People, in general, really are oblivious to their surroundings.

[Pariah]

There was a thread on here earlier this year about painted/non-black guns. There was a side discussion about how people who might notice your black gun won't see it if it's painted tan or has a OD frame. One member posted that they had a Krylon camo painted AR slung on their back in public and not a single person noticed. So if people are gonna notice guns at all, paint it so it's not big, black and scary.

It amazes me daily how everyone walks around in their own little world, oblivious to everything around them. It often occurs to me that the reality most people have constructed around themselves is really just a thin veil between them and the truth about the randomness and brutality of combat and crime, and that it can happen at any time to anyone. Maybe some of them are subconsciously making themselves oblivious to avoid thinking about it. I dunno.

I think that part of the trauma that you see in people after something happens is from the veil of their reality being completely torn away. Sometimes in public, perfectly normal places, I muse about how, were something to happen, that veil, which is about as thick as the t-shirt covering my gun, will get torn to shreds as the whole world goes to hell in an instant. Reminds me of Lovecraft, really, when the way you thought or wished the world worked gets turned on its head.

Yes, I am a gigantic nerd, how did you know?

[thermocafe]

I have been wondering for some time about this trend. My assertion is at least SOME of those people were of the "they're not bothering me, so who gives a $#%?" persuasion.

The reason I wonder this is because Francis de Tocqueville wrote about this extensively, about how in the beginning of our once-great-Nation, The People had an inherent interest in the laws as they themselves a contracting member to the civil discourse. He contrasted this with the Frogs, where people would defame statues, steal, and other nefarious acts and other Frenchmen would just look the other way.

I think that's where we are as a Nation. The USA is overwhelmingly "conservative", and yet a deviant can commit treason in retaliation for DADT, and in response? We submit and repeal it. Y'all can't even say the freakin' word "Christmas" in some places without serious trouble. In England, even a Muslim MP has said this is ridiculous.

That hardly sounds like the "warrior mindset" that Dr. Roberts suggests we cultivate and nurture, thus in some ways making a lot of these "best equipment" threads meaningless.

Back in med school I did a stint in forensic pathology with Broward / Miami-Dade ME and was fortunate enough to work with an Afghan pathologist who fought the Reds before he left (there is a province there which still bears his family's name) and he told harrowing stories of using a Lee-Enfield rifle in battle. It ain't the latest/greatest, it wasn't Daniel Defense or Larry Vickers approved. But he had the stones to use what he had available.

So I think it all ties together. I think that quite a few of those people that day probably noticed your friend's weapon, but in the de Tocqueville response, they just looked the other way because he had the nerve to do it, and he wasn't bothering them. Too many laws, so who cares anymore?

Just a theory...

[Powder_Burn]

...it is just painfully obvious how blindly most people go through their day.

My wife and I traveled to Switzerland once and were in the checkout line of a small town grocery store. The customer directly in front of us was buying some twine and happened to have a Sig 550 folded and slung on his back. Later I asked if she happened to notice the guy carrying the assault rifle in front of us in line and she didn't. That was the day I stopped over thinking handgun concealment...most people don't seem to have much awareness at all.

[RogerinTPA]

S.A. (Situational Awareness) which has been discussed here before, is largely dependent on how you grew up and your over all life experiences (School of hard knocks), prior training, job (LEO, Military) and are more switched on than others. Avoiding situations by simply reading the terrain or situation at hand, has a large part to do with it. Some need to be taught to size up a given situation and take, or not take, an appropriate action. Some are totally oblivious to the obvious, despite life's lessons and will forever be in denial (Sheeple) and therefore not trainable. Case in point, all of the city counsel members in panama city, just siting there waiting to be shot and doing nothing to escape or protect themselves, except for the lady with the purse who made the effort. Doing ANYTHING is better than doing nothing and accepting your fate.

[Rhutch]

Hide in plain site. Most people are found out when they try to hide something because then they stray from the norm and people notice.

I even admit if i saw someone carrying and everything else was normal (the guy looks normal and is acting normal) I would probably make the assumption that he is allowed to carry or assume that he is some form of law enforcement, (as they really are the only ones that can carry here in Canada).

It's one of the reason serial killers are successful, it's because outwardly they look normal. They don't have horns, they don't look strange for the most part and can put on a facade of normal behaviour (Charles Manson was a special case, but even he fit in with his followers).

[Complication]

This could have a lot to do with it.

It seems many people assume someone with a gun is a cop off duty.

And then, in some areas of the country, people just don't give a shit. Seeing someone with a gun is as remarkable as seeing someone wearing jeans.

[Outrider]

I don't like relating movies to real scenarios, but a perfect example of this is in the movie Heat in the bank robbery scene when they walk out of the bank and one of the robbers has his Galil barrel sticking out from the bottom of his jacket.

1) As you said, it's a movie...

2) Let's say it's real life in Southern CA where CCW is rare. What are they going to do? Tell the guys that's illegal?

[Outrider]

Some are totally oblivious to the obvious, despite life's lessons and will forever be in denial (Sheeple) and therefore not trainable.

Let's get rid of that term. People are trainable. They may not share your worldview but they certainly can learn to do things differently. The keys are experience and motivation. When an individual finds himself waiting forever for the police to arrive to his personal safety emergency, he tends to think of the right to bear arms in a different light. If he survives the encounter, he may even go out get training and buy a gun. There are no guarantees but when someone has been trained to believe the police will arrive in time and protect him, why are we surprised the individual believes it?

Case in point, all of the city counsel members in panama city, just siting there waiting to be shot and doing nothing to escape or protect themselves, except for the lady with the purse who made the effort. Doing ANYTHING is better than doing nothing and accepting your fate.

Ginger Littleton was the lady with the purse at that thing. Her heart was in the right place but her act was dumb. She also happened to be lucky, very lucky.

Any fool can act out and bump themselves to the head of the list of those to be shot. If she had thought it through she might have tried something that was more effective. Doing something stupid can be worse than doing nothing. Pushing a bad position can a get a person killed. I've seen it happen. -If you're going to act, try to do something that is likely to produce the desired result not something that allows the reporter to check the brave but dumb box.

[500grains]

But after today it is just painfully obvious how blindly most people go through their day.

Nothing new there! I have been concealed carrying for 18 years and there is only one time I am aware of that anyone ever noticed my gun, but I am quite sure my gun was exposed many times. It is bound to happen even if you are careful.

Two days before Thanksgiving I went to a local wal mart with my 2 boys age 5 and 10. The 5 year old carried his Frodo sword in sheath on belt, and my 10 year old carried a 1909 Argentine bayonet in sheath in leather frog on belt. Like any boys they like swords as well as all other weapons. When we were leaving the house my 5 year old asked if he could carry his sword, I said yes, so my 10 y.o. wanted to carry his 1909 bayo. Although in sheaths both were open for all to see and Wal Mart was quite busy. No one could tell from looking at them in their sheaths, but both blades are sharp and ready for use. We walked around, filled a cart, paid and went to the car. I did not see anyone even bat an eye at the open carry swords, for what it is worth. The wal mart was in a decent neighborhood, not a ghetto (are there wal marts in ghettoes?).

Of course probably some people noticed the swords and just did not react. But I am convinced that most people did not notice the swords at all.

[Rhutch]

Here's the big question what reaction do you expect or think would have been appropriate? Two little kids with swords on, any normal person would think they were toys.


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