I was once aked why I would carry a gun to a shopping mall. My answer was so that I’d be armed when got back to the parking lot.
Nice comment. Sunday late AM we were going to HH Greg in Jacksonville. I always have at least a handgun in the car and sometimes take it with me. Saturday was one such time. As we pulled up to the store, the virtually empty parking lot contained one obviously mentally unstable BMA walking haphazardly across it. As I exited the car, put the gun on, and my wife was curious why. I asked her did she not see the guy who just walked by and she said yes but he is 50 yards away and going away. I said what would stop him from being here when we come out with our purchase? Conversation over.
My wife always gives me the evil eye when we are out shopping and she puts her arm around me and realizes I’m carrying.
I carry everywhere I legally can. In a parking lot, especially a parking garage, I am 100% into situational awareness. I walk down the center of the lanes, a good 10 to 12 feet from the vehicles on either side. That means anyone rushing out from between vehicles has more ground to cover and I have a critical second or so to react. They will have enough momentum that a simple move puts them past you and on the ground. I also listen and check six in windows of vehicles. Look around before walking between cars to get to yours - you don't want to get caught in a confined space. Check for occupants in the vehicle next to yours (or yours) before getting close. If there are people in the car next to yours (drivers side), or a van - get in on the passenger side, relock doors, and then slide over. If you're right handed (shooting), keep that right hand free. Carry packages in your left hand, be comfortable with the idea of dropping them (regardless of contents) to free both hands to operate your weapon. Get comfortable with using your left hand to unlock and open your car door without fumbling. Learn to shoot equally well (at least close up) with your left hand. Steel yourself to the notion of going from pleasant day at the mall to full I'll-put-you-in-a-body-bag SOB mode in about 0.25 seconds if/when called for. Better to offend someone by taking preventative steps (yeah, that's right, I changed direction so as not to have to walk near you, get over it) than end up in a body bag yourself.
***I was once asked why I would carry a gun to a shopping mall.***
Over the years, my wife’s mother, niece, niece’s mother-in-law, and one of my co-workers have all been accosted or robbed in mall parking lots in Tulsa, OKC, and Dallas.
That is why they finally left the big cities for smaller towns.
Any time I go to these towns, I’m, well, never mind.