I see several open carry in a year here in SLC utah. I saw a guy with a 45 open carry at walmart just yesterday.

I felt just as safe as I did before I saw him.

Yes, Los Angeles.

It's nearly impossible to get a concealed carry permit in LA County. You can get them if you're famous or well connected, but regular folks are SOL.

Therefore, is it safe to assume that the club you were at had a lot of people illegally carrying?

Well, people will conceal carry If they feel the need whether it's legal or not. Plus of course there are just flat-out criminals carrying, and they don't always look the stereotypical part. There are plenty of people packing heat in L.A.

I know. The law only keeps honest people honest. Thanks for the info.

Point taken..and no, the irony doesn't go by me. My point is that in no way am I going to brandish a weapon unless it is life and death situation. Again, the criminals and whack jobs are not going to use common sense or obey the law.
I'm not paranoid, just know what can happen. I personally know two people that were beaten and mugged in a "nice area" of Atlanta, one was actually shot in the face by a teen. I am not going to be a victim without a fight.

Open carrying doesn't bother me too much. It's the ones who skulk around hiding the fact that they are armed with a deadly weapon that bother me.

Reminds me of the scene in-LITTLE BIG MAN-
BE fantastic if someone could post the scene with the SODA POP KID and WILD BILL HICKOCK!
What could go wrong in this day and age though?

Also if I had a Gun at a bar, I'd be braggin and proving. ..."I CAN BREAK 3 BOTTLES THROWN UP IN THE AIR"!!!!

Can you help me understand this? I have a really good friend who is the same way. Other folks carrying concealed just freaks him out. I don't get it.

How does your friend know someone is carrying concealed? If others can tell, you're doing it wrong. I'm sloppy about it except where prohibited, since OC is legal and common here. If I ccw past a gunbusters sign, I make sure it's 100% undetectable. What you don't know can't hurt you.

The concept freaks him out. We took a weekend trip a while back and he flipped out learning I had a 9mm, unloaded, locked in a case, ammunition separate. I just don't get it. Hence my question above.

He should assume he's ALWAYS around someone who's carrying concealed. It's just a fact of life unless you've passed through a metal detector. I'm terrified of people using cell phones while driving near me. But I see it every time I'm on the road, so I just need to cope.

It's called hoplophobia: "A mental aberration consisting of an unreasoning terror of gadgetry, specifically, weapons ... the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user."

That's the thing though, he says he's fine with open carry. Concealment is what gets him. Even the 9mm with action open, magazine out, locked in a case...learning that was in the car with us spooked him.

He says he is. I strongly doubt it--a gun locked in a case without ammunition (leaving aside the fact that it's as useless as a car in your garage with an empty gas tank) is safer than having a cop standing next to you. He simply suffers from an irrational belief that guns possess free will.

Read "Raging Against Self Defense". It goes into some depth about the various issues hoplophobes are dealing with.

BSJ: That is a great article. I need to print that out and keep copies around. It shows exactly the behaviors and responses here.