GodGunsnGuts
Regular Member
imported post
This evening, as I was buying some reload components, I was approached by a store "Inventory Control" associate who politely asked me if my OC'd 1911 had been "cleared" prior to coming in the store. I gave him an odd look and replied: "Why yes it is...I cleared it while I was in the parking lot prior to coming in and it's fully functional...why do you ask?" He told me the store's policy was that all OC'd firearms must be "check" at the counter prior to being brought into the sales area. I asked him if there was a prominently displayed description of the policy at the entrance to the store and that I had OC'd numerous times before and was never challenged. We walked to the front of the store and the associate vainly looked high and low for the warning to no avail then finally came inside with a "WTF!?!" look on his face. I just looked at him and told him that unless the store posts their policy where a normal person can see it, how can they expect me to comply. At that moment, another associate walked over and pointed to a sign on a pillar next to the turnstyle where the greeter stands. It read: "All firearms & bows must be checked at the counter. Concealed Weapons Permit Holders Exempt". I reached in my wallet, pulled out my freshly issued CHP & VA Drivers License and handed them to him and said: "Anything else you'd like to discuss before I resume my shopping?" He smiled and returned my cards and said "No sir Mr. McCarty, please enjoy your shopping...I'm sorry if I've angered you in any way."
Well...I'd like to say this episode ended happily, however, as I was paying for my items at the checkout line, this ditsy associate points to my pistol and says: "Hey, your gun doesn't have a lock on it...how come?" I respond: "Why should it? What good would it be if it had a lock on it and I needed get to it in an emergency?" She then told me that I was suppose to have a lock on the trigger...that it was store policy and then called the associate that stands near the exit to come over and pointed at my gun and started asking why I was carrying an unlocked gun through the store. At this point I was feeling that all too familiar flush of anger rising in my chest and up my neck so I asked if we could talk in a more secluded area and with the store's manager present. We walked over to where I had my first encounter with the "inventory control" associate and I waited. After a few minutes...Joe, the store manager swaggers over and in a very authoritative voice demands: "Can I help you sir?" I asked him when did BassPro start treating honest, law-abiding citizens in such a degrading manner and when did the store adopt a policey that violates my right to OC? For the next 15 minutes Joe gave one hypothetical situation after another why they don't allow loaded OC in the store and why they insist on the gun being locked with an external device rendering it inert. One excuse was: Sir, can you imagine if we allowed everyone coming in the store to OC? I responded: "Hell yes Joe...I'd feel safe as shit...besides, your presuming that people that carry guns are not to be trusted and dangerous and that's just plain wrong. Virginia trusts it's citizens...moreso than any other state that I'm aware of to carry firearms so they can do what you or the police are unable to do...and that's to give me a 100% guarantee that me and my family are protected. Can you tell me that Joe? Can you give me your personal guarantee that while I'm here in this store, if a maniac breaks out a gun or knife and starts stabbing people at will, that you'd protect me with you life? Huh? Be honest Joe...would you? His response was an honest: "No, I probably couldn't" I cited the recent example of the Tenn. employee who came to the rescue of 8 shoppers who where stabbed by a butcher knife-welding lunatic in the parking lot of the store. The employee's employer policy was "no firearms on the premisis", but the employee ran to his car and grabbed his Glock and when the attacker saw it, he immediately fell to his knees and started crying, then he was handcuffed....by the same guy and all before the police even showed up! After hearing this, the manager asked me my name and told me he was going to give me "priority" treatment and was going to call corporate himself to set the record straight. I closed by telling him that he need to either remove that sign or have it re-worded in such a manner as clearly describing what the store's policy is and then display it outside the enterance so average people like me can read it prior to coming in while OC'ing.
I aplogize for the length of this post, but as the saying goes "The devil's in the details". I think a visit from Phil/VCDL is in order to nip this matter in the bud.
This evening, as I was buying some reload components, I was approached by a store "Inventory Control" associate who politely asked me if my OC'd 1911 had been "cleared" prior to coming in the store. I gave him an odd look and replied: "Why yes it is...I cleared it while I was in the parking lot prior to coming in and it's fully functional...why do you ask?" He told me the store's policy was that all OC'd firearms must be "check" at the counter prior to being brought into the sales area. I asked him if there was a prominently displayed description of the policy at the entrance to the store and that I had OC'd numerous times before and was never challenged. We walked to the front of the store and the associate vainly looked high and low for the warning to no avail then finally came inside with a "WTF!?!" look on his face. I just looked at him and told him that unless the store posts their policy where a normal person can see it, how can they expect me to comply. At that moment, another associate walked over and pointed to a sign on a pillar next to the turnstyle where the greeter stands. It read: "All firearms & bows must be checked at the counter. Concealed Weapons Permit Holders Exempt". I reached in my wallet, pulled out my freshly issued CHP & VA Drivers License and handed them to him and said: "Anything else you'd like to discuss before I resume my shopping?" He smiled and returned my cards and said "No sir Mr. McCarty, please enjoy your shopping...I'm sorry if I've angered you in any way."
Well...I'd like to say this episode ended happily, however, as I was paying for my items at the checkout line, this ditsy associate points to my pistol and says: "Hey, your gun doesn't have a lock on it...how come?" I respond: "Why should it? What good would it be if it had a lock on it and I needed get to it in an emergency?" She then told me that I was suppose to have a lock on the trigger...that it was store policy and then called the associate that stands near the exit to come over and pointed at my gun and started asking why I was carrying an unlocked gun through the store. At this point I was feeling that all too familiar flush of anger rising in my chest and up my neck so I asked if we could talk in a more secluded area and with the store's manager present. We walked over to where I had my first encounter with the "inventory control" associate and I waited. After a few minutes...Joe, the store manager swaggers over and in a very authoritative voice demands: "Can I help you sir?" I asked him when did BassPro start treating honest, law-abiding citizens in such a degrading manner and when did the store adopt a policey that violates my right to OC? For the next 15 minutes Joe gave one hypothetical situation after another why they don't allow loaded OC in the store and why they insist on the gun being locked with an external device rendering it inert. One excuse was: Sir, can you imagine if we allowed everyone coming in the store to OC? I responded: "Hell yes Joe...I'd feel safe as shit...besides, your presuming that people that carry guns are not to be trusted and dangerous and that's just plain wrong. Virginia trusts it's citizens...moreso than any other state that I'm aware of to carry firearms so they can do what you or the police are unable to do...and that's to give me a 100% guarantee that me and my family are protected. Can you tell me that Joe? Can you give me your personal guarantee that while I'm here in this store, if a maniac breaks out a gun or knife and starts stabbing people at will, that you'd protect me with you life? Huh? Be honest Joe...would you? His response was an honest: "No, I probably couldn't" I cited the recent example of the Tenn. employee who came to the rescue of 8 shoppers who where stabbed by a butcher knife-welding lunatic in the parking lot of the store. The employee's employer policy was "no firearms on the premisis", but the employee ran to his car and grabbed his Glock and when the attacker saw it, he immediately fell to his knees and started crying, then he was handcuffed....by the same guy and all before the police even showed up! After hearing this, the manager asked me my name and told me he was going to give me "priority" treatment and was going to call corporate himself to set the record straight. I closed by telling him that he need to either remove that sign or have it re-worded in such a manner as clearly describing what the store's policy is and then display it outside the enterance so average people like me can read it prior to coming in while OC'ing.
I aplogize for the length of this post, but as the saying goes "The devil's in the details". I think a visit from Phil/VCDL is in order to nip this matter in the bud.
