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Problems with open carry at BassPro

logunowner

Regular Member
Joined
May 1, 2013
Messages
219
Location
Lake Ozark, Mo
You can't make this stuff up. Saturday I went to BassPro in Olathe, Ks as I do every time I visit my daughter. Enter the store with my Ruger SR9 on my right hip at about the 4 o'clock position as always. Get to the top of the stairs where the guns and ammo are located and then it happens....a store employee (Todd) approaches me and demands that I allow him to place a lock on my exposed weapon. I tell him that BassPro allows open carry and he is not going to touch my weapon. I tell him there are no signs at the front door and he tells me that there is and that he knows because he has worked at BassPro for 6 years. I said show me the sign, so we go downstairs to allow him to show me the signs, when we get there he says to the greeter guy.."Tell this guy about store policy of having all exposed guns locked" the guy said that there is no such policy.
I looked at the guy and said I know more about your store policies than you do. I want to talk to your Manager. We went back upstairs to talk to his Manager, on the way up I told him that I was very upset about him harassing me and infringing our my right to open carry. He became very arrogant and told me that the store policy must have just change.

Once upstairs he leaves to find his Manager, after a three or four minute wait, him and his Manager appear. I starting telling the Manager that I have never been treated like this at a BassPro and Todd started interrupting me and before he could finish his thought, his Manager looks in the eye and says "Todd, get back to my office now and stay there until I get there." The Manager could not stop apologizing for how I was treated and said he had no idea how Todd could have interpreted company policy to have me put a lock on my gun as I shopped. It is store policy that if I am shopping for a holster or something that would require me to remove my weapon, it would need to be locked with a gun lock.

Never thought I would have a problem with open carry at a gun store....
 

DWCook

Activist Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
432
Location
Lenexa, Kansas
That has happen to me before when I walked in holstered. Not actually surprised as I've met some pretty interesting people that worked there who feel they know it all. My favorite part is when you stated he said " The store policy must have just changed", considering it's always been that way for a long time.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Errant employees are just a bump in the road, but please don't ask about signs - go straight to the store manager.

I agree that trying holsters for proper fit should be done with an unloaded and safe gun - don't know how one could do that with a "locked" gun though. Think it better to carry something else and do your fitting with a carefully zip tied gun.
 

fjpro2a

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
280
Location
North Carolina
Problem. What problem?

I don't consider this a problem. This was an errant employee who could have been working anywhere. The manager as well as the greeter guy told Todd that he was nuts. You handled yourself well, and everything turned out OK. There are a lot of "Todds" around. Handle them one at a time.
 

BB62

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Messages
4,069
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
I don't consider this a problem. This was an errant employee who could have been working anywhere. The manager as well as the greeter guy told Todd that he was nuts. You handled yourself well, and everything turned out OK. There are a lot of "Todds" around. Handle them one at a time.
Exactly. Don't figure or, in the future, act as if the incident is a corporate stance. This kind of thing comes with the territory, and one must be prepared to handle complaints and communications in a reasonable and polite way.

Don't (and I know the OP didn't) by your conduct make yourself a bad guy too.
 
Last edited:

Oramac

Regular Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
572
Location
St Louis, Mo
I would bet dollars to doughnuts that it's an employee policy and not a policy for shoppers.

I'd agree. It's likely that Todd took the "employees can't carry" policy and thought it applied to everyone. Probably just an honest mistake, but either way it does need to go up the chain.
 

Richieg150

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
432
Location
Show Me State
Errant employees are just a bump in the road

There is an older male employee like in his late 60's, notice I didn't say old man, who works at the Home Depot in Lees Summit. My wife and I were in shopping months ago with my 6 year old granddaughter, I was OC my SW99 as usual, he noticed it and walked up and asked if I was a LEO. I replied no, then he informed me that if I wasn't, I couldn't have a firearm. I calmly told him he was mistaken, continued to shop and walked away. We continued our business, checked out and left, no problems. Since the we have been back many times, and guess who I run into just about every time....that employee, I always say hi and how you doing, but he has never said a word.... he just looks at me, my sidearm, and goes the other way.
 

kylemoul

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Messages
640
Location
st louis
There is an older male employee like in his late 60's, notice I didn't say old man, who works at the Home Depot in Lees Summit. My wife and I were in shopping months ago with my 6 year old granddaughter, I was OC my SW99 as usual, he noticed it and walked up and asked if I was a LEO. I replied no, then he informed me that if I wasn't, I couldn't have a firearm. I calmly told him he was mistaken, continued to shop and walked away. We continued our business, checked out and left, no problems. Since the we have been back many times, and guess who I run into just about every time....that employee, I always say hi and how you doing, but he has never said a word.... he just looks at me, my sidearm, and goes the other way.

Of course you can't have a firearm. Only LEO can own firearms. I must have missed the part where we turned into North Korea suddenly.
 

Redbaron007

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2011
Messages
1,613
Location
SW MO
Interestingly, this was a sporadic occurrence here at the one in Springfield. It was the Loss Prevention folks who got the kink in their hose. It took a meeting of the General Mgr for the store, LP Manager, a couple of attorneys for them to make the decision here for OC to be consistent. After the meeting, there ain't been no issue. This was about 3 years ago.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
This the same Bass Pro Shop that has Hot Shots? Now how are you gonna get on the show without showing your marksmanship skills?
 
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