At first glance this multi-purpose women's jersey looks ideal for summer cycling with its rear pockets, high collar to keep the sun off and drawstring waist tie to flatter the female figure. But look a bit closer and there's capacity for an, erm, unusual accessory: a concealed pocket for a handgun.
"Only in America" you're probably thinking, and you're right. Manufacturer Concealed Carrie specialises in fashionable handbags designed to make it easy to tote a handgun. This is their answer to the problem of packing heat while cycling, walking or running.
The makers says: "The Concealed Carrie Athletic Top is for women who want the opportunity to protect and defend themselves while enjoying the great outdoors."
As well as the obvious pockets there are Velcro lined, ambidextrous concealed carry pockets below the breast bone. Concealed Carrie says these allow "for free range of motion, safely and securely store a handgun, Taser, pepper spray or similar self-defense product".
A compact firearm is recommended, the company says. Well, yes. Dirty Harry's Smith & Wesson isn't going to be exactly inconspicuous.
Carrying a handgun so you can retaliate when threatened on the roads has a certain attraction, but it's not wthout its risks.
Earlier this month a man in St. Petersburg, Florida accidentally shot himself dead while riding a bike. Troy Earl Smith was found by a bystander who called police after seeing him fall from his bike.
St. Petersburg Police spokesperson Michael Puetz told Guns.com that Smith did not have a permit for the .38 he was carrying in his jacket, and police did not know why he had the gun.
The gun was fired while still inside Smith's jacket, which could indicate he was reaching for his cell phone or some other item in the same pocket, Puetz said.
Puetz told Guns.com that what Smith did “wasn’t the safest methodology” for carrying a gun and advises against pocket carrying.
The Concealed Carrie Athletic Top – tagline 'Stay active and protected' – comes with a removable, adjustable holster, which Officer Puetz might approve of.
[HT Bicycling.com]
39 thoughts on “Concealed Carrie women’s cycling top packs a deadly secret — a handgun pocket”
The more people that carry
The more people that carry their gun around, the more people will end up killing themselves doing it, and thus the gene pool will become much higher quality.
So I’m all for it.
LarryDavidJr wrote:The more
Not necessarily true, since society is finding other ways to nullify Darwinism… Putting seatbelts in cars, creating vaccines for diseases, requiring motorcyclists wear helmets, etc. It’s all cheating death.
There’s an [unfortunate] reason people like Kardashians are still wasting our precious oxygen.
I may be wrong, but although
I may be wrong, but although the constitution allows citizens to carry firearms I don’t think they are allowed to carry concealed firearms. Anyone know about this?
Beatnik69 wrote:I may be
Firearms laws are different from State to State.
Beatnik69 wrote:I may be
I remember being in Austin and at a pool party at an Elk Lodge, when we were signing in as guests I noticed a sign saying “No concealed weapons”.
Being a cheeky sod, I took the piss and said “So, as long as there not concealed I can carry my guns around the place”.
Dead pan as anything, the little old dears behind the desk replied, ‘Yes, we recommend tucking your jacket or shirt behind your holster so everyone can see it”.
At that point I realised that all the staff and locals all had guns on them. They reckoned that although there had been many fist fights in the place over the years nobody had ever pulled a gun in anger as if someone did, everyone did. I could see the logic as much as it I disagreed with it.
Absolutely nuts though.
We later bullied Hanson off a stage for not playing MmmBop. Great day out.
farrell wrote:Beatnik69
That’s the logic of mutually assured destruction.
I suppose it works until one day when someone does pull a gun, then there is a shootout and they all die or run out of bullets.
farrell wrote:Beatnik69
My wife who studied in Houston told me that a Texas Ranger told her ‘You shouldn’t be in Texas if you don’t carry a gun’!
Guns and bikes…well, I remember not so long ago a car coming up by the side of me as I was climbing a 7% hill, and grabbed my saddle and I hit the deck. If I’d have been riding with Carrie, we’d have solved that one right there and then.
Re: questions about whether
Re: questions about whether carrying a concealed weapon is allowed in the US, All 50 sates allow people to carry concealed firearms. I think all but one require a permit but the process for most states falls in to the “shall issue” category. This means that getting a permit is subject only to meeting some minimum criteria laid out in the law; the state has no discretion in issuing the licenses if the criteria are met, and there is no need for the person applying to prove they have a particular need to carry a concealed weapon.
In other words, when visiting the US there may be far more guns around than you will ever know about, unless you are having a very bad day.
some states have a concealed
some states have a concealed carry law, but you have to have a permit.
Actually ALL 50 states have
Actually ALL 50 states have some sort of law allowing concealed carry. Vermont is the original Constitutional Carry state and has never required a permit to carry concealed or otherwise. Another 5-6 states now -allow- concealed carry without a permit, yet still offer a permit that may be recognized in some other states.
Personally I often carry one loaded with ratshot for the dogs of irresponsible owners that allow them to assault cyclist. It provides immediate feedback and Once peppered with it, they rarely ever come into the road again. IF they keep out of the road, I’m cool.
“Personally I often carry one
“Personally I often carry one loaded with ratshot for the dogs of irresponsible owners that allow them to assault cyclist. It provides immediate feedback and Once peppered with it, they rarely ever come into the road again. ”
Many people use a pepper like spray and achieve the same result.
It differs from state to
It differs from state to state and county to county.
You have to have a special
You have to have a special license in some states in the US others have an unrestricted approach to concealled fire arms.
I read up about it when a retired police officer in Florida killed a guy in a cinema.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concealed_carry_in_the_United_States
american, fuck yeah!
american, fuck yeah!
One instance this would have
One instance this would have been useful: https://youtu.be/ECs8ZrmH8D8
I suppose these will sell well in third-world countries.
You might not get so much
You might not get so much bike Jacking. Imagine the look on the crims faces. They’ve run you into the side of the road and are out the back of the van trying to nick your new Pinarello when…..
Makes me smile!
oozaveared wrote:You might
In the circumstances where guns are so freely available, the criminals have them too, and can just shoot you off the bike to avoid the possibility of retaliation.
Might damage the bike in the fall, though.
Does the gun come in carbon?
Does the gun come in carbon?
Take my strava segment and
Take my strava segment and I’ll put a cap in your ass.
That’s so cool! You can steal
That’s so cool! You can steal a bicycle and a gun from the same idiot at the same time.
It’s a shame people who buy
It’s a shame people who buy something designed to be deadly and then don’t bother to learn how to use it properly.
As mentioned, US laws vary by state – in Vermont (which has a very low crime rate, BTW) no permit is necessary for concealed carry. Other states, Like Massachusetts and New York (and esp. NYC) are extremely restrictive.
It is often illegal to take a firearm into a licenced establishment (to serve alcohol) in the belief (I suppose) that alcohol and guns don’t mix. No such restrictions in the UK, where shooting parties bring their 12-bores into the pub and stand them in the corner.
And then there are the pubs with shooting ranges *inside*…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9489794/Pint-to-Pint-The-Lamb-Inn-Devizes-Wiltshire.html
I’ve never found any problem
I’ve never found any problem with regular jersey pockets to be honest…
I would definitely buy one of
I would definitely buy one of these…to store a water pistol filled with wee
I would if I could, but I’d
I would if I could, but I’d choose a holster not a pocket solution.
Maybe a ‘Brooks’ holster
Maybe a ‘Brooks’ holster instead 😀
This is America, somebody
This is America, somebody somewhere probably sells a handlebar mount for an assault rifle.
It makes me laugh a bit
It makes me laugh a bit reading these remarks. Not in a mean way – just how they seem to think everyone that carries a gun is a lunatic. I shot competition for many years and of course met many people who also shot and carried guns and had a concealed carry permit. I would never go crazy and shoot someone and I don’t think anyone else I met would either.
To keep on topic though – I do like this jersey and would consider buying it. I would probably never carry my gun while cycling though. Not in fear that I would accidentally shoot myself or anyone else. More because I think it would be awkward. I’m not sure how much support you could add into a cycling jersey that it could keep your gun in place. I could be wrong. Just seems like it would be uncomfortable and then of course there is that all important addition of carrying any extra weight. It’s a nice looking jersey too. I may consider it if I were riding a long distance by myself. Overall, I like the idea.
SoulSeeker5 wrote:It makes me
I don’t think everyone that carries a gun is a lunatic, but I do think someone who feels the need to carry a gun while riding a bike is a lunatic. You’re riding a bike, why would you want a gun in your pocket?
A fair few dangerous animals
A fair few dangerous animals in the USA as well as the human variety 🙂 no such worries, generally in the UK thankfully 🙂
SoulSeeker5 wrote:It makes me
Do you think that people consciously decide to go crazy?
People like you shouldn’t really be handling guns……… 8}
There is nothing new under
There is nothing new under the sun. Scroll down:
http://violetcrown.org/blog/guns-bicycles
At my age it’s nice to know that accidental discharge is impossible.
‘ just how they seem to think
‘ just how they seem to think everyone that carries a gun is a lunatic.’
Not necessarily a lunatic. A bit deranged, though.
Defintely a Jersey for the
Defintely a Jersey for the Femme fatale Cyclist. If you don’t want to join the Killer Elite then Ride with us and checkout our new jersey and err Live longer! lol
Quote: I shot competition for
I’ve driven a car for many years and have met many people who do. I would never go crazy and drink/drive or speed or deliberately run someone over and I don’t think any of the people I have met would either.
OK, being realistic I’ve got
OK, being realistic I’ve got to applaud this manufacturer. Why? Simples. I was out the other day wearing a Gore windproof. That’s right Gore that cycling giant, and I like the jacket it’s windproof and not at all cheap. However my keys and an inner tube bounced right out of my Gore Jacket. Bummer. I thank God that when I got home, I jumped in my car and was able to retrieve my keys etc.
It’d take the top just for the zipped pocket! You listening Gore???
ronin wrote:OK, being
This story has more holes in it than a block of swiss cheese. If you knew that you dropped your keys why didn’t you pick them up when cycling, why would you go home and get in the car to retrieve them? Or if you didn’t realise you had dropped them at the time, would you have us believe that you drove your cycle route and managed to spot your keys from the car? And anyway, without keys how does one drive a car? Is this a magic car you happen to have that can start by voice command and comes complete with a key-finding radar device? No, good people of gore cycling wear, i put it to you that this is a work of fiction created by the zip industry, designed to strike fear into ordinary cycling citizens and ultimately to increase sales.
God i wish my gf would hurry up and get out of the bloody shower.
Kadinkski wrote:ronin
This story has more holes in it than a block of swiss cheese. If you knew that you dropped your keys why didn’t you pick them up when cycling, why would you go home and get in the car to retrieve them? Or if you didn’t realise you had dropped them at the time, would you have us believe that you drove your cycle route and managed to spot your keys from the car? And anyway, without keys how does one drive a car? Is this a magic car you happen to have that can start by voice command and comes complete with a key-finding radar device? No, good people of gore cycling wear, i put it to you that this is a work of fiction created by the zip industry, designed to strike fear into ordinary cycling citizens and ultimately to increase sales.
God i wish my gf would hurry up and get out of the bloody shower.— ronin
Yes, go take a shower, because your reasoning stinks!
#1 It’s never happened before and this is the second winter I’m using this Gore Phantom SO windproof jacket, the pockets are shallow with no zips.
#2 I didn’t realize at the time, but remember something dropping, but I checked by bag and it was still there, without stopping so continued as I was on a descent doing 40+ at the time.
#3 When I got home, I simply knocked the door (I don’t live alone), put my bike away and off I went in the car. Without needing radar I spotted my inner tube. How? Simples, Mr Kadinkski (or should that be Mr NotSoSmartSki), because I bind my inner tubes with yellow electrical tape (I reserve the black stuff for re-wrapping bar tape). When I spotted the tube i knew the keys weren’t far behind.
But the real question is, why would you be against having one single zipped pocket on a Gore jacket. Are you some kinda weirdo? :H
I hear the British version
I hear the British version they are going to make will have a catapult and elastic bands pocket.
Bristol Bullet wrote:I hear
I can’t conceal my compound bow very well but I can ride with it. Perhaps I’ll practice using it while riding too. At a 70lb draw weight it’ll go through a car door. Of course I’d never have a reason to let loose at a car…would I…