Kendo_Bunny
Regular Member
imported post
So, I moved to Staunton, VA on Monday for school. Today I had a few little errands to run (AbNo and I are going to the range tomorrow, so I needed to ingredients for dinner). I walked all through Martin's without a word or a second glance that I could see, but they didn't have a good price on frozen brocolli, so I went to get it from Food Lion. Next to the Food Lion is a Dollar General. Since I didn't have anything frozen in my car yet, I figured I'd poke around for a few minutes- see if they had any really cheap essentials.
Once I walked in the door, a manager approached me and told me they didn't allow large handbags in the store and would I leave it outside? I told her I did understand, since I had worked in a store with a major shoplifting problem before (though I was still a little annoyed because the pants I'm wearing only have one very small pocket that only just fits my cell phone). I commented that I thought she had been approaching me about my gun.
She did a double take and began 'Well... now that I see that you have that.... I mean, I'm sure you're licensed to carry'
'Actually, Virginia law states that licenses are only needed to conceal, and I'm open carrying.'
She argued with me that I did need a license, then told me I'd have to lock it in my car for the safety of the store. At that point, I'm quite tired of being treated like a criminal for the audacity to think there might be something I want to purchase at that store. I told her if that was the case, then I'd just take my business elsewhere, and have a nice day.
I go into Food Lion and do a full lap of the store without a comment, make my purchases, and go out to my car. At that point, a Staunton police cruiser pulls up behind me, blocking me in. My gun is fully displayed on the dashboard. The officer comes to my window and asks for an ID, so I handed him my military dependent ID. He asks to see my gun 'for safety', then says that this manager called him to report that I was being belligerent and attempting to unlawfully conceal a firearm. I laugh and turn out my one tiny pocket and say I wouldn't even attempt to fit my gun in there. Another policeman comes up at this point and asks me where I got the gun. I tell him I got it for my birthday.
The first cop is looking seriously at my ID and asks what organization I'm a part of. I tell him I'm a Colonel's daughter.
They run my ID's and my gun and I didn't want to argue since the woman in the store had told them I was belligerent and hostile. I just smiled pleasantly and had a chat with the one while everything was being run, telling him I didn't have a concealed because I had no good place to conceal and that I figured it would be a hassle sometimes. The second cop comes back and I show both of them exactly how my gun was on my hip, and that I wasn't trying to hide anything. The second reminds me to keep my gun prominently displayed in my car, and the first said that I had had it right on the dashboard when he had pulled up. They then both told me to have a nice day, waved as they pulled out, and I came home.
So yeah, Dollar General in Staunton will treat you like a criminal for attempting to shop there. If it's such a dangerous store that only criminals shop there, then I'm going to make sure to never put myself in such a dangerous situation again.
So, I moved to Staunton, VA on Monday for school. Today I had a few little errands to run (AbNo and I are going to the range tomorrow, so I needed to ingredients for dinner). I walked all through Martin's without a word or a second glance that I could see, but they didn't have a good price on frozen brocolli, so I went to get it from Food Lion. Next to the Food Lion is a Dollar General. Since I didn't have anything frozen in my car yet, I figured I'd poke around for a few minutes- see if they had any really cheap essentials.
Once I walked in the door, a manager approached me and told me they didn't allow large handbags in the store and would I leave it outside? I told her I did understand, since I had worked in a store with a major shoplifting problem before (though I was still a little annoyed because the pants I'm wearing only have one very small pocket that only just fits my cell phone). I commented that I thought she had been approaching me about my gun.
She did a double take and began 'Well... now that I see that you have that.... I mean, I'm sure you're licensed to carry'
'Actually, Virginia law states that licenses are only needed to conceal, and I'm open carrying.'
She argued with me that I did need a license, then told me I'd have to lock it in my car for the safety of the store. At that point, I'm quite tired of being treated like a criminal for the audacity to think there might be something I want to purchase at that store. I told her if that was the case, then I'd just take my business elsewhere, and have a nice day.
I go into Food Lion and do a full lap of the store without a comment, make my purchases, and go out to my car. At that point, a Staunton police cruiser pulls up behind me, blocking me in. My gun is fully displayed on the dashboard. The officer comes to my window and asks for an ID, so I handed him my military dependent ID. He asks to see my gun 'for safety', then says that this manager called him to report that I was being belligerent and attempting to unlawfully conceal a firearm. I laugh and turn out my one tiny pocket and say I wouldn't even attempt to fit my gun in there. Another policeman comes up at this point and asks me where I got the gun. I tell him I got it for my birthday.
The first cop is looking seriously at my ID and asks what organization I'm a part of. I tell him I'm a Colonel's daughter.
They run my ID's and my gun and I didn't want to argue since the woman in the store had told them I was belligerent and hostile. I just smiled pleasantly and had a chat with the one while everything was being run, telling him I didn't have a concealed because I had no good place to conceal and that I figured it would be a hassle sometimes. The second cop comes back and I show both of them exactly how my gun was on my hip, and that I wasn't trying to hide anything. The second reminds me to keep my gun prominently displayed in my car, and the first said that I had had it right on the dashboard when he had pulled up. They then both told me to have a nice day, waved as they pulled out, and I came home.
So yeah, Dollar General in Staunton will treat you like a criminal for attempting to shop there. If it's such a dangerous store that only criminals shop there, then I'm going to make sure to never put myself in such a dangerous situation again.