Open Carry Means Open Insults

I manage the sales department at a salvage yard — a type of recycling facility that buys old vehicles and then allows people to come in and pull parts off them to purchase.

This is currently a male-dominated field, and unfortunately, theft and aggression are an everyday issue for myself and my mostly female coworkers. Because of this, I open-carry my .380 handgun while I’m working. It’s worth mentioning that I am a female in my mid-twenties, and I do have my handgun license, even though I don’t need one to open-carry in this state.

These are just a few of the things that have been said to me, all by men, while carrying:

Customer: “That’s cute. Is it real?”

Customer: “Better not argue with her; she’ll shoot you!”

Customer: *Whispering* “I’ll bet she doesn’t even know how to use it.”

Customer: “I’d better not steal anything today, huh?!”

Customer: “How many people have you shot?”

Customer: “Can I hold it? I just want to see how heavy it is.”

What surprises me most is how offended they get when I tell them that, no, they can’t hold it. What sane person would hand a loaded firearm to a complete stranger?!