GIRLS ROOM: Guns and CCW

[dragonflyinthesky]

Thanks, Cyndi! I've bookmarked "Women on the Road", and will look at the others later today.  My Private Investigator friend is encouraging me to get a handgun for protection if I insist on traveling alone.  Is that something you other single girls have done?  CA Laws are more strict than other states; what are the requirements if you're traveling through other states?

I choose to be single and I'm not even on the road yet. Not technically anyway.
 Just moved into my truck 4 days ago. I Didn't  know  where I was going to sleep Monday night, then pulled in to a campground of sort, walked up to this guy that was outside his TT and asked if I could share his space.  ( bold...I know ) He graciously said "sure". We have been sitting  outside in the evenings doing the get-to -know-you chitchat. He has certainly been the gentleman. Coming out of his TT and checking on me when I'm in my truck. I've been called some really horrid things. Hurtful things. That's one reason I prefer to be single. I'm no beauty queen, but the way people can use words to hurt others is beyond me. Anyway, it's refreshing having a guy 10 years your junior saying nice things about you. Haven't had that in a long time.

I hate to say quit worrying about packing. Since starting this lifestyle and before and even now, many friends relatives and even strangers tell me to carry. There is a lot of fear in America. Not saying to not be careful but you may start seeing the people so afraid for your safety have never been out like you want to be. They live listening to tv and the media telling them what the world is like. They mean well, don't get me wrong. Bad things happen, good things happen. We don't know when bad things will happen. Someday I may decide to. Until then I will live my life on the road with awareness. I do carry a sabre stun gun and pepper spray mainly to protect my dogs from other dogs. I never go to the roadside rest area restrooms at night.

 

[Gypsy Jane]

Thanks, Cyndi! I've bookmarked "Women on the Road", and will look at the others later today.  My Private Investigator friend is encouraging me to get a handgun for protection if I insist on traveling alone.  Is that something you other single girls have done?  CA Laws are more strict than other states; what are the requirements if you're traveling through other states?

there are two apps for your phone that are very useful to keep up with the laws of each state about firearms. Legal Heat, and CCW. They cost a few bucks but they're worth it if you carry. I look at handguns like fire extinguishers: better to have and not need than need but not have. If you carry, learn and train.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

 

[VanGrrl57]

I do have a CCW and a handgun. I have done so for the past 7 years. I have only had to mention it once and the individual took off running which is what I wanted. I am praying I don't have to ever shoot anyone but if it comes to that, I won't hesitate. I also practice at a local gun range so I can stay familiar with how my gun handles.

As to the original post, thanks for the list of women's groups, Cyndi. I have bookmarked some and will check them out.

VanGrrl57

 

[DuneElliot]

I always carry, or at least have access to a weapon at all times. I am a trained LEO and believe everyone who wants to carry should invest in training

 

[DrJean]

Most people think firearms when talking concealed weapons but there are others. A knife, stun gun, or pepper spray might be considered the same in one State... but there are also sound and light "weapons" that mesmerize the attacker (but could also do so to yourself.)

If you don't wish to arm yourself that way, then take a defensive course in martial arts. Learning how easily you can break someone's pinky finger or ripping an ear off, causing excruciating pain and giving you a chance to get away or better arm yourself is well worth it imo.

Regardless of what you choose to protect yourself, practice it often! It needs to become a default mode, even if it kicks in after a few seconds when being mugged, etc.... learning to swivel those hips and land a fist backwards into a groin is a good thing.

No one should carry a firearm unless they are not only trained and competent, but comfortable with it. No weapon is very good for you and indeed might be used against you if you are not comfortable with it.

Many ways to stay safe..... the thing is to decide upon what you WOULD use if you had to.

 

[TrainChaser]

One problem with a gun is that you need some advance warning that there is a problem. Some people will get close before you realize that there IS a problem. Knowing what to do in close quarters is important. Begging is not effective as most women think it will be.

You might investigate self defense for women in your area. If there is a college, they may know what is available. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-life situations, and teaches the quickest, most effective way to end a situation. Here's some info: https://www.kravmaga.com/programs/women/

 

[slynne]

I actually have a lot of faith in people. Even in the worst parts of Detroit, *most* people will have your back. Of course, being out in the middle of nowhere means that you must fend for yourself but even then, because of my own issues with guns, I don't think that would be a good option for me. However, I can totally see how a woman with more familiarity and comfort with guns might feel differently. I guess everyone has to come up with a solution that works for them. Find your path and take it. If that means a gun permit and a bad ass gun then go for it.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Don't get a weapon unless you are prepared to use it.  You shoot to kill.  If you are not able or willing to do that, you should not be carrying.  If you do decide to carry, first learn how to use your weapon and practice plenty.

Everyone has their own philosophy, but if you don't feel comfortable using deadly force to protect yourself and/or your family, you have no business owning, much less , carrying a firearm.

If you do have interest, get educated, get involved.
Ted

 

[TrainChaser]

Many people have so much faith in other people that they can't recognize trouble when it walks right up to them. Getting beaten unconscious, robbed, and losing most of your front teeth from being kicked while you're down tends to change a person's mind.

An acquaintance said she had faith that God would protect her. I pointed out that He had also given her a brain and probably expected her to use it, and she just stared at me. She was the one who told me about her neighbor, one of those guys who gave his toddlers 'rides' on the riding lawnmower, making a toy of it. One day, his little boy ran for the moving lawnmower, but daddy didn't see him coming. The boy slipped, and slid feet-first under the mowing deck. I guess God was busy that day.

 

[DrJean]

Please let's not blame God for evil and negative things: that's blaming the wrong entity/reason.

I do agree that God gave us, well most of us, some good sense but even that has de-evolved imo. I have great faith in God and He DOES protect me and has/does daily! I can't count the number of times there was intervention even on my trip to and from the RTR.

Some people cannot manage firearms, and I wouldn't want them to try.

I am encouraged by the stories of CCW licensees coming to the police' rescue! Hey that trooper rescued at Tonopah by a ccw could have been my rescue! If I hadn't been stuck at the Mexican border, I had planned to stop at that rest stop to rest. Twice now I've missed out on being the rescuer.... really though, as long as someone is there it's fine by me ! (but God intervened and had me stay overnight for some reason in Tucson... ah yes...the I-10 was shut DOWN and I didn't even know it!)

 

[ceejay]

Don't get a weapon unless you are prepared to use it.  You shoot to kill.  If you are not able or willing to do that, you should not be carrying.  If you do decide to carry, first learn how to use your weapon and practice plenty.

Everyone has their own philosophy, but if you don't feel comfortable using deadly force to protect yourself and/or your family, you have no business owning, much less , carrying a firearm.

If you do have interest, get educated, get involved.
Ted

that is what I have been told ... since dead men tell no lies ... and you do not need to face them in court ... take care

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Nah, it has nothing to do with court. If you miss or just "try to scare" the assailant(s), there's a good possibility that you'll just tick him/them off more. Kinda like an enraged bear...And then it would, as my kids say, suck to be you!

Ya notice that I use the male gender? Not very many women in the assailant category. And just by the fact that you are a female increases the likelihood of you being a victim. And playing nice is a pretty chancy proposition.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

And pulling out a weapon with no intention of using it is brandishment. That is illegal. So ya wanna be sure of your actions and know the consequences, whatever you end up doing.

You may want to read Gavin de Becker's book, "The Gift of Fear". Every woman should.
Take care...
Ted

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Last word (mine, not yours):

From an Amazon review of "The Gift of Fear":

Amazon.com Review
Each hour, 75 women are raped in the United States, and every few seconds, a woman is beaten. Each day, 400 Americans suffer shooting injuries, and another 1,100 face criminals armed with guns. Author Gavin de Becker says victims of violent behavior usually feel a sense of fear before any threat or violence takes place. They may distrust the fear, or it may impel them to some action that saves their lives. A leading expert on predicting violent behavior, de Becker believes we can all learn to recognize these signals of the "universal code of violence," and use them as tools to help us survive. The book teaches how to identify the warning signals of a potential attacker and recommends strategies for dealing with the problem before it becomes life threatening. The case studies are gripping and suspenseful, and include tactics for dealing with similar situations.

People don't just "snap" and become violent, says de Becker, whose clients include federal government agencies, celebrities, police departments, and shelters for battered women. "There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil." Learning to predict violence is the cornerstone to preventing it. De Becker is a master of the psychology of violence, and his advice may save your life. "

 

[TrainChaser]

That was a great book! People tend to ignore the warning signs. The victim he used as his main example saw the signs, but she didn't want to be rude, didn't know how to handle the problem until he shut the window on a hot day and went into the kitchen to look for a knife. Then she walked out and knocked on a neighbor's door. Some women don't walk out, and make the news.

Now, I'm not saying you need a gun to protect yourself. I've traveled quite a bit, and the two times that the situation struck me as 'odd', I drove away. The most important thing is to be able to RECOGNIZE danger, or even the possibility of danger, and do something before the situation goes Code Red.

 

[LoupGarou]

A great book to read is 'Deadly Force', by Mas Ayoob.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1440...=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mas+ayoob+books

 

[DrJean]

There's another book, Feel the Fear and do it anyway, that is a good read, imo.

Absolutely right folks: you cannot whip out a firearm (or knife or anything) to try and scare someone. The ONLY reason you pull your firearm is because you plan to use it.... whether in defense of another's life, or of your own.... only draw it when you are pretty doggone sure you're needing to fire it.

But training gives you this...helps you judge these situations. And yes, as others have also posted, the FIRST thing you think if it's for your own safety anyway is, Can I get out of this situation another way, by just leaving, for example. If it's for the protection/defense of another, well, can you get them out of the situation another way?

Training also let's you hit your target and not someone standing behind them or nearby. That's "gun control" to me.

I think if you have the money and the time everyone should take a "gun" safety course. Even a one-day woman's course is great information. At least you will be less afraid of the firearm...you never know when someone you are with has one and may become physically unable to use it in a bad situation where you're involved too. (When I was flying with a private pilot who was constantly renting different types of aircraft, I always went up in the same type with an instructor to learn how to land the thing! NO WAY was I going to be in a situation I couldn't survive on my own...can't park those things on clouds you know.)

You might not wish to carry, but you shouldn't be afraid of the firearm itself. If the firearm itself was dangerous, then no one would leave a gun show alive.

 

[waldenbound]

I won't be carrying a firearm or bringing any in the van. I sold them all off to a gun store last week. Don't have the space. From now on, it's hand-to-hand combat with my 'lil friend Petzl Evo Summit!

Seriously, the key is to recognize danger before you're in a sticky situation. The Gift of Fear is a good read. Women are taught to be nice, don't make a scene. Oh no, you can bet I'll make a scene! Then I'm getting the heck out of there.

 

[DrJean]

Amazing how much help you can get, people running towards you to help, if you scream/yell FIRE!~ FIRE!~ instead of HELP! Help!

 

[TrainChaser]

DrJean:  "... you shouldn't be afraid of the firearm itself. If the firearm itself was dangerous, then no one would leave a gun show alive."

A gun is a tool like any other.  They don't jump up and shoot someone by themselves.

"Training also let's you hit your target and not someone standing behind them or nearby. That's 'gun control' to me."

Why, DrJean!  Are you trying to tell me that when bullets miss their intended target, they don't just evaporate, like in the movies?  My neighbor (lifetime member of the NRA) asked me if I had noticed the difference between the content of modern movies and old westerns:  in modern (even 1970s and 80s), if there was going to be a gunfight, everyone lines up along the street to see the show.  In the real Old West, people would get themselves and the horses off the street and out of danger, as the shooters were often really bad shots, and sometimes they would have to stop and reload a couple of times.  If  you watch the gunfight at end of the old John Wayne movie, Stagecoach (1939), even then they knew more about the dangers than today, and you saw them getting off the street.

Today, a bright red plastic gun 1" long inspires panic in most schools.