Snowflakes in Hell

We’re stopped for the night in Buffalo, Tennessee.  No camping tonight, because it’s just too damned cold out, and I’m a little tired of roughing it.   Plus, I can have beer here, and a safe place to store the firearms.

Bitter and I have been observing the boycott of Pilot Oil, except for bathroom breaks.  I figure that costs them money for water and bathroom maintenance.   I’m not rude enough to be more messy than usual, but I kind of liked the idea of sticking it to Mayor Haslam, who has still not quit Bloomberg’s coalition.  So until that time, I will feel free to keep making donations of #1, and #2s to the cause of screwing the Haslam family and Pilot Oil.

Dredged from the archives at What Would John Wayne Do!

I know that a lot of us carry firearms for personal protection, which had led me to wonder about the title of the thread. When you’re carrying, do you imbibe? Obviously, we all know that you shouldn’t drink and drive, but what about drinking and packing?

Please note, I am not a legal expert, and nothing I say should be construed as legal advice or counsel, please feel free to ignore me, and heed me only at your own risk.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let us look at the particulars of drinking and packing.

First thing we all know is that alcohol and firearms don’t mix. I can personally say I’ve had that pounded into my head for years, and the 2 alcohol related firearms accidents I’ve been witness to have reinforced that feeling. So, we can eliminate getting drunk and carrying; I think everyone’s okay with that.

Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation. You and the missus go out for dinner and a movie. At dinner, you have two drinks. Being a man of decent size and pacing yourself, two drinks does not raise your BAC above the legal limit, nor impair your judgment (you think). On your way to your vehicle, you are confronted and blah blah blah, you end up plugging some citizen who wanted to lighten you and wife of your goods. When the police officer shows up, how do you think his reaction will be if he smells alcohol on you? Now imagine the same scenario, except you are sober as a Baptist preacher on Sunday.

My feeling is that if I’m planning on having a few drinks, I leave the pistol at home; better yet so that I don’t have to go around unarmed, I don’t drink when I’m out. Plus, it saves me a tonne of money; buying booze from a liquor store and drinking at home is a lot less expensive. A great way to kill two birds with one stone is to volunteer to be the designated driver. I do this a lot as it allows me to stay sober, stay armed, and I get to laugh at the antics of all my drunk friends. I call that a win-win situation.

There are some states that forbid CCW holders from imbibing while they are in public and armed, some states don’t permit CCW holders to bring their firearms into bars. Know your local laws regarding weapons and alcohol before you do anything.

And remember that alcohol and firearms don’t mix.

It felt like this was especially appropriate as St. Patty’s Day is tomorrow. Indiana (where I love) has no prohibitions on carrying concealed in bars; I’ll be the designated driver for tonight’s St. Practice Day festivities, pretty much for the reasons stated above.