Personal Protection

Ok. So we went to change banks today. As we're signing paperwork and such with the branch leader lady, I asked about the "Oh Shit" button under the teller desks and such. I said that's good! Glad to see them! Didn't know they actually had them in banks like that. She made a casual joke about "Better watch this guy next time he comes in on a Saturday..." which was funny and we laughed. Then after a while, we were talking about driver's licenses and needing to change addresses on there since we moved and that's illegal. And I said "Yeah last time I got pulled over, I was worried since I hadn't changed the address on my personal handgun permit yet, but it all worked out ok and checked out." And her face changed about 1000% from smiles to serious. Why would that bother you lady? I don't bring it into banks, schools or anywhere illegal. I'm worried about the locations such as banks and so on, that would attract trouble to me or my family. Clearly, if I make a comment about safety in a bank, bulletproof glass, or teller button for the police.... Wouldn't I be the kind to have personal protection to keep myself and my family safe? Why would you freak out about that? I didn't carry it inside or make the slightest threat in any manner. Hell. I was signing up for an account and giving my name, address, income, social security number and more.

Does anyone else see an issue with asking safety questions (observations) and then openly sharing that you have personal protection in your car or home? I think that's completely understandable personally. Does anyone get this sort of thing when mentioning PP?

If someone told me they had a loaded gun on their person I would probably freak the fuck out.

Why didn't you just talk about the weather like a normal person?

Don't call it "personal protection". It's a fucking gun.

Why are you calling it "personal protection" when it's easier to say "gun"? >_>

I kinda don't see why you brought up having a gun to begin with. It's fine that you have it but I wouldn't go around saying I had one, especially to strangers. I don't know those people; I've seen people cry because they fired a gun into thin air.

People feel different ways about guns is what I'm saying so I don't talk about them unless we're specifically on the topic of guns, much like religion and politics.

Not anymore after Katrina. All my friends used to make good-natured jokes about the amount of ordnance in my house. Guess who they called first when the shit hit the fan?

I think it's had a bit of a social stigma attached to it from politics and media personalities who use completely inaccurate assumptions about firearm ownership and the completely useless gun control laws that will only affect law abiding citizens and not the unsavory types that don't give a sh!t about the law to begin with. But that's just me.

Then again, when you consistently bring up topics that have to do with bank security in a bank, you can't blame the branch manager for getting a bit defensive.

Phrasing!

@Simplexity: I would only freak out if they are pointing the gun at me , other wise there is no reason to be afraid

@Simplexity said:

If someone told me they had a loaded gun on their person I would probably freak the fuck out.

Then again I'm British, so guns are foreign and terrifying to me.

@Aetheldod: I dunno, what's stopping this guy with a loaded gun to just take it out and shoot me in the face. Giving that kind of power to the common man is waaay too much for my taste.

@Simplexity said:

If someone told me they had a loaded gun on their person I would probably freak the fuck out.

yeah me too.

course, I'm american, so... I live in fear EVERY DAY

I thought this would be a thread about condoms. I'm bummed now.

Well at least you didn't have it on you.

@Muttinus_Rump said:

Don't call it "personal protection". It's a fucking gun.

Agreed.

@Simplexity said:

If someone told me they had a loaded gun on their person I would probably freak the fuck out.

Living in Texas you just learn to deal with it. People are dangerous whether or not they're carrying something. Projecting confidence dissuades most individuals from fucking with you, and the left overs you just read body language for and handle it before it's an issue.

@Muttinus_Rump said:

Don't call it "personal protection". It's a fucking gun.

Better to call it protection than a weapon. He's using it for the right purpose.

@mitchell486: People are just scared of weapons, and bringing up something like your handgun in a conversation at a bank is kind of bad. Similar experiences would be talking about a Bill of Materials on a project and calling it a "BoM" in an airport.

You may think it's nothing, but you gave off a few VERY BIG red flags that bank employees are trained to watch for.

1: Asking questions about the security layout of the bank

2: Exposing that you own a firearm (They're meant to take any sign or mention of a weapon VERY SERIOUSLY)

3: Showing any unusual behavior while signing up for a new account (Usually referred to as being an unknown quantity)

On top of all of that, even if none of the above was relevant (which it is for banks), just like you have a right to own a gun, anyone else has the right to not like firearms.

Also, as someone who has gone through the training for many different types of firearm permits, one of the very first things I was taught is that guns are deadly weapons, and should be treated with the amount of fear, care, and respect a deadly weapon should have. Calling it "personal protection" is belittling the dangerous aspect of one in your mind, or could also be construed in some people's minds as you being ashamed to admit to ownership of one, which would usually lead to the thought process of said person of thinking "If he's ashamed to admit he owns one, obviously that means he plans to use it(or has used it) for illicit means" .

I doubt anyone here feels as such, but just thought I should mention it. Treat your weapons, regardless of what they are or intended to be used for, as weapons. That is the best way to make sure there are no accidents.

Edit: As a heads up, I know about the bank thing as I've done some IT work for a few banks, and even as a contractor I had to go through training that covered the same stuff at both banks.

Hey dude, as most of the world doesn't realize 95% of America is really scared/anxious about firearms. It is cool you dig them (as do I) but you have to remember most people will still freak out over it. It's your right to own them, it is there right to be scared of them.

@Toxeia: Thank you for the honesty and sincerity. I chose not to call it a "gun" because a shotgun is a gun but it's not carried for personal protection. It's carried for hunting or other uses.

Now. The reason it came up was simply saying "My handgun license address was wrong." Nothing else that I have is addressed incorrectly at the moment. So. I supposed I've never come across an issue where someone went from ":D" to ":|" instantly. It was foreign to me at the time. I have a personal rule that I don't discuss Politics or Religion but I guess "guns" shall be added to that list.

And. To make it 100% clear to everyone reading. I was sitting in the bank after giving 100% of my information to this lady. I was not carrying the handgun. In fact I had nothing other than a pen on my persons. (And money I suppose.) I was not making conversation about anything other than I simply asked "I didn't know the Oh Shit buttons really existed. That's nice to see" and then about 20-30 minutes later I said "Yeah I was afraid of a fine when my handgun permit address was incorrect." And she got " :| " serious and that was about it. It was just odd to me. I didn't know that saying the word "handgun permit" was reason for stand-offish attitude. Yes I'm American but I don't believe in people who mishandle guns. They are meant to be respected when you use them, the same way you should respect anything you use that is dangerous. You don't put your hand down a garbage disposal and blame it, just like you don't drive a car in a dangerous manner when around people, just like you don't point a handgun at anything you don't mean to kill. If I were either unsafe or illegal with this handgun and there were a cause for alarm regarding it, do you think I would either have a handgun permit (stating so to the person) or talk about the handgun at all? If I had something illegal or something I planned to use for dangerous intentions, I would think that anyone with the slightest common sense would simply not say anything about it because you would then be drawing attention (negatively) to yourself about the item in question.

I now know this is a touchy subject (sorry about that...) but I just wanted other's opinions. Now I know to keep guns off the list of "topics that could come up" and moved into the column of "do not discuss, hint towards, or mention in the slightest unless with a close personal friend". Lesson learned for the day.

People who worry about these things are irrational. That being said there are many irrational people out there, just a part of life, the sooner you accept that the better off you will be.

So you asked about the banks security and then casually mentioned that you were a gun-owning maniac.

I'm glad I don't live in a third world hellhole.

@Toxeia said:

People are dangerous whether or not they're carrying something.

Indeed. The firearm is merely a tool, not a sentient object that will go on a killing spree. It's the same reason that reproduction katana sales in the UK are restricted.If someone wants to do another person harm, they'll find a way.

It's not irrational to react the way she would, but I doubt I would react similarly. People saying a gun doesn't qualify as personal protection are idiots, it's lethality doesn't make it less protective, it just makes it more dangerous to whomever you're protecting yourself against.

Get a knife homie.

@ShadowConqueror: A gun most definitely is personal protection. Your car is also your personal transportation. You call it your car, though.

Ok. I'm over. Back to games! CIV V. I shall dominate you and your puny land!

well, i think its more the fact you probably came off as suspicious...

i mean you asked about the damn panic button, then a bit later randomly work in the fact that you had a gun into a convo. she probably figured you were casing the joint or something. one or the other probably would have been fine and not gotten a weird reaction, but you're asking about the damn panic button dude. thats weird! im surprised you didnt ask about the security cameras too.

you were acting weird lol. its odd im the only one that put the whole panic button plus casual mention of gun together.

@Eujin: Agreed the OP is a bit absent-minded in this situation to bring all of those things up in a conversation with anyone, let alone a bank teller.

@rebgav said:

Hey guys, I walked into a day care and started asking about their security and talking about my gun!

Something tragic must have happened that scarred her for life. The talk of Guns may have reminded her of that, leading her to the quick change in facial expression.

Telling a bank employ you own a gun after asking about their security...not the wisest of decisions my friend. But one i find to be very humorous.

Who makes comment about panic buttons at a bank? Who, I say, who?!

Asking about the panic button seems cool to me. I'm not entirely sure whether owning a gun is common in your state, but if it is (I'll just assume it is!) then talking about that should be fine too. It's the combination of the two that does the trick. Makes for a great bank-robbing script though :D

@Grimhild said:

@Toxeia said:

People are dangerous whether or not they're carrying something.

Indeed. The firearm is merely a tool, not a sentient object that will go on a killing spree.

Firearms make it extremely easy to go on a killing spree, that's the problem with them.

What other weapons are available in Walmarts (I know, not all, but some in Florida sure do sell them) that would enable you to go behind a bunch of people in a cafeteria and kill them instantly? I can't think of any that don't give those involved a chance of fighting back. Knives, baseball bats...etc give people a chance of fighting back, or at least others easily piling on you before you can do too much harm.

It's all well and good saying that a gun is merely a tool, because yes it is, but it doesn't change the fact that it lowers the barrier greatly between you committing multiple murders. I can't believe people actually argue against this, idiocy at its best.

Don't talk about guns in a bank... especially after you've just mentioned the panic button.

It's like mentioning bombs in an airport, you may be joking around but it's a bad idea to discuss stuff like that there. Use some more common sense next time.

There really was no reason to mention the handgun that you own. From the way you tell it, it makes it sound as if you find reasons to tell people about your gun. I hate when people do that kind of thing.

If you were really serious about Your protection you wouldnt have mentioned you had a gun.

I live in Canada. I have never owned a gun more dangerous than an air pellet rifle. However, a lot of people I know and are related to own rifles or shotguns. They own them for hunting and not for personal protection and I do not know a single person who owns a handgun. That being said I think that if I was working in a bank in my hometown (or even a big city) and my client said these things I would be leery. It's not because we have a different perspective of what safety or protection or even what a gun represents. It's because you're in a bank.

It would be akin to discussing explosives in an airport.

@Sooty said:

@Grimhild said:

@Toxeia said:

People are dangerous whether or not they're carrying something.

Indeed. The firearm is merely a tool, not a sentient object that will go on a killing spree.

Firearms make it extremely easy to go on a killing spree, that's the problem with them.

What other weapons are available in Walmarts (I know, not all, but some in Florida sure do sell them) that would enable you to go behind a bunch of people in a cafeteria and kill them instantly? I can't think of any that don't give those involved a chance of fighting back. Knives, baseball bats...etc give people a chance of fighting back, or at least others easily piling on you before you can do too much harm.

It's all well and good saying that a gun is merely a tool, because yes it is, but it doesn't change the fact that it lowers the barrier greatly between you committing multiple murders. I can't believe people actually argue against this, idiocy at its best.

Well, so are automobiles and gasoline, if we're going to start splitting hairs. But I'm not going to really get into it, since this is one of those topics that everyone has their own opinion on, which is fine with me. But, personally, I'd rather be on equal or superior footing with an assaulter that chooses to threaten my life or invade my home.

So you were discussing about the panic button and firearms at the bank?

Different people and different areas can have very different reactions to guns.  I would love to be able to conceal carry but the commie state of IL is run by nazi's so that won't happen any time soon.  If I was able, I would never talk about it to anyone as I don't tell people that I have a lot of guns and lots lots lots of ammo as you don't know if they'll freak. 
 
Quick tips for when in a bank: dont ask about their panic button, dont ask about their camera system, and never joke about robberies. 
 
Dumb ass.

@Metzo_Paino said:

@Simplexity said:

If someone told me they had a loaded gun on their person I would probably freak the fuck out.

Then again I'm British, so guns are foreign and terrifying to me.

I'm Canadian and feel the same way. If some dude has a handgun on them, permit or not, i'm staying the fuck away from that shit.

I boarded a plane and started talking about explosives safety, and I was forcibly detained! I mean, I said "safety", not "blowing things up...ty"! Why did they shove their hands up my rectum? Just because I kept asking the flight crew about how quickly somebody could bum rush the captain with a Desert Eagle... yeesh.

@Grimhild said:

@Toxeia said:

People are dangerous whether or not they're carrying something.

Indeed. The firearm is merely a tool, not a sentient object that will go on a killing spree.

Firearms make it extremely easy to go on a killing spree, that's the problem with them.

What other weapons are available in Walmarts (I know, not all, but some in Florida sure do sell them) that would enable you to go behind a bunch of people in a cafeteria and kill them instantly? I can't think of any that don't give those involved a chance of fighting back. Knives, baseball bats...etc give people a chance of fighting back, or at least others easily piling on you before you can do too much harm.

It's all well and good saying that a gun is merely a tool, because yes it is, but it doesn't change the fact that it lowers the barrier greatly between you committing multiple murders. I can't believe people actually argue against this, idiocy at its best.

Just gonna say, I probably would've been at least a little worried had I worked in a bank and learned all that about you. Maybe you should keep it on the low-down in the future

@Muttinus_Rump said:

Don't call it "personal protection". It's a fucking gun.

As others have said, talking about their security system and then casually mentioning that you have a gun is NOT a good thing to do in a bank.

well it's just like talking about bombs on a plane because of curiosity, you don't do it

@OmegaChosen said:

I've seen people cry because they fired a gun into thin air.

Wait...seriously lol?

I have guns and knives ready for use right in my bedroom and another bedroom. I wouldn't even leave one of my knives in the car. It's easily accessible if your car is stolen etc. Then your weapon (that's registered to you) can be used in any number of illegal activities.

I think making any comment about security in a bank is going to initiate unexpressed nervousness in an employee, but it's a perfectly reasonable remark. "I'm handing you my money. You're prepared to not lose it, right?"

Some people really don't like guns. That's their prerogative. I only have a problem when they allow their beliefs to interfere with others' rights. 1

@DoctorWelch said:

@OmegaChosen said:

I've seen people cry because they fired a gun into thin air.

Wait...seriously lol?

Yes. Granted it wasn't in person but yeah, I've seen someone cry over shooting a gun because it reminded them of their friend who was murdered. :/

As I said, people feel different ways about guns.

@OmegaChosen said:

@DoctorWelch said:

@OmegaChosen said:

I've seen people cry because they fired a gun into thin air.

Wait...seriously lol?

Yes. Granted it wasn't in person but yeah, I've seen someone cry over shooting a gun because it reminded them of their friend who was murdered. :/

As I said, people feel different ways about guns.

Oh, well then that makes sense. I thought you meant just some antigun person got all upset after shooting a gun or something. That does suck though.