floor, dispatcher; he's complaining to somebody on his phone that I'm suspicious, yet he's been hovering 10-15 feet from somebody he thinks might be dangerous."

While some ideas seem deliciously turn-about-is-fair-play, one would definitely want to be very careful not to make a false report. Nor, reel in nervous cops who shoot the poor schmuck when he reaches for his cell-phone or wallet.
 

OC for ME

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White Oak Plantation
Now, why would the cops keep talking to this nitwit if they know and agree that OC is lawful and legal like? Hmmm? maybe to gather enough evidence to charge him with making a false report to police? Hmmm....nawww. What was I thinkun.
 

Citizen

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Fairfax Co., VA
Now, why would the cops keep talking to this nitwit if they know and agree that OC is lawful and legal like? Hmmm? maybe to gather enough evidence to charge him with making a false report to police? Hmmm....nawww. What was I thinkun.

I can speculate. It helps to know a bit about Fourth Amendment case law.

There is a doctrine called indicia of reliability. A caller or tipster who won't name himself throws himself into the category of anonymous tipster. This is very low to non-existent reliability in the courts' view with regard to whether the tipster's report is reliable enough to give police reasonable articulable suspicion (RAS) to detain the accused. That is to say, when the police dispatcher asks your name and address, he or she is gathering 4A strength for the cop, not just finding out where to send the cops.

My speculation is that the dispatcher kept talking to the nitwit possibly because he was looking for something that could be turned into RAS for a detention, or, at the very least something, anything, that would justify sending officers to investigate someone exercising an enumerated right.
 
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Arma1911

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Jul 6, 2012
Messages
96
Location
VA
To Citizen,

I feel like you've been away for awhile and I am glad to see you are still posting. You always get me thinking.


To jahwarrior72,

I am glad you posted this honest encounter. Was it handled perfectly? It is not for me to judge one way or the other. And how would any one of us handled the same situation? Who really knows. But certainly your story allows us to think about what our encounters could be like and how we can best handle them. Thanks for posting.
 

twoskinsonemanns

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Apr 12, 2012
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WV
I don't know how I missed this thread all this time but it has been a joy to read.
Probably will keep a smile on my face all night. Thanks jahwarrior
 

countryclubjoe

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Mar 3, 2013
Messages
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nj
Hi Folks

Really glad to see this thread up and running again. I would caution 'Citizen", Please never call the cops..
Nothing positive can ever happen... I think you will agree after all that has happened in the last couple years...

My .02

CCJ
 

Citizen

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Messages
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Location
Fairfax Co., VA
Hi Folks

Really glad to see this thread up and running again. I would caution 'Citizen", Please never call the cops..
Nothing positive can ever happen... I think you will agree after all that has happened in the last couple years...

My .02

CCJ

Ordinarily, I would agree with you. I have personally been on the receiving end of cop non-sense when I was the good guy doing my civic duty (statist assertion, not mine) by calling them. What a disillusionment. (Of course, I know who was responsible for helping lull me into a belief that could then be disillusioned.)

But, I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to get concerns on record--the dispatcher's 911 call recording. You know, a sort of "By God, I am an unwilling taxpayer; and, if you're going to take it from me, then I wanta see my valid concerns treated seriously, dammit. There's some nutcase following me around the grocery store." That sort of thing.

I'm willing to listen, though. If anybody sees a plausibly bad outcome to just making a report, lemme know. I'd hate to make that report and have something bad and foreseeable happen.
 
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countryclubjoe

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nj
Ordinarily, I would agree with you. I have personally been on the receiving end of cop non-sense when I was the good guy doing my civic duty (statist assertion, not mine) by calling them. What a disillusionment. (Of course, I know who was responsible for helping lull me into a belief that could then be disillusioned.)

But, I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to get concerns on record--the dispatcher's 911 call recording. You know, a sort of "By God, I am an unwilling taxpayer; and, if you're going to take it from me, then I wanta see my valid concerns treated seriously, dammit. There's some nutcase following me around the grocery store." That sort of thing.

I'm willing to listen, though. If anybody sees a plausibly bad outcome to just making a report, lemme know. I'd hate to make that report and have something bad and foreseeable happen.

Hi Citizen

I don't want to put you in the same class of person that simply calls 911 to report that a person is walking around open carrying a handgun. You see where I'm going with this? Of course you do.. LOL

Best regards

CCJ
 

jahwarrior

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Yesterday, I met up with my lady, MollyMayhem, in downtown Scranton to watch the annual fireworks show; I left work early to meet her and our four kids.

After finding a parking spot, I proceeded to walk two blocks til I got to Courthouse Square, and met up with her. I was carrying my usual setup: 1911 in a Black hawk kydex holster, crossdraw, two extra mags in my back pocket, pocket light in my left front pocket, and two or three pocket knives.

We all walked around, playing the dollar games, buying overpriced hot dogs and funnel cakes, and watching street performers. Then we sat and relaxed; the fireworks display was to begin at 9:30, and it was not yet dark.

My oldest daughter is twelve, and wanted to walk around a bit. I agreed, as long as I went with her. We both got up from the spot we picked on the courthouse lawn, and began to walk. She saw a cart selling Italian ice, then turned around with her hand outstretched, goofy smile on her face. I sighed, reached into my pocket, and gave her five dollars. She got in line, and I hung back, texting Molly and checking my Facebook.

A man stood about five pages away from me. I noticed him earlier in the evening, arguing with a woman I suspect was his wife. He was on his phone, when he turned and noticed me. I continued texting Molly, when he lowered his phone, then raised it again, and aimed its camera lens at me, trying to be subtle about it.

He did that a few times, until I walked over to him and said, "If you wanted a picture, all you gotta do is ask, buddy."

"What? Whaddya mean? I wasn't taken any pictures."

"You were. I don't care if you were, I just think maybe you should ask people. It's kind da creepy, like if I started taking pictures of women's asses. Wait, you didn't take a picture of my ass, did you?"

He didn't reply. He walked away, until he had enough space to make a phone call without me overhearing it. My daughter came back, with her Italian ice. We made our way back to the rest of the clan.

About fifteen minutes later, I was standing with Molly, smoking cigarettes and talking, when a Scranton PD patrolman began to approach us. He stopped, sized me up, said something into his shoulder walkie, and waved me over. I waved Hi back. He frowned, and waved me over again. I shook my head, and waved him over. I noticed another patrolman approach from the left, and stop about 20 yards away. The first patrolman waved me over again. I shook my head, and waved him away, giving him the "shoo" motion.

He stood there for a minute, then approached the second patrolman, and they began to have a very involved discussion. After a few minutes of close talking, head shaking, and other frustrated body language, they both looked my way, shook their heads, and left.

I think they're finally getting it.
 

HPmatt

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That is a heartwarming story! Hope yall enjoyed the fireworks![emoji631]


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Grapeshot

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--snipped--

About fifteen minutes later, I was standing with Molly, smoking cigarettes and talking, when a Scranton PD patrolman began to approach us. He stopped, sized me up, said something into his shoulder walkie, and waved me over. I waved Hi back. He frowned, and waved me over again. I shook my head, and waved him over. I noticed another patrolman approach from the left, and stop about 20 yards away. The first patrolman waved me over again. I shook my head, and waved him away, giving him the "shoo" motion.

He stood there for a minute, then approached the second patrolman, and they began to have a very involved discussion. After a few minutes of close talking, head shaking, and other frustrated body language, they both looked my way, shook their heads, and left.

I think they're finally getting it.

How can moral improve if you do not consent to their beating (harrassment etc) :lol: :lol:
 

Citizen

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SNIP About fifteen minutes later, I was standing with Molly, smoking cigarettes and talking, when a Scranton PD patrolman began to approach us. He stopped, sized me up, said something into his shoulder walkie, and waved me over. I waved Hi back. He frowned, and waved me over again. I shook my head, and waved him over. I noticed another patrolman approach from the left, and stop about 20 yards away. The first patrolman waved me over again. I shook my head, and waved him away, giving him the "shoo" motion.

He stood there for a minute, then approached the second patrolman, and they began to have a very involved discussion. After a few minutes of close talking, head shaking, and other frustrated body language, they both looked my way, shook their heads, and left.

I think they're finally getting it.

Awesome!!!!

That, readers, is an example of refusing consent to a police encounter!

This calls for a banana!

:banana:
 
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jahwarrior

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Me, standing in line at the pharmacy.There's a lady standing there by the allergy medicine, giving me dirty looks. I've already been waiting for five minutes.

She walks over. She smells nice, and is attractive, despite her "I just smelled something offensive and now I need to speak to the manager" expression and haircut.

Her: "Excuse me, but why do you feel the need to do that?"

Me: "Do what?"

Her: "Carry a gun. Like that." She pointed at my 1911. I already know how this conversation is gonna go. No point in trying to explain anything to her politely.

Me: "Oh, that. Well, katanas dont have the same range, and socially, they're kind of awkward."

Her: "Huh?"

Me: "Exactly. I feel the need to carry this the same as you felt the need to say something to me about it."

Her: "Oh, you're one of those gun nut Second Amendment people, I take it?" She sneered.

Me: "Yep. That's me. Got my Gadsden Confederate Redneck flag on my pickup truck and errythang."

Her: "Well, enjoy it now, while you can. When Hillary becomes President, that's all going to stop." She seemed quite pleased with herself. I almost felt happy for her. It's rare that I take that much satisfaction in something I said.

Me: "God, I hope so. I'm voting for her. I'm eager for her to try and get guns confiscated. And I hope you, or someone you love, comes for them personally."

Her: "Wha...what? Did you just threaten me?" That satisfied look turned into a horrified one.

Me: "No. Not even close. If I had a reason to threaten you, you'd be dead already."

Her: "YOU HEARD HIM, RIGHT," she shrilled at a pharmacy tech. "YOU HEARD WHAT HE SAID. HE THREATENED ME."

The pharmacy tech stood there like a squirrel in traffic. "Uh, ma'am, I don't think...."

Her: "I WANT TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER RIGHT NOW."

Me: "Course you do. I could tell by the haircut and frosted tips."

Her: "€√¢% YOU, YOU SCUMBAG."

Me: *blows kiss, and picks up bag of medicine and walks away whistling Andy Griffith theme*

Ha. It's been a while since I've had to deal with an ******* like that.

#AreYouReadyForHillary #MomsDemandAction #OpenCarry #PeopleOfWalmart #OpenCarryLife #PewPewLife #2A
 

HPmatt

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woulda been good if Pharmacy had a commemorative video of this...I'd pay $5 to watch it...[emoji1]


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Statkowski

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Cherry Tree (Indiana County), Pennsylvania, USA
jah, you always, always seem to bring out the best in people. Gotta love it.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Commonwealth in Indiana County:

Out and about with my wife, I'm OCing, as usual (no, no 1911, just a Hi-Point C9). Did a little shopping in Wal-Mart in Blairsville, ate at Dean's Diner on Route 22, then popped back towards Indiana. Did a little shopping at Giant Eagle, then went next door to Lowe's. Did anyone notice? Did anyone care? I have no idea.

So, on the way home I stopped in Clymer for a quick in-and-out at the Dollar General (needed some dog treats for the dogs). I held the door for another guy (half my age?) coming in at the same time, or he held it for me, whatever. When I got back in the car my wife commented that she saw him notice my OC piece while she waited in the car. Anyway, inside the store we met again and he commented, "Geez, here I was doing my best pulling down my shirt to hide my piece and you're strolling around with not a care in the world." To which, I said, "Well, it's not illegal."

And that was that. I'd chalk that up as a positive reaction.
 
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