Open carried for a week around Ohio

[ADulay]

All,

As some of you may know, I'm a big supporter of the open carry movement and practice it daily down here in Florida, but there are some restrictions and generally I have to "conceal" when I enter most places other than my motorcycle.

With that preamble, I just got back from a week's worth of motorcycle riding "up north" with some friends and I can't begin to tell you how delightful it was to be able to open carry all day and night without any worries about when I should go into "hiding" with it.

Restaurants, stores, diners, fast food places, gas stations and pretty much all of the parks and sights we went to. Just put the Glock 23 on and forget about it! What a relief!

We ran Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Georgia and ALL of it while open carrying with ZERO problems. I will be so glad when we get unrestricted open carry in Florida instead of the strange workaround we have to live with now.

So, to all of you Ohioans, be glad you can open carry and USE it as much as you can as it just gets easier and easier the more you do it.

The main reason for the run was to do the US129/Deal's Gap excursion but we did hit the Bob Evans Original Farmstead in Rio Grande, OH as well as a LOT of southern Ohio back roads that were excellent for motorcycles.

Sat right next to an Ashland county sheriff at a traffic light and he never even opened his window to ask me about the Glock in his face at window level!!

I"m looking forward to my return "up north" in August on our way out to Sturgis this year.

Oh yeah, other than one guy at a motel check-in in Georgia, NOBODY said a thing about the openly carried gun. The guy asked me if a had a license for "that". I explained to him that I only needed a license if I wanted to hide it. Open carry was legal without a license! He left it at that and gave me a good room!

AD

 

[dogshawred]

Why do you think those of us who leave for one reason or another keep coming back. This is my 3rd time back (43 years this time) and I am not leaving. I can adapt to the weather, it is always changing. Refuse to adapt to the changing gun laws unless they are in our favor which Ohio's have been progressively going in that direction. :clap:
~
The Bob Evans Farm is something else. Worked for the company for more than 25 years and nothing but good to say about their products. The company is becoming more corporate since no family members have anything to do with it anymore. They really used to take care of their staff like family this no so much anymore. Still great food and good hospitality.

 

[ADulay]

Well, just to tack on here, it's that time of the year again. The annual Sturgis Motorcycyle rally is going on and as usual, we've taken the bikes out one more time. Yes, we RIDE out, not trailer.

AND we can open carry everywhere except Illinois, which we avoid like the plague. I've been open carrying since I left the house last week with zero problems, as usual. Diners, fast foods, real restaurants, various stores, gas stations and every other place you go to while motoring across the country.

Currently in Nebraska and of course open carried at the motel sign in, the gas station, the very nice diner down the street (we walked) and at the grocery store.

Nobody notices or at least they don't appear to care and we're the only ones I see open carrying so it's not all that common around here.

Just an update of my continuing open carry resolve.

AD

 

[ADulay]

All,

Just finished up our annual Sturgis motorcycle run and of course, open carried the entire time.

It is so nice to just put the sidearm on and forget about it.

No problems anyplace we went. Diners, gas stations, hotels, camp sites, fast foods, motorcycle shops, stores and everywhere else we went.

There's been some discussion of open carry in national parks. Why yes, it's legal to do that too!

AD (at Devil's Tower in South Dakota)

 

[BuckJM53]

Sounds like you had a great time. Glad to hear that you didn't experience a MWAG call along the way

 

[ADulay]

One of the guys who rode with us is from Texas and he regularly wears the CrossBreed holster (concealed) I gave to him as I never did find it all that comfortable to wear. He uses it all the time.

Once he started open carrying on this trip (a first for him) he said he didn't think he would be happy going back to wearing his sidearm inside his pants again.

He was a bit apprehensive at first, but about the 4th day or so, it was a no-brainer to just put the gun on and get on with your day. He is now a confirmed open carry person, whenever it's available.

AD

 

[ADulay]

I always hate to reply on an "old" thread but this is the logical place to make it!

I'm up in Ohio and PA this week and it has been so nice to be able to open carry all day, every day up here.

No problems anywhere and we go a lot of places during the day and night.

Not even a problem at the three big malls we went to. Lots of friendly conversations with a few people who saw me and asked questions.

Enjoy the freedom to do this, not everyone has that right.

AD


Sent from the Glock Range Bag iPad using Tapatalk and a screwdriver

 

[Thrash Addict]

I've been Open carrying for a few months now. If it weren't for the fact that I have to drop my mag, empty the chamber, and unload the magazine every time I get into a vehicle, and then reload my magazine and place one in the pipe when I get out, I'd never bother to get my CCW.

I've been stopped once in the first month I did it (somebody around here must be pretty nervous about a guy walking around with a gun on hip and no uniform). The cop pulled over to stop me and ask me what I was doing. So I made it a point to keep my hands in plain sight where he could see them, gave him my ID to run, and he gave it back and sent me on my way, didn't even request to disarm me. No further incidents

I doubt all stops would be so smooth though, some cops are just ass holes. But some people like to talk to the cops as if they're the enemy and flaunt the laws and their "rights" in the cops face. Which is fine and all, but they're inviting escalation (which is dangerous to all involved) and future harassment. Don't be a dick, show them your ID so they know they aren't dealing with a felon (that really helps them keep their cool, makes them feel more at ease with your carrying), and if they do opt to disarm you, it's for their peace of mind and your gun will be given back after the stop. And for fucks sake, act like you've been there before when open carrying. Put it on, forget it's there and go about your business. If you act nervous or keep touching it, obviously somebody's going to think your up to something.

 

[ADulay]

And for f***ks sake, act like you've been there before when open carrying. Put it on, forget it's there and go about your business. If you act nervous or keep touching it, obviously somebody's going to think your up to something.

100 % correct.

Put it on and leave it alone. Even at "open carry" type rally's.

Very few people are all that aware of what's around them so for all practical purposes, you're just another guy with an ugly cell phone on your belt.

AD



Sent from the Glock Range Bag iPad using Tapatalk and a screwdriver

 

[ADulay]

Hey guys. Another year and I'm on my annual Western swing and hit Ohio for some golf and visiting and open carrying full time, like usual.

Guys, like all things, you have to exercise your rights and I've never seen anybody in Ohio open carrying besides me! You either believe in it or it WILL get taken away eventually.

OK, I'll get off my soapbox and continue the daily open carry routine around the country.

AD (live from Sturgis, SD)