Bizarre A Civilian Asks To See Your Permit!

[QKShooter]

A civilian walks over & asks me if that is a gun under my shirt & wants to see my permit?

Hummmmmmmmm....what would I tell him?

I might tell him:
"No, that not a gun under there...it's your girlfriend's overnight bag."

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[srfl]

QKShooter: LOL!

[Red Stick]

So a guy, not a cop, but joe six pack walks up to a complete stranger and starts harrasing him about possible carrying a gun? Ballsy. For all he knew you could have been some nut just looking for an excuse to draw and shoot some coffeshop patrons while screaming "Starbucks is the devil!"
I carried for years before the State started issuing permits. I never had a problem. Permit or not my answer would be the same, "Walk away and mind your own business."

[Ben Hennessy]

I think he handled it well.

[Rock and Glock]

Well done, Sir.

[UtahRSO]

Same kind of thing happened to my son in a Walmart. He's a security guard for an ATM servicing company. He was called out after hours to fix a problem with a machine, and so he wasn't in full uniform, just a t-shirt with an embroidered badge and the company logo identifying him as a security guard. He was carrying openly, as he does when working. After fixing the machine, my son was doing a little shopping. A man approached him and asked (belligerently) to see his badge. When my son said he wasn't law enforcement, but did have a permit to carry, the man said he would call the police because the pistol wasn't concealed. (By the way, the man was NOT an employee of the store.)
In Utah, with a permit, concealed or OPEN CARRY is legal. And security guards normally carry openly also. The police came, noted my son's t-shirt, asked for his permit anyway, and that was the end of the incident. The police said with the t-shirt my son had on, they didn't understand why the man had called them to come.
All this time the man was peeking around a corner to see what happened. The police left, my son smiled and waved at the man, and went on shopping.

[dr_cmg]

I think the guy did real well, but there are soooo many answers I would have loved to have come back with. Many of them have been posted, like offering the use of your cell phone and thinking don't get it. It would be fun to ask which state's permit he wanted to see since I am authorized in 36 states. It would be fun to ask if he wanted to be certain he was seeing the imprint of my gun. It would be fun to ask if the doctors knew he was out in public. But I think the most fun would be to ask if he knew who I was and when he answered no to ask him if he knew how stupid it was to start asking strangers about their guns.

After all this guy has no idea who he's asking. It could be some worker on the edge of postal, or a man just prior to going to kill his wife. It could be a professional killer, or a lunatic. This guy could come up and ask his stupid question and get 230 gr .45 cal answers. I have heard of some pretty stupid questions, but this one takes the cake. It is stupid enough to walk up to someone in the grocery story and ask about their open carry, but at least you know for sure he has a gun. To walk up to someone on the basis of I think and ask a question like that is really out there. I cannot help but think that if the guy is carrying a concealed weapon he has a reason to conceal it and my calling attention to it is not one of my wiser moves.

[mcclearypl]

I would have asked if he was a LEO and if the answer was NO I would have told him to take a hike. Well thats as good as I can explain it here on the forum anyway. Who the hell do people think they are anyway.

[falcon1]

I think the original poster handled the situation well, too. I might have been tempted to call the police myself and let a law enforcement officer explain in no uncertain terms to the questioning individual exactly how he didn't have the right to see my permit (my situation in Tennessee might be stronger in this case, since ours is a Handgun Carry Permit--printing does not violate the terms of the permit).

[mstarn]

Just a thought. The guy/s asking to see your CCW permit or badge could be BAD GUYS wanting to stage a robbery or what not. I would not show them any thing, because I could be the first target in that case.

Mark

[Tubby45]

Two types of people see my permit: a police officer if I am stopped and my FFL dealer to wave purchase permit/ idiot test requirement for handgun.

[ibex]

What would you have done ????

Exactly the same, except I wouldn't have carried a 1911.

[QKShooter]

I just wonder how many of these type incidents were spurred on from the government warnings to the sheeple to:
"Watch Out! - Be On The Look Out For Anything Suspicious."

[Bud White]

Two types of people see my permit: a police officer if I am stopped and my FFL dealer to wave purchase permit/ idiot test requirement for handgun.

Same here

[rachilders]

Sounds like somebody showing off in front of his buddies for some reason or someone with an ax to grind.

I think most of the replies here agree you did just what you should have. I know I'd have done pretty much just the same as you; asked the man why he was asking, if he were an LEO and if not, tell him (nicely of course. No use inviting trouble from a stranger if it's avoidable) that he has no valid reason or authority to see my license. If he has a problem with my “alleged” weapon or me, he's free to call the local authorities and I'll be happy to show them my CCL. He can ALSO explain to them why he was in my face about the permit in the first place.

I think the only thing I might have done different would be NOT to admit I have a weapon on me. Unless it's actually visible, I'd rather keep him guessing and not admit/confirm the fact I'm carrying a gun, especially not knowing his motive for asking.