I rarely ever play handhelds in public unless I have a lot of time to kill, such as at an airport waiting for a flight.

I don't give two shits what people think.

1. Whenever I have to ride trains or planes and whatnot I bring my 3DS but that isn't very often.
2. Of course not! If anything, I'm more excited about the premise of meeting someone else who has a 3DS or plays video games...
3. N/a

Thanks for the responses guys. What I'm getting is most people don't care what other people think.

That's good. I prefer to hide my geekiness behind a more socially acceptable veneer. For example, when I've been on dating sites in the past I never mention anything about video games. Instead, I say my hobby is traveling (which is also true to a lesser extent)

When I'm actually dating I never mention video games as a hobby. It's something she finds out many months later. None of my previous girlfriends/wives have been happy about my hobby. It's always been a source of conflict.

1. rarely
2. kinda

1. Yes, on the bus and in waiting lobbies.
2. No. Why should I? It's no worse than somebody pulling out their iPhone with some fugly case and playing Candy Crush or whatever on it.
3. N/A

LOL, exactly what I thought.

I play it at work

I work one week 3 days 36 hours, and one week 4 days 48 hours. I always have each day 3 or 4 hours in which I don't have anything to do, and while "normal people" play candy crush or use twitter/facebook, I play with the 3DS.

For me the main idea behind handheld gaming is playig videogames in the same position and comfort with which you read a book, not necessarily playing outside your house. I consider handheld gaming superior to console gaming for slow games like turn based strategy or turn based rpgs.

1. I play it on the train or while waiting for trains. Sometimes after work if I do not feel like going home yet, I fetch something to eat and sit on a bench by the water and play (or read, but that wasn't asked). I went to some streetpass meetups and naturally took it out. If I see other people with a 3DS in a store or so I pick out my 3DS to check for streetpass.

2. I'm an adult, I do not need to hide it. I got only positive reactions so far, so it seems your fear is unjustified. It wasn't the 3DS but the DS, that actualöly was played by my cowrkers as we sat down for an afterwork beer at a pub.

3. While I do not hide playing my 3DS, I do not play violent games in public. Not so much because I'm ashamed, but kids might ask me what I play (that actually did happen) and I would have to answer: "err... something your parents don't want you to play." So headshots for zombies only at home.

I do play my 3DS in public. Usually in some place where I have to wait.

I personally don't mind people seeing that I'm playing a 3DS, but I do worry a bit more about the kind of game I'm playing or if it's a professor who's seeing me. lol

I only play in "public" if I'm in a calm place or inside my car. I really can't stay focused playing games with stuff happening around me, I have to automatically turn it off. Not that I'm ashamed but the experience truly is affected.
But public places like a restaurant or a garden it's ok, never for too long.