Wally walk

[Texas_Tactical]

I was excited to get my license today so I decided to go to Academy because I had to go out anyway. So I strapped on my S&W M&P .40 Compact in my Crossbreed SuperTuck IWB(which BTW is very comfortable) and even though I've put my gun on a few weeks ago in the house and checked for printing I checked a few more times which checked out just fine couldn't see a thing(jeans & T-shirt). Overall it didn't matter because decided to wear a hoody because it was cold and raining outside. So I pull up to Academy and as I was walking in I checked for a 30.06 sign just in case, once I got in the store I thought to myself "this is cool". I walked around for a while BTW Academy was out of almost all there camo I guess I shouldn't have went right AFTER there big sale go figure. I went and looked at there handguns and while i was standing at the counter a lady was filling out FFL paperwork and said she had her DL and Concealed handgun license so I asked her what she was buying and she said she was getting a S&W Sigma .40. I found out we took our class at the same place so that was cool. After reading on the forums about how some people felt conscious people were watching them and constantly checking to see if they were printing I honestly didn't feel like that at all, then again maybe it will be different when I'm not wearing a big hoody but I more less felt like i was doing something that was a right so I didn't feel weird at all.

All in all it was a good experience and I plan on carrying anywhere I can.

[dewayneward]

Not an official wally walk

Here is the thread with the specific rules: http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic. ... les#p57597" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So you got your CHL.

We assumed that you have already chose a proper holster, mag pouch (or suitable combination of substitutes) and cover garment and played dress-up in front of a mirror a couple of hundred times. But now, it is time to go live in the real world. It is time for you to go to WalMart!

1) You must park your vehicle at least 50 yards from the entrance of a regular WallyWorld (75 yards for a SuperCenter.) As you head for the entrance, you must perform a scan of the area including checking under parked vehicles for BG’s (Bad Guys.) Remember, grandma in an electric wheelchair is not a drive-by threat.

1A). Upon exiting car, surrepititiously adjust sidearm. Now don't touch it again unless your pants are about to fall off. Then tighten your belt

2) You MUST drive the shopping cart. No substitutes are allowed. Negotiating aisles full of screaming kids dropping cans of Chef Boyardee while Mom is on the cell phone and trying the latest Rosie O’Donnell Makeup & Fragrances is a good test of patience and self-control.

3) No quickies! Your stay at WallyWorld must last no less than 45 minutes. You can hang out in automotive and even double check the Rapala lures to see what’s new to kill an allotted rest time of 10 minutes. The rest of the time you must be on the move. An exception is made if you are with your significant other and she goes for the White Sale madness. You must park, wait and be ready to back your mate if things get hairy with the pillow throws or allergenic bedspreads.

4) You are gonna buy stuff so pick items from the top and bottom shelves to test your cover garment. Your mate can assist you and point out any deficiencies. If you are alone and store security or the cops have not arrived by the time you check out, you passed this test.

5) Check out: make sure you choose the busiest register. People will stand in close proximity and you must bear it with patience and avoiding contact. Beware of the people suddenly remembering a forgotten item and sending their mates to fetch it. They usually will brush against you on the way to get it.

6) Meal Time! If your WallyWorld serves Nachos, go ahead and get yourself a big serving of the suckers and wash it down with a Sam’s cola. If McD’s is the choice at the premises, get fries, onion rings, apple pie and a large Coke. ALL MEALS MUST BE CONSUMED ON SITE! No To-Go’s or you will be disqualified.

7) When you leave, repeat the scanning of the parking lot. Remember that now you are also dealing with a shopping cart that rattles like and old train and wants to go right all the time. Do not lose track of your surroundings because of this. If you have a car, open the trunk and introduce all your bags while facing outwards. Pick up Trucks: lower the tailgate and do the same. Keep scanning, you never know where the BG’s might be.

8) REMEMBER: Yellow lights = WallyWorld Security. Red Lights = Cops.

9) - Make test fall on floor in busiest area - near register or anywhere crowded. See if concealment can still be maintained. If you lose that then go back to GO and do NOT collect $200

10) Restroom break (even if you don't have to go), go through the motions, figure out what your going to do with your gun, while sitting on the commode

Be sure to post back with pictures or its a no go :-)

[shortysboy09]

Very good to hear you received your plastic on a side note!

[USA1]

Congrats on the um...Academy Walk.

It's definitely easier during colder weather with extra clothing to help cover.
I did mine during summer...Thank goodness for Hawaiian Shirts.

[joe817]

Texas_Tactical, congrats on a successful walk! You will become so accustomed to carrying that it will feel unnatural to you to go without carrying after a very short time.

[longtooth]

What about us old guys. There warnt no WallyWald when we got ours.

[Keith B]

What about us old guys. There warnt no WallyWald when we got ours.

LT, when you got yours, you just had to carry past the liv'ry stable, the saloon and on to the general store. Long as the Sherriff or the School Marm didn't see that you were carrying in town, you passed.

(Just kidding my friend!!)

TT, congrats on the license and your first outing.!!

[longtooth]

You are not as far off as you might think in the community where Sweet Wife & I were as a young couple.

[dewayneward]

What about us old guys. There warnt no WallyWald when we got ours.

Well, y'all get "grandfathered" in...no pun intended

[longtooth]

That's my answer & I do thank you. I was a multi grandfather for a looong time when I got my plastic.

I have an answer now.

[A-R]

What about us old guys. There warnt no WallyWald when we got ours.

Y'all didn't have Wal Marts in 1995?

[Humanphibian]

I think he meant Wally Walk.....back in the day there were no established forums, no wealth of information at our finger tips, no "Wally Walk" rite of passage....nothing. Our greatest resource (for me anyway) was former LEO/Military training, and if for some... "pointers" from friends and family in the LEO community that had been carrying undercover. As valuable as this information was at the time, it was VERY hard to come by without some sort of inside connections. CHL'ers were still "outsiders" in the gun tote'n community and looked down at by many in the Law Enforcement profession.

Times have changed. Newbies now only need logon, lookup and learn. Thousands of CHL'ers have posted tens of thousands personal accounts of what works for them, and what hasn't. ANYTHING you want to know....there is a good possibility that you can find it out there. Nowdays...CHL'ers are our own best resource....and perhaps the irony in the whole thing may be that CHL'ers are driving the concealment product market and providing UC LEO's with products, knowledge, training and concealed carry methodology that was not available to LEO's in the past.

[USA1]

back in the day there were no established forums, no wealth of information at our finger tips, no "Wally Walk" rite of passage....nothing.

That is so true.

Years ago when I first got interested in CHL, the only resource was
Texas Department of Public Safety Frequently Asked Questions.

It was helpful but left a lot to be desired.
Thank you Mr.Cotton for filling the void.

[GhostTX]

Forgot the map.

[Dragonfighter]

I think he meant Wally Walk.....back in the day there were no established forums, no wealth of information at our finger tips, no "Wally Walk" rite of passage....nothing. Our greatest resource (for me anyway) was former LEO/Military training, and if for some... "pointers" from friends and family in the LEO community that had been carrying undercover.<SNIP>

Yep. I had to learn HTML to format my posts on the creation science and other message boards. Windows 95 was the new kid on the block, built on a DOS kernel with all of the hiccups one might imagine. I was thrilled because I had long since gotten away from the 5.25" floppys and 8084 processor and had scrounged and built a 386 with a whopping 16MB RAM and was running programs off 3.5" disks and occasionally CD ROM and had put away Windows 3.1. We were the Bees Knees.