It appears as though you've weighed the risks of carrying a gun versus not carrying a gun and are willing to suffer the consequences should you become the victim of a violent attack during a time you are unarmed. That is unequivocally your choice to make and I wish you the best of luck and hope you never need it...the luck or the gun. I'm with you on carrying concealed as opposed to open carry under most circumstances. While at a firearms training institute during a 4 day course where participants are screened, open carry is the norm. It's a bit odd at first but you quickly get used to it; even seeing a 12 year-old with a semiautomatic handgun strapped to his or her hip; adults nearby, of course. But that situation is very different from our situations while out and about in our communities.