I'm visiting family in Florida for the holidays, and tonight I had a situation come up that made me very thankful for my CCW and reciprocity allowing me to carry.My family sat down to watch a film tonight, and just as it was ending around 9:30pm I saw a car stop outside my in-law's house and sit there for several minutes. My in-laws live in a 55+ retirement community on public streets without any gates or real security around. I watched the car's lights outside while the movie's credits rolled, and after a several minutes we heard a knock on the side door. My father-in-law (FIL) and I went to answer it while the rest of our family wrangled the dogs.The man we found outside claimed that his car had run out of gas on his way to the gas station, and he was asking us for a quick ride a few streets over to get some gas. My FIL agreed to give him a ride and I quietly told him that I would accompany him. I quickly went back to our bedroom, got dressed, and grabbed my Glock and a spare magazine, and stowed them discreetly before returning to the driveway. I left my pocket-carry backup gun with my wife and locked the doors on my way out in case this was some kind of home-invasion situation to draw my FIL and/or me away from the home.I rode quietly in the backseat behind my FIL so I could keep an eye on our passenger. Initially I left my Glock in my waistband (in a sticky holster). We rode for a couple of minutes about 2 miles down the road to where the man said he lived- a mobile home behind an old abandoned gas station on a dirt road. It felt super sketchy, was not lighted at all, and required my FIL to pull in the narrow driveway and do a three-point turn to turn around. I kept my eyes moving, looking for any suspicious people around, and I kept my thumb behind my back on the back of my Glock's slide to know exactly where it was.Our passenger got out of the truck, went into his trailer for a moment, and returned with a small empty gas can and then we rode another mile down the road to a nearby gas station. My FIL parked in a parking area and let the man fill up his tank. While he was in the process of filling it, I decided to remove my Glock from my waist band (again, in a sticky holster) and placed it underneath a large-brimmed straw hat that was in the back set next to me. I figured at this point that it would be more accessible there than behind my back. I kept my fingers on the grip underneath the brim while we rode.We got back to my in-law's house and parked. The man took several minutes and fumbled around filling his tank while my FIL and I stood nearby talking with him about some local sport upsets. I kept my head on a swivel and watched both directions on the road to make sure no one was hiding out or driving up on us. He finally finished filling the tank, and after a minute of struggling with the engine, got it fired up, thanked up, and drove off.Being a Concealed Carrier helped me feel so much more comfortable with this potentially dangerous situation. I was able to help look after my father in law, and leave my backup gun with my wife while we helped a slightly suspicious stranger. I'm not sure whether the guy was honest or not, but nothing bad happened, thankfully. It could've been nothing, or it could've been a ruse to get a couple of old folks out of their home after dark.Either way, I'm extremely satisfied with my decision to make concealed carry part of my life, and thankful my home state (Maine) has reciprocity with Florida to allow me to carry even when traveling and visiting family here. I truly hope some kind of national reciprocity passes soon. The option to be armed and cautious in this situation was a great relief to me.TL;DR - A suspicious man had his car run out of gas in front of my in-law's house and I carried my gun while accompanying my father-in-law to help the man get some fuel. I'm so thankful to have the ability to legally carry a gun for protection, as well as having reciprocity allowing me to carry in other states. It was a great peace of mind and I'm more appreciative than ever for the right to bear arms and carry for personal protection. via /r/CCW http://ift.tt/2h8uO1h
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