imported post
I routinely open carry, or casually conceal all over the Wasatch Front, including at the Utah State Capital. I open carry at the annual Sandy City Independance Day celebration, into city hall, as well as into most businesses including Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowell's, etc.
I've NEVER been stopped, questioned, hassled, or even so much as asked for ID, much less my CCW permit,by ANY police officer, store manager, or other person in authority. I've had a couple of kids ask if the gun was real.A fewof my fellow church members commented (most positive, one a tad negative) after the first couple of times I OC'd to the church BBQ (NOT inside a house of worship).
The closest I've come to any kind of official encounter with a police office was the last night of the legislative session when I was OCing in the halls outside the House chambers. Two UHP troopers came over and in the most low-key, casual way you can imagine, one asked me where he knew me from. We chatted casually for about 20 seconds before I realized he was really just making sure I wasn't a security risk. Maybe someone complained about the gun. Maybe it was just that the Lt. Gov had just shown up. In any event, never mentioned the gun, never asked for ANY ID, never asked for my permit. I've still got to write his boss a nice letter of commendation for the utter proffesionalism the troopers exhibited.
There are only a couple of places in Utah where it is technically legal to carry that I am careful to avoid detection:
1-The hospital if I am with a family member needing treatment. I just don't need to make anyone with large needles nervous. I recently spent two nights and 2 1/2 days in the hospital with my wife while she gave birth to our youngest child. Smart Carry kept my protection close at hand and completely undetected the whole time.
If I am just visiting someone at the hospital, I have no qualms about open carry and have done so on repeated occassions without any incident at all, though I can't guarantee that wasn't just because nobody noticed.
2-Temple square/BYU and other similar LDS Church property. While technically legal to carry so long as I don't enter any dedicated church buildings used for worship, I know the church doesn't like carry on their property and I'd just as soon not tweak them. There are some fights you just don't want to pick. If I intend to enter the Conference Center, Tabernacle, or other dedicated house of worship, I comply with the law and leave my gun secured elsewhere.
3-Work. I can't afford to be fired, so I abide the company's gun free policy.
Other than those places, I have no qualms about carrying, open or concealed, anyplace in Utah where it is legal. Last time I flew out of SLC airport I carried right up to the counter (casually concealed), declared a gun to check, let the agent know I needed to unholster to put into my luggage, and did so. No issues at all.
I'm a 30 something, clean cut, middle-class working guy who usually wears a decent pair of jeans and polo shirt. I smile a lot and don't look threatening. I'm reasonably well spoken. Maybe if someone looks, sounds, or actslike a gang banger they'd get a different reation than I do. But open carry in Utah's urban areas just isn't an issue at all in my ever growing experience.
One final note, while "Israeli" (legally unloaded) open carryin Utah IS legal without a permit, lacking said permit you are in technical violation of the federal gun free school zone law if you are anywhere within 1000 feet of a school (other than your own property). While this law is not actively enforced, I'd not want to see some otherwise law-abiding citizen pay for some lawyer's kid to go to college in an attempt to avoid going to prison over a technical violation of this abomination. We have a LOT of schools in Utah. The permits are inexpensive to get. They save a LOT of concern in these kinds of technical matters.