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bblhd672 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 4:03 pm Are there documented incidents in Houston where open carrying citizens have been targeted by bad guys during robbery? Or is multiple bad guys robbing a business the new M.O. there?

Everyone's situation is different. If its the criminals in Houston have gotten better at recognizing that citizens may be carrying and are looking for open carrying victims then its a tactically sound decision to conceal carry in Houston.

I don't know of anyone carrying openly that has been targeted by hijackers. Open-carry is so uncommon it's unlikely anyone has been present during a robbery. Multiple attackers/hijackers have been common in Houston for about 6 years or more. I doubt they are looking for people carrying openly. They just seem to understand that their chances of success are much greater when they use the team concept.

Chas.

crazy2medic wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:06 am . . . the BG goes into a . . . restaurant he or they want the money, they will head for the cash register, their goal is to get the money and get out before LE shows up!

That is not the norm in Houston. There are almost always multiple hijackers and they rob the customers as well as the employee behind the cash register. . . .

crazy2medic wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:06 amthe whole argument about being a target because you have a gun is a mute one, people in our modern society simply do not pay attention!

You can't make that generalization fit a hijacking scenario, especially with multiple BGs. These people come in armed, watching customers and presumably ready to engage anyone with a gun.

Again, open-carry if you wish, but don't try to tell me that doing so doesn't draw the attention of BGs during a robbery.

Chas.

I don't open-carry for two primary, but not exclusive, reasons. I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I'm armed; and 2) I don't want to get shot by a BG if I'm sufficiently unlucky to be at a location where an armed robbery goes down. Yeah, I'm saying I don't want to be a target and it's not an excuse for some other motivation.

Some argue that there is no evidence that carrying openly will make you a target for hijackers. While true, it's a meaningless statement since most of us have never been in any location when a hijacking was occurring. I don't know of a single incident where a hijacking occurred in the presence of someone carrying openly. The "lack of evidence" argument fails because there is no evidence that carrying openly does not make you a target.

Let's use some logic concerning an entirely too-frequent crime. Look at the number of multiple hijackers we are seeing in various locations like restaurants. If I'm in a restaurant that is hit by 3 or more BG's, does anyone really think that seeing me with a handgun on my side is not going to make me the center of attention for the BG's? Of course it will! Whether they shoot me or simply steal my handgun, I've lost. With my handgun concealed, I have the option to engage or not, as I see fit depending upon the circumstances. Some will argue that even if I'm carrying openly it is not guaranteed that any of the hijackers will see my handgun. This is absolutely true. However, they may see it and this is a risk that is not present when I carry concealed.

I don't care if anyone, other than my family, carries only; that's their choice. Just don't claim that a sound tactical decision is groundless and an excuse for some unstated reason.

Chas.