Happy Ending

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Went to Hardware Sales in Bellingham to pick up some bolts for my trailer. As I was being rung up the fellow behind the register (not the cashier) asks if I am LEO. I said no. Asked if I could cover up my pistol. I said no. He looked totally surprised and asked why and if I didn't have a CPL. I said that I had a CPL but preferred to open carry. I also pointed out that it was legal. He said that he knew but that it was private property. I told him that I wouldn't shop there any more. His reply was "Your choice" at which point I suggested that it wasn't my choice, it was their choice.

After finishing paying for my purchase, during which time he was on the phone with someone, he turned and told me that the owner was OK with open carry.

I thanked him for checking and left.

I really appreciated his checking his opinion with ownership rather than just chucking out a regular paying customer on his own predjudices. He also asked why I open carried and I told him that I felt safer. He answered with some silliness about ex-federal and ex-LEOs working security at the store and having to worry more about me since I had a gun. I suppose I could have countered with the fact that it is the ones trying to hide their guns that are the problem but I needed to leave.

Also wondering about the whole "Are you LEO?" opening to the conversation. If open carry makes customers nervous what possible difference could it make if I was an off duty cop? How would customers know that anyway?

So, Hardware Sales is officially on the shop-there list.

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Good job, heresolong!

MD

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Added, don't forget to tell them that they've been added to our Pro-Gun List (and feel free to give them the URL) to show them that it does benefit them to be pro-OC.

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heresolong wrote:

(snip)
Also wondering about the whole "Are you LEO?" opening to the conversation. If open carry makes customers nervous what possible difference could it make if I was an off duty cop? How would customers know that anyway?
(snip)

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Probably the most important point I've ever heard!

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i started reading then saw "hardware sales", and was thinking to myself "No!!!" (even though i did see the topic subject).

Would've sucked to loose that place.

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Hardware Sales are douchebags anyway. They asked me to leave before, because I asked the sales man "Where are your nuts. Well, not *YOUR* nuts, but the store's". And he said "This is a family business, blah blah blah, I'm going to have to ask you to leave".

Oh well. Even a disney movie would have let that one slide, plus, I don't think kids running around in a hardware store anyway, it's not safe.

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cut_cutta wrote:

Hardware Sales are douchebags anyway. They asked me to leave before, because I asked the sales man "Where are your nuts. Well, not *YOUR* nuts, but the store's". And he said "This is a family business, blah blah blah, I'm going to have to ask you to leave".

Oh well. Even a disney movie would have let that one slide, plus, I don't think kids running around in a hardware store anyway, it's not safe.

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really? most of those employees are ex-construction and can handle the foulest of language... I've never personally had a problem (infact it's always been superior), however if my experience is ever not wonderful, i'll be quicker to judge

does anyone ever remember the cartoon bobby's world?

Capt. Squash: "Bobby watch out for the it's tenticles" (big octopus like creature)
Bobby: "But i though only boy's had tenticles?"

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I don't know man, all I know is I made a lame ass joke and they asked me to leave, like I'm the scum of the earth. I'll take my nuts elsewhere LOL

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cut_cutta wrote:

I don't know man, all I know is I made a lame ass joke and they asked me to leave, like I'm the scum of the earth. I'll take my nuts elsewhere LOL

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not "doggin" you... I've decided to forever take my business elsewhere for far less.

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Oh, I know. I was just sayin, maybe 99% of the folks there are cool, I don't know.. All I know is my experience. I really do like their furnature store though.. Really good deals on desks!

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Sorry the one guy had a negative experience there I have always had good experiences there and am glad to know its open carry freindly. I found out one of my neighbors worked there and he confirmed for me that they are open carry freindly and that their security guy is good and knows just about everything going on in that store. He has hidden eyes everywhere.

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This thread is not about what I thought it was going to be...

Anyways, +1

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David.Car wrote:

This thread is not about what I thought it was going to be...

Anyways, +1

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+1

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David.Car wrote:

This thread is not about what I thought it was going to be...

Anyways, +1

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Made a few too many trips to Thailand, have you?

ETA: btw +1

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heresolong wrote:

He also asked why I open carried and I told him that I felt safer. He answered with some silliness about ex-federal and ex-LEOs working security at the store and having to worry more about me since I had a gun.

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You may want to let him know according to FBI stats CCW'ers are the most law abiding segment of the population. More law abiding than LEO lawyers ministers and judges. Meaning he should be more worried when his minister shows up or the of duty LEO working the store. Statistically speaking of course. Do give him an atta boy as you said for being proffesional and checking store policy

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heresolong wrote:

Went to Hardware Sales in Bellingham to pick up some bolts for my trailer. ..........

He answered with some silliness about ex-federal and ex-LEOs working security at the store and having to worry more about me since I had a gun.......

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Hardware Sales employs ex-law enforcement to guard them?! What for? Are nuts and bolts really that valuable?

It's interesting to find this thread about open carriers in the Bellingham area. I've lived in Skagit County for over 3 years, and worked in Bellingham for the last two. I carry concealed, but find it cumbersome when hiking. I started researching open carrying, and found this site, which has given me a lot of good information.

What I'm curious about is how many open carriers there are in this area? I have NEVER seen someone openly carrying here, and just figured no one did. Do you all see people doing it? Maybe I don't frequent the right kind of places....

What is law enforcements attitude toward open carry in Bellingham? An S.O. I know in Burlington told me that while OC is legal, I should be very careful as it could be considered brandishing.

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Mountainman, welcome to OCDO! What you were told about OC being construed as brandishing is absolutely incorrect. I assume this person was misinformed, which is a common occurrence. It is also one of the reasons we OC, to educate and inform. OC cannot be construed as brandishing as long as you have the pistol secured in a holster. It would only become brandishing if you removed the pistol from it's holster in a situation that did not require self defense.

Please stick around and chime in when you feel you have something to add to the discussion. This forum has it's share of trolls, like any other, and if you watch, you'll most likely figure them out in no time and learn to simply ignore them. Once you do that, this place actually is a treasure trove of knowledge and I find the discussions stimulating.

(BTW, are you actually in Washington? If so, feel free to show up to the monthly dinners; we get together about once a month to meet and chat and to raise awareness about OC at the same time. Also, you can put your location in your profile so we get a better idea of where fellow OCers are in the state.)

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Mountainman38 wrote:

What is law enforcements attitude toward open carry in Bellingham? An S.O. I know in Burlington told me that while OC is legal, I should be very careful as it could be considered brandishing.

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We are going to test this attitude here in Bellingham when it warms up especially if you look at thethread for what happened in a city park. Just carrying it open is not considered brandishing and your S.O. might need to be informed about that in a freindly non confrontational way. Brandishing is meant to intimidate others, so if you are lawfully carrying your weapon you are not brandishing since Washington State Law allows you to carry and preempts any city law or rule to the contrary. I have seen a few people open carry here in Bellingham I do somewhat but still am a little shy with some of my errands but am getting bolder because I really have had no negative encounters yet. Just one guy raising his eyebrows and smirking when he saw me with it oustide of Fred Meyers on Lakeway. The next time I have a few bucks I'm going to spend it at Hardware Sales and I am going to make it a point to tell everyone in there that I am there specifically for their open carry policy.

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yea compmanio wrote his reply while I was writing mine, again hats off to you guys you do a way better job than me.

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sudden valley gunner wrote:

Mountainman38 wrote:

What is law enforcements attitude toward open carry in Bellingham? An S.O. I know in Burlington told me that while OC is legal, I should be very careful as it could be considered brandishing.

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We are going to test this attitude here in Bellingham when it warms up especially if you look at thethread for what happened in a city park.

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Before we get too hot and heavy with our tests, however, keep in mind that the city park issue was resolved, the police know what the law is, the city council repealed the illegal ordinance, etc. We don't really need to go around making a point or testing attitudes as we already know there isn't a problem. I appreciate your enthusiasm, SVG, but you might want to keep reading for a while before you start coming up with solutions to problems that don't appear to exist.