• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

My first 'negative' experience

A

AZRobert

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
28
Location
Portland, OR
Hey folks, I moved to Arizona at the end of December and since then have been happily enjoying the state. Most especially the carry laws here.
Today I go to the Harkins Theater in Yuma so I can see a showing of 'Warm Bodies' and I'm OCing just like I always do when I'm not at work or school. I buy my ticket, I go inside, I give my ticket to the lady taking tickets and then I linger in the lobby for a few minutes. I watch a preview playing and I look at the menu for snacks.

While I'm looking at the menu a woman comes up and informs me that they do not allow weapons in their building. She was very polite, and I politely asked for a refund. She gives me my money and I inform her that she doesn't have a sign on her door. (I wouldn't have come in if they had a sign). She tells me that they do, and I say that there wasn't one on the door I came in, she informs me that she will check and I leave.

As I'm leaving now I'm paying super close attention to the door and I notice it, a little vinyl decal in the corner. And I'm thinking to myself how did I miss that coming in?
I walk back to my car and I sit for a few minutes and decide I should go take a picture. So I walk back as I'm approaching the front door I know they have a sign, I know where it is and I still have difficulty seeing it. I like to think I'm a fairly aware person, but if you don't want people carrying a gun into your business at least make it as conspicuous as your no smoking sign.

Overall the encounter was polite and quick, no one was rude to me, I'm just annoyed about their sign. Now I need to call the other theater in town and see if they have a no weapons policy. =\
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0007.jpg
    IMAG0007.jpg
    90.4 KB · Views: 299
  • IMAG0008.jpg
    IMAG0008.jpg
    82.8 KB · Views: 420
mbhudson

mbhudson

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
48
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, United States
AZRobert said:
Hey folks, I moved to Arizona at the end of December and since then have been happily enjoying the state. Most especially the carry laws here.
Today I go to the Harkins Theater in Yuma so I can see a showing of 'Warm Bodies' and I'm OCing just like I always do when I'm not at work or school. I buy my ticket, I go inside, I give my ticket to the lady taking tickets and then I linger in the lobby for a few minutes. I watch a preview playing and I look at the menu for snacks.

While I'm looking at the menu a woman comes up and informs me that they do not allow weapons in their building. She was very polite, and I politely asked for a refund. She gives me my money and I inform her that she doesn't have a sign on her door. (I wouldn't have come in if they had a sign). She tells me that they do, and I say that there wasn't one on the door I came in, she informs me that she will check and I leave.

As I'm leaving now I'm paying super close attention to the door and I notice it, a little vinyl decal in the corner. And I'm thinking to myself how did I miss that coming in?
I walk back to my car and I sit for a few minutes and decide I should go take a picture. So I walk back as I'm approaching the front door I know they have a sign, I know where it is and I still have difficulty seeing it. I like to think I'm a fairly aware person, but if you don't want people carrying a gun into your business at least make it as conspicuous as your no smoking sign.

Overall the encounter was polite and quick, no one was rude to me, I'm just annoyed about their sign. Now I need to call the other theater in town and see if they have a no weapons policy. =\
Click to expand...
wow had to look twice at first i was like its right there on the right side of the right door and then i realized thats not it yeah they need a new sign you should take them a( this is a gun free zone criminals you can feel safe here sign)
 
MKEgal

MKEgal

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
4,383
Location
in front of my computer, WI
1) Welcome to OCDO

2) Don't say anything about signs, ever. That encourages places to put them up. If they're not posted (or like this place, not obvious about it) they'll have to throw people out one by one. Makes them aware of how much business they're losing.

3) Don't call and ask, ever. By asking, it encourages them to make a policy. If you're not talking to the owner or general manager, you'll be getting the opinion of whatever minimum-wage drone answers the phone... and that's not company policy. Policy is set way above their paygrade.

4) If someone does ask you to leave, get their name & title, get the name & contact information for the owner &/or general manager &/or corporate, then leave.

ETA: According to the AZ PDF from www.handgunlaw.us any sign that "provides reasonable notice" has the force of law. With that thing being so small & transparent, I'd argue that it doesn't meet the requirements of the law. Obviously you didn't receive notice.
Out of curiosity, do you remember which door you went through? (Either way, you didn't see it; I'm just curious.) They want their 'no smoking' sign to be seen - it at least has a background instead of being transparent.
 
Last edited:
A

AZRobert

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
28
Location
Portland, OR
Those doors are portside of the front ticket window and of those doors I went in the starboard one.
And you are correct I wouldn't say that sign counts as reasonable notice, however once I was notified that weapons were not allowed I was required by law to remove it or be possibly cited for trespass.

It's a private business they are free to not want weapons in their building, on the other hand I wish I had noticed it the day before so I wouldn't have already given them $15 of my money. A couple of people have asked me how my weekend was (it was my birthday too) when I tell them I was asked to leave the movie theater everyone is shocked, then they just give me funny looks when I told them it was because of my gun.

A few people told me to carry concealed so I could go to the theater, but my 1911 is just too damn big even for a chunky monkey like me to hide easily and if someone doesn't want my gun obviously they don't want my money.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top