Trip Report -- Alderwood 16 Cinema

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I have OC'd every time I've gone to the theater, even asking the Lynwood PD Officer that is there on Friday nights if I could OC or if it was against management's wishes. He has previously stated it was fine. Last night I went to see Prince Caspian last night with a group of friends, aparantly someone was distressed that I was carrying. I was seated in the theater and the officer approached, informed me that management did not allow any weapons, real or fake, in the theater and they would like me to relieve myself of my weapon or they would gladly refund my ticket.

Since I was with friends, I vacated the premsis and locked my sidearm in my trunk. I then went back in and asked to speak with the manager. I gave her our OC card/pamphlet as well as my business card, and talked politely that people who carry are far less likely to commit a violent crime, etc. She stated that it has been company policy for some time not to allow any weapon on the premesis.

I'm going to write a nice letter to coporate, but since normally i'm kinda up front and blunt was wondering if Lonnie or someone else would mind giving me a few pointers with that.

I figure they've lost my business and wouldn't mind them added to our Do No Patronize database.

Theater in question:

AMC Loews Alderwood Mall 16
18733 33rd Avenue West
Lynnwood, WA98037
(425) 921-2985


If you want any other info go ahead and pm or feel free to email me at ntshelby[at]comcast.net

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Any news on this?

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Mailed a letter today, sorry it took so bloody long. Have been swamped at work. I'll keep you updated, thanks for adding to the watch list.

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Finally heard back from corporate, they completely sidestepped the question and gave me a form letter regarding the continuing evolution of their company policies, and they might address the issue in the future.

And it appears they do have a "no handguns" sign posted. It is posted on the door to the elevator inside the underground garage (merely a NO Circle with a handgun in it) and is not posted on any of the upstairs (Main Entrance) doors.

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Nebulis01 wrote:

Finally heard back from corporate, they completely sidestepped the question and gave me a form letter regarding the continuing evolution of their company policies, and they might address the issue in the future.

And it appears they do have a "no handguns" sign posted. It is posted on the door to the elevator inside the underground garage (merely a NO Circle with a handgun in it) and is not posted on any of the upstairs (Main Entrance) doors.

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So their corporate policy is that you must be a mind reader to know whether you can carry or not. It's like a no tresspassing sign in a non-fenced area. Do you really expect people to stay out. The law in this state say no on no fence and tresspassing people isn't gonna stick. I would think you can carry until they tell you you can't. But in either case thy are being a$$holes.

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IIRC AMC has a national policy against firearms.

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Regal Cinemas also has that policy nation wide. Most theaters do.

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Would you expect different from the agents of liberal Hollywood? Not me.

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I live very close to Alderwood Mall and Leows and the Regal Cinemas there. I was wondering if anyone has OC'd in the Mall itself? If so, how was the reception? I take it there must not have been any negative responses because one of you would've posted on it by now.

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VonKonig wrote:

I live very close to Alderwood Mall and Leows and the Regal Cinemas there. I was wondering if anyone has OC'd in the Mall itself? If so, how was the reception? I take it there must not have been any negative responses because one of you would've posted on it by now.

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The Cinema is on the Watch List. Take a look up at the top of the WA Forum.

I have OC'd at the Mall a few times without issue and they have no signage to bar it.

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just_a_car wrote:

VonKonig wrote:

I live very close to Alderwood Mall and Leows and the Regal Cinemas there. I was wondering if anyone has OC'd in the Mall itself? If so, how was the reception? I take it there must not have been any negative responses because one of you would've posted on it by now.

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The Cinema is on the Watch List. Take a look up at the top of the WA Forum.

I have OC'd at the Mall a few times without issue and they have no signage to bar it.

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They have no signs posted. I've OC'd multiple times in the mall the only crap i've gotten was during the Christmas rush, I can't find the threat about it but i posted in one around that time last year.

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Thanks for your reply about Alderwood Mall. I'm new to concealed carry and have obtained my CPL and have been reading like crazy all the laws pertaining to it, but lately have become very interested in open carry.

The whole concept of openly carrying a firearm on one's hip, in urban society and in the 21st Century, was intriguing to me. Three-and-a-half years ago my home was broken into andshortly thereafter I boughta weapon and excercised my right to bear arms by obtaining a permit to carry concealed. I read a lot about it and saw the logic in the idea that, if a person can have one's home broken into there is also a random chance one can be violently assaulted (with no provocation!) in or away from one's home.

But, it had never occurred to me that a person could open carry, like I said before, in an urban environment and in this day and age. Pardon my candidness and my prior ignorance, but I had assumed that that sort of thing had been regulated away as a possibility long ago. I figured the idea of open carry had gone the way of the Old Western Gunfighter.

And that is exactly why, when I tripped upon some links that led me to this site and others where I had the chance to read about real live people exercising their rights to bear arms in an open and visible manner, I became very interested in the whole idea.Questions began to enter my mindafter realizing that it wasn't just a possibility, but was being done by a growing number of people around the country -- questions like,

WHY would someone want to:

-risk being looked at like a deviant by friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances of any kind. (Beingcast as a "deviant" by people in these categories never helps to bring one's character into a favorable light in court when a prosecutor is trying to build a case, or when one is inthe middle of adivorce or child custody proceeding);

- risk being set-upon, questioned, harrassed, even assaulted and arrested by a majority (as it seems to me) of misunderstood law enforcement officers;

- risk the possibility of putting one's family finances in jeopardy if one happens to step out of line (evenina very infinitesimally small manner) while carrying a weapon openly and is prosecuted for this small error with the full force of the law -- simply because a liberal-minded prosecutor happens to get a hair up his wazzu about YOU, the new standard-bearer of the gun-toting, right wing militant population heperceives you represent.

- risk all the attention, all the double takes, the possibility of some busy-body "calling you in" onhis cell phone, the store managers coming up to you to ask you to leave his store, the looks of disdain, the pointing children,and so on... (It seems to me many of you, me included, are not types to go around seeking attention. I'm sure I only need to mention the term "Grey Man" to this readership and the concept is fully understood if not fully embraced.)

- and most importantly, riskthe possibility that a violent, disturbed, hell-bent person who now has the jump on you because heKNOWS you have a gun andKNOWS you have no clue he's even there, grabs your gun from behind and renders you a non-threat in one manner or another (The readership here likes to be prepared and that is why we carry, so should we be any less prepared for this eventuality?...)

So these are some of the bigger questions for which I've been seeking answers, and which I've been asking myself as I consider the idea of OC'ing. One thing I can say is that I have tried it and it was a thrill. I wore my FNP-40 in a holster on my belt on my right hip and my magazines in a carrier on my left and went out my front door, got into my car and drove to Sam's for some plinking. After target shooting there, with a whole team of ATF watching, I walked around the store and bought some Hydra Shock rounds and then left, got into my car and drove home -- all without so much as a raised eyebrow (though I did notice some furtive glances from the ATF guys while I walked around the store).

... and WHY did I decide to do that on that day a couple of weeks ago? Because I had the RIGHT to, and because I owned a firearm and could carry it openly, I decided to do it simply to EXERCISE that right. Is Alderwood Mall the next place where I will choose to take my rights out for a walk? Maybe. It's nice to know there's no signage and that others have OC'd there. Talk about a great place to desensitize a few thousand people toward the idea of legally and openly carrying a firearm!

But still, the questions remain, so I thought I'd post them up here to see if any of you have the same questions, and if any of you have come to any conclusions.

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I personally can not answer those questions. All I can say is, its a risk that I had briefly considered, but have pushed to the back of my mind. There is no ulterior motive to me open carrying other than its legal and I want to show my support for gun rights. If it opens up a dialogue, so be it. But the risks, for me, have been pushed aside. I'm single, so don't have to worry about supporting anyone but me. Divorce? Not yet... gotta get married first. If my friends started flipping me crap, I'd find new friends. Real friends wont give you crap. They may give you grief in jest, but if they are uncomfortable, then I will remove myself from that situation. Family? Ok... maybe this one is a toughy... no answer because my parents don't say anything to me about it. As far as someone grabbing my gun, I'd like to see them try. I'm not a built person, but if the person doesn't know how to use the Serpa lv2 holster, they aren't gonna be able to take out the gun quick.

There are a lot of what if's and there are always risks. Its personal as to how much those risks matter.

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So how is the wife and family gonna look down on me? The wife carries both CC and OC, so I don't think that will be an issue. It sounds to me you are looking for reasons to not OC. So don't, there is no law requiring you to do so. But why rain on others parade?

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VonKonig wrote:

WHY would someone want to:

-risk being looked at like a deviant by friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances of any kind. If your friends and family think you look like a deviant than it is most definitly because of the way you look, dress and more importantly act. NOT because you are carrying a firearm... Unless you're the guy who goes around pointing at it and showing it off and waving it around...

- risk being set-upon, questioned, harrassed, even assaulted and arrested by a majority (as it seems to me) of misunderstood law enforcement officers; The more we OC the less this happens, the more people know, and the more accepted it becomes. I have carried dozens of times and never had a negative encounter. Remember for every 1 negative encounter you hear about, a couple hundred carries went well.

- risk the possibility of putting one's family finances in jeopardy if one happens to step out of line (evenina very infinitesimally small manner) while carrying a weapon openly and is prosecuted for this small error with the full force of the law -- simply because a liberal-minded prosecutor happens to get a hair up his wazzu about YOU, the new standard-bearer of the gun-toting, right wing militant population heperceives you represent. I'm sorry... But what the hell is this psycho-babble? How are you putting your financial well being in jeopardy? Outside the first sentence this was barely english...

- risk all the attention, all the double takes, the possibility of some busy-body "calling you in" onhis cell phone, the store managers coming up to you to ask you to leave his store, the looks of disdain, the pointing children,and so on... (It seems to me many of you, me included, are not types to go around seeking attention. I'm sure I only need to mention the term "Grey Man" to this readership and the concept is fully understood if not fully embraced.) If you are a shy lil intraverted man that can't stand to sometimes share a couple sentences with another human being... Well forget about carrying, you need to get back into your house to be safe from talking... Who cares if someone looks at you twice? Looks of disdain... You can't be serious? Pointing children? Dude... You are way to dramatic and over the top. I have had maybe a half a dozen people initiate conversation with me and none of them were negative.

- and most importantly, riskthe possibility that a violent, disturbed, hell-bent person who now has the jump on you because heKNOWS you have a gun andKNOWS you have no clue he's even there, grabs your gun from behind and renders you a non-threat in one manner or another (The readership here likes to be prepared and that is why we carry, so should we be any less prepared for this eventuality?...) Site your source. Name 1. Please. Please name one occurence and provide a link or a newspaper or some news company that has information on that event. Give up? Yeah... That is because that logic is awful and doesn't work in real life. A person disturbed and hell-bent on causing pain and suffering in the world usually already comes to the party with his own tools, and they are to a point beyond looking around for threats to themselves... Now back to the 99.8% of normal criminals... The kind that have some mental capacity, they on the other hand do look around because they are looking for easy targets... A guy wearing a gun sure seems like the exact opposite doesn't he?

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Wow! Strong words! But some really good points also.

Know this: I didn't post with the intent of offending anyone. I'm new to, and supportive of,OC and am curious about some elements of it. I don't have years of experience doing it. I've only done it once.

Things like "pointing children", "people calling in a person who is OC'ing" and "looks of disdain" were examples I used in my question, because these were things that I could see happening. I didn't mean to imply that they WILL happen. Again, this is something I have only done once. You say you have carried many times and have not had a problem with any of the things mentioned in my series of questions. GREAT! You have laid to rest any doubts or reservations I may have had, and I thank you for answering each question item by item. Mighty kind of you, sir.

So now I'm off to Sam's ... open carry.

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Have fun OC-ing! Sometimes written words on the internet can be hard to decipher emotionally. But, remember, who cares what others think. There will be looks, there will be pointing, there will be questions, but your life is worth those risks. Don't get frozen by the what-if's. If it happens, let it happen, and react accordingly, decisivly, and with your head on straight. You'll show the people you are around that you're not a nutjob and may even convert a few. Good luck!

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Now THAT is some friendly advice I can hang my hat on! THANKS, Bro!

God bless you!

Von....

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VonKonigYou raise some good points and are asking questions that concern you. It appears you have given this some thought. There is a section on the forum addressing "why open carry". http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum6/Some of your questions may be answered there. Each of us must make the decision on when, where or if to stand up for our rights. Doing so sometimes involves consequences. The only thing I am sure of is if nobody stands up for them they will be lost. One by one they will fall by the wayside until we are subjects of the stateinstead offree citizens. So are the consequences worth it? That is up to you.