I just picked up my lunch at a diner near my office. I get take out from there all the time. It's also a convenient place for a casual lunch when I need to meet someone nearby. This place in particular is frequented by the Boulder PD, so it's a low incident location. However, an unexpected visitor to a wedding last weekend has pushed me into 100% carrying instead of excluding "reasonably safe" zones. I considered putting my holster in my SOB under my tshirt, but put it on my hip for efficiency's sake. That and I hadn't checked how much this particular shirt prints, which is worse attention than OC, IMO.
I walked in and raised my prescription sunglasses out of respect for the person I'd be talking to in a moment. I got in line behind someone paying at the register and one of the servers looked over the first customer's shoulder and asked me if I had a to-go. I smiled and said, "Yep."
I backed up to let the gentleman in front of me leave and stepped forward as the server returned with my order. I saw the woman at the register stiffen at the sight of my .357 and the one with my food also saw it but seemed more jovial about it.
She stepped forward to ring me up and said, "I just gotta know."
I didn't quite hear her and started to hand my card over. She repeated, purposefully/playfully holding back my order, "I gotta ask why."
"Why what?" I said as non-descriptly as possible. Only half an act because I wasn't sure if she was referring to my card since the cash register only had the Visa/MC logo, but I'd used my Amex there plenty of times.
"Why you're packing!"
"Oh, that," I said glancing at my gun, while giving her my card. "Just too much crazy stuff happening out there."
"Are you a cop or something? Can you just get a permit and walk around like that?"
"You can carry without a permit in Colorado except in Denver."
"Really?"
"Yep, you only need a permit to conceal."
"What's 'conceal'? Like hiding it?"
At this point her tone was really getting self-righteous despite trying to be friendly.
"Yeah, like if I put it in my back with my shirt over it." Like I've done two dozen times in this place, I thought. "I have a permit for that, but it's just so hot today!" I said trying to keep the conversation light.
"Where are you from that you feel you need to do that?"
I laughed and said, "Denver!" I really thought it was hilarious that she had no experience or knowledge like my growing up in CO with the shootings near my high school, at my workplaces in my bohemian days, the assaults in Boulder in college, the numerous issues my brothers go through in Brighton, etc. etc.
I gestured my thumb toward the window and said, "A guy just got pistol whipped on the bike path over there."
"Oh, was it by you?" she said jokingly but still condescendingly.
Unable to not roll my eyes, I said, "No, not by me. It was in the news." I thought, Really? I just gave you a real life, non-imaginary thug example and you're going to obsess about the guy GIVING YOU MONEY??
"Oh, well, he must have looked like he was up to no good," she said pointedly glancing at my weapon.
This actually got my ire up a little, and I said, "It was a student."
"A what?"
"A student," gesturing in the direction of the campus. "It was a few months ago. There was also someone mugged and shot on the Hill a couple of years ago."
"I walk that bike path every day," in the "I've never had a problem" tone.
"Yeah, keep your wits about you," mustering as much support and genuine concern as I could.
I was signing my receipt and considered not tipping for the to-go, but I usually do what I can for those in the service industry. They're having a rough go when everyone's purse strings are tightening in this economy thinking they have it worse than anyone else. I also saw it as an opportunity to continue presenting OC positively and filled in the extra to the total.
I don't recall our parting words. But they were on the same strained friendly tone as the rest of the conversation. We'll see how things go next time.
I walked in and raised my prescription sunglasses out of respect for the person I'd be talking to in a moment. I got in line behind someone paying at the register and one of the servers looked over the first customer's shoulder and asked me if I had a to-go. I smiled and said, "Yep."
I backed up to let the gentleman in front of me leave and stepped forward as the server returned with my order. I saw the woman at the register stiffen at the sight of my .357 and the one with my food also saw it but seemed more jovial about it.
She stepped forward to ring me up and said, "I just gotta know."
I didn't quite hear her and started to hand my card over. She repeated, purposefully/playfully holding back my order, "I gotta ask why."
"Why what?" I said as non-descriptly as possible. Only half an act because I wasn't sure if she was referring to my card since the cash register only had the Visa/MC logo, but I'd used my Amex there plenty of times.
"Why you're packing!"
"Oh, that," I said glancing at my gun, while giving her my card. "Just too much crazy stuff happening out there."
"Are you a cop or something? Can you just get a permit and walk around like that?"
"You can carry without a permit in Colorado except in Denver."
"Really?"
"Yep, you only need a permit to conceal."
"What's 'conceal'? Like hiding it?"
At this point her tone was really getting self-righteous despite trying to be friendly.
"Yeah, like if I put it in my back with my shirt over it." Like I've done two dozen times in this place, I thought. "I have a permit for that, but it's just so hot today!" I said trying to keep the conversation light.
"Where are you from that you feel you need to do that?"
I laughed and said, "Denver!" I really thought it was hilarious that she had no experience or knowledge like my growing up in CO with the shootings near my high school, at my workplaces in my bohemian days, the assaults in Boulder in college, the numerous issues my brothers go through in Brighton, etc. etc.
I gestured my thumb toward the window and said, "A guy just got pistol whipped on the bike path over there."
"Oh, was it by you?" she said jokingly but still condescendingly.
Unable to not roll my eyes, I said, "No, not by me. It was in the news." I thought, Really? I just gave you a real life, non-imaginary thug example and you're going to obsess about the guy GIVING YOU MONEY??
"Oh, well, he must have looked like he was up to no good," she said pointedly glancing at my weapon.
This actually got my ire up a little, and I said, "It was a student."
"A what?"
"A student," gesturing in the direction of the campus. "It was a few months ago. There was also someone mugged and shot on the Hill a couple of years ago."
"I walk that bike path every day," in the "I've never had a problem" tone.
"Yeah, keep your wits about you," mustering as much support and genuine concern as I could.
I was signing my receipt and considered not tipping for the to-go, but I usually do what I can for those in the service industry. They're having a rough go when everyone's purse strings are tightening in this economy thinking they have it worse than anyone else. I also saw it as an opportunity to continue presenting OC positively and filled in the extra to the total.
I don't recall our parting words. But they were on the same strained friendly tone as the rest of the conversation. We'll see how things go next time.
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