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OC in Eastern Washington

Dave The Welder

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Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
395
Location
Washington, USA
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You guys converted another two people to your cause. After reading what was posted here, and doing some research of my own, a friend andI decided to OC today on some errands around town. The young lady at Bruchis taking our order took a double take when she first saw my friend's pistol, but was very polite, and after the initial lookshe didn't really seem to care andeven joked with us a bit. The best part was when we entered the local Schucks. The manager saw that we were carrying and asked if I was military. I replied that I wasn't, just a civilian.He was so impressed that twocivilians were carrying openly in his store that he gave us 10 % off of our order and thanked us for coming in! We ended up chatting for several minutes on what we were carrying, how we liked them, what we kept them loaded with, etc. It was a very positive experience.

The experience was so positive, that I wanted to see if there was anybody on this side of the mountains who'd be interested in an OC lunch, either in the Tri-Cities or in Spokane? I figured that we could even make an entire morningout of it and go shooting at the local range before lunch.
 

44Brent

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May 21, 2006
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772
Location
Olympia, WA
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I don't live near Spokane, but open carried there a few weeks ago while passing through. No problems at all.
 

openryan

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Apr 18, 2007
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, Indiana, USA
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Great outcome, I am happy you had a positive first experience.

It is great that the manager was supportive of it.

Even when people dissaprove of it, why can't they do so without calling the police?
The majority do, but then you get the extremists.

I hope you continue to have good fortune with open carry!

-Ryan
 

openryan

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, Indiana, USA
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While reflecting over my previous post, I came up with another thought.

I don't know if this would be 100% legal as it would prohibit minors, and most fellons in most states from being able to participate.

I was thinking if maybe anyone owns a business or has a friend who supports oc who has a business to provide some kind of incentive to open carry, such as a discount like you received from the manager.

It might promote people to open carry for their first time and become more comfortable with the concept.

Again, I do not know the legality of providing such a discount for this activity as it would be biased against many people in many states who are either prohibited from purchasing/owning a firearm.

But, just a thought...

What do you guys think??
 

LoveMyCountry

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Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
590
Location
Ocean Shores, WA
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I think that instead of them paying us, in the form of a discount, we should pay them with our business. Help them to remember that being PC doesn't help their bottom line, but our business does.

Other political activist groups use chants to make their voices heard, why can't we? Come on everybody, you know the words!

We open carry, we spend money and we want to do it here!

We open carry, we spend money and we want to do it here!

:celebrate Our official cheerleader.

LoveMyCountry
 

dillonivik

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Jun 7, 2007
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Im originally from Spokane and visit my parent there often. I wouldnt mind meeting some like minded fellows, so long as i know far enough in advance...
 

Dave The Welder

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Washington, USA
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This is great. We're starting to get a few people in Eastern Washington together. After talking with a few people, it seems that Spokane is probably going to be the best place to meet at.
Lonnie, I thought that I saw somewhere that the former police chief from Federal Way that you were initially talking to about the legality of OC is now in charge of Spokane PD? If this is the case, could you give me a heads up on what to expect from their department. I plan on contacting someone up there before we have lunch and making sure that we're all on the same page.
Has anybody else had any experience with the Spokane PD on this subject? And in response to openryan, I love the idea of companies offering discounts to OCers. Half the people on this board have got to know at least one person that owns a business. Heck, we're all probably good friends with the owners of at least one gun store.
 

Dave The Welder

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Washington, USA
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For those who don't know yet, I'm currently up in Pullman (I know, I know, everybody here is a Husky) attending summer semester for engineering. Anyway, being so close to the Idaho border, I thought that I wouldtest my rights by carrying...openingly... in the land of spuds. I started by doing some of research on Idaho's firearms laws, so that I would be prepared when the police told me that I was doing something illegal. Imagine my surprise when I called the sheriffs department this morning with all my new information in hand just to have the lady on the phone say, "You're absolutely right, as long as you have your CPL, we don't care if you carry openly or concealed, in or out a vehicle." They sure do have a different attitude in Idaho! Anyway, I made the 8 mile hop across the border into Moscow and went into the local Ace hardware store in search of some weapons of mass destruction to combat the growing number of ants who seem to think that my apartment is a great place to live. No one there even batted an eye, which I thought was impressive considering that I was packing a full sized 1911. I ended up chatting for several minutes with a few employees that had nothing better to do and they couldn't care less.

I’ve read some of the other poster’s experiences in sporting goods stores and decided to see what would happen when I entered the Big Five down the street. I resisted walking right in with a gun and going to the gun counter, and instead walked over to where they had the binoculars. After several minutes the manager walked over and asked if I was a peace officer. I replied that I wasn't, just a citizen, and he then asked me to produce some sort of proof that I could legally carry. I politely informed him that open carry was legal in Idaho without a permit, that the state had full preemption on firearms, and that the presumption was that someone carrying was legal until proven otherwise. I told him that out of respect for his store though, I would produce ID. I handed him my driver’s license and CPL and also informed him that there was full reciprocity between Idaho and Washington. I then apologized if I had broken any rules as I didn't see any sign on the door barring me from entering with a firearm and that if there was a corporate policy against this, I'd be happy to leave. I think that half of what I said went straight over his head. I don't know what he was expecting when he approached me, but he got a very polite well dressed citizen standing in his store with a firearm and full knowledge of the firearms laws.He just stood there for a second dumbfounded, before handing my CPL and license back to me. He said that because they sell firearms, they normally don't allow anybody to enter the store with a loaded firearm butthat me being in the store with a firearm wasn't going to be a problem, and I was welcome to continue shopping. I thanked him for allowing me to exercise my rights in his store and he walked off. I got the impression that I completely overwhelmed him with my polite and informative response.

After that I went shopping in the Pullman Safeway without incident and now here I am. I know what several of you are going to say, that I shouldn't have given him my CPL and ID as it wasn't required, however I felt that this was the best approach. I politely informed him that I didn't require any ID to carry openly, but that out of respect for him, I'd present what I had. And he acceptedmy CPL as proof that not onlywasn't I going to shoot up the place, but that I had a right to carry, a right which he felt that I had a right to exercise in his store. I could have refused to give it to him, but where would that have gotten me? Probably kicked out of the store. I saw this as ababy step. Even if I had to show proof, he walked away knowing that someresponsible citizens are carrying. Maybe next time somebody walks into his store dressed nicely with a firearm on, he'll look over and know that it's just another citizen exercising his rights instead of assuming that they're up to no good.

I don't know about you guys, but at least for now, if showing somebody my CPL will convince them that I'm a good guy and let me shop in their store armed when their policy is to kick people with guns out, then it's worth it to me.
 

trainer62

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May 26, 2007
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10
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Kennewick, Washington, USA
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Very good post. I think it speeks well that you went out and researched the laws in Idaho before assuming that just because we are allowed to go into Idaho armed it will be well recieved. I think it isa definite plus that you called the local PD and checked with them. I'm glad that you made it though your day without incident and that you got to eduate someone in the process.
I also had a good experiance the last time I went out OC. I went to my local Fred Myers to get a nice short sleeve shirt. Honestly I think that most of the civilans in this world are, to quote one of my favorite gun writers John Connor, "sheeple". Out of a store full of people only two out of tleast twenty even noticed that I was packin until I made it up to the counter. People these days are so unaware of there surroundings. Any ways I made it back to the mens clothing section and shopped around for a shirt. It wasn't until I got to the checkout line that anyone really said anything. The man who got in line behind me stood there for second waching me and then finally looked at me and asked if I was a police officer. I stated tht I wasn't but that I did work for a private security company. He then askedif I was on duty to which I replied no. I then began to explain the laws behind open carry and even quoted few RCW's. Noticing tht her father was talking to a strange man his six year old daughter began to ask me questions, in the five or so minutes that Iwas talking to his daughter he seemed to calm down a bit realiing that I was a father myself. Tomake a long story short by the end of the conversation he understood why I carried a gun and that just because someone has a gun does not make them a bad person. The cashier either didn't notice or didn't care but he was also someone that Ihad gone to school with so he new me and that might have haave made him take a diferent look.
By the way Dave are we still on for lunch this weekend when you get back in town.
 

Dave The Welder

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Washington, USA
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trainer62 wrote:
Out of a store full of people only two out of tleast twenty even noticed that I was packin until I made it up to the counter. People these days are so unaware of there surroundings.






People being unaware has worked to my favor several times while OCing. In supermarkets on several occasions, I walked up to the cashier made eye contact, smiled, and started talking and joking with them. By the time they finally looked down and saw the firearm, they'd already got it in there head that I wasa nice guyand while they might have still thought that it wasa little out of place that I wascarrying, they didn't get worried. The problem sometimes with walking up to somebody that has seen your firearm from a distance is that they don't know that you're one of the good guys and have already madeassumptionsabout who you are based on your firearm by the time you approach them. That happened with me when the manager approached me inBig 5. He was visibly uneasy at first, and although he loosened up after talking with me, that tension probably wouldn't have ever been there if I had been joking and laughing with him at the register before he had seen my firearm. For this reason I think that it's very important that anybody OCing dress sharply, make eye contact and smile with anybody they approach, and in general act like the model citizen. As Lonnie put it, we are ambassadors for OC. We need to be sure to take the initiative whencontacting new people that we meetby being friendly and courteous so that when they finally notice that we're armed, theshock won't be as great and they're be more willing to ask us questions about it, which is what we want.

Also, Trainer62 (Do you mind if I use your first name?), yeah we're still on for an OC lunch. I should be back in town on Friday. Maybe let's plan on meeting up and going shooting on Saturday morning, and then hit lunch after. I was thinking Chico's Tacos out by the mall. It's a bit of a drive, but that place is always packed at lunch and we'll have to get up to hit the salsa bar and to refill drinks, so it'll give us a good opportunityto be seen and have friendly encounters.

 

amlevin

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Joined
Feb 16, 2007
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5,937
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North of Seattle, Washington, USA
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Dave The Welder wrote:
I know what several of you are going to say, that I shouldn't have given him my CPL and ID as it wasn't required, however I felt that this was the best approach. I politely informed him that I didn't require any ID to carry openly, but that out of respect for him, I'd present what I had. And he acceptedmy CPL as proof that not onlywasn't I going to shoot up the place, but that I had a right to carry, a right which he felt that I had a right to exercise in his store. I could have refused to give it to him, but where would that have gotten me?

There are several schools of thought on this. One is to Stand Your Ground. You have rights! The other is to patiently, one at a time, create allies to your cause without creating any more enemies.

Confrontation rarely creates any allies but almost always creates another enemy of the cause.

I like your approach. One more informed person, not another enemy.
 

trainer62

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May 26, 2007
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Kennewick, Washington, USA
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Dave I also feel that whenyou have chance to talk with someone before they notice that we are carrying it helps to soften the blow when they finally realize that, hey this guy has a gun but isn't a bad guy. The point I was simply making is that we carry because there are people in this world who are a few troops short of platoon if know what I am saying. Lord knows I've come across them at work and on the street. We carry to protect ourseleves, our families and the people in this world that are not capable of protecting themselves. My point is that people need to have the basic understanding of a major concept knownas situational awareness.
May I'm being to hard on the population by saying that 90% of the people in this world go around day to day with the predisposition that they are safe for some reason or another. It is a proven fact that at least 50% of the peoplewho carry guns on them think that because theyhave the gun they are safe, or that all they'll have to do is "pull it out and dust off a couple of rounds in that SOB". Maybe this comes from the fact that youand I have a little more tring that most but the fact still remains that most people aren't prepared to save thier own life. Sure like everyone here I want to educate people on thier rights as a citizenof the state and the country but also to educate them on practical self defense based on actual street statistics.
OOHH and yes you can use my first name, and tacos sound great let me know when you get back in town friday night.
 

gregma

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Mar 27, 2007
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Location
Redmond, Washington, USA
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Dave The Welder wrote:
I know what several of you are going to say, that I shouldn't have given him my CPL and ID as it wasn't required, however I felt that this was the best approach.
I see no problem with you de-esclating the situation and showing him your CPL. Just so as long as he realizes you didn't have to and were only doing so to be nice (which is the way I read it).
Sounds like a great way to convert a sheeple into not being afraid of people who openly carry their firearms!
Good Job!
 

trainer62

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May 26, 2007
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Kennewick, Washington, USA
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Dave juust wanted to say that lunch was fun last time you came into town. We will have to do it again the next time your in town. By the way I forgot to tell you that the guy I introduced you to at lunch was an off duty corrections officer who was out with his wife. I ran into him a couple of days later and he said he was impressed that we were OCing. He had noticed my mag pouches and thats why he leaned over the table to see what I was carrying, and hten he noticed yours. There were alsotwo off duty police officers there as well. I responded to an alarm with them the next night. The both said that they thought we were on anti-crime out for lunch until they noticed we had 1911's and not glocks. They were wondering if we were County. They stated they were very impressed with the way we were dressed and the way we presented ourselves.
 

Dave The Welder

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May 21, 2007
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Washington, USA
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trainer62 wrote:
He had noticed my mag pouches and thats why he leaned over the table to see what I was carrying, and hten he noticed yours.
I thoughtit was pretty funny how he was standing there talking to you when he looked down and saw your mag pouches. He then leaned around and looked down at my 1911 and then leaned back up, smiled, and went back to the conversation with you without saying a word. I completely forgot that that place was popular with KPD at lunch. All around a very good experience there.
 

HOLYROLLER

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Jul 18, 2007
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Spokane, WA, ,
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I am a newbie to this forum from Spokane area. OC'd in OR couple of weeks ago, loved it. Havent OC'd in Spokane yet, am a bit nervous about it given local LEO attitudes. I cant afford to get arrested being in the military, even if I was to beat it there could be consequences to job and family. Am very interested inmeeting up for an OC lunch here in town. Anymore to come of that? Thanks all and God bless, HR.
 
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