Holding hands

I remember when I was in college, I was on a date with a girl I have been seeing a while. We were walking down the street, hand in hand, just chatting as we were walking to our destination. I was holding her left hand, she was holding my right. All of a sudden I heard a dog barking aggressively and it sounded like it was approaching us from our front. Instinctively I moved my arm behind me forcing her to be behind me so I could protect her and deal with the dog.

But that got me thinking. I know a bit more now and I carry when I am out. If I were walking hand in hand again holding my right to her left, I would not have my strong arm free and I would not be able to get to my gun without a lot of excess movement.

So the question is, if you are with your wife/girlfriend, and you are holding hands, do you deliberately use your weak hand so that your strong hand is free?

You hold hands with your WIFE???
I make it a point to always keep my strong hand free. It's become automatic.

I used to have to make a conscious effort to keep my gun hand free. After 24 weeks of the police academy, it became second nature. Probably because we had to do pushups if caught carrying anything in that hand. That was almost five years ago, and I still have trouble carrying anything in that hand, it makes me VERY uncomfortable.
I hold my daughters hand when I am out, and my wife usually has her other one.

That's why you carry a BUG and train.

I have made it a habit to keep my right hand free. I even take items off of shelves with my left hand when shopping.

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Originally Posted by exactlymypoint

So the question is, if you are with your wife/girlfriend, and you are holding hands, do you deliberately use your weak hand so that your strong hand is free?

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Yes.

There are rare occasions when my right is holding a hand, a tool, whatever.......I'll come up with a mental 'plan' to free it up quickly.

Yep, strong side stays free.

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Originally Posted by Dakotaranger

That's why you carry a BUG and train.

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Yup, took the words out of my mouth. :hand10:

Yes i do also when im walking out of walmart with stuff in hand it' salways my weakside that i carry it in.

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Originally Posted by exactlymypoint

if you are with your wife/girlfriend, and you are holding hands, do you deliberately use your weak hand so that your strong hand is free?

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Yes, and long before I ever carried a defensive sidearm.

On the farm here, it would seriously hinder me if I always kept my right hand free. I wouldn't be able to get much done.

I do practice, I think, a very good situational awareness and any blips detected in my radar, and my right hand subtlely becomes available.
For instance, out in public, walking to the car I'd be carrying any items in my left hand. I've done it so long it's pretty much automatic to me.

Not meaning to hijack the thread whatsoever, but it just now made me think about walking on the sidewalk with a woman. I think "courtesy" dictates the guy walks nearest the street. Why is that? Personally I think the courtesy issue is based on the guy taking the curbside splash of water from a passing car rather than the lady; and it puts the guy nearest a street-parked car to open the car door for her.

Strategically speaking, and courtesy aside, if only the guy was CCW and a couple were walking on the sidewalk should the guy walk on the street side? OTOH, let's say the street is on the right and it is empty of traffic (no apparent threats) but on the left side there were recessed doorways to store entrances (good place for a lurker) which side should the guy be on and why? I've experienced the recessed doorways threat and would purposefully walk on the side of the doorways, putting my wife on the street side. I figured I looked more intimidating (see avatar :rolleyes:) to a doorway lurker than she does, and maybe that would deter the lurker from initially approaching us. What do ya'll think.

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Originally Posted by Fjolnirsson

I hold my daughters hand when I am out, and my wife usually has her other one.

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When I am out with my kids, I do not hold their hands, but I do hold on to their wrists until we get in the store. They know that if they see me reach for my weapon, they are to immediately get behind me. Once we are in the store, they hold on to the buggy so I can keep my eye on them. If me and the wife go out to the movies or something, we will hold hands, but always my weak side.

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So the question is, if you are with your wife/girlfriend, and you are holding hands, do you deliberately use your weak hand so that your strong hand is free?

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It depends on which way the wind is blowing. I often smoke a cigar on our walks & keep her up wind so the smoke doesn't blow in her direction.

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You hold hands with your WIFE???

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Yes, even after 24 years of marriage. :smile:

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Originally Posted by exactlymypoint

So the question is, if you are with your wife/girlfriend, and you are holding hands, do you deliberately use your weak hand so that your strong hand is free?

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yes :hand10:

That is something I constantly think about, and I keep my strong-side hand free (almost always)...most noticeably when walking through parking lots with bags...only the weak-side gets bags...strong-side stays empty while the eyes scan the lot...too many bags?...then I push a cart and the head is in a swivel while I load the car.

Stay armed...watch and be ready...stay safe!