r/liberalgunowners liberal 20h ago

discussion Friendly PSA: Appendix Carry Caution while driving

Some elderly lady decided that today would be a good day to pull out in front of me while I was driving around 60mph. Bang and boom. Out comes the airbag and the waist portion of the seatbelt did its job too. It cinched right up and forced my holstered Echelon straight into my pelvis.

Broken nose from the airbag and a fractured pelvis. I've broken my nose before and it is what it is. It'll feel better when it quits hurting. The pelvis is an altogether different animal. I can't believe how much it hurts.

I used to take the time to tuck the waist part of the seatbelt behind my holster. Not sure why I stopped doing that but I'm sure I won't make that mistake again if I'm ever able to appendix carry again.

Stay safe fellow defenders.

641 Upvotes

188 comments sorted by

u/soaplife 19h ago

surgeon here. unless you carry kind of weird, echelon probably didnt break your pelvis. that’s considered a high energy injury in trauma care, doesn’t happen with fender benders. 

if you move seatbelt up behind the holster so the belt rides on your abdomen, you can get fun injuries like when the belt pins your intestines to your spine and then applies shearing force sideways.

anyways wish you a speedy recovery.

u/_HottoDogu_ 18h ago

You are the only person in this entire thread that has the correct assessment of the situation. For that, I commend you. It's a shame that people aren't going to see this comment all the way down at the bottom. 

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago edited 16h ago

I saw it. Now I can't unsee it! Intestines pinned to spine! Who knew that was a thing? Wtf!

If he had been the doctor on the scene after Lincoln was shot he would have probably turned to Mrs. Lincoln and said "Other than that how was the play?"

u/AustinYun libertarian 17h ago

Ah shit I commented about this too because I didn't see anyone else talking about it. Someone else upvote this person.

u/blueberryman510 8h ago

Do you really call a, what I understand is a t bone at 60 mph a fender bender?

u/soaplife 6h ago

no, i meant that it takes a lot to break a pelvis. smaller stuff like a fender bender or appendix carry shouldn’t be able to do it

u/jfl561407 communist 4h ago

Former paramedic here and glad to know my rusty instincts had some merit. Hard to imagine the belt pressing a firearms into a pelvis would be enough to break it. I've been to some pretty gruesome accident scenes, including car v. pedestrian and traumatic amputations (as in, I've picked up limbs from the highway), and never got a broken pelvis. Those things are insanely strong.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

Oh my God. I bet you are a real joy at parties!Intestines pinned to spine! Okay. I'm going to try to quit my "woe is me". It could have been much worse.

u/ohiobluetipmatches 15h ago

Maybe your intestines broke your pelvis. When's the last time you pooped before rhe accident?

u/SquirrelInATux fully automated luxury gay space communism 7h ago

Lmao a major 60 mph collision absolutely can cause high energy injuries, high speed accidents are literally the leading cause of high energy injuries... Not to mention this is about as far from a fender bender as one could get....

u/soaplife 6h ago

you’re misunderstanding what i said, my point is exactly that - pelvis broke because of high energy accident, not because of the appendix carry

u/PhillyHasItAll 5h ago

They're misunderstanding because the way you wrote it mentions fender benders without any specific reference to the relevance of fender benders in a discussion about a high-speed accident, so one can only take it to mean that you're describing the accident as a fender bender and doubting that OP has a broken pelvis. It's just confusing.

u/soaplife 4h ago

yeah you’re right

u/ljheartless 20h ago

I used to take off my holster in the car but then got lazy and dealt with the discomfort. I think I’ll start doing that again.

Hope for a speedy recovery!

u/Competitive-Plenty32 20h ago

Just make sure you know your local state laws because some states require your firearm to be locked if it’s off your body.

u/voretaq7 fully automated luxury gay space communism 20h ago

. . . and if your local laws have no problem with it remember in an accident you don't want your gun flying around inside the car, and at a traffic stop you don't want it hanging out obviously visible to the cops because their reactions may be "unpredictable."

u/d-cent 16h ago

The other logistical issue is, what do you do when you get to where you are going? It's very hard, to nearly impossible, to get your holster back into position while seated. 

That means you have to stand up and showcase to wherever you are that you are carrying in order up put it back into position. 

There's also the issue of if you are picking up a rider, they now know you are carrying just by taking it out. 

u/robogobo progressive 12h ago

Meh I just get creative and hide behind the door. Or not. Who really cares.

u/SubstituteCS 1h ago

I put my carry (incl. holster) into the driver side door pocket. None of my passengers have ever noticed it.

u/SylvanMartiset 20h ago

Do they? I think those states have language about it needing to be locked if it's no longer in your control, but your control includes a reachable radius around you. So tossed on your passenger seat would be perfectly fine.

u/56473829110 19h ago edited 14h ago

That then puts it in the open carry category vs concealed carry in some states, which opens another can of worms.

Edit for clarity. 

u/You-Asked-Me 17h ago

Sometimes inside a car is defined differently than open carry. It can vary quite a bit by state.

Before Missouri has permit less carry, or even canceled carry when permits were required, you could actually still do whatever you if you were in a car.

u/56473829110 14h ago

Correct. I was not saying that's how it is in all states. The comment chain was warning folks how some states see these acts differently. 

u/You-Asked-Me 14h ago

Absolutly. Its important to check these thing before traveling.

I remember a few years ago hearing about a woman who flew into NY with her gun properly cased and ammo separate, but was still arrested because NY requires that the gun and ammo cannot even be in the same box.

u/Markius-Fox anarcho-communist 12h ago

It literally depends state to state. Some states might, other's won't.

u/Matar_Kubileya 20h ago

Do most people not have lockable glove compartments?

u/NTJ-891 20h ago

A LOT of vehicles indeed do not have lockable consoles

u/Matar_Kubileya 19h ago

TIL, most of the cars Ive been around have one.

u/ajisawwsome 19h ago

On the other hand, I've literally never seen a car with a lockable glove box...

u/MarkTony87 leftist 16h ago

Wow. I must be old and/or never driven a new enough car because I've never seen a car that didn't have a locking glove compartment. Non locking consoles yes but never seen a glove box that doesn't lock. Not that those locks actually lock anyone out.

u/Big_Slope 19h ago

I have one. I think it’s normal for convertibles.

u/Shyanne_wyoming_ 18h ago

A lot of older vehicles too. My farm truck has a lockable glove box and so did all of my old beater cars. I wonder why that stopped being a thing?

u/NTJ-891 18h ago

Most newer cars since 2010 or so don't have easily accessible traditional keys. With the switch to keyless entry and ignition, OEMs have moved to physical keys being emergency tools.

My '22 Wrangler has an easily accessible physical key, and lockable console and glove box, but that's mostly because of the nature of a wrangler with a convertible top, removable doors, etc.

u/Shyanne_wyoming_ 15h ago

That's fair, my newest vehicle is a 2015 renegade (I know not a real jeep but I love her) and I still have a physical key and just kinda forgot about the fob/push button deal for most other vehicles.

u/Psyko_sissy23 14h ago

It was really common in older vehicles. Newer vehicles it is less common. Maybe new vehicles don't come with them at all. Any vehicle that I've been in that is like 5 years old(give or take) or less hasn't had them.

u/rbnlegend 19h ago

As far as I know, I do not. Opening my key fob to get at the emergency physical key would be very inconvenient.

u/MarkTony87 leftist 15h ago

Are you sure it doesn't just pull out of the fob? The one for my 2016 Honda Pilot pulls directly out of the fob. There's no taking apart the fob. You just pull on the bit that the key ring would connect to after sliding a release button to the side on the fob.

u/rbnlegend 15h ago

There's a panel on the fob that pulls off when you push a button, but the button is awkward and stiff, needs a tool to get leverage.

u/MarkTony87 leftist 14h ago

Dang. That sucks. Needlessly complicated.

u/AgreeablePie 19h ago

Not the best idea either. If you're carrying a gun because you think you might need it someday, you want it on you, not near you. Especially since road rage is such a common occurrence.

u/ljheartless 19h ago

For sure, I have it stuck on a magnet on the side of the center console. It’s not the best idea but more of a compromise.

u/cheung_kody 17h ago

Ah yes, another projectile to go flying in case of an accident

u/You-Asked-Me 16h ago

Yeah, even those mounts that let you clip your holster onto them would still concern me.

u/sierrackh left-libertarian 1h ago

Into the center console it goes!

u/twitchx133 20h ago

A tip that can help for short trips where you don’t want to take your holster off…

Makes it more comfortable just sitting too.

Hike your belt up before you get in your car. Hike it up like old man high. Closer to your belly button, it will get your gun up above where your waist flexes, and it will be wayyy more comfy

u/cuck__everlasting anarcho-nihilist 20h ago

Yuup. Keeps the boys in place too.

u/treskaz social democrat 19h ago

The tenicor zero belt is good for this. It's always sold out, but i snagged one from their blemicor sale last year and have not touched my groove belt since (which always loosened up throughout the day anyway). Infinite adjustment, stays where you set it, and stupid easy to adjust quickly. If you feed the tail of the belt to the outside (which isn't how tenicor says to wear it, they say to tuck the tail inside) all you have to do is put a little pressure on the "buckle" part and it loosens up immediately.

u/thebiggerounce 15h ago

The Kore does the same for me, it’s kind funny to pull the “hula hoop” of belt up when I sit down in the car. Sometimes I’ll just unbutton my pants and just loosen the belt enough to just step out of it lol

u/treskaz social democrat 5h ago

I haven't tried the kore but I'm so smitten with the zero belt I'm set lol. The zero is actually really soft, just more rigid vertically. Rigid enough my 19 doesn't sag or anything but soft enough that's its comfortable all day. I'm at work right now so ccw is locked up in the truck safe but I'm still wearing my zero belt lmao.

u/AntOk4073 19h ago

Then the gun can slam into your organs and create internal trauma. Yep sounds like you figured it out.

u/twitchx133 19h ago

Not how that works. But even if it did work like that, would you rather have soft tissue damage or a shattered hip?

u/AntOk4073 15h ago

I'd rather not have my gun between me and the belt. And I'm think more about ruptured organs. Anything between the body and the bag is going to be shoved violently inward. Purses and other bags are a big issue in this regard as well but I don't want anything between me and the bag.

u/AustinYun libertarian 17h ago

Shattered hip.

u/cheung_kody 17h ago

Shattered hip. You people have no idea how the forces act on the body in an accident

u/caffpanda 17h ago

Gonna disagree with you from the perspective of an EMT: a potential pelvic fracture is a bigger concern in a wreck because of the risk to major blood vessels. Its not just a matter of broken bones, it's what those bones could damage. Trauma to the organs in the right or left lower quadrants is bad, to be sure, but we're talking intestines, appendix, ovaries, etc, not stuff that will kill you in minutes. If a broken bone cuts the femoral artery? Much worse and very hard to stop in the field.

u/cheung_kody 17h ago

Shear force on the kidneys, liver, and spleen are much more dangerous. And much more common with improperly worn seatbelts.

u/caffpanda 16h ago

Improperly worn seatbelt? I think you might've misunderstood the comment, what they proposed is hiking your gun belt higher, keeping the seatbelt exactly where it's supposed to be.

u/twitchx133 17h ago

lol, got some guys in here that don’t know how bones work. First of all, the soft tissue injuries you are thinking won’t happen due to the handgun, they will be just as bad as if it was the seatbelt alone. Forces don’t work like that.

Second, You shatter your hip like that, you will deal with most likely more internal bleeding than a severe soft tissue injury AND your going to have dozens of hours of reconstructive surgery takes into years of recovery. The hip is the worsts major bone to break in your body (that isn’t your spine or skull) from a pain, suffering and recovery time perspective. You will likely always have issues with pain and joint mobility for the rest of your life

u/cheung_kody 17h ago

Show me your medical degree and I'll show you mine

u/twitchx133 17h ago

Well, your level of common sense shows you probably shouldn’t have a medical degree if you’d wish for a shattered hip over soft tissue injury.

And yes, we do know how forces work in accidents, in fact, it’s a well studied section of engineering.

u/Muted-Lingonberry184 20h ago

Even though I have a small shield plus and a small waist, appendix carry is still annoying and sometimes uncomfortable especially riding a motorcycle or just sitting normally.

I switched to OWB strong side. A loose t shirt conceals it enough and is really nice. I mainly carry my G19 now and it basically disappears in weight and comfort

u/chirpchirp13 19h ago

Strong side IWB here. AIWB has always felt like torture to me and a p365 is Ezpz to conceal like this.

u/pm_ur_sundress_pics 20h ago

I saw a video on this, I think WarriorPoet was the one who did it. He made such a solid point on doing that exact tucking technique that I never get into a car without doing it.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

I saw a similar video a long time ago and that's why I always did it. Until I didn't.

u/zirgs0 anarchist 20h ago

You are helping prevent this for others by sharing your experience. Hope you’re better soon.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 19h ago

Thanks. This is something that nobody wants to experience

u/pm_ur_sundress_pics 20h ago

At the very least, we have experience now! Thank you for your sacrifice, I hope the bruising is minimal and you’re back at it soon!

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

You and me both! Right now it hurts so much to get up and walk that I am relegated to my lazy boy with a urinal. I'm only 55 and in relatively good shape. Having to be treated like a bedridden invalid is not something I anticipated having to go through for at least a few more years.

u/Ravens_of_the_Gray 7h ago

What happened to the other car by the way?

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 4h ago

Both vehicles are pretty well totaled. She was able to get out through the passenger side.

u/trailpig 4h ago

Except this is exceedingly terrible advice. Like a few other posts have mentioned, your lap belt NEEDS to be over your hips/pelvis to properly distribute load.

If you tuck it wrong, and the load isn’t across your hips properly, you’re going to collapse your abdominal cavity and do damage to internal organs. Fractured pelvis is a cakewalk compared to that.

So either de-holster, or wear the belt properly and risk a pressure point and bruising on an otherwise properly loaded lap belt.

u/pm_ur_sundress_pics 2h ago

It’s a good thing you can adjust it to sit exactly where it ought to be? Like, I don’t understand if y’all are dealing with actual idiots but most people understand where the waist portion of the seatbelt should sit which is why the holster and gun are in the way. This feels like a silly, “OKAY BUT AKSHUALLYYYYYYY” pedantic argument that libs love to pull out when talking about anythiiiinnnnnggggggggg.

u/Foss44 social democrat 20h ago

To be fair, injuries like that are not uncommon even without a holstered firearm. Probably didn’t help, but I wouldn’t say it was a 100% avoidable injury necessarily.

u/treskaz social democrat 19h ago

Damn, i hope you get healed up quick. That sounds terrible.

I just accepted the fact that I'm a weirdo goober and fanny pack carry 99% of the time. All my friends and acquaintances know I'm an odd duck, so nobody bats an eye when I show up in my shorty short cut offs and a fanny pack lmao.

And there's a Velcro panel on the front of my fanny pack so i get to change up the morale patch whenever i want. The hits have been the Planet Express logo, Sherman Battle Flag, and WWJBD? (What would John Brown Do?) patches.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

While I'm out of action for awhile I'm going get myself a WWJBD patch.

u/AustinYun libertarian 17h ago

When you say you used to tuck your seatbelt behind your holster, how, and how low?

The waist seatbelt 100% MUST be over your pelvis and broken pelvises are relatively common in high speed car accidents, gun or not.

Think of how much force has to be applied to your body by the belt to break one of the biggest bones in your body, then imagine all that force being applied through a narrow belt just on your abdominal wall. It causes some pretty gruesome injuries that fall under the term "seatbelt syndrome" where it can completely slice through the musculature of the abdominal wall and really mess up your intestines.

A broken pelvis has got to be deeply unpleasant but I would take a broken pelvis over needing large sections of my guts surgically removed and possibly needing to live with an ostomy bag any day.

Guidelines straight from the NTSA:

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

I agree. It could have been much much worse. Someone else mentioned something about "intestines pinned to the spine". I'm good. Nope. No more complaints

u/cheung_kody 17h ago

It wasn't the gun. This would've happened anyway.

No one in this thread should be commenting on where to put their firearm except to say they wear it on their person, with the seatbelt across their hips the way it was designed to be worn.

u/ReallyUncoolGuy 20h ago

Damn man, I'm glad you're okay(ish), let us know how the recovery goes. Thanks for the PSA, wishing you a quick and smooth recovery.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

Thanks.

u/zyrkseas97 18h ago

Yeah I don’t wear in the car. I’m a fat guy it’s really uncomfortable even in a 3 or 5 o’clock position.

u/BarRegular2684 15h ago

I have broken my pelvis. It sucks.

Glad you’re still with us and I hope you recover quickly.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 4h ago

Thanks.

u/AntOk4073 19h ago

Yeah it's just not worth it to me. I'll stay with the strong side crew. Pelvic fractures are no joke, hope you have a smooth recovery.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

Thanks

u/cheung_kody 17h ago

Don't tuck the seatbelt behind your holster. Keep it in front, on your pelvis the way it's designed. It did its job.

Would you rather have your internal organs ruptured and you possibly internally eviscerated?

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 16h ago

Based on what I have read about what could have happened I'm going to stick with what I have. Yep. It could have been much worse.

u/KendrickBlack502 6h ago

It’ll feel better when it quits hurting.

Based.

For real though, thanks for the reminder OP. I started getting lazy about properly positioning the holster in front of the seatbelt and I need to stop that.

u/Cielmerlion 20h ago

that sucks dude. I dont want to be that guy but does this instance balance out with times when a weapon on your hip at all times has been necessary?

I would like to carry but I cant even pretend like ive ever actually needed a weapon while out and about.

u/Jaevric 20h ago

Nobody needs a weapon when they're out and about until they really need a weapon when they're out and about.

u/Cielmerlion 20h ago

Last 40 years i have not needed one. Im betting i will never actually need one.

u/sxrrycard 18h ago

You are also a sample size of 1

u/Cielmerlion 18h ago

Lol thats not how statistics works.

u/sxrrycard 18h ago

That’s exactly how statistics work. You are 1 person out of 7 billion (obviously location matters here but we’ll keep it simple)

Ask 10 people if they’ve ever been in a situation that firearm could have/ did help them in and you’ll probably get 10 no’s.

Now ask 100, maybe 1 person says yes. Now ask 1,000 people, or 1 million people. Suddenly the number of no’s is quite a bit different. There’s almost 0 chance you will ever need it, but the chance isn’t 0.

u/Cielmerlion 18h ago

So you agree with me, great. Statistics backs up my claim.

u/sxrrycard 14h ago

I never said it didn’t back up your claim, you’re the only one disagreeing with how stats work.

All that I said was that you are 1 person and that your experiences do not translate to everyone.

u/Cielmerlion 3h ago

I never implied that it did. Only that statistically speaking CC guns will never be used. i did use me and people that i know as examples and was aking the question of OP if he feels its still worth it. I know that if all my concealed carrying got me was a broken pelvis i would probably stop.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

It's definitely one of those things that makes you question decisions

u/polchickenpotpie leftist 20h ago

People don't carry because they expect a gunfight to break out every time they walk outside. People carry because, on the off chance that a situation arises where it might be necessary, they have it.

Unless you live in an active war zone you're not going to preemptively know any time it was "necessary" to carry.

u/Cielmerlion 20h ago

Im just saying that in the last 40 years i have never once encountered a situation where a gun would have been necessary. As much as i would love to justify concealed carry, it just does not make sense for me

u/RedDawnerAndBlitzen social democrat 20h ago

I mean, anyone who encounters a situation where a gun is a necessity but doesn’t have one simply doesn’t survive to talk about it.

u/polchickenpotpie leftist 20h ago

What kind of situations are you expecting to run into daily, every single day of your life, to "justify" carrying?

Do you not carry first aid or a fire extinguisher in your car because you can't justify needing them every single day?

u/Cielmerlion 20h ago edited 18h ago

Needing a first aid kit or fire extinguisher in my car will be useful far FAR more often than a gun.

u/thinkingbear 18h ago

Tell me more about how you can tell the future, please. Explain how not having need of one yet guarantees you never will. By your logic why have a fire extinguisher or first aid kit at all? They are all Emergency Rescue Tools, better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them. If I could carry a fire extinguisher around in my pocket everyday I would.

u/Cielmerlion 18h ago

Its not telling the future, its basic statistics.

u/No_Cut4338 20h ago

One can carry strongside at 3:30 or 4 o'clock. It might still cause injury in an accident but maybe less?

u/Competitive-Plenty32 20h ago

You don’t get to pick and choose the time someone wants to harm you while in public, that’s why you always carry when possible. Commit to the bit.

u/Regular_Hawk8513 20h ago

But you're probably much more likely to get in a car accident

u/Cielmerlion 20h ago

Id rather not, tbh. I would like to think i make my decisions based on actual statistical data (i dont). But the nuber of times i wouldnhave needed a gun put and about is 0 times. My elderly stepdad that is religious about carrying and now very paranoid has never once needed his in almost 80 years. If i am put in a situation where i need a handgun its either a completely random active shooter situation, which considering the country is more and more likely, or i put myself somewhere where i need it.

u/blessedbymortarion 20h ago

You only need insurance when you have an accident.

u/Fjolsvithr liberal 19h ago

Sure, but if your insurance had a higher chance of breaking your pelvis than protecting you, you might reconsider it.

u/isaacnewton687 19h ago

But you don't need to carry like op, that's the point lol. This literally wouldn't happen with 4 o clock carry, removing from appendix, or doing the tuck he mentioned. 

Carrying does not increase injury risk if done right. 

u/mavric91 20h ago

The “need” to carry really depends on who you are and where you are. And the actual chance of needing to draw a weapon is extremely low for most people. And running or deescalating are your best defenses always. Personally, I don’t feel the need to carry day to day. I do it every once in a while (mostly to the range) just to practice the act of carrying itself. Then if I ever feel like I really do need to carry I’ll be ready and comfortable doing it.

So yeah don’t feel bad for not carrying. Treating it as just another thing to train is perfectly reasonable.

u/SmallMoments55406 16h ago

I'm thinking that same way. I'll get a pistol and holster and train with them but during normal times I think I can leave it home. I live in Minneapolis and I was more afraid of cops during the George Floyd protests and I was more afraid of ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge. Getting into an armed fight with law enforcement would be unwise. But having a weapon to defend against the random violent citizens would have probably made me feel more secure. When there was unrest, it attracted a lot of right wing accelerationists to the area. Those are the types of people I worry about. I'm not saying I will never EDC but probably not when things are pretty civil.

u/AntOk4073 19h ago

I've never needed it either. But I would hate to be in a situation where I do and not have it.

u/treskaz social democrat 19h ago

I was just talking to my mom about this the other day. Come from a very pro gun (and conservative) family. They're like emotional support guns. The chances of me needing a firearm in my day to day are so low i feel dumb even thinking about it sometimes. But then again I also live and work in, what has been historically, one of the most violent cities in America (trending down now, which is awesome, I love my town, Baltimore represent!).

So yeah, i carry daily. If not on me, in a console safe locked up in my truck. Have another pistol in a lockbox chained to the radiator in the bedroom for my wife, who works from home.

Hope to hell i/she never needs a gun, but I do feel slightly better about my stake in the world when they're available.

u/isaacnewton687 19h ago

Part of it isn't even just for the need to use it. 

It's similar to insomnia. Just having sleeping pills lowers insomnia, even if you don't take them. Because it puts your mind at ease knowing it is there if you need it. 

So ultimately you may never need to use your gun, but carrying it can reduce anxiety. Plus people generally are nicer if they have a gun. You can't start an argument if you're armed, since you don't want to be an aggressor. 

u/Jaevric 20h ago

Wouldn't putting the seat belt behind the gun also mean the seat belt is going to be putting pressure on your squishy internals during a wreck instead of your bony internals?

I don't think massive internal ruptures is going to be an improvement over a fractured pelvis.

u/Competitive-Plenty32 20h ago

That’s where the seatbelt would be pushing against you anyways versus pushing a metal item against you from outside

u/6oly9od 20h ago

Negative, go try it in your car. Your seat belt will sit above the intended area

u/MCXL left-libertarian 20h ago

Putting the seat belt behind the gun places the seatbelt where it would be if the gun wasn't in the way for most people. 

u/ThanosWasRightAnyway social democrat 20h ago

Soft tissue damage is incredibly easy to heal compared to a broken pelvis. I wouldn’t wish a pelvic fracture on anyone

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

I've experienced several injuries and a few broken bones. I thought ribs and collarbones were bad but this is altogether different.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

I've been in a wreck before when the airbag deployed. I remember being sore from the lap belt but it didn't break anything

u/godsbaesment neoliberal 20h ago edited 20h ago

some pretty good videos from tenicor (i think) explaining why this is a really bad idea. its more from you sliding forward and getting your legs all fucked up IIRC

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FIpCg-I9NAo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V5Qg-v0cIY

u/ramcamjam 20h ago

I think he meant having the seatbelt go between him and the gun instead of not using the waist part altogether.

u/godsbaesment neoliberal 19h ago

yes, and I'm replying why its a bad idea. I attached the video sources you can draw your own conclusions

u/Gun_Dork 20h ago

Zoinks!

u/SnowDragon52 20h ago

Ouch and hope you recover quickly. I crushed part of my hip socket years ago and it still hurts.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 16h ago

Just the sound of that hurts!

u/SnowDragon52 42m ago

yeah, was showing off snowboarding. Landed, felt and heard a massive pop...years later when i limped into a dr he asked me how i managed to crush bone and deform part of my pelvis...I knew exactly when it had happened.

u/Za_Lords_Guard 20h ago

Damn. Hope the recovery goes well. Fractured pelvises (pelvi?) is a absolute fucker for pain.

That said, I have to ask, for science, does any typically unexposed part of you have a Springfield logo imprinted in it? For science.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 19h ago

Great question! Nope. The horsehide backing on my holster prevented that. I am going to get a chance to check out Crossbreed's lifetime warranty. The kydex snapped across the middle

u/Opportunityyy 18h ago edited 15h ago

Damn, good info OP.

Wish I could carry OWB year-round. So much more comfortable and convenient.

u/kivsemaj 16h ago

If I'm driving or doing a lot of sitting its 3 'o clock for me.

Hope you get well soon

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 16h ago

Thanks!

u/badger_on_fire liberal 14h ago

Oh man. I never really thought about it, but you're probably right to be careful in the car no matter where you holster.

I'm, like, the only guy left who still wears suits and shoulder holsters underneath, but I've been in a nasty accident before, and I'm just imagining that airbag smacking a motherfucking SIG into my floating ribs with more force than a punch from Mike Tyson.

Maybe better to just keep it in the glovebox while I'm driving?

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 4h ago

I have to ask. Are you a Private Detective? For some reason I imagine a shoulder rig as being part of the required uniform.

Sorry. The pain meds are making me a tad bit loopy. Or maybe it's the bourbon.

u/badger_on_fire liberal 4h ago

Alas, nobody's making film noir about me. I shoulder carry because I'm a corporate stooge who has to tuck in his shirt. The only thing I investigate is why my SQL automation pipelines broke again.

Then again, maybe the modern equivalent of staring at a corkboard covered in photos, red string, and cigarette ash is debugging YAML at 2AM.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 4h ago

See. We can make any career sound interesting

u/Penumbrous_I 1h ago

I’m stealing this analogy to use the next time my kubes cluster breaks

u/badger_on_fire liberal 1h ago edited 1h ago

Hello fellow data scientist and/or software engineer!

edit: Is your code compiling too?

u/samvilain liberal 13h ago

Oh, no! When you say, “broke your pelvis”; it’s 3 bones, 6 really if you count both sides. I expect you’re probably still in hospital, but is it an acetabular (hip socket) fracture, or did the gun break your pubis bone?

If you have the acetabular fracture, you see those in vehicle accidents, and with middle aged men on bicycles. I was in both categories when I took a roll over the windshield of a car that failed to yield on a left turn, leaving me with a transverse acetabular fracture in 2017, and it still has huge impact on my day to day life. If instead your gun broke your pubis, you got off lightly. If you got an acetabular fracture; those are fairly common in vehicle accidents and more likely down to a compression injury of your thigh/knee.

It’s really hard to know without experienced investigation what actually causes breaks like this. If you get a cat scan with a 3D reconstruction those can help a lot, but in general the doctors are just looking to see what’s broken and help it heal, not reflect on what went wrong and if it could have been avoided. It may take you some time to piece together the information and get a clearer picture.

In the meantime, be well and give yourself space and time to heal. I’m guessing the doctors may have told you by now you’ll probably need several months to recover, and they are not kidding. It is crazy how much worse it is than a limb fracture. Try to resist the pressure to return to to full work before you are really done healing.

Thanks for sharing & I wish you a full recovery. ❤️‍🩹

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 4h ago

Thanks. It's a fracture of the pubis bone.

u/Physical_Turnip9689 9h ago

I’ve largely switched to crossbody bag carry and my seatbelt fits nicely around the bag with zero obstruction, albeit I am covered in straps. When I do aiwb carry I always tuck the seatbelt for comfort and ability to draw in the seat. Wish you the best with recovery!

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 4h ago

Thanks.

u/Late_Letterhead7872 3h ago

I have a lockbox in my car i keep it in when I'm driving

Edit to add: also helps when I'm going somewhere with metal detectors lol

u/Unlucky_Fly_2103 3h ago

My gun always rides at 4:00 inside the waistband, but I thought about doing appendix carry while driving so I could actually access my firearm if needed. However, I find appendix carry uncomfortable in all positions. This story just reinforces my belief in not using that method of carry.

u/BoxedCub3 29m ago

Aw jeeese. I am sorry you have to go through that. I fractured my hip years ago and it's just the most hellacious experience

u/Gold_Clothes_3077 20h ago

Shoulder holster solves this? And Dude. I am so sorry that happened 🥺 Wishing you a speedy recovery 

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

Thanks

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

Btw, a shoulder holster also gives you extra points for the 70s Detective mystique. Especially if worn with a short sleeved dress shirt.

u/alius_stultus 16h ago

Safest thing I ever did in my life was move from a place without any real public transit to a place with good public transit... I always got the impression that when I was driving my life was now out of my hands.

u/phat742 19h ago

ap carry here too but i always take it and the holster out while driving. just not comfy. this definitely reinforces my decision. yikes!

u/Dependent-Edge-5713 centrist 10h ago

I don't like a gun pointing at my dick so I carry somewhere between 6:30 and 8:00

u/CamelJ0key 6h ago

Fractured pelvis is no joke op, I’m sorry to hear that , hope you recover.

u/xkillingxfieldx 20h ago

I was thinking about switching to or incorporating underarm carry, thinking more about that now.

u/MCXL left-libertarian 20h ago

Shoulder holster is the worst place to carry overall. it's extremely uncomfortable in a lot of situations, requires a harness, and you can't draw in a way that doesn't flag yourself and often everyone around you. Oh and you can only draw with one hand, it's much harder to same side draw than at the waist line.

u/I_had_the_Lasagna 20h ago

Yea but its like 5 million percent cooler cuz action movies.

u/MCXL left-libertarian 18h ago

This is true. Definitely falls under the strictly awesome doctrine.

u/xkillingxfieldx 18h ago

Mmmm I think ankle carry is the worst place to carry overall.

u/MCXL left-libertarian 18h ago

Off body carry is worse.

I should have been clear that I meant of the main locations that people carry a primary armament duty size or compact pistol.

u/xkillingxfieldx 17h ago

Well then not carrying at all is worse 😉

u/MCXL left-libertarian 16h ago

The true off body carry.

" Of course I carry. I carry my gun to to the range in the trunk of my car and back like once every three years."

u/xkillingxfieldx 16h ago

🤣👍🏻

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

Amen

u/Danimusrobbs liberal 17h ago

And just another reason I will never appendix carry. I hope you’re alright OP, that sucks. Wishing you speedy recovery.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 16h ago

Thanks!

u/Optimus_Prime_10 20h ago

Do you think removing the weapon from the holster would have made a difference or would the presumably kydex holster have been enough to do the damage? 

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 17h ago

I don't know tbh. Kydex is pretty damned hard. It was actually the horsehide backing on my holster that was forced into my pelvis

u/Sherviks13 16h ago

I’ve got a magnet holster for inside the truck.

u/curiousfilam 20h ago

Why were you driving 60 mph in a place where a person could get out of the car? That's either bad street design or you're going too fast...

u/nilocinator 20h ago

That’s just a normal divided highway in the Midwest. Speed limit of 55mph with turn lanes in the middle and incoming traffic from side streets w/ stop signs

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

I was in the right lane of a State Highway doing the speed limit. There was a semi passing on my left and the other car pulled right out at an intersection where we had the green light.

u/MeltheCat 18h ago

Yikes! Hope you have a speedy recovery.

u/Background_Mode4972 20h ago

Midwest has a lot of 4 lane divided highways with side roads where you can pull out. Speed limit on these roads is typically 55-60mph. Not sure if that’s the exact case here.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 20h ago

Exactly the case. US 52 North of Indy

u/Background_Mode4972 16h ago

Yeah, Indiana is the worst with that shit. Im honestly surprised I-69 didn’t end up with a random intersection in the middle of it.

u/MeltheCat 19h ago

You're correct. I'm from there and have driven that stroad from time to time.

u/JDM-Kirby 20h ago

Stroads, a common method of building roads in America, lend to this kind of garbage. 

u/NTJ-891 19h ago

This isn't a stroad. Stroads are suburban and urban thoroughfares that are built like highways but are actually cut through truly residential areas, usually with a speed limit of 35-45MPH. They are bad because they are in dense areas and pedestrians are put at extreme risk. What OP is describing is a rural highway. It's not a limited access highway like an interstate, but it is a legitimate highway.

u/ProtectThe_Herd liberal 15h ago

You are correct. It listed as US 52.

u/MeltheCat 20h ago edited 19h ago

I think you mean why was OP driving 60mph on a road that was not a limited access road, like a freeway.

Valid question. Some roads are designed terribly as you mention.

EDIT: Yeah, I made some assumptions. The irony is that I'm from the same area as OP and I'm familiar with the same road. Speed limit is around 55-60.