Should All Bikers Carry A Weapon ?

[cactusjack]

There are a lot of people in AZ who carry. You see it all the time. Every ride I go on with my riding club, there's folks legally carrying in the group. I guess there's a combination of the old west mentality, and there is a lot of crime in certain areas around here. With our proximity to Mexico, there are a lot of transient people constantly moving through the state, some are very dangerous and have little to lose. It's their culture to settle things with guns. I see it on the news every day.

[pirate]

I don't carry any kind of protection with me on the bike, but times are really changing. Due to the oil boom we're having here, there are so many strangers around now that are working on the rigs.
Our town is tiny, only 1100 people, and up until a few months ago, no one even locked their doors at night. About a month ago, there was a huge street fight involving rig workers that were drinking in one of the bars. Stuff like that was unheard of before, but we are a lot more cautious now. You have to hope for the best, but expect the worst.

[mrbill69]

I don't carry with the thought that I might need to kill somebody, heaven forbid that it would ever happen. I simply refuse for me or my family to become a victim if I can be prepared to prevent it. There are too many people out there that don't put any value on mine or your lives.

[coacha]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Frank, I agree with you 100%. This is why I always carry my bow and a quiver of arrows when on the road. I found trying to tow my trebuchet behind the bike was costing me valuable miles per gallon.

Cactusjack, you owe me a new monitor and keyboard! I spit my Diet Coke and rum all over both of them.

Seriously, I have talked with our SRO at school about this exact thing and considered getting a concealed weapon permit but I think I will just carry some sort of blade with me. I know it isn't a good thing to take a knife to a gun fight but at least I'll have something.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

I think I'm the minority here. I don't carry any weapons, not because I'm opposed to guns, I just don't see the world as that big of a threat, nor do I wish to see it that way.

I'm afraid that if I carried a gun around with me all the time in case I need to kill somebody, that on some level, life would be worse for me. I think that I'd naturally start seeing my environment as a more hostile place, a place where I might need to start killing folks.

I can't remember the last time I thought I better start killing folks, and I'm not going to start feeling that way on a daily basis for sure.

If I did feel that way, I'd move back to Tonga or something, rather than stay here and plan every day for who I might need to kill.

WTF Dan, You think people carry a weapon because they WANT to kill ???
After reading this post of yours I'm glad you don't carry
The people I know who carry do so to protect themselves. They aren't out looking for someone to kill :-/ They haven't become ruthless thugs or bully's trying to provoke a fight so they can use their weapon ::) They don't hope they can kill someone, they hope they never have to use it. But if they are faced with a life or death situation they are prepared to DEFEND themselves.
The people I know who carry don't even think about the weapon being there, it is there if they NEED it but up to that point it is just there. Not something that is in their every thought.
As I said I'm glad you don't carry but I hope if the situation arises and you , or someone you love needs protection, there is a person who does carry and is willing to help you out. God help the people who think the police will respond in time to save their life.

[lw]

Just as it is true that some folks should not reproduce, not everyone needs to go round packin' heat. For those who choose to do so, I sincerely hope you never have cause to need your weapon.

I took the CHL class a couple months back, but have not yet filed for the license. Still trying reconcile the hassle and expense to maintain the license against the need for personal protection.

I do believe that a locked saddlebag is no place for a weapon if you are relying on it for protection. The incident where you might need it will be over with before you can produce it. Should I choose to carry, it will be on my person.

[scott2007nomad]

yes, maybe, yes but not the alarm

[racinchef]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Frank, I agree with you 100%. This is why I always carry my bow and a quiver of arrows when on the road. I found trying to tow my trebuchet behind the bike was costing me valuable miles per gallon.

Seriously - good point. I never go on the road without some means of self defense. You never know who you might come across at a gas station or rest stop. Around these parts, you find desperate, non-indigenous folks crossing the desert.

Geez CJ! Did your parents lock you in the closet and all you had to entertain yourself was a dictionary and a slit of reading light?

[racinchef]

Originally Posted by caddmannq

Ummm...if you are physically attacked, you don't have the right to defend yourself with whatever comes to hand? If you are attacked by someone that intends you serious harm, what's the difference if you shoot him, hit him with a shovel, or smack him with a hockey stick?

CQ is right, if attacked in Canada and you kill the aggressor, just dress him in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform and tell the authorities that it was just a friendly hockey game that got a little out of hand

Personally, I hear too many times where someone got shot or stabbed with their own weapon by the aggressor that got it away from them. If I did carry it would be something that didn't appear to be a weapon until I had already used it, like a cane or umbrella gun for example.
At work my delivery truck fully loaded has a cargo worth about $13,000. There is speculation amongst the drivers whether someone would try to hijack us. I have resorted to locking my truck when I stop for coffee or if I am delivering in a busy area and the truck out of sight.

[misunderstood]

Originally Posted by racinchef

Geez CJ! Did your parents lock you in the closet and all you had to entertain yourself was a dictionary and a slit of reading light?

[unwind2]

Originally Posted by LW

Just as it is true that some folks should not reproduce, not everyone needs to go round packin' heat. For those who choose to do so, I sincerely hope you never have cause to need your weapon.

Exactly what I was going to say. Look around the world and you can see not everyone capable of reproducing should do so.

There has been a couple of times that my bike broke down (not the Nomad ;)) and my hubbie had to leave me to go on his bike for part or whatever cause we did not want to leave the bike on the highway all alone and he was on a bike that I was vertically challenged to drive. He feels a lot better leaving me knowing I have some form of protection. As someone else said I don't go around advertising if I have a handgun with me or not - you'll never know but it's there if ever needed. It's not something you would use in every situation - but if it's my life (or being raped)...

I have taken more than just the required CCW class....I think if you are going to carry you need to be very familiar and comfortable with the gun, able to handle it, know how it works inside and out (I can disassemble and reassemble my handgun).....not just take one class for a permit..unless you are already familiar with guns.

Also I know after I started riding motorcycles and taking MSF class that I became a more aware alert driver in the automobile. After taking additional weapon classes (they cover things like what to watch for - red flag behavior etc) I am a more alert person when out - ie aware of who is around me, who is walking behind me etc....

But just as some folks will go out buy a bike, never rode much, maybe not even a motorcycle endorsement get on the thing take off and wreck in a few days....folks will do the same with a handgun, buy a gun, get the permit, never practice with it, never get familiar with it, not store it properly in their home etc....Just my .02 cents worth.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by racinchef

Geez CJ! Did your parents lock you in the closet and all you had to entertain yourself was a dictionary and a slit of reading light?

Seriously, when I was in grade school I used to read the World Book Encyclopedia in my spare time. I read all 24 or 25 volumes cover to cover in 5th grade.

[watchman]

I am a firm beliver of the following:

As John Steinbeck once said:

1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.



2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.



3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.



4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.



5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a .46.'



6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.



7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.'



8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!! But wait, there's more! I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said 'Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!' To which I said, of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!' She then asked, 'Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?' My reply was, 'No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.' To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.



I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!

[jussmatt]

I had several comments that I wanted to make....and just erased them.... I came back to this thread only to find out that Watchman just said it better than I ever could!!!

I don't go looking for trouble...but you can bet your ass I'll be prepared if it finds me!!!!

[dantama]

[quote=Top Cat (TC) ]

Originally Posted by "Dan Lund":umvm9kit

I think I'm the minority here. I don't carry any weapons, not because I'm opposed to guns, I just don't see the world as that big of a threat, nor do I wish to see it that way.

I'm afraid that if I carried a gun around with me all the time in case I need to kill somebody, that on some level, life would be worse for me. I think that I'd naturally start seeing my environment as a more hostile place, a place where I might need to start killing folks.

I can't remember the last time I thought I better start killing folks, and I'm not going to start feeling that way on a daily basis for sure.

If I did feel that way, I'd move back to Tonga or something, rather than stay here and plan every day for who I might need to kill.

WTF Dan, You think people carry a weapon because they WANT to kill ???

They don't hope they can kill someone



As I said I'm glad you don't carry but I hope if the situation arises and you , or someone you love needs protection, there is a person who does carry and is willing to help you out.

[/quote:umvm9kit]

Wow TC, I know that you are at times prone to fanaticism (helmets) and this seems to be one of your areas.

You twisted my words to say that I think people packing want to, and hope to kill. I never said that at all, and it appears you twisted my words to make your response seem reasonable.

I purposely wrote my response in common language, not patriot style talk.
But I used the words,

"Need to"
"Better start"
And "Need to" again

You switched my words to try and make it fit your loaded response. You changed me words, and attributed them to me, using:

"Want to"
and "hope they can"

You very unfairly switched my words from "need to" and switched them to "want to". It seems that you had an agenda, and my own words didn't give you enough cause to take up the mantle and defend the cause, so you changed my words.

Then to make it more ironic, when you were giving your own thoughts on the subject, you used to word "willing to". I suppose that is splitting the difference between what I said, and what you claimed I said.

I wasn't trying to make a political statement; I was giving my thoughts on why I choose not to see the world as so hostile that I need to carry a gun everywhere I go, in case I NEED to kill somebody.

Please play fair, and even if it is a cause that you are fanatical about, don't mischaracterize what people say.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to not carry; I was just giving my own personal thoughts. If you want to carry, I'm fine with that. I won't even try to twist your words.