BB&T sign

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About a week ago, I sent an email to the CEO of BB&T. His email is not listed anywhere I could find, but I got skills, baby. In the email I pointed out the several ways that the GFZ policy made their customers, visitors and employees less safe. I also threw in the usual, about only disarming law abiding citizens, etc.

Today, I got a letter in the mail with my response. The letter was from one of the VPs, operations I think. The letter thanked me for my concern and my views. It also stated that BB&T supports the right to keep and bear arms, but the policy is the policy. He then suggested that if the GFZ inside the branch made me feel less safe, that I should use the ATM, night drop and drive through teller.

Geez. I want to live in the place that these guys do. I wonder what color the sky is...

Dan aka caltain

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caltain wrote:

He then suggested that if the GFZ inside the branch made me feel less safe, that I should use the ATM, night drop and drive through teller.

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...or a different bank.

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Different bank.

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NO bank.

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So hard to believe with BBT. The CEO is a huge Ann Rand fan, and very libertarian... I'd suggest a letter writing campaign MAILED to the CEO. I suspect that most of the GFZ stuff that we see is insurance related (sort of like at most of the Gun Shows).

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The Virginia STATE president:


ROBERT M. BOYD
Title
Group/State President
Hampton Roads Regional President

Region
Hampton Roads

Experience
Mr. Boyd has more than 25 years of banking experience. He joined BB&T in 2003 as a regional president through the First Virginia Banks Inc. merger. While at First Virginia, he served in various leadership positions including branch manager, commercial officer and branch administrator. In 1996, he was named president and chief administrative officer of First Virginia Bank of Tidewater and was promoted to chief executive officer in 1998. In July 1999, he was elected to chairman of the board. In 2004, Mr. Boyd was named as president of the Hampton Roads region.

Date of Birth
Nov. 25, 1957

Birthplace
Cleveland, Ohio

Education
B.A., Denison University, Granville, Ohio
MBA, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va.
Stonier Graduate School of Banking

Affiliations
Regional board member, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; board member and executive committee member, Greater Norfolk Corporation; board member and executive committee member, Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance; board member and executive committee member, Hampton Roads Partnership; chair, executive advisory council, Old Dominion University, College of Business & Public Administration; board member and executive committee member, Virginia Arts Festival; board member and chair, development committee, ACCESS College Foundation; member, Board of Trustees, Chrysler Museum

I am guessing rboyd@bbandt.com(rmboyd@bbandt.combounced)

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sent:

Dear Mr. Boyd:

An acquaintance was beaten and robbed at knifepoint in a shopping center parking lot last year. Because of this, and numerous similar crimes in the news, I must question your 'no weapons' policy -- even for people holding court-issued permits -- at BB&T Banks.

However well intended this policy may be, the net result is that law-abiding citizens are at the mercy of the criminal element while patronizing your establishment.

Firearm permit holders have passed thorough local, state and FBI criminal background checks. They are trained in safety and the law and the responsibilities they bear prior to being issued a permit by the proper authorities. Concealed firearms permit holders are therefore among the nation's most responsible and law-abiding citizens. Since the beginning of each state's programs, permit holders prove to be among the lowest crime-rate groups in the nation. Imagine these two scenarios.

Criminals Welcome
The management of this facility has made
every effort to disarm your potential victims.
Law-abiding persons in our stores and parking lots are defenseless.

or

Warning To Criminals
Some Patrons In Our Banks and Parking Lots May Be Legally Armed.
To help ensure the safety of our customers,
the management of this establishment
encourages the patronage of
Trained, Police Approved, FBI Cleared
Holders of Concealed-Handgun Permits.

The former scenario is the message sent by your "no legal firearms" policy, and in essence, the message you are sending to criminals who would prey on your patrons.

Do you genuinely believe that violent criminals, intent on plying their trade in your establishment are going to obey your signs?

I am not suggesting that you display signs welcoming permit holders onto your property, merely that you remove the signs denying us access and squelching our civil rights. Otherwise what you are telling the public is that the only people who are armed in your stores are the criminals. That's not very reassuring.

I made a concerted effort to avoid those establishments that would disarm honest citizens and leave them at the mercy of those who don't obey signs, rules or laws.

I urge you to examine your policy of leaving your law-abiding patrons defenseless when on your property, while at the same time encouraging and empowering armed criminals.

Respectfully
Ed Levine
Sterling, VA

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ed wrote:

Respectfully
Ed Levine
Sterling, VA

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Ed, you are a whiz with words. A+

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Neplusultra wrote:

ed wrote:

Respectfully
Ed Levine
Sterling, VA

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Ed, you are a whiz with words. A+

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Not MY words... see:arrow: http://www.gunlaws.com/GFZ/GFZLetter.htm

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ed wrote:

I am guessing rboyd@bbandt.com (rmboyd@bbandt.com bounced)

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http://consumerist.com/consumer/com...nch-an-executive-email-carpet-bomb-259713.php

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Nice, Ed! Someone, or ones, put a great deal of effort into that letter. Thanks for the cite and link. Especially, thanks for having my back on this one, guys and gals.

The crappy part about my situation is that the spousal unit came home on Sunday afternoon saying that she will be not be using the free ATM at our local branch any more. I didn't know that she had been using it, or I would have told her not to. The branch's ATM faces subsidized low-income housing, and is on the back side of the building, totally hidden from the observation of passing motorists. Also, the parking lot on that side is burdered by earthen berms and shrubs/bushes/trees. To add insult to injury, the branch is across the street from an apartment complex with a drug problem so bad that they filled and paved the indoor swimming pool to use as the new office, then gave the old offices to the Herndon PD to use as a sub-station. Of course, that barely slowed the drug traffic and accompanying crimes, but you gotta give them credit for creative thinking and taking the problem seriously.

I think I'm going to take a series of stills of the area. I'm planning to reply to the letter by simply including the stills with a note that says "would you use this ATM? Even in the daytime, while armed? Neither do I. Please let all of your law abiding customers come inside so we don't have to wave cash around in a location you wouldn't drive through without rolling up the windows and checking the door locks. Frankly, I'm amazed that you can get employees to service this ATM. Do they get hazard pay? They should. And an armed escort.

Dan aka caltain

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I couldn't sleep, so I sent the following to the BB&T Director, who also happens to be the largest shareholder that works for the company.

Dear Mr. Thompson,



Thank you for taking the time to read about this important matter. I know your time is valuable. I will try to be as brief as the situation allows. The subject of this email is as stated. I have been a customer of Branch Bank and Trust in Herndon, Virginia for over ten years. In that time I have seen many changes in my community and, indeed, in our nation and world. While some changes have been positive, most have been negative. As an intelligent and accomplished individual, you are undoubtedly aware of the major changes in American society to which I refer, so I will not enumerate them here. In short, Americans are not as safe in their communities as they once were.



While approaching my local BB&T branch, I took note of a sign on the entry door showing a gun in a bold circle with a slash through it. The meaning of this sign was immediately clear: no guns allowed. I immediately returned to my home to do some research. Apparently, every branch in Virginia displays this sign. The State of Virginia allows citizens who may legally possess a handgun to carry the weapon on their person in public, if the weapon is not concealed from common observation. Additionally, the State of Virginia allows certain ordinary citizens to carry the handgun concealed. These special citizens, most trusted by the State, must receive training in the use of a firearm and in the state and federal laws regarding firearms, and show proficiency with the handgun. Furthermore, these citizens must pass a full background check conducted by the State Police. This unique group of citizens constitutes the 1.5% most law-abiding demographic group in the State of Virginia, and in the nation.



The sign posted on the door of these branches only prevents these law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves from life threatening crime. It does nothing to deter the criminal who would prey upon them. Rather, this sign, and the policy that yielded its posting, shows the criminal that the branch’s customers and employees are defenseless and in possession of large amounts of cash. Is that the message that you want to send to a criminal? Can you imagine the fallout from an assault or robbery of such a law-abiding citizen prevented from protecting himself because of this policy? Arguably, such a victim



Last week, I sent an email to Mr. Allison, the CEO of BB & T. He referred the matter to Joshua C. Petty, Vice President and Regional Retail Banking Manager. In his response, Mr. Petty assures me that “BB&T supports the right of law-abiding citizens to own and bear firearms.” This leads to the obvious question of how BB&T supports this right of these citizens. I contend that the policy of denying law-abiding citizens the ability to protect themselves does exactly the opposite. Further, this policy actively endangers BB&T’s customers and employees by creating a target-rich, ideal environment for criminal activity.



I urge you to take steps to reverse this dangerous policy in the State of Virginia and in any other state or locality that allows citizens to meet armed, violent criminals on equal terms.



Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.



Sincerely,

Dan

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Future letters could also point out that there are banks and credit unions in the areathat do NOT ban guns and who may be a better place for you to keep your money. The 13 branches of Virginia Credit Union, for example.

Several people regularly openly carry a firearm into my branch.... in the heart of Downtown Richmond - all without incident or issue.