[Rick Lee]

Actually, plenty of states allow open carry too.....on the books, but not really in practice. Virginia allows it, but you can be assured of a police encounter if you walk into a 7-11 carrying openly. You won't get arrested or cited, but you'll get a talking to. I always took VA's open carry to mean I didn't have to try too hard to keep it concealed. If I was printing or bent down to pick something up and the holster in the small of my back showed, I was not in legal trouble. In states with no open carry law, that could get me into serious hot water.

In Arizona open carry is legal and a pretty common sight. I do it regularly on my bike, as wearing full riding gear makes it difficult to draw from concealment. I also like offending drivers with California plates when I pass them and let them see my right hip. When my wife and I take a walk through the park or to the store at night after dinner, I usually carry openly too. It's a very common sight around here at night and it lets potential trouble makers know you're not going to be their easiest victim..... and let's them know before they even approach you. If they assume you're unarmed, it tends to encourage the idiots and I'd rather avoid such encounters altogether. When I'm in a public place with a lot of people like a shopping mall or Wal-Mart, I keep it concealed.