Welp, Huntington

So, Huntington is really upsetting me with how they treat me when I go there. So I'm attempting to send a letter to the regional president. I need someone to read it for me to make sure I don't come off as threatening or douchey..

Greetings,

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist, someone who legally, openly carries a firearm in a holster for self defense, this practice is legal in the state of Ohio. I am also an Ohio CCW holder, which means I have been trained to handle a firearm, have fingerprints and photos on file with the Lucas County sheriff's office, have passed numerous background checks, am not a felon, and have no history of violent crimes; how much do you know about your other customers' criminal history (or lack there of)?

Recently I have been met with a somewhat caustic reception at two branches in the Toledo area. They were not too outwardly rude about it, and did not deny me service, but the disregard for my rights as a citizen is concerning. The branch I was in today termed it as a "courtesy" for me to disarm in my vehicle, however I ask you, why should I give up my right to personal protection to bank with Huntington?

Banks are not on the list of areas that are off limits to the carry of firearms, and in my opinion, with good reason; there is nowhere that you are more vulnerable to a possibly violent robbery than at a bank or an ATM. Not to mention the benefit Huntington and other customers are receiving from the mere presence of an armed, licensed, law-abiding citizen in the building, as time and time again, it has been proven by the FBI and other groups that crime decreases with the presence of an armed citizenry.

If you are concerned that other Huntington customers will become alarmed by my presence, I have my personal experience to account for that; I have been openly carrying for the better part of a year, I have been to grocery stores, hardware stores, gas stations, walked down the street, paid my rent, and never has a single person become alarmed by the presence of my firearm. The only people that ever stop me are misinformed or overtly opinionated staff or police officers.


What i would like to know is what is:

What is Huntington's corporate policy about their customers carrying firearms legally on the premises and inside the banking office?

If the corporate policy is to follow state law, essentially allowing carry, the staff at these branches need to be informed, and trained to accept it as a legal activity and not treat armed customers as potential threats.

Not discounting your issues, just stating that my branch (Wooster/Burbank Rd) is supportive of OC.

BriKuz said:

Not discounting your issues, just stating that my branch (Wooster/Burbank Rd) is supportive of OC.

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That's good. I guess that answers my question, albeit unofficially, that their corporate policy is to follow state law.

The Huber Heights branch in the Dayton area used to be posted but was removed about 2 years ago which leads me to believe their corporate policy is to follow state law, but that is only speculation. I frequent 2 other Dayton area locations and have never had problems.(Except the previous statement about the Huber branch)

I would start out by only making a phone call or e-mail asking for their weapons policy and taking that to the branches to give them a decision that is over their head and they will have to follow. But that's just me.

You lost them with this line..

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist,

After they read that ... they probably will just toss you letter in the trash.

Welp, Huntington... What is this?

...have passed numerous background checks, am not a felon, and have no history of violent crimes; how much do you know about your other customers' criminal history (or lack there of)? This sounds familiar....

I'm assuming your talking about Huntington BANK? I didn't know they weren't posted, thanks for the update!

Greetings, = Dear Sir:

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist = I have been a customer of this bank for (?) years now....

Don't send this to a district manager, do the phone call to Corporate Customer service. Find out who is Head of CS. Get their e mail address, phone number and talk to the person that speaks for the whole corporation.

Good luck, keep us posted.

R.Call, I would like to extend my congratulations to you on making Riverside PD out to be a bunch of uneducated, outlaw thugs. Good luck!

JSlack7851 said:

Welp, Huntington... What is this?

...have passed numerous background checks, am not a felon, and have no history of violent crimes; how much do you know about your other customers' criminal history (or lack there of)? This sounds familiar....

I'm assuming your talking about Huntington BANK? I didn't know they weren't posted, thanks for the update!

Greetings, = Dear Sir:

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist = I have been a customer of this bank for (?) years now....

Don't send this to a district manager, do the phone call to Corporate Customer service. Find out who is Head of CS. Get their e mail address, phone number and talk to the person that speaks for the whole corporation.

Good luck, keep us posted.

R.Call, I would like to extend my congratulations to you on making Riverside PD out to be a bunch of uneducated, outlaw thugs. Good luck!

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It sounds familiar because I pulled it from something else I had read before. This was sent to the regional president, who had corporate security call me back. Dear Sir is not appropriate, as the regional president is a woman.

Corporate security told me, as reposted from ohgunowners.net:

So I spoke with Huntington security, she gave me the whole "we just don't want it to turn into a shoot out, as that's how people get hurt."

She told me that there is no policy against the carry, and even though I've been confronted, it would not turn into a criminal trespass if I were to continue carrying.


I wasn't sure where to go or any other questions to ask after that, so we hung up.

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Lthrnck said:

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist,

After they read that ... they probably will just toss you letter in the trash.

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This is why I don't post here very much, the majority people here are rude and some completely off their rockers.

You have to look at your email or letter from the reader's perspective not yours. When writing to a business, your opening sentences should give a reason why they should care to even continue reading your email or letter. Do businesses care about "activists"? I think they primarily care about "customers". Hence a better opening would have been "As a long time customer of Huntington Bank...".

When my local PNC branch posted a sign even though no other branch had done so, I wrote an email directly to the president of PNC. I wasn't going to waste my time trying to communicate with some customer service flunky. The first thing I said was, "I have been a customer of National City / PNC for almost forty years..."

Within a week I had received a reply from one of PNC's VPs apologizing for the inconvenience and telling me the sign was gone.

Lthrnck said:

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist,

After they read that ... they probably will just toss you letter in the trash.

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Noel Avenelle said:

This is why I don't post here very much, the majority people here are rude and some completely off their rockers.

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Noel, it's your decision as to how often or IF you post, but just because you can't or won't recognize the shortcoming in your approach, don't pass it off as rudeness.

True, Lthrnck could have constructively criticized your note rather than just outright mocked it, but then again maybe he was thinking "How old/self-focused can this person be to not realize that the reader would be much more likely to read the whole letter, rather than just pitching it, if it instead started with 'As a Huntington customer for x years...'??".

If you think the majority here are rude and off their rockers, then feel free to leave anytime. Otherwise, stay, LEARN and contribute.

Hmm... I guess the truth hurts...

I have been fighting the City of Englewood Ohio in the courts for 3 years now... If you think that statement is rude and then I have been off my rocker for those 3 years.

You better get some tougher skin if you plan on staying in this fight.

I was pointing out the facts... if you can't deal with that them you better find a much easier "Cause" to support.

This is a tough fight.. and what I said is nothing compared to what your going to hear if you stay with it.

Noel Avenelle said:

Lthrnck said:

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist,

After they read that ... they probably will just toss you letter in the trash.

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This is why I don't post here very much, the majority people here are rude and some completely off their rockers.

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Noel-

Wow. You asked for a critique of your letter. The first thing I though was that you should dump the "activist" rant. Then Lthrnck says the same before I can post and you launch a personal attack?

He might well be off his rocker (I've heard things ) but he is right.

How about: Dear sir, I choose to legally carry my handgun openly in a holster and I was treated rudely by your staff...

You don't want to assume the recipient of your letter is unaware of the law if you don't know them.

As far as "courtesy", it would have been courteous for their staff to shut the f#@& up and recognize the fact you weren't robbing the place.

If Lthrnck wants to attack you on this board, I think he might use stronger words than cautioning you that your letter might wind up in the garbage can.

If someone attacks you in real life, you can shoot them.
If you ask someone to attack you, you CAN'T shoot them (or shouldn't).
If someone attacks you on an Internet forum, fight back!
If you ask for criticism AND GET IT, take it and make changes, if you want.


But please stop complaining about how rude people are on this forum. The level of civility here is orders of magnatude greater than what I often experience from people "in real life".

You can go home if you want, but leave the ball. We're not done playing with it yet.

Lthrnck,

If that comment really wasn't meant to be rude, then I apologize. Not for calling the majority of the board rude and off their rocker (as I've seen some pretty ridiculous cop hating around here, and have experienced first hand before someone being quite the ******), but for directing it at you.

MyWifeSaidYes said:

...You don't want to assume the recipient of your letter is unaware of the law if you don't know them...

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I think you mean "aware"?

Let's try this again...

Your first line will probably put who ever is reading it on the defensive right away ( unless of course they are Pro-gun).

But I have not found this to be true in vast majority of the times I have written some corporation about their policy.

So I would suggest something like what the others stated... Hello I am a Hunington Bank customer for ____ number of years, and I feel I was rudely treat at my most recent visit to _____ branch in Ohio etc.

If you get them thinking ...Hmm. I may lose a customer then they will likely keep reading.

I do apologize if I came off as rude... didn't mean to..

Just FYI...I'm an old Marine... you will definetly know when I get rude...<G>

But again sorry...welcome to the "Fight"... and "Carry On"

Anytime you use the word Activist in describing yourself or your mission you are going to get an immediate response from the other side of a "This Nut." Therefore your first line to them would read "My name is Noel, I am an "open carry nut", someone who legally, openly carries a firearm in a holster for self defense, this practice is legal in the state of Ohio."

And most likely, they won't even read the rest. At my job we get different activist videos all the time and I've yet to see anyone say, "Oh, he's a good activist and I'd like to shake his hand." Generally the response is, "Oh, another nut going about the cause the wrong way."

BB62 said:

MyWifeSaidYes said:

You don't want to assume the recipient of your letter is unaware of the law if you don't know them.

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I think you mean "aware"?

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Nope, I meant it as written.

Noel, in his letter, would spend time in each and every paragraph informing the recipient that open carry is legal, is a right, etc.

My concern is unintended insult to the recipient if they already know the law. The person who "dissed" Noel may have even known the law and made her comment anyway.

I suggest he write a letter about the facts and not ramble on like a gun nut. He took offense the the "it's courtesy" comment and it never should have been made. Ask them if that is a policy of the bank or was that person just being rude.

Get their response and judge then whether they are aware of, and follow, the law.

If they don't know or follow the law, THEN teach them what the law says.

Noel Avenelle said:

It sounds familiar because I pulled it from something else I had read before. This was sent to the regional president, who had corporate security call me back. Dear Sir is not appropriate, as the regional president is a woman.

Corporate security told me, as reposted from ohgunowners.net:

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Sorry, at first I was pointing out the easy fix of proof reading.

Second, I recognized the quote from somebody's 'No Guns, No $' card.

Third, I didn't know it was a woman. Dear Ms. XXX: or To whom it may concern. 'Greetings', would not even be a greeting I would consider. Just saying. Besides, they call 'em Sir on Star Trek, JK.

Lthrnck said:

My name is Noel, I am an "open carry" activist,

After they read that ... they probably will just toss you letter in the trash.

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He wasn't that rude. He's really a nice guy, I've offered him money for his lawsuit a couple of times over the years, but still won't take any. After 3 years I think he needs a new lawyer.

Noel Avenelle said:

So I spoke with Huntington security, she gave me the whole "we just don't want it to turn into a shoot out, as that's how people get hurt."

She told me that there is no policy against the carry, and even though I've been confronted, it would not turn into a criminal trespass if I were to continue carrying.


I wasn't sure where to go or any other questions to ask after that, so we hung up.

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I'm not trying to pick you apart, but just what was this ladies title? Reason I ask is, another member of another forum OCA, wrote twice to Dick's Sporting Goods about his Open Carrying, both time he got blown off just like it sounds like this lady did to you, although you got a 'no trespassing charges would be filed', reply.

Nobody wants a shoot out, now a days nobody usually uses a gun to rob a bank, they don't need to, they just pass notes. 'Can I please have $50's and $100's, and no dye packs plz".

If you hang around enough, your writing skills will get better and you will get to know the guys well enough you will send your letters E-mail for critiquing, like I do with BB62 and JmE. 2 of the 3 smartest guys I know, now where's the third, COL. Well I'm sure he's not far. MWSY, is kinda new, but he's right up there with the rest of them. LESGTINCT, is real good with national case law, I'm glad he's here to keep guys on their toes. Jedi, also, is right on top of his game. Plus a lot of other guys, Werz, comes to mind. I watched him and MWSY address Alliance city council as to their city ordinances being not in compliance. Both cool as cumbers.

These are the guys you want to pay attention too. Their posts have wisdom, experience, and the years of training it takes to help guys like you and me get better. Trust me when I say no one is being deliberately rude to you. We're all in this for one thing, exercising our RTKABA.

Oh, and buy the way, I proofed this letter three times, the first time I found a (.) missing from MS and the second time I found I had spelled MWSY= MYSY. I think I got it right now. We need not to come off as 'nuts with guns' but professional, trained, law abiding citizens. Otherwise it does no good for the cause as a whole. Now b/4 I hit the Submit button, I must of reread this six times, and this place isn't that critical. The critical ones I have others proof too. (submit)

JSlack7851 said:

Sorry, at first I was pointing out the easy fix of proof reading.

Second, I recognized the quote from somebody's 'No Guns, No $' card.

Third, I didn't know it was a woman. Dear Ms. XXX: or To whom it may concern. 'Greetings', would not even be a greeting I would consider. Just saying. Besides, they call 'em Sir on Star Trek, JK.



He wasn't that rude. He's really a nice guy, I've offered him money for his lawsuit a couple of times over the years, but still won't take any. After 3 years I think he needs a new lawyer.



I'm not trying to pick you apart, but just what was this ladies title? Reason I ask is, another member of another forum OCA, wrote twice to Dick's Sporting Goods about his Open Carrying, both time he got blown off just like it sounds like this lady did to you, although you got a 'no trespassing charges would be filed', reply.

Nobody wants a shoot out, now a days nobody usually uses a gun to rob a bank, they don't need to, they just pass notes. 'Can I please have $50's and $100's, and no dye packs plz".

If you hang around enough, your writing skills will get better and you will get to know the guys well enough you will send your letters E-mail for critiquing, like I do with BB62 and JmE. 2 of the 3 smartest guys I know, now where's the third, COL. Well I'm sure he's not far. MWSY, is kinda new, but he's right up there with the rest of them. LESGTINCT, is real good with national case law, I'm glad he's here to keep guys on their toes. Jedi, also, is right on top of his game. Plus a lot of other guys, Werz, comes to mind. I watched him and MWSY address Alliance city council as to their city ordinances being not in compliance. Both cool as cumbers.

These are the guys you want to pay attention too. Their posts have wisdom, experience, and the years of training it takes to help guys like you and me get better. Trust me when I say no one is being deliberately rude to you. We're all in this for one thing, exercising our RTKABA.

Oh, and buy the way, I proofed this letter three times, the first time I found a (.) missing from MS and the second time I found I had spelled MWSY= MYSY. I think I got it right now. We need not to come off as 'nuts with guns' but professional, trained, law abiding citizens. Otherwise it does no good for the cause as a whole. Now b/4 I hit the Submit button, I must of reread this six times, and this place isn't that critical. The critical ones I have others proof too. (submit)

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She was director of Huntington Corporate Security. The original letter was addressed to the Regional president.

Noel Avenelle said:

She was director of Huntington Corporate Security. The original letter was addressed to the Regional president.

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Sounds like you got hooked up with the right lady. If you like, I could write another letter on your behalf complaining about their policy of poor treatment of their customers....