oc or any carry at safeway

so yesterday I was in Seattle we went to the Ballard locks btw I open carry all the time. the only thing that happen at the lock was one guy yelled out "oc right on" and gave me the thumbs up. so after a few hours of walking around and see the salmon run. me and my family got thirsty. so we made a stop at safeway one the way home. we walked into the safeway and not two minutes inside a security guard walks up to me and tells me to " take your gun and put it in the bag. I tell the guard I can not do that because that would be concealed carry and not legal. so them he tells me that safeway has a no gun policy and that I need to go and put it in my car I said that is illegal cuz I don't have a lock box in my car. and then I said if u want me to leave your store I will but you must tell me to leave. he then said I am not telling you to leave but no guns in the store. so I told the guy I will leave because you are asking me to break the law. and that they need a sign up to fallow state law! so this morning I call up safeway Corporate and asked if they had an anti gun policy they came back and said safeway has a zero policy for guns and dose not allow open or concealed carry on store property. I said then u guys need to post up signs.

I don't know who you were talking to, but Safeway follows state law on carry in their stores. I have carried in Safeway stores throughout the Seattle area and even educated the manager at one of them. I presume you got just a verbal statement that "we don't allow weapons in our stores?"

You also made the right call for leaving when the rent-a-cop asked you to break the law in order to shop. I also find it odd that they had security at all - usually Safeway doesn't have them. Are you sure the guard actually worked there?

This wall of text is very hard to read.

When the Guard told you to put your firearm into a bag, was he offering you a bag, was he referring to your purse or was he pointing at a trashcan? It is unclear what you were meaning by that.

It does not matter if you have the proper permission slip from the state. It is none of anyone's business besides you and the authorities. If someone tells you to do something that is illegal, just tell them no.

Do you need a lockbox for your firearm? Can your vehicle not serve as your lock box? This post would be so much easier to understand knowing where this took place.

What is a safeway? Is that a protected pedestrian path or is it a proper place? If it is a business, it should be a "Safeway".

If he has the authority to ask you to leave and tells you your firearm has to leave, and you are attached to your firearm, then you have to leave. He already told you. Don't make him say it more times than he must, he might feel the need to get cops involved. A man with a firearm refusing the lawful order to vacate the premises. That is exactly how to handle these situations.

Leaving is breaking the law? Then don't leave. Call the proper authorities. Nobody can legally force you to break the law. Unless it is not illegal for him to ask you to leave. Telling you to either conceal it, take it to your vehicle or leave isn't asking you to break the law.

Many states do not require a sign to utilize property rights. Maybe they would require a sign to make it illegal to carry a firearm into the business, but most that I am aware of anyone with the proper authority can still ask you to leave. If I knew what state this was in, I may know if what he did was legal. It probably was.

Last, if you have some kind of authority over safeway (Safeway?) why did you leave? If you have no authority, where are you getting the authority to TELL them to put up signs?

Please: Do not ever suggest to anyone at a business that they have to put up signs.

Punctuation, capitalization, and whitespace are your friends. They make what you write more readable.

I second everything written in the two posts immediately above mine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

I have OC'd at the Safeways in Auburn, Fed Way, Kent, Renton and a few others and have never had any store employee say so much as boo. Sounds like a security guard being a little full of himself.

I have carried at various Safeways in VA with no issue. Did you get the name and contact information of the person at corporate that you spoke to? Sometimes the customer service representative that you talk to when you call the 1-800 number has no idea what the company policies are. Actually, this happens quite often. I would encourage you to pursue the matter until you get to an individual in a position of authority. It never hurts to ask for the policy in writing as well.

I know it's not VA, but never an issue in the local Safeway here in Fountain, CO with open carry. That includes the gas station/convenience store off to the side. If it is Corp policy, locally they have neither posted nor made any indication that me, my sidearm, and granddaughter were not welcome. If they ever do post or comment, Wal-Mart is not far away.

I've CC'D and OC'D multiple times at the Safeway store over here in Wenatchee on the other side of the state. It's never came up or been an issue with me even have several friends that work at the safeway over here and they've never brought it up when I stopped in

max98059 said:

...so we made a stop at safeway one the way home. we walked into the safeway and not two minutes inside a security guard walks up to me and tells me to " take your gun and put it in the bag. I tell the guard I can not do that because that would be concealed carry and not legal. so them he tells me that safeway has a no gun policy and that I need to go and put it in my car I said that is illegal cuz I don't have a lock box in my car. and then I said if u want me to leave your store I will but you must tell me to leave. he then said I am not telling you to leave but no guns in the store. so I told the guy I will leave because you are asking me to break the law. and that they need a sign up to fallow state law! so this morning I call up safeway Corporate and asked if they had an anti gun policy they came back and said safeway has a zero policy for guns and dose not allow open or concealed carry on store property. I said then u guys need to post up signs.

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Welcome to OCDO! Please continue to post your experiences and learn as you go.

Do they need a sign to follow state law? Even if so, please never suggest to someone that they should put up a sign. If the sign is required, you've just made it illegal for the next guy, perhaps even someone who has been carrying there previously and doesn't look for a sign that didn't use to be there. If the sign is not required, we should not be conditioning ourselves to look for them or conditioning the stores that it should be an acceptable practice.

max98059 said:

so yesterday I was in Seattle we went to the Ballard locks btw I open carry all the time. the only thing that happen at the lock was one guy yelled out "oc right on" and gave me the thumbs up. so after a few hours of walking around and see the salmon run. me and my family got thirsty. so we made a stop at safeway one the way home. we walked into the safeway and not two minutes inside a security guard walks up to me and tells me to " take your gun and put it in the bag. I tell the guard I can not do that because that would be concealed carry and not legal. so them he tells me that safeway has a no gun policy and that I need to go and put it in my car I said that is illegal cuz I don't have a lock box in my car. and then I said if u want me to leave your store I will but you must tell me to leave. he then said I am not telling you to leave but no guns in the store. so I told the guy I will leave because you are asking me to break the law. and that they need a sign up to fallow state law! so this morning I call up safeway Corporate and asked if they had an anti gun policy they came back and said safeway has a zero policy for guns and dose not allow open or concealed carry on store property. I said then u guys need to post up signs.

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"I said that is illegal cuz I don't have a lock box in my car."

There is no requirement under WA law that you must have a "lock box" to store a vehicle in your car. You are supposed to store it so it is not visible from outside the vehicle, but absolutely no "lock box" requirement.

There is also no signage a private business can put up to make carry of a firearm illegal, they don't carry the weight of law. (Aside from a liquor board sign if the area is a bar.)

I would highly suggest asking a senior member here to help you get a good resolution from Safeway so that the security guard gets a little training. Did you have a recorder on at the time? Never trust what an 800 customer service number tells you. Often times companies outsource that function and the person answering has no real clue. I would call the store and speak to the general manager. If that doesn't resolve the issue ask for a district or regional manager. Go up the chain that way.

PALO said:

"I said that is illegal cuz I don't have a lock box in my car."

There is no requirement under WA law that you must have a "lock box" to store a vehicle in your car. You are supposed to store it so it is not visible from outside the vehicle, but absolutely no "lock box" requirement.

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His confusion may come from RCW 9.41.050(2)(a)(iii):

(2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

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If you leave a loaded pistol in an unlocked† vehicle while you, the licensee who placed the loaded pistol in the vehicle, are away from the vehicle, even if someone else is in the car, even if they, themselves, are a licensee, you are in violation of RCW 9.41.050(2)(a).

† What qualifies as "locked within the vehicle" could, I suppose, be argued to include a lock box within a vehicle that, itself, was unlocked, but I think you'd have a damn hard time getting that accepted in court if the lock box weren't somehow locked to the inside of the vehicle. That a pistol is locked in something in a vehicle does not necessarily make it locked within the vehicle, if the within-ness isn't itself assured††.
†† To whatever degree is required by "locked" in this statute

EDIT: It seems clear to me that, were a pistol in a locked glove compartment in an unlocked vehicle, no RCW 9.41.050(2)(a) violation would exist.

I OC in a a number of Safeway's (grocery stores for those out of state) in the Olympia/Lacey area no problem. I can't find it (pdf of Safeway policy) right now, but Safeway is like Walmart/Starbucks to follow state law. This is not to say there are managers/workers that are unfamiliar with policy/law that make stuff up to suit their need/fears. As stated no lock box required in WA. I do use one when I'm at work for the extra security although not required.

Please come to the WA thread for WA info. When you come across the confused/uninformed/ill-informed, just leave as asked, and then follow up with management.

Also in WA signs carry no weight of law except in "over 21 only" bar areas. In WA a business can put up all the signs it wants, and you won't be breaking any laws if you do carry in there. Any business can ask you to leave for about any reason like "no shirt, shoes etc", the worst is you are trespassed. Even though the theater down the street has a no gun policy, my conceal carry breaks no law, just their policy.

so i got off the phone to day with some of Safeway's higher ups and I was able to get the policy changed to safe that it is up to the manager of the store and also as long as the person is not touching or making threating movements towards the firearm. which is better then it was. but as a deal with Safeway I need to have all post taken down. so thank you guys. btw I spent over 4 hrs on the phone with Safeway and Starbucks and Starbucks was a great help in getting it changed!!!! the guy I talked to said it was bad policy.

so can I have a mod delete the first post or the whole thread!

This guy seems rather unhinged. I'm going to assume none of this actually happened.

no it did happen and because the regional manager that I talked to asked me nicely to take all posting down. and made a deal with me. I said I would to help better the community. but u r free to assume what ever u want. u r free to call up the Safeway but I would like for everyone to be able to shop at Safeway and have all there rights.

max98059 said:

no it did happen and because the regional manager that I talked to asked me nicely to take all posting down. and made a deal with me. I said I would to help better the community. but u r free to assume what ever u want. u r free to call up the Safeway but I would like for everyone to be able to shop at Safeway and have all there rights.

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Your whole post didn't come through. For some reason letters and whole words are missing.

Reboot your system, see if that fixes the problem. If not and you are using an app then report the problem/ try a different app. If you are using a browser, try switching and see if the problem is apparent in the new browser.

Ohhh,,,

max98059 said:

so yesterday I was in Seattle we went to the Ballard locks btw I open carry all the time. the only thing that happen at the lock was one guy yelled out "oc right on" and gave me the thumbs up. so after a few hours of walking around and see the salmon run. me and my family got thirsty. so we made a stop at safeway one the way home. we walked into the safeway and not two minutes inside a security guard walks up to me and tells me to " take your gun and put it in the bag. I tell the guard I can not do that because that would be concealed carry and not legal. so them he tells me that safeway has a no gun policy and that I need to go and put it in my car I said that is illegal cuz I don't have a lock box in my car. and then I said if u want me to leave your store I will but you must tell me to leave. he then said I am not telling you to leave but no guns in the store. so I told the guy I will leave because you are asking me to break the law. and that they need a sign up to fallow state law! so this morning I call up safeway Corporate and asked if they had an anti gun policy they came back and said safeway has a zero policy for guns and dose not allow open or concealed carry on store property. I said then u guys need to post up signs.

Click to expand...

max98059 said:

so i got off the phone to day with some of Safeway's higher ups and I was able to get the policy changed to safe that it is up to the manager of the store and also as long as the person is not touching or making threating movements towards the firearm. which is better then it was. but as a deal with Safeway I need to have all post taken down. so thank you guys. btw I spent over 4 hrs on the phone with Safeway and Starbucks and Starbucks was a great help in getting it changed!!!! the guy I talked to said it was bad policy.

no it did happen and because the regional manager that I talked to asked me nicely to take all posting down. and made a deal with me. I said I would to help better the community. but u r free to assume what ever u want. u r free to call up the Safeway but I would like for everyone to be able to shop at Safeway and have all there rights

so can I have a mod delete the first post or the whole thread!

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With friends like you,, who needs enemies?

You should stop trying to make deals with any company until you better understand the status quo here.

Your action with Safeway,, and Starbucks!!
STOP DOING THAT!!!

Did nobody else catch that he started out carrying at the Ballard Locks, which is a Corps of Engineers site, and COE prohibits firearms? [h=2]§ 327.13 Explosives, firearms, other weapons and fireworks.[/h]

(a) The possession of loaded firearms, ammunition, loaded projectile firing devices, bows and arrows, crossbows, or other weapons is prohibited unless:
(1) In the possession of a Federal, state or local law enforcement officer;
(2) Being used for hunting or fishing as permitted under § 327.8, with devices being unloaded when transported to, from or between hunting and fishing sites;
(3) Being used at authorized shooting ranges; or
(4) Written permission has been received from the District Commander.
(b) Possession of explosives or explosive devices of any kind, including fireworks or other pyrotechnics, is prohibited unless written permission has been received from the District Commander.

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