Yeesh, that lady should not be carrying. There is so much wrong with what she did, that I feel like the only correct response would be to confiscate her gun off the counter and call the cops to report her. What she did is illegal everywhere in the US—there is no state that does not require a holster for concealed carry.

A manual safety is one of the least reliable safety mechanisms on a gun. Many models don’t even have them so you don’t fall into a false sense of security. A holster that completely covers the trigger guard and has enough grip for the gun to remain in it when held upside down is the only acceptable safety for wear in public.

What you’ve described is a lady who has a loaded and unsecured gun sliding around in her chest that is very likely pointing straight at her body or straight at the person in front of her. A single moment of it sliding against her skin or the fabric of her bra could easily disengage the safety and pull the trigger at the same time. A hug could set that thing off!

The purse is only marginally better—the first thing an attacker tends to grab is your bag, so it won’t do you much good when you’re playing tug of war to get it back.

This whole story gives me chills. If you choose to handle a dangerous object like a gun, it is absolutely essential to take the proper and established precautions that are recommended by every single gun store clerk. These rules are there for a reason—they are written in blood.

In case anyone is interested, this is how I handle a gun:

I have a portable safe in my bag, in my car, and a full size safe in my house. All portable safes can be tracked with GPS and are secured to the strongest and heaviest thing they are near to. My holster completely covers the trigger guard, retains the gun when held upside down, and has no clearance on the sides where anything narrow could slip down to the trigger. My gun has a manual safety that is always activated and checked every time I go to the bathroom and buckle my pants. Once my gun is on me, I do not touch it unless I am in a private space, and even then, it is only to check the holster retention and the safety switch. I have taken training courses to understand safe handling. I have memorized the signage that would prevent me from carrying a gun into a location. I do my best to never bring it into someone’s home without permission, but if it is necessary (no safer alternative), it is locked in the portable safe and remains in the holster. I never put it in a position where another person could grab it unless it is fully unloaded and the person is adequately prepared to handle a firearm with my supervision.

The safest place for a gun is in a safe under your control, the second safest place is properly secured to your body under your control, and there is no third option.

In my opinion, anything less than that is irresponsible and dangerous. If you aren’t willing to have that level of discipline, I firmly believe you should not carry.