[Teeter]

Just got back from the Home Depot at Sidney Marcus and Piedmont in the ATL. OC'ed as usual at THD, with rarely a sidelong glance.

Before heading over to THD, I grabbed an omelet at the Waffle House that shares the same parking lot. The place was full, so I was seated at the very end bar stool - right next to the cash register and in clear, unobstructed view of anyone walking through the door. So I sit down and remove my fleece jacket and drape it over the chair back; it's now pretty obvious to anyone paying attention that I'm carrying. All moves along normally - I order, am served, and began to eat - when my 'spidey sense' tingles . . . I look around, and there's an APD patrol officer about ten feet away staring directly at me. I think, oh $#*!, I'm glad brought along my copy of Pocket Guide to Georgia Criminal Laws, 2011 edition . . . 'cuz I'm going to need it. I keep eating, coffee refilled, chat with my bar stool neighbors, glance back - he's still locked on to me, except now he's on his radio. Not good, I think.

I finally finish, slowly slide off the stool, carefully put my jacket back on, get in line to pay the bill, and prepare to discuss Georgia carry law with my new friend . . . he's gone. I figure he's outside waiting for me to exit the Waffle House . . . but he's gone. I am 100% certain he saw my gun.

Is it a new day at APD? - this was a fantastic non-encounter in mid-town Atlanta.

 

[GAGunOwner]

They have a lot of new officers on the street now and most of them come from out of state. They aren't taught too much about the legal side of GA's carry laws. This was probably this officers first encounter with legal OC. The officer was probably shocked/interested/and a little nervous and decided to call in and ask what he should do. Thankfully, somebody on the radio probably told him to go about his business if you weren't acting weird.

 

[Fallschirmjäger]

Everyone's already dreading this, so why not get it over with? :lol:

 

[NTA]

It's good to know some Waffle house's will not kick you out.

 

[EJR914]

Everyone's already dreading this, so why not get it over with? :lol:

Hey man, this isn't the only good encounter with APD lately. At the Restore the Constitution Rally we got nothing but praise from 8 or so ADP officers. Most said they wished we were always down there open carrying so the area would always be that safe. It was a great feeling to see so many officers agree with open carrying a loaded pistol, and some of us were open carrying loaded firearms... M4, a mosin nagant, and other various rifles. Yes, this time they were loaded... not just the pistols.

 

[Montieth]

Hey man, this isn't the only good encounter with APD lately. At the Restore the Constitution Rally we got nothing but praise from 8 or so ADP officers. Most said they wished we were always down there open carrying so the area would always be that safe. It was a great feeling to see so many officers agree with open carrying a loaded pistol, and some of us were open carrying loaded firearms... M4, a mosin nagant, and other various rifles. Yes, this time they were loaded... not just the pistols.

Wait...what? you carried to a political rally? The "No dangerous weapons at rallies" rule didn't come into play?

ie, if your sign is held on a stick they want to take your stick away.

 

[zookeper]

he's still locked on to me

he was just envying that beautiful piece of hardware.

 

[Teeter]

he was just envying that beautiful piece of hardware.

. . . sleeping peacefully in its fine Zookeeper leather!

 

[Phil1979]

It's good to know some Waffle house's will not kick you out.

Some are franchised locations. I suspect that even if Waffle House corporate policy prohibits legally carried weapons in their restaurants, some franchise owners wisely ignore the idiocy from headquarters, as they operate in the real world, and know that having good guys with guns eating there, is better than not having them there.

Soon, I'll go for a greasy burger or maybe a t-bone and eggs at my nearest W.H. while OC'ing, to see if they're one of the common sense ones.

 

[EJR914]

Hey man, this isn't the only good encounter with APD lately. At the Restore the Constitution Rally we got nothing but praise from 8 or so ADP officers. Most said they wished we were always down there open carrying so the area would always be that safe. It was a great feeling to see so many officers agree with open carrying a loaded pistol, and some of us were open carrying loaded firearms... M4, a mosin nagant, and other various rifles. Yes, this time they were loaded... not just the pistols.

Wait...what? you carried to a political rally? The "No dangerous weapons at rallies" rule didn't come into play?

ie, if your sign is held on a stick they want to take your stick away.

Watch the video. That's me videotaping. You can see our group of LEO there as well. Got nothing but positive feedback from them.

I was with a person who had their stick taken away at an ATL Tea Party this past year. Completely stupid law, but whatever. They didn't say anything to us about having a weapon at a rally. They actually told us they wished we did that everyday, so that we could clean up some of the crime that occurs there. What a bunch of great LEO.

 

[Montieth]

Watch the video. That's me videotaping. You can see our group of LEO there as well. Got nothing but positive feedback from them.

I was with a person who had their stick taken away at an ATL Tea Party this past year. Completely stupid law, but whatever. They didn't say anything to us about having a weapon at a rally. They actually told us they wished we did that everyday, so that we could clean up some of the crime that occurs there. What a bunch of great LEO.

:righton:

I had mine taken away and it was a long/skinny piece of 3/4 plywood from a sheet I ripped down to width. Made for a perfect stiff but light and cheap sign pole. Apparently that was verboten at the protest. Since the city can't regulate arms, I'm thinking next time I attend such a rally, I need top stick my sign on a Halberd or something.

And yeah, L5P is one of those areas that I find has not so much the usual dangerous predatory crime but the random insane/deranged criminal element. L5P has a larger than average share of crazies.

Interesting the cops didn't have a problem. But then I guess the undesirable element probably started making itself scarce when you guys showed up. Maybe I need to carry openly there more often. Seems like the pan-hanldlers don't ask me for money as much when I do.

You guys need to do that on a Saturday there. The Hippies would loose it. anic:

 

[EJR914]

And yeah, L5P is one of those areas that I find has not so much the usual dangerous predatory crime but the random insane/deranged criminal element. L5P has a larger than average share of crazies.

Interesting the cops didn't have a problem. But then I guess the undesirable element probably started making itself scarce when you guys showed up. Maybe I need to carry openly there more often. Seems like the pan-hanldlers don't ask me for money as much when I do.

You guys need to do that on a Saturday there. The Hippies would loose it. anic:

Yeah, the crazies and the hippies definitely scattered when they saw us and I didn't get bothered by a pan-handler one time.

There were a few hippier people that talked to us, though. A few of them were cool. But the weirdo crazy people mostly left. There were one or two that actually helped us hold signs.

The LEO told us we need to come down there every Saturday. I wouldn't mind doing it at all. I don't think open carrying in L5P is a big a deal as you would think.