My experience at Mansfield Possum Run Wal-Mart

eye95 said:

From personal experience, I can assure you that Walmart policy is to allow OC where OC is not prohibited by State law. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I personally know of two instances of OC in a Walmart that was harassed. Both (in and around Montgomery, AL) were addressed by corporate in favor of the carrier and against the manager. In one instance the manager disappeared from that Walmart.

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My only response to that is a direct quote from a Wal-Mart email posted in the OFCC Criminal Protection Zones (CPZs) forum less than a year ago:

"If a Wal-Mart customer has been awarded a concealed handgun license by the state government, Wal-Mart will follow the direction of the state. However, if at anytime while on Wal-Mart property, that customer's concealed weapon becomes visible to Wal-Mart associates or customers, Wal-Mart reserves the right to ask the customer to either reposition the weapon so that it will not be visible, to remove the weapon completely or to leave Wal-Mart property, With the exception of law enforcement personnel."

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YMMV.

That may well be a policy where OC is not allowed or a specific response to a specific incident. But, in general, my personal experience tells me that Walmart allows OC where State law allows OC.


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Finally got through to the marketing managers office. The assistant took the call, listened to the situation and told me she'd forward the information over to Jim. She said he may call back in a short while to discuss the situation in detail.

I got a call back from some sort of Wal-Mart representative. After telling him the situation he said that Wal-Mart reserves the right to ask anyone with a firearm to leave the building or remove the firearm from the building. he said open carry is uncommon and as such makes people feel uncomfortable, which is grounds to ask the person carrying to remove the firearm or himself from the building.

He said concealed carry is still perfectly fine but if the weapon becomes displayed I may be asked to leave.

I also sent a letter back to Customer Support about a week ago, who told me the policy, but haven't gotten a reply.

Seems I'm at a dead end

Why are you going through marketing? This is something that should be dealt with in their general counsel's office (or equivalent) or the executive offices, where policy comes from.

Unless WalMart has changed corporate policy, OC is generally acceptable at all stores in States where OC is lawful, including Ohio. I can assure you that I have been directly involved in this situation twice before. WalMart has been unequivocal with its local management: OC is acceptable.

Step 1 is the area or regional manager (whatever they call the office). Failing that, step 2 is the executive offices, not marketing!

Seems I'm at a dead end

Well, theres always choices. you could just not rock the boat, comply with the wishes of the associate who first confronted you about the firearm. Just don't open carry in there, ,, ,,, or,

He said concealed carry is still perfectly fine but if the weapon becomes displayed I may be asked to leave.

You could just keep open carrying in there every time you go, and leave when/if asked. Of corse with this choice there is a risk of being truspassed from the store perminatly.

I've never open carryed, or carryed at all in Walmart, or really any store resturaunt or gas station. Considering the trouble I already have being allowed at these places, I choose not to where I want to stay welcome.

It's my guess that since Walmart as a whole refers to state laws, then they will not be putting up a sign. What we really need is bussiness that cator to open carryers, and even advertase as much. For that, I suppose many more people would have to actually open carry so they would see the marketing possibilites in it.

But as it stands, Walmart, like anywhere else, all they need is one employee to come up with any reason or no reason at all. If they simply say "I don't want that person here" then police will enforce that ban. I speak from experance, they likely won't use the open carrying excuse if it doesn't hold water, they may come up with an excuse that will hold water, or no excuse at all. Just simply say I don't want them here.

As for you, it's your choice and you will have to live with what you decide. Just consider all the short and long term factors.

Wife and I had a similar incident at Ashland WM... We had finished all of our shopping, I walked slightly faster than my wife leaving ( i wanted a cigarette!) just started to light up, and the wife calls me back... surrounded by 3 associates letting her know that "several customers" had complained that my 8 month pregnant, 5'3" wife chose to open carry on her right hip, and carry our daughter in her left arm. (Isn't that dangerous??? lol for the bad guy!) Anyhow, i walk back in and ask what the problem is, asking if WalMart's policy had changed. They said no, they just wanted to let us know... I said thanks and walked out... (with the wife and kid, of course...) seems to be a disturbing trend as of late

As long as the associates were not being judgmental, it is good that they informed you that some wackadoodle griped about your gun. Not that you should do anything about their ill-conceived feelings, it's just that you might want to be ready for a visit from the local constabulary in case they also complained to 911.

Time to double-check the batteries in the recorder.

BOTH recorders (wife and I each carry one even if SHE'S not carrying her sidearm that day) get fresh batteries every morning... ;-) Ashland PD DID get a call from a customer, apparently (talked to a manager on another day), but declined to even roll a unit. They called the store and were told it was nothing.

Had one lady make a comment ahead of me in line, cashier told her (kind of "clearly and loudly") that if she (the customer) would like to know about Ohio carry laws, she should ask ME... lol woman got a little annoyed about it, and the 70 year old lady behind ME asked me what I thought the complaining customer would say if she knew "this little old lady has a 1911 in her purse" I'll try to dig up the audio, it was kinda funny, but I have a bad feeling its too garbled to really hear anything...