badger
Regular Member
imported post
Had an uncomfortable encounter at Target in Westwood Village in West Seattle this afternoon. I'd like to describe the event here.
I have been OCing in the Seattle area for the past month with relatively no issues until this afternoon. I took my 9 months pregnant wife [due in 4 days with our firstborn!] out to do some shopping today. I was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt tucked in with my handgun in an Uncle Mike's Sidekick holster on my belt.
We had a great meal at KC's Restaurant on 1st Ave South in Burien, great service and no issues with OCing there. Then we went up to Goodwill to do some thrift shopping, again no issues.
Then we stopped at the Target in Westwood Village in West Seattle to do some shopping. As I walked [and wife waddled, lol] around the store we were followed by staff. At first it wasn't so noticable but when I was trying on shirts in the men's section staff kept pacing back and forth and looking at us. When I found a shirt I wanted to check myself in the mirror with but couldn't find a mirror so I approached an employee to inquire where I could find a mirror. She pointed over to a mirror in the women's section and as I walked over to it I had to walk through a crowd of ten or so employees. The Baby Eagle 45 ACP on my hip had attracted quite a crowd. Then we left the crowd of employees to go look at womens clothes for my wife. Alone in the socks and underwear section we were approached by a female manager and store security officer...
1400, 5-11-2008
Manager, named Rena, "Good afternoon. I wanted to let you know that we have had several complaints about 'a man with a gun walking around the store'. Do you have a permit to carry that gun on your belt?"
Me politely, "I'm just in here shopping with my wife. I haven't harrassed anyone or brandished or touched my gun in anyway. Is there some sort of problem ma'am?"
Manager, Rena, "No problems with you, and I don't want you to feel like you are not welcome here but people see a gun and get scared. I have been a manager for over 7 years and you are the first person I have seen just carrying a firearm on his belt like it's no big deal! Again sir, do you have a permit to have a gun?"
Me, frowning with a confused look, "I do have a CPL ma'am..."
Rena, cutting me off, "To carry it hidden [miming pulling a jacket over her belt]".
Me, "Yes ma'am and to be able to legally carry it with me while I drive. You do know that Washington is an Open Carry state and no license is required to open carry? I am in no way trying to hide the fact that I am armed and have been peacefully shopping with my wife the whole time we've been in here."
Rena, "I understand that sir but you are scaring people by having a gun and not being in a police uniform. Is there some way we can resolve this issue?"
Me, "Ma'am, I am still trying to figure out what the issue is? Have I violated a store policy? I didn't see any signs posted upon entering the store besides the 'No Smoking' sign. Is there a corporate policy prohibiting the legal carry of firearms in Target?"
My awesome wife, annoyed with manager, "We're actually very ready to check out and leave. My husband and I are quite finished shopping here."
Me, "Ma'am we only came here to do a little shopping. Not trying to scare anyone. We'll be on our way now. Do you know if there is a corporate policy prohibiting the legal carry of firearms in Target stores?"
Rena, " I have never been asked that before. I will look into it and if I see you before you leave the store I will tell you if I find anything."
Me, "Thank you ma'am."
We walked away from them and towards the checkout. I then remembered that I had stashed a few WGR pamphlets in my wife's purse. I asked her for one and met up with Rena by the front doors as my wife was paying for our items.
Me, "Hi there again, I just wanted to share this literature with you about the laws of gun carry in Washington State."
She smiled and said thanks and folded the pamphlet up and put it in her pants pocket. As I began to walk away a large man wearing a Target uniform shirt approached me and said,
"Hi, I'm Tom, I'm the store manager here."
Me, "Hi I'm ******* ****. Is it a policy to prohibit the legal carry of firearms here?"
Tom, "Well for us it's more of a private property issue. In the past we've had people come in here with guns and ask us for money. We just ask people to not carry at all in the store."
Me, "I am sorry sir but I didn't see any signs posted upon entering the store."
We were now standing at the entrance/exit and I pointed at the doors and walls.
Me, "Customers have no way of knowing this because you have no signage posted. Washington is an Open Carry state and I had no idea I was going to get grilled for legally carrying while shopping with my wife."
Tom, "It may be legal to carry openly in Washington State but this is private property. We prefer to deal with these types of issues as they come up on a one on one basis."
Me, "So that is your corporate policy?" I was confused and irritated.
Tom, "Thats our store policy here."
By this time my wife had finished checking out and I walked away from Tom to join her. We left and both rolled our eyes at one another as we walked back to our vehicle.
I am emailing Target to see what their policy is on the matter.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
-Badger
Had an uncomfortable encounter at Target in Westwood Village in West Seattle this afternoon. I'd like to describe the event here.
I have been OCing in the Seattle area for the past month with relatively no issues until this afternoon. I took my 9 months pregnant wife [due in 4 days with our firstborn!] out to do some shopping today. I was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt tucked in with my handgun in an Uncle Mike's Sidekick holster on my belt.
We had a great meal at KC's Restaurant on 1st Ave South in Burien, great service and no issues with OCing there. Then we went up to Goodwill to do some thrift shopping, again no issues.
Then we stopped at the Target in Westwood Village in West Seattle to do some shopping. As I walked [and wife waddled, lol] around the store we were followed by staff. At first it wasn't so noticable but when I was trying on shirts in the men's section staff kept pacing back and forth and looking at us. When I found a shirt I wanted to check myself in the mirror with but couldn't find a mirror so I approached an employee to inquire where I could find a mirror. She pointed over to a mirror in the women's section and as I walked over to it I had to walk through a crowd of ten or so employees. The Baby Eagle 45 ACP on my hip had attracted quite a crowd. Then we left the crowd of employees to go look at womens clothes for my wife. Alone in the socks and underwear section we were approached by a female manager and store security officer...
1400, 5-11-2008
Manager, named Rena, "Good afternoon. I wanted to let you know that we have had several complaints about 'a man with a gun walking around the store'. Do you have a permit to carry that gun on your belt?"
Me politely, "I'm just in here shopping with my wife. I haven't harrassed anyone or brandished or touched my gun in anyway. Is there some sort of problem ma'am?"
Manager, Rena, "No problems with you, and I don't want you to feel like you are not welcome here but people see a gun and get scared. I have been a manager for over 7 years and you are the first person I have seen just carrying a firearm on his belt like it's no big deal! Again sir, do you have a permit to have a gun?"
Me, frowning with a confused look, "I do have a CPL ma'am..."
Rena, cutting me off, "To carry it hidden [miming pulling a jacket over her belt]".
Me, "Yes ma'am and to be able to legally carry it with me while I drive. You do know that Washington is an Open Carry state and no license is required to open carry? I am in no way trying to hide the fact that I am armed and have been peacefully shopping with my wife the whole time we've been in here."
Rena, "I understand that sir but you are scaring people by having a gun and not being in a police uniform. Is there some way we can resolve this issue?"
Me, "Ma'am, I am still trying to figure out what the issue is? Have I violated a store policy? I didn't see any signs posted upon entering the store besides the 'No Smoking' sign. Is there a corporate policy prohibiting the legal carry of firearms in Target?"
My awesome wife, annoyed with manager, "We're actually very ready to check out and leave. My husband and I are quite finished shopping here."
Me, "Ma'am we only came here to do a little shopping. Not trying to scare anyone. We'll be on our way now. Do you know if there is a corporate policy prohibiting the legal carry of firearms in Target stores?"
Rena, " I have never been asked that before. I will look into it and if I see you before you leave the store I will tell you if I find anything."
Me, "Thank you ma'am."
We walked away from them and towards the checkout. I then remembered that I had stashed a few WGR pamphlets in my wife's purse. I asked her for one and met up with Rena by the front doors as my wife was paying for our items.
Me, "Hi there again, I just wanted to share this literature with you about the laws of gun carry in Washington State."
She smiled and said thanks and folded the pamphlet up and put it in her pants pocket. As I began to walk away a large man wearing a Target uniform shirt approached me and said,
"Hi, I'm Tom, I'm the store manager here."
Me, "Hi I'm ******* ****. Is it a policy to prohibit the legal carry of firearms here?"
Tom, "Well for us it's more of a private property issue. In the past we've had people come in here with guns and ask us for money. We just ask people to not carry at all in the store."
Me, "I am sorry sir but I didn't see any signs posted upon entering the store."
We were now standing at the entrance/exit and I pointed at the doors and walls.
Me, "Customers have no way of knowing this because you have no signage posted. Washington is an Open Carry state and I had no idea I was going to get grilled for legally carrying while shopping with my wife."
Tom, "It may be legal to carry openly in Washington State but this is private property. We prefer to deal with these types of issues as they come up on a one on one basis."
Me, "So that is your corporate policy?" I was confused and irritated.
Tom, "Thats our store policy here."
By this time my wife had finished checking out and I walked away from Tom to join her. We left and both rolled our eyes at one another as we walked back to our vehicle.
I am emailing Target to see what their policy is on the matter.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
-Badger