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It was 1985. My biggest concern for the day was getting something to drink. A coca cola.
At the circle k on the corner of prince road and oracle road. It was a nice day;
sunny and around 80 degrees. A typical tucson weather in may? No. Kind of cool.
As i was walking down the sidewalk, heading west on the north side of prince road,
i came to the point where the driveway for the corner store begins. From there, it is about
100 feet to the entrance door of circle K. There is/was a Mobil gas station on the other side of
oracle road; and i could not help but look ahead while walking.
There, across oracle road, walking south on the sidewalk, going towards the Mobil station,
was a man with something strapped to his hip/leg . He was wearing a cowboy hat, boots,
and one of those chains that people wear to avoid losing their wallet. The chain was shiny silver.
But more importantly, on his other hip was a leather holster, with a pistol inside.
Like a scene from one of those old movies; i didn’t know what to do. I slowed down….
ready to run for cover . I can still see him, he had a strap around his leg to hold the holster in place.
After my initial shock, lasting 3-5 seconds, i went about my business of buying a coke.
But i watched the man, probably in his early 20s, as he went to the Mobil gas station.
He walked in. A minute or two later, he walked out. He was opening a pack of cigarettes.
Put one in his mouth and lit it up.
I didn’t hear any dynamite blowing up a safe. No shots fired. He didn’t run, or jump into a waiting
get-away car. He just casually walked down the street. With a side arm. In public.
Never, in my 20 years had i seen anyone except law officers carrying weapons in public.
“Welcome to Arizona” .
I don’t remember seeing that man again. I do not remember seeing anyone else wearing a pistol -
a clearly visible firearm, in public.
Jim drove a convertible Corvette. It was a late 1960s model. Maybe a 1967 . i don’t know.
He was a security guard, working nights. The Vette had a shifter on the floor. I never did ask
but i think it was a manual transmission. Right next to the shifter, and sitting slightly taller in the car,
was his mount for his magnum 45. It looked just like a shifter, the way he camoflaged it.
Nobody tried to carjack him, anymore. Even if/when they tried, they would have to reconsider.
When they got close enough to see this ‘crazy’ guy in his shiny Vette.
You could not hide your gun, or put in the glovebox. Not have it in your lap, or tucked into the crack in the car seat.
It had to be visible to anyone who could see. Or it was a crime.
But for whatever reason , a permit to carry a concealed weapon is no different than ‘normal’ for Arizona.
In this era, if i saw that man, carrying a ‘six-shooter’ strapped to his leg, probably 80% of the city would dial 911.
For comparison, 101% of Arkansans would call twice. And the tourists, at least one call to 911.
But for Arizona, the other 20% would be making sure their gun was loaded…just in case.
Wierd shit happens in Arizona. The ability to carry a weapon is a choice of survival for a few.
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