Asserting Your Right To Open Carry.

[JettaKnight]

I guess I will author the first dissent opinion. Yes it’s your right to carry, open or concealed, IN law is silent on how. Is there really a reason to OC, aside from thumbing your nose at .gov, liberals, panty waste’s? It isn’t that hard to cover a worn weapon. NO, you aren’t making the carry of a gun more mainstream, you’re scaring the hell outta the sheeple. You are also tieing up needed services when the po-po get called to your “man with gun” 911. Why bother, blouse your shirt over it and keep on keeping on, no drama, no harm, no foul. I’m also basing the dissent on the only folks I’ve seen OC, the Beech Grove WalMart crowd with their pistols stuffed into a “sausage sack”. I’ve yet to meet an OC’er with a quality weapon in an even better quality holster. Maybe if I meet one one day my opinion may change. But until then, Uncle Maine, and Mr. Fobus aren’t your friends.

You haven't seen how tight my motorcycle jacket is. Plus, it's hot, I'm sweaty, and I don't want plastic, metal and leather rubbing against my delicate belly skin. (go ahead, visualize it. )


In summer, I walk all over downtown Fort Wayne passing numerous city, county, state and federal LEO's and no one has ever even batted an eye at me (maybe they all recognize me by now?). Even in restaurants and stores, no one cares. Maybe it's because I tend to dress well, and carry a nice leather holster. I don't know. People either don't notice, or don't care. No sheeple have ever had the hell scared out of them. The only interaction was some woman (who looked like she's interacted with LEO's a lot) inquired, "Are you a cop?" ... "Nope." and I kept on walking while she scratched her head.


Now to the OP's question, if I was stopped, then I would ask why, then probably just comply, handing over both my LTCH and DL. Afterwards, I'd file a complaint. IMHO, that seems like the way that results in the least amount of grief and discomfort. But, that's just me, IANAL, YMMV.


The one time I did get stopped for a MWAG call was probably ~2005, it was a pretty smooth encounter.


EDIT:
I look at it pragmatically.

• If I hand over my LTCH/DL, the worst thing that happens is my rights were a little tapped down by the big toe of his left foot. Then I file a complaint, a memo gets sent out, and that sort of thing is quelled. (Yes, FWPD has sent out memos like this)
• If I stand up for mye riiights at that moment, it could get into a big argument with backup called and big commotion... the sort of thing that makes the store owner say, "**** it, I'm just going to make this store GFZ so I don't have dust ups like this." That's why we can't have nice things. Just ask Chipotle - they weren't worry about the guns, they were worried about all the craziness from people pushing the boundaries way past acceptable levels where it became a distraction.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

My dad always taught me
"You can't beat a man at his own game, when you are stopped by an officer, it's always yes sir no sir (or m'am). When a cop stops you, that is his game and you can not win. If you have a problem with the stop or how the officer conducts him/herself then you take it up with the judge, not the officer."

I have follwed that advice my whole life and have had moments of filing complaints and such but I never argue or bicker with an officer. At the end of the day they will win and I can only lose.

 

[HoughMade]

My dad always taught me
"You can't beat a man at his own game, when you are stopped by an officer, it's always yes sir no sir (or m'am). When a cop stops you, that is his game and you can not win. If you have a problem with the stop or how the officer conducts him/herself then you take it up with the judge, not the officer."

I have follwed that advice my whole life and have had moments of filing complaints and such but I never argue or bicker with an officer. At the end of the day they will win and I can only lose.

Your Dad is a wise man.

There's a time for challenging this. That time is not during an encounter with the officer.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

My dad always taught me
"You can't beat a man at his own game, when you are stopped by an officer, it's always yes sir no sir (or m'am). When a cop stops you, that is his game and you can not win. If you have a problem with the stop or how the officer conducts him/herself then you take it up with the judge, not the officer."

I have follwed that advice my whole life and have had moments of filing complaints and such but I never argue or bicker with an officer. At the end of the day they will win and I can only lose.

And when they lose, they usually win anyway.

 

[mergatroid]

My dad always taught me
"You can't beat a man at his own game, when you are stopped by an officer, it's always yes sir no sir (or m'am). When a cop stops you, that is his game and you can not win. If you have a problem with the stop or how the officer conducts him/herself then you take it up with the judge, not the officer."

I have follwed that advice my whole life and have had moments of filing complaints and such but I never argue or bicker with an officer. At the end of the day they will win and I can only lose.

+1

Sound advice.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

That was one of the two best pieces of advice my dad gave me growing up.

The other:

"Get an education, so you don't have to work as hard as I do"

Dad works as maintenance guy so he's no stranger to coming home smelling of high heaven sore and tired.

So I did, now I'm a Linux admin for the state in a nice air conditioned office.

 

[alabasterjar]

When a cop stops you, that is his game and you can not win. If you have a problem with the stop or how the officer conducts him/herself then you take it up with the judge, not the officer.

I'm not gonna argue with sound advice from your father. OP's question was "what am I required to do", not "what should I do".

I prefer OC, but can't always choose that option for a number of reasons. I've never been confronted by LE. I think I know how I would respond, but situations change. Stopped while transitioning from the car to the restaurant with family, I'll likely bite my tongue and comply, hoping to minimize impact on my family (hungry wife & kids = punishment worse than anything the state can throw at me, lol); if I'm on my own, or no schedule/commitments, I think I'd take a harder stance. YMMV.

 

[Coach]

The only time I am even tempted to speak negatively about OC is when it is a Hi Point being carried openly.

 

[nad63]

I was recently applauded by a LEO for open carrying. He went on to state I would be shot first and buy them time! WTF. He also stated that he was annoyed at having to respond to MWAG calls. I get it when the ass hats video tape the entire process and try to instigate an event/incident/embarrassing situation but Inthink most of us are not that way. Personally I have yet to have any negative interactions with anyone period. No problem with soccer moms, LEO or anyone. I like the option to OC or CC and think we are very lucky to be able to carry as we desire here in Indiana. I was just a little perturbed that this even came up and I was put on the defensive so to speak. Depending on the situation I may elect to OC or CC but it nice to have either option.
The LEO I mentioned earlier did state he opens up the dialogue in a positive manner when he responds to those MWAG calls. Some of the MWAG encounters are like the typical YouTube “ LEO being baited” type vids.
Too be honest I’m not sure where I’m going with this. I’m thankful I can do what I wish and also glad to have had no negative experiences to date. In contrast I can remember seeing a video where two guys walked into a police station with slung AK’s and body armor and face masks. I felt they were very lucky not to get shot. Legal or not it seemed like a stupid choice to me. So am I wrong? They were doing nothing illegal per se.
I guess the way you conduct yourself, whether you have to by law, like presenting you LTCH all come into play.
I don’t really care if you OC or CC I will support you if you are not an *********.
Alternately if you do not exercise you rights then there are people who will think they are not important, will water them down or take them away.
You do you and I’ll do me but let’s support each other’s right to choose.
There is no right or wrong answer. We are all winners.
Peace out and group hug

 

[KellyinAvon]

I was recently applauded by a LEO for open carrying. He went on to state I would be shot first and buy them time! WTF. He also stated that he was annoyed at having to respond to MWAG calls. I get it when the ass hats video tape the entire process and try to instigate an event/incident/embarrassing situation but Inthink most of us are not that way. Personally I have yet to have any negative interactions with anyone period. No problem with soccer moms, LEO or anyone. I like the option to OC or CC and think we are very lucky to be able to carry as we desire here in Indiana. I was just a little perturbed that this even came up and I was put on the defensive so to speak. Depending on the situation I may elect to OC or CC but it nice to have either option.
The LEO I mentioned earlier did state he opens up the dialogue in a positive manner when he responds to those MWAG calls. Some of the MWAG encounters are like the typical YouTube “ LEO being baited” type vids.
Too be honest IÂ’m not sure where IÂ’m going with this. IÂ’m thankful I can do what I wish and also glad to have had no negative experiences to date. In contrast I can remember seeing a video where two guys walked into a police station with slung AKÂ’s and body armor and face masks. I felt they were very lucky not to get shot. Legal or not it seemed like a stupid choice to me. So am I wrong? They were doing nothing illegal per se.
I guess the way you conduct yourself, whether you have to by law, like presenting you LTCH all come into play.
I donÂ’t really care if you OC or CC I will support you if you are not an *********.
Alternately if you do not exercise you rights then there are people who will think they are not important, will water them down or take them away.
You do you and IÂ’ll do me but letÂ’s support each otherÂ’s right to choose.
There is no right or wrong answer. We are all winners.
Peace out and group hug

I'm out of rep, somebody rep Nad63, that's an outstanding post.

 

[wtburnette]

I'm out of rep, somebody rep Nad63, that's an outstanding post.

Got him...

 

[mergatroid]

I was recently applauded by a LEO for open carrying. He went on to state I would be shot first and buy them time! WTF. He also stated that he was annoyed at having to respond to MWAG calls. I get it when the ass hats video tape the entire process and try to instigate an event/incident/embarrassing situation but Inthink most of us are not that way. Personally I have yet to have any negative interactions with anyone period. No problem with soccer moms, LEO or anyone. I like the option to OC or CC and think we are very lucky to be able to carry as we desire here in Indiana. I was just a little perturbed that this even came up and I was put on the defensive so to speak. Depending on the situation I may elect to OC or CC but it nice to have either option.
The LEO I mentioned earlier did state he opens up the dialogue in a positive manner when he responds to those MWAG calls. Some of the MWAG encounters are like the typical YouTube “ LEO being baited” type vids.
Too be honest I’m not sure where I’m going with this. I’m thankful I can do what I wish and also glad to have had no negative experiences to date. In contrast I can remember seeing a video where two guys walked into a police station with slung AK’s and body armor and face masks. I felt they were very lucky not to get shot. Legal or not it seemed like a stupid choice to me. So am I wrong? They were doing nothing illegal per se.
I guess the way you conduct yourself, whether you have to by law, like presenting you LTCH all come into play.
I don’t really care if you OC or CC I will support you if you are not an *********.
Alternately if you do not exercise you rights then there are people who will think they are not important, will water them down or take them away.
You do you and I’ll do me but let’s support each other’s right to choose.
There is no right or wrong answer. We are all winners.
Peace out and group hug

You said a lot in that post, for sure.

1) LEO is foolish to say you would be the first shot. Most likely any bad guy would simply go away, human nature. But LEO love to lecture!
2) LEO does not like responding to MWAG. Cool, drive by and wave then. Leave your "John Wayne" in the car.
3) Video tape of OC is lame. Guess some feel the need though.
4) Yes, Indiana is cool. Open carry is preferred, if you follow the reasoning of the law. Use it or lose it says I.
5) How dumb to carry long guns into a police station, but they did illustrate that some of the public resent the police feeling they can run around playing commando, "WTF? Arn't they tax payers too? Where do they get off with the intimidation tactics, etc??? You arn't military BTW." So I get it. Here is the answer, Simple, LEO will kill your ass, right or not and get away with it. Their game. You are subservient. Pretty simple.

 

[rhino]

I was recently applauded by a LEO for open carrying. He went on to state I would be shot first and buy them time! WTF. He also stated that he was annoyed at having to respond to MWAG calls. I get it when the ass hats video tape the entire process and try to instigate an event/incident/embarrassing situation but Inthink most of us are not that way. Personally I have yet to have any negative interactions with anyone period. No problem with soccer moms, LEO or anyone. I like the option to OC or CC and think we are very lucky to be able to carry as we desire here in Indiana. I was just a little perturbed that this even came up and I was put on the defensive so to speak. Depending on the situation I may elect to OC or CC but it nice to have either option.
The LEO I mentioned earlier did state he opens up the dialogue in a positive manner when he responds to those MWAG calls. Some of the MWAG encounters are like the typical YouTube “ LEO being baited” type vids.
Too be honest I’m not sure where I’m going with this. I’m thankful I can do what I wish and also glad to have had no negative experiences to date. In contrast I can remember seeing a video where two guys walked into a police station with slung AK’s and body armor and face masks. I felt they were very lucky not to get shot. Legal or not it seemed like a stupid choice to me. So am I wrong? They were doing nothing illegal per se.
I guess the way you conduct yourself, whether you have to by law, like presenting you LTCH all come into play.
I don’t really care if you OC or CC I will support you if you are not an *********.
Alternately if you do not exercise you rights then there are people who will think they are not important, will water them down or take them away.
You do you and I’ll do me but let’s support each other’s right to choose.
There is no right or wrong answer. We are all winners.
Peace out and group hug

Don't you consider the experience with the cop "thanking" you because you'd be shot first and buy them time negative? Or was he just teasing?

 

[KLB]

Don't you consider the experience with the cop "thanking" you because you'd be shot first and buy them time negative? Or was he just teasing?

Either way the proper response would be to laugh at the officer.

 

[Expat]

I still think the best response is to hold up your phone, recording the encounter, and start yelling in a high pitched voice "am I being detained?"

 

[INGarand]

Being a LEO is a dangerous business. A LEO that has received a call about someone carring a gun often causes them to show up very nervous. Calmly showing ID and permit to carry can defuse a situation much quicker than arguing about your rights. Everyone wants to go home.

 

[rough-n-tumble]

Being a LEO is a dangerous business. A LEO that has received a call about someone carring a gun often causes them to show up very nervous. Calmly showing ID and permit to carry can defuse a situation much quicker than arguing about your rights. Everyone wants to go home.

+1 I'm right there with you.

I have been pulled over for both reasons I didn't understand and driving violations. I have had police ask for my weapon, asked why I carry and have a round in the chamber and through these encounters I've never felt the need to talk about my 'rights'. Never have I questioned them about stopping me. The funny thing is when a police officer stops you, give them 2 minutes and they'll explain to you the reason behind the stop. That is kind of how they work!

It does seem that police like to unload your weapon before handing it back. Not the biggest deal, I have it squared away soon enough.

 

[Libertarian01]

+1 I'm right there with you.

I have been pulled over for both reasons I didn't understand and driving violations. I have had police ask for my weapon, asked why I carry and have a round in the chamber and through these encounters I've never felt the need to talk about my 'rights'. Never have I questioned them about stopping me. The funny thing is when a police officer stops you, give them 2 minutes and they'll explain to you the reason behind the stop. That is kind of how they work!

It does seem that police like to unload your weapon before handing it back. Not the biggest deal, I have it squared away soon enough.

And all this time I thought that they were LEGALLY REQUIRED to tell you why they stopped you. Silly me...

 

[rough-n-tumble]

And all this time I thought that they were LEGALLY REQUIRED to tell you why they stopped you. Silly me...

Not sure why you're slapping your face, did I say they do not need to tell you the reason somewhere in my post?

 

[JettaKnight]

Not sure why you're slapping your face, did I say they do not need to tell you the reason somewhere in my post?

Libertarian inferred (as did I) from your post that LEO's just tell you why because they're good, honest folks, ("That is kind of how they work!").