A good question for our friends at the other side of the pond....

[TonerMunkeh]

Here's a question that just occured to me.

Given the right to bear arms in the USA, do any techs on here actually carry a weapon in their car / toolcase / secreted on their person? Do you know anyone that does?

[mrwho]

While I'm on the same side of the pond as you are, I guess that any tech that carries a screwdriver on his toolcase is carrying a potential weapon - I've more than once felt the need of carrying it on my back pocket while going through some dubious areas, just in case.

As for firearms, my curiosity is the same as yours. There's the general idea around here (at least where I live) that most americans are gun-nuts who use any excuse to carry a weapon - and the bigger the better! Is it true, even partially?

[fixthecopier]

I have 3 guns on my bedroom wall. One is a Winchester 22 I bought when I lived in the woods for protection against snakes and wild dogs. The other 2 are antiques, one is a 4-10 shotgun from 1916 from my grandfather, and a bolt action 22 from the 1930's, also grandpa's. My wife owns a handgun she bought when we would have to go out at night to pull money from vending machines that were being robbed. My mom lives in the country at the end of a dirt road by herself and has a shotgun and pistol left from when my father died. My wife's cousin is the gun fancier you think about. He and his father have lots. I know more people who own guns than do not. None of the techs here carry during the day. If I were searched going onto the Army base with a gun, I could be banned, although thousands of the soldiers have handguns in their cars and trucks. Because I live in a military town there is a larger number of gun owners. Most owners keep their stuff at home.
Those far out gun owners you think about, well they are around. I have known people who have underground bunkers full of weapons waiting for the revolution.

[TonerMunkeh]

And that's precisely why I want to live in America

[mrwho]

Around here, it's illegal to carry firearms unless you work on security or other related job - and even then there's lots of paperwork and requirements that make that legalization that much more difficult.

Personally, I don't know anyone who has a gun, much less someone who carries one with him. Around where I live, someone that talks about having guns is very rare - much less someone openly showing one.

[atwageman]

Well I have guns, for many reasons. I have to work at night on occcasion and venture into some neighborhoods that have some violent crime issues.

Also I am a private zookeeper (on the side) and maintain a large collection of venomous snakes. Despite a alarm system and cctv system that would rival most government installations, once in awhile an idiot will try to gain access. They are not trying to kill the snakes, but release them.......Animal Rights Nut Job Groups. The idea is if the snakes escape, then that will instill public hysteria, and then inturn for the authorities to pass laws that prevent the keeping of animals. If anybody cares my website is ATW Zoological Its what I do when not fixing office machines. My wife wants me to string electrified razor (North Korea style) wire all around the parameter and turn it in to one big ass bug zapper just to see if we would find somebody the next morning who has removed themselves from the gene pool. lol

[zico21]

This brings back a fond memory of a Tech who worked for our company many years ago. He liked to carry a handgun which was interesting since he often worked in the local school system. Our resident wit had complete re-written lyrics for Aerosmith "Jane's got a gun", one part that I can remember was "Sean's got a gun, ......, brought into the school one day, fell into the duplex tray...".

I only wish I could remember more!

[blackcat4866]

I knew a salesman once that kept a loaded gun in the car. I don't know much about guns, but it was a big black honking revolver.

He was probably the most level headed of all the salesman I've ever worked with. If I were going to assign the task to anyone I would have chosen this guy. =^..^=

[Mr Spock]

First I do not own a gun for personal reasons. (I may want to use it on the family from time to time. and I have very curious kids.) But I know several that carry one or two in the cars. Not into the customer offices.
I do not judge those who do. My nephew and brother both own and carry.

[Shadow1]

One of the techs I work with used to carry a full size Winchester .30-.30 - one of my favorite deer rifles... not very practical if your getting carjacked, but "you never know when you'll run across Aqhmed the terrorist."

As for myself, I have 2 rifles and I used to carry a 9mm. My .22 is for small game, the .243 for deer and varmit, and the 9mm for thugs. My territory includes some very bad areas - but we got company vehicles, and while my local bossman is very cool with legal carry the corporate office has not given any policy, and I'm not keen to be the test subject.

My 9 is always hot - fully loaded with one in the pipe (it's rated for cocked and locked carry) and has been out of it's holster, though fortunately I've never had to point it at anybody. All this is perfectly legal where I'm at and our state also enacted a no retreat self defense law when muggings and carjackings started getting bad. Except for a few areas we have a pretty low crime rate.

An armed society is a polite society.
An armed man is a citizen, and unarmed man is a subject.
And you never point a firearm at anything you don't intend to kill.

There are very few outright "gun nuts" although they do exist. Most of us are hunters or protecting our family - although a large percentage of the "self defense" category have never fired their guns, and would get themselves killed if they ever had a breakin. Still more talk more than they shoot, which is a deterrent but hopefully they're never called on to back it up. That said, there are plenty of us who know how to use our firearms and are capable of pulling the trigger if necessary.

Think about it: if you're a criminal which house are you going to break into? The one with the "Make love not war" bumper stickers on their car, or the house with NRA bumper stickers parked in the driveway?