Serious question - public restrooms

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Skribs

Skribs

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I was at work the other day, and business called. Now, I can't carry at work, but I was thinking "what would I do with my carry piece if I was out and in this situation?" Since my belt supports most of the weight, and when my belt is undone, it doesn't support the weight nearly as well. I am also concerned about letting my firearm anywhere near the floor in there.

For those who carry more and have been carrying longer than me - what do you do with your carry piece in a public restroom?
 
Usually the advice is to put your feet together a bit, spread your knees a little, and fold your belt -- along with your holster and gun -- in so the gun sits in the crotch of your pants, cradled above your ankles.

Hard to explain, easy to do.
 
In order of preference:

1. Use your restroom at home before going out. The restroom is a tactical nightmare if you become a target.

2. Find a business which has a single use restroom with a locking door...my favorite when traveling is Starbucks

3. Use the unisex/family restroom...like at Target. It will usually have a fold down changing table inside. It is a great place to put your gear when you take it off.

4. Use the disabled/handicap stall...more room, more flat surfaces for your stuff
 
I found a S&W semi-auto stuffed in the toilet seat cover dispensor in the public restroom of the local public gunshop/range. I can only assume what the scenario was. It was the first thing in the morning so I assume it was there all night. I cleared it, removed the magazine, and took everything to the desk.
The counterprerson was a little surprised, but no drama. I assume the pistol found its way home.
 
Skribs said:
I was at work the other day, and business called. Now, I can't carry at work, but I was thinking "what would I do with my carry piece if I was out and in this situation?" Since my belt supports most of the weight, and when my belt is undone, it doesn't support the weight nearly as well. I am also concerned about letting my firearm anywhere near the floor in there.

For those who carry more and have been carrying longer than me - what do you do with your carry piece in a public restroom?
Click to expand...
That is exactly why there are pocket pistols.
 
Fold your waistband over so the pistol is between your shins, preferably high enough that it can't be grabbed from another stall (it has happened). Don't take it out and set it down, there's always a chance you'll forget it (that too has happened, to a cop in one publicized case). And like 9mm said, best option is to be alone in there.
 
In order of preference:
Use the can at home
Use a one-holer can while out
Use the less popular can if you must (some bix-box places have a front restroom and a back restroom)

If you must use a restroom while out and about ...
(and you usually will, we can't all only go #2 in our undisclosed locations behind blast doors and booby-traps)

... Here's what I do:
Use a largish stall, and carefully undo your belt**/pants. Lower them below your hips and re-buckle the belt. Lower pants and hold in place with spread legs or by hand. If you're paranoid or have biggish gaps under the stall walls, or are somewhere with a lot of kids*, lower your underpants in a way that covers the gun. Your gun is now safely in the holster, in a only slightly awkward reach, and still 100% under your control.

Taking the gun out of the holster has a lot of drawbacks, the biggest being that you end up handling a hot gun with less than complete attention. If you can easily dismount the entire holster and set it in your pants/coat pocket/whatever and still keep it under your control, that works. The family restroom might get you a funny look, but if the changing table is in a non-cramped spot that you can't miss on the way out, then it might work. Setting your gun on the toilet tank, in the plumbing, on the TP dispenser, or anywhere not under your control and not 100% guaranteed to be spotted on your way out is a recipe for embarrassment at best. Fumbling your gun while you try to do other things is just plain unsafe in the first place, and quite frankly after I'm done "making a log entry" I don't want to touch anything but the stall door on my way to the sink to wash my hands. I don't think my gun will catch something, but I don't want to be wondering if I need to sanitize it or something, and I handle that leather/Kydex/steel device a LOT without immediately washing my hands in the course of getting dressed in the morning and putting my gear in standby when it comes off of the pants.




*kids are lower down, pay attention, see everything, and they speak up without reservation
**This only works with a real gunbelt, one that makes your waistline stiffer as well as tighter. It won't help with a department-store "just makes pants tighter" belt. A good holster with wide belt attachment points helps, too.
 
I leave it in my pants pocket holster, or pull it out of my pocket with the holster and place it in my shirt front pocket. That's why I like the LCP.

There is nothing wrong with a big gun. I suppose someone could carry a Mossberg 500 with folding stock, however, the same question would come up, what to do with the gun when you need to remove some clothes.
 
Last week I took my SP 01 out of the belt slide holster and put it on top of a bucket of mud in the men's room. (we're doing a little construction/repair work at church). I was about 2 blocks away before I turned around to go back and get it. The top of the bucket was black so for just a split second I thought it was gone. Being the only person there at the time didn't help much because there was a small window of just enough time for someone else to have entered and left with it. Of course it would have most likely been a member or someone with a key but it scared me enough that I'll not make that mistake again.
 
I don't use the bathroom at work because the scumbags in the back of our building crap and piss all over the seats and stink it up like hell. I go to a different part of the building where only a few of us have keys to.
 
I wore a shoulder rig for many years which does solve the restroom problem. Shoulder rigs do not IMO give a very fast draw. Due to some old injuries I cannot wear it anymore without significant pain. So I started carrying cross draw (I drive a lot) for comfort. One day I put the holster and ammo carriers on a second belt just above the one in my jeans but not threaded into any belt loops, just snugged against my stomach. It is easy to make slight adjustments by sliding it left or right when it gets in the way. It's also easy to take off or put on while seated in a vehicle if you have to disarm to enter a Govt. building. But the biggest surprise was the first time I used a public toilet stall. I can unfasten and drop the pants without doing anything with my gun belt. It stays in place during the whole process. Cross draw is more comfortable when seated in a car and gives fast access to your gun and keeps it from digging into your kidneys. It also stops anyone from approaching from behind and snatching your gun. Someone trying to snatch it is going to have to be in front of me. Try it one time and see what you think.
 
Last edited:
Serious answer.
Get a 10 ft length of paracord.
1. Form a loop on both ends.
2. Tie to trigger guard with a girth hitch knot 1/3 from the end of the cord.

The short end loop goes on the stall door coat hanger, and the long end loop goes around your neck till you get done.

You certainly won't forget the gun and leave it behind.
And if someone grabs it under the stall wall?
You will either get it back with a real quick jerk, or die by garrote while trying, so it won't matter anyway.

Or, you could just carry an old bootlace in your pocket and hang the gun around your neck like we used to do in the Army.

rc
 
I do what Sam1911 does. I place it in the crotch area of my pants near my ankles. If something were to happen while sitting on the throne that makes all men equal, it also provides quick access.
 
Yup. BVD Hammock, I think it's called. Drop trou, flip the holstered gun and whatnot into the crotch of your pants. Everything goes pretty much out of sight and is still easily acessable to you.
 
I carry IWB in a summer special type holster. I go for single use bathrooms as a first choice.Flip two snaps, remove gun, place paper towel on sink, place gun on paper towel. I know i'm going to wash my hands, so no worries about leaving it.

The skivie hammock is my second option.
 
Am I the only one who dislikes the thought of handling my gun in between the wipe and wash portions of my visit?

Too much time considering health code and food safety, I suppose.

In addition to handling with less than 100% attention, which is the primary reason to leave it in the holster.

If your belt/holster/weapon selection won't sit mostly upright in your pants, I suppose dismounting the holster might make sense, but I just don't see any good reason to take the weapon out of the holster, just because you feel like there is enough margin in your gun handling to do so doesn't mean you aren't reducing the safety margin by doing so, and some stalls are really cramped, plus you may have the distraction from what prompted you to visit that stall in the first place.
 
I carry IWB in an El Paso Saddlery C-Force. When nature calls, I typically unsnap and remove the holster/gun and place it on the toilet paper dispenser.
 
I pocket carry now but before I just pulled everything down a spread my legs to hold it up, I've clunked my gun on the floor a few times but that's the worse I've had happen.
 
Shoulder holsters disturb my chi.

Actually, I just find them uncomfortable.

Although the though of handling the pistol between "wipe and wash" doesn't gross me out since the pistol will be cleaned soon anyway (if it's an EDC it should be cleaned often). What does concern me is the handling of the weapon at all. While not exactly an evil genie in a bottle, it is in fact a loaded firearm in a public place. Stop and think about what every ND has in common. Someone was handling the firearm and the firearm has not in a holster. Try to eliminate those two things when outside your home. At home, I can know for sure who and what is located where. Sitting on a public crapper, I'm not certain at all.
 
I am old and HAVE to use public places too often.

The stand up is too easy = obviously.

the sit down is done in a handicapped stall ,if possible.Yes I do have some disabilitys also.btw look for and use the DIAPER CHANGER !!.

But one thing I do is check and RE-CHECK prior to leaving a stall.

I leave it off the belt as a fully loaded Glock and at least one spare mag are not possible to drop AND then pull up while in place on belt.

I believe in CONCEALED CARRY,so I go out of my way to asure that my gear is well concealed as I leave the stall.

And yes,I go as often as nature decrees since the alternative is not pleasant.

The "Bucket List" was a very good movie.

The advice was a line from Jack Nickolson.

"Never waste an erection,Never pass up a bathroom,and NEVER trust a fart".

If your past 60 your should be smiling from the truths.
 
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