Are you armed when you go on road trips with your family?

[nickbits]

And they cost money/time/effort.

Carrying a gun is very cheap, takes no time, and no effort. It's something I don't even think about and considerably easier than dealing with insurance policies etc.

Great for people who are experienced with guns. I'm pretty sure I'm more likely to injure myself or family.

 

[jhbball]

I guess it's just a personal belief of mine as an American, that I will not live my life under avoiding thugs and their little intimidation tactics.

Don't get me wrong, I do think it's possible to live your life with 911 on speeddial, constantly worrying about gas stations and atms, and running to the basement if you see a suspicious character outside.... I just choose not to live that way.

Instead I am armed, and just don't worry about it until the very moment my life is in danger.

Where are you taking family vacations? Harlem?

 

[dank69]

No, but I have a Ferrari dealer on speed dial in case I win the lottery.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Where are you taking family vacations? Harlem?

Have you read the thread?


How old are you? Do you fall asleep in your driveway then wake-up at the beach and are not aware of anything you see on the way there?



I guess that fits with your 'anti self defense' mindset though.... Just close your eyes and tell yourself nothing bad will ever happen....

 

[emperus]

I literally do not even worry or think about it at all. Growing up in terrible areas I got used to 'being ready' as a second nature sort of thing.

It's actually really nice, leading a stress-free life where I don't have to "check out" the gas station to see if it's shady or not, and wonder if I'm going to get robbed. Same with going ATMs, all of that.

It's nice being prepared and trained enough to not have to worry about any of these things.

But... I live in an area with very strong self defense laws. I don't have to wonder what happens in court or any of that mess.

Bottom line is if my life is threatened, game over for the trash thug.

Of course you do. Look at the thread you are posting in that you started. In fact search your name and read through your posts. You fascinate over situations where you may have to use your gun.

 

[irishScott]

As I have pointed out numerous times on these forums there has been a concerted effort on the part of certain lobby groups and lawmakers to under report gun "incidents", which makes some of the statistical analysis challenging.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States#Research_limitations

Actually last I checked the NRA has more advantage in inflating the numbers. They're still touting that 2,500,000 defensive gun uses a year number despite the highly questionable statistics used.

As for the CDC, if you read a lot of the statements and studies they were putting out about gun control in the 90s it was pretty clear they were taking sides. They essentially took the inherently flawed view that gun ownership was equivalent to smoking.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Of course you do. Look at the thread you are posting in that you started. In fact search your name and read through your posts. You fascinate over situations where you may have to use your gun.

Actually, I don't... I do point out to the basement dwelling 911 speed dialers that not all of us live that way, in an attempt to provide another perspective of how you can live your life without being in constant fear of who is at the gas station.


It's creepy how closely you follow me... Maybe a better fit for a L&R thread? You should make one, to help get over your unhealthy fascination.

 

[emperus]

I live in a nice area, and vacation in nice areas. Our beachhouse is a ~7 hour drive, through some very thuggish areas.

Sorry but I'm not going to not stop for gas, or food, or whatever over being in fear of some hoodrat thug. It's nice that this is not a factor in my life.... I am a law abiding American and do WTF I want. If some thug wants to try and threaten my life then let's go.


Most thugs prey on people like the pink shirt guy... They can smell his fear and use that against him.

I give them a knowing look and grin, and have literally never had any issue as an adult.

Where is this beach house, Juarez Mexico?

Honestly, if you have a family, you're probably better off less concerned about your pride and more conferenced about the possibilities of the situations you put u and your family in.

We are free to do whatever we want even make stupid decisions.

 

[kage69]

Statistically your points are meaningless.

Myself nor my family have ever had a house burn down. I still carry homeowner's insurance and have smoke detectors.

Myself nor my family have ever had a bad car accident. I still carry insurance on my vehicle and wear seatbelts.

And on and on and on....




People who carry guns don't live in fear, they just have no problem being prepared rather than rely on other people to protect them.

Well said, and thank you.

I just smile when someone insinuates I live in fear. It's usually a waste of time to explain how I've had to go to war before on account of 2 drunk guys in Baltimore harassing, then putting their hands on my gf (now my wife) as we were leaving a party. Luckily for me they were more talk than experience, and the alcohol involved probably played to my advantage, but I consider that incident a close call where luck had been on my side. It was not a template for all future altercations, and these days having two small boys in tow with us I will simply not take that risk. Carrying is such a pittance compared to being in real trouble and not having options, or a way out. My wife was uneasy about it at first, but having seen and heard about numerous horror stories (albeit, none in VT) she feels quite safe knowing I'm ready to ensure our family's safety if things go to shit.
She's seen me diffuse situations in the past with words, and knows that's my preferred route for resolving arguments.

Husbands and fathers need to be prepared, that's what it comes down to in my book. I'll be thrilled if I can go the rest of my life only breaking out the iron for target practice, or putting down a rabid fox or car struck deer. The cowboy image does not interest me, I'd rather make people laugh with a crude joke than provide them with reasons to fear me.

 

[fskimospy]

Where are you taking family vacations? Harlem?

For about six months I worked in Spanish Harlem, right next to 125th and Lexington. Never carried a gun.

I feel like carrying a gun at all times puts forth a fundamentally different view of the world than what I want to have, which is why I would never own or carry one. If you guys feel better for having one, knock yourselves out.

 

[xj0hnx]

All of those things are considerably more likely to happen than being in a circumstance that requires a gun.

Really? Because I've never had my house burn down, but I have been shot, and been in a couple other situations that required a firearm, but I have been in a wreck once. My father had his house catch fire, and has also run a home invader out with a shotgun. Fact is there were something like 370,000 house fires, and about 47,000 fatal car wrecks, but over a million violent crimes, so you are in fact completely backwards.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Where is this beach house, Juarez Mexico?

Honestly, if you have a family, you're probably better off less concerned about your pride and more conferenced about the possibilities of the situations you put u and your family in.

We are free to do whatever we want even make stupid decisions.

Do you not realize how unintelligent you make yourself out to be?


Do you really not understand driving a few hours to get to another nice area?



And it's not about pride.....

It is about not living my life in fear. It's about not driving around trying to find an atm/gas station where myself and my wife won't get knocked out to leave our daughter to fend for herself..........



Again..... You and the others keep spouting off about gun owners living in fear, and how everyone should just cower to thugs and avoid situations....

You are the ones living in fear. It's a sad life to be peeking through the basement windows clutching the phone... About closing your eyes while on trips and planning bathroom breaks so the mean ole thugs don't make comments about your shirt.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Really? Because I've never had my house burn down, but I have been shot, and been in a couple other situations that required a firearm, but I have been in a wreck once. My father had his house catch fire, and has also run a home invader out with a shotgun. Fact is there were something like 370,000 house fires, and about 47,000 fatal car wrecks, but over a million violent crimes, so you are in fact completely backwards.

It's easier for them to just say it'll never happen.... They're effectively putting fingers in their ears....


I mean read through the thread... They act like they can simply choose to never go to a gas station or ATM in a slightly seedy area.

I'm not sure if it's because they're children arguing with grownups or perhaps they're truly that naive.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

<snip>

Husbands and fathers need to be prepared, that's what it comes down to in my book. I'll be thrilled if I can go the rest of my life only breaking out the iron for target practice, or putting down a rabid fox or car struck deer. The cowboy image does not interest me, I'd rather make people laugh with a crude joke than provide them with reasons to fear me.

I very much agree with this.

A leader of a household has a societal expectation to protect his or her family.

If the leader of your household is comfortable waiting 10 minutes for the police to show up (if you're able to call 911 in time) or for an armed and prepared neighbor to hear your wife screaming then that shows how much they care about their family's well-being.

 

[allisolm]

Are you armed when you go on road trips with your family?

And the article referenced is about something that happened in 2007 (horrible as it was) that had absolutely nothing to do with road trips or families. Fear mongering post.

 

[Murloc]

no because carry for people who can't prove they need to (either security job or real risk to your life) is forbidden anywhere in Europe. Switzerland is way more liberal about firearms than its neighbours regarding ownership, transport and sports use but civilian self-defense is not the norm, weapons are strictly correlated to the use in the militia army to defend the country as a whole, that or sports.

Plus it's not needed at all since this is not the third world. At worst you get mugged but muggers here are not psychos like in other areas of the world, they usually don't have a firearm and if they do, they don't want to use it. If you don't have money they will just run away, not shoot you out of spite like they do in some areas of the world.
Self-defense against rape and random beatings are the only things that would be useful here, but how useful is a gun in those situations when you are already under physical attack?

 

[HomerJS]

I very much agree with this.

A leader of a household has a societal expectation to protect his or her family.

If the leader of your household is comfortable waiting 10 minutes for the police to show up (if you're able to call 911 in time) or for an armed and prepared neighbor to hear your wife screaming then that shows how much they care about their family's well-being.

What exactly is your definition of "thug" and "thug areas"

You seem to have a fascination with that word, or it is limited vocabulary?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

What exactly is your definition of "thug" and "thug areas"

You seem to have a fascination with that word, or it is limited vocabulary?

?? I have defined it many times in past posts, and the post you quoted doesn't even have the word thug in it.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Are you armed when you go on road trips with your family?

And the article referenced is about something that happened in 2007 (horrible as it was) that had absolutely nothing to do with road trips or families. Fear mongering post.

It's intended to promote emotional discussion and perhaps help open some of the more naive minds we have around here, and while that situation didn't happen on a road trip it was a 'random' encounter just like you might have happen on a road trip or vacation. There are plenty of other similar situations I could've linked.

Want to add anything to the topic?

 

[KMFJD]

Up here in Canada you can't carry a gun and it's very hard to get one unless you buy one illegally in the Jane and Finch area of Toronto. You can get any gun you want there. I would carry if it were legal.

You must be talking about hand guns because other non restrictive firearms are quite easy to obtain.

 

[irishScott]

no because carry for people who can't prove they need to (either security job or real risk to your life) is forbidden anywhere in Europe. Switzerland is way more liberal about firearms than its neighbours regarding ownership, transport and sports use but civilian self-defense is not the norm, weapons are strictly correlated to the use in the militia army to defend the country as a whole, that or sports.

Plus it's not needed at all since this is not the third world. At worst you get mugged but muggers here are not psychos like in other areas of the world, they usually don't have a firearm and if they do, they don't want to use it. If you don't have money they will just run away, not shoot you out of spite like they do in some areas of the world.
Self-defense against rape and random beatings are the only things that would be useful here, but how useful is a gun in those situations when you are already under physical attack?

Unless you're completely lacking situational awareness, I imagine the gun would come into play shortly before one was under attack.

Once I walking back from the library at 2 in the morning (just finished a long study session), and passed by two black stereotypes (baggy pants, hoodies, etc) on my way back. Didn't think much of them at first, but they reacted rather strangely to me. First they glanced at me for longer than usual, then they looked at each other, then they slowed down and let me pass.

I continued walking, took a right turn, crossing a street in the process. They noticeably and somewhat awkwardly cut the corner to follow me. At this point they were about 25 feet behind me. Then about 15 seconds after we'd completed the turn, they spontaneously doubled the pace and started to close. I held my pace steady, turned my head 90 degrees to let them know I'd seen them, and made a show of shoving my hands in my pockets. They SLAMMED on the brakes and dropped back to about 50 feet. Didn't bother me for the remainder of my walk home.

This was on a route I'd walked literally 1000 times before without issue, and the mere threat of a weapon was enough to stop them. I wonder how effective that threat would have been if our gun/knife laws were more restrictive.

 

[Darwin333]

Depends on where I am going but yes, I usually am.

 

[Darwin333]

Unless you're completely lacking situational awareness, I imagine the gun would come into play shortly before one was under attack.

Once I walking back from the library at 2 in the morning (just finished a long study session), and passed by two black stereotypes (baggy pants, hoodies, etc) on my way back. Didn't think much of them at first, but they reacted rather strangely to me. First they glanced at me for longer than usual, then they looked at each other, then they slowed down and let me pass.

I continued walking, took a right turn, crossing a street in the process. They noticeably and somewhat awkwardly cut the corner to follow me. At this point they were about 25 feet behind me. Then about 15 seconds after we'd completed the turn, they spontaneously doubled the pace and started to close. I held my pace steady, turned my head 90 degrees to let them know I'd seen them, and made a show of shoving my hands in my pockets. They SLAMMED on the brakes and dropped back to about 50 feet. Didn't bother me for the remainder of my walk home.

This was on a route I'd walked literally 1000 times before without issue, and the mere threat of a weapon was enough to stop them. I wonder how effective that threat would have been if our gun/knife laws were more restrictive.

Due to lack of police during the aftermaths of a few hurricanes we found out very quickly that "thugs/badguys" are generally opportunistic. They don't want to get into a shootout anymore than you do and they almost always take off in the other direction if they see that you are armed. Way to many easier targets out there for them to risk getting ventilated from a person they know is armed. If the shit ever hits the fan where you are I highly suggest slinging a long gun over your shoulder so they can see you are armed from a distance. Worked like a charm around here and it was really bad for a while.

 

[jhbball]

Do you not realize how unintelligent you make yourself out to be?


Do you really not understand driving a few hours to get to another nice area?



And it's not about pride.....

It is about not living my life in fear. It's about not driving around trying to find an atm/gas station where myself and my wife won't get knocked out to leave our daughter to fend for herself..........



Again..... You and the others keep spouting off about gun owners living in fear, and how everyone should just cower to thugs and avoid situations....

You are the ones living in fear. It's a sad life to be peeking through the basement windows clutching the phone... About closing your eyes while on trips and planning bathroom breaks so the mean ole thugs don't make comments about your shirt.

LOL. We're the ones living our lives in fear? Yet you're the trash can always carrying a gun. Do you have a mental illness?

 

[piasabird]

A machete chop chop or bayonett might be cheap enough. Wonder what they would say to a scuba spear gun?