Asked to Disarm

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Went with my 16 yo daughter tonight to the Verizon Wireless Store in Reston at the Reston Spectrum next to theTown Center. Sig 225 in my paddle retention holster on my side.

This is not the first time I have been in this particular VZW store armed, since I just replaced a phone about 60 days ago.

Was there for about 15 minutes waiting for a salesman and walking around with my daughter browsing.

A salesman finally came over and we were discussing some new phones I needed to purchase when over comes a manager (name on the name tag was Martin). He asks me if I am "law enforcement?" Not a totally uncommon question for me to hear since I keep my my hair veryshort and I am usually dressedbusiness casual.

I answered "No, why?"

His response:"Sir I know that in Virginia you are allowed to carry a gun and I also know thatas manager I can ask you not to carry it in the store."

"Yes you can" I say.

"Sir I am going to have to ask you tosecure your weapon and/or leave the store."

I asked him if he has ever heard of the VCDL and he says yes.

I inform him that I will do so, but that I will be letting everyone here plus the VCDL knowwhathe has asked me to do so and that is a lot of business he may be forfeiting by his decision.

He said he understood but that it was corporate policy.

So to make a long story short, I secured my firearm in my vehicle because I really needed to get this phone thing done, but when my contract comes up for renewal, I will be seriously considering changing carriers if it is in fact a Verizon Wirelesspolicy.

Does anyone here know?

Any suggestions for follow up with VZW.

This is the first time in 7 months of active open carry that I have had a single issue with anyone asking me to disarm, and I carry everyday all over Reston/Herndon/Sterling/Chantilly/Centreville.



Thanks

Be Careful Out There!

Paul

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Sorry to hear about that. I was thinking about going to V from Sprint, I guess not (I actually was thinking about getting in on Verizon stock as well, not anymore).

On another note, have you had anybody come up and say something positive about your OC'ing?

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nitrovic wrote:

Sorry to hear about that. I was thinking about going to V from Sprint, I guess not (I actually was thinking about getting in on Verizon stock as well, not anymore).

On another note, have you had anybody come up and say something positive about your OC'ing?

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I have had a couple of questions and positive conversations, a young safeway cashier who said it scared her, but I assured her there was nothing to be scared of, and a lot of people who never said a word. Most of the time I just go unnoticed. I attribute part of that to how I look and dress. 48, very short greying hair and generally dressed business casual or at least cleanly and neatly. Figure people take mefor a LEO, or just not a threat and pay no attention.

Be Careful Out There.

Paul

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When out and about, I typically go unnoticed. The most postive thing I have had happen is that my wife and kids are finally comfortable with my carrying. I remember the first day I OC'd anywhere, my 7 year old son was freaking out thinking that the cops were going to arrest me. He now has no problems with it.

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"Well, as the manager, I would also think it is within your right to allow a customer who is here to spend money in your store to just go ahead and do that, too, no?"


There are way too many VZW outlets to put up with that. Even if it is the corporate line, there are bound to be some that still value a customer and the money they spend.

Just a thought.

TFred

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TFred wrote:

"Well, as the manager, I would also think it is within your right to allow a customer who is here to spend money in your store to just go ahead and do that, too, no?"


There are way too many VZW outlets to put up with that. Even if it is the corporate line, there are bound to be some that still value a customer and the money they spend.

Just a thought.

TFred

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while i agree, at least the manager knew the law and policy. lucky for him the OP was in a hurry/needed to get it over with.

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while i agree, at least the manager knew the law and policy. lucky for him the OP was in a hurry/needed to get it over with.

If I did not have my daughter with me and one of the phones I was there to buy was for her, I would have walked in a heartbeat and sought out another VZW store that probably would let me conduct my business in peace.

Since this OC thing is relatively new (7 months) and my kids have accepted it, but not yet fully comprehend why I do it, the timing factormade it necessary for me to suck it up, stay and complete my business.

Be Careful Out There

Paul

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dyver1 wrote:

while i agree, at least the manager knew the law and policy. lucky for him the OP was in a hurry/needed to get it over with.

If I did not have my daughter with me and one of the phones I was there to buy was for her, I would have walked in a heartbeat and sought out another VZW store that probably would let me conduct my business in peace.

Since this OC thing is relatively new (7 months) and my kids have accepted it, but not yet fully comprehend why I do it, the timing factormade it necessary for me to suck it up, stay and complete my business.

Be Careful Out There

Paul

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Didn't mean to imply that you should have acted differently given your situation, just thinking out loud after the fact...

TFred

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tsannicolas wrote:

while i agree, at least the manager knew the law and policy. lucky for him the OP was in a hurry/needed to get it over with.

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Not necessarily, he could have thought it was "corporate policy" - when in fact it was policy banning EMPLOYEES from carrying guns into the store, not customers.

I'd call his district manager and see.

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I OC'd at the Verizon store in Henrico a few months ago.

The 120 pound unarmed security guard eyed me for a few minutes. The salesman told me that he felt safer with me there armed than with the unarmed guard. I was never asked to leave.

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So no option of CC even offered? I'm just trying to figure out if he was saying that carry in a Verizon store is prohibited however, or just OC.

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I've OC'd a couple of times in the Verizon store on Jefferson Ave. in Denbigh (Newport News), with no problems, and I'm sure some folks saw me. If it is against corporate policy, they didn't appear to know or care. And I don't look like an LEO.....

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Sometimes we have to view things from the other side of the fence. I have seen first hand that cell phone providers deal with quite a few disgruntled customers on a regular basis. I had a lady in line in front of me one day that obviosly hadn't taken her medication for over a month. She was at the point of physically losing it. I can imagine some of the cell phone provider employeesbeing frightened when they see a customer come in carrying a gun. God only knows nTelos would probably panic if they saw me walk in with an exposed gun. I have had nothing but troublewith them for years, mostly nickel and dime overcharges every month. I only continue to deal with them because it is my 16-year-old daughter's cell phone andhas unlimited minutes for $39 a month. You can imagine how many minutes she uses per month.

Having said the above, and now jumping back across the fence, the lady I described above made me feel glad I had a firearm close. She could easily have snapped and started shooting employees and bystanders if she had a firearm. :shock:

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Sprint is the same way. FYI

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Does anyone actually know what Verizon's policy is?

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Look, if you want Joes and Janes to view the right to carry firearms as commonplace, then you must accept the right these same folks have to their property.

The manager was polite and respectful; he doesn't need corporate policy to ask you to leave.

You did the right thing by considering your relationship with this store and contacting corporate.

You both acted within your rights, did so in a respectful way and now life goes on.

Carry on

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deepdiver wrote:

So no option of CC even offered? I'm just trying to figure out if he was saying that carry in a Verizon store is prohibited however, or just OC.

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He did not offer me the option to CC, but that was probably becasue of the way I was dressed. I was not wearing any kind of coat, just a long sleeved polo shirt, and khackis with the Sig in a leather paddle retention holster secured by a leather gun belt that also secured my pants in place. Covering up without leaving the store was really not an option.

After I left the VZW store, I retreived my firearm, rearmed myself and my daughter and I walked into the Harris Teeter that is right next door. Shopped for about 20 minutes without a single person noticing.

Be Careful Out There!

Paul

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I currently have 3 types of Verizon service. I would really like to know Verizon's stance on Second Amendment policies and issues so that I can decide whether I want to continue patronizing them.

But, I agree, the manager was very professional and courteous and knew what he was talking about. The fact that a CC option wasn't mentioned is curious as I have CC'd in Verizon stores before and never took note of any posted prohibitions on such.

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jmlefler wrote:

Look, if you want Joes and Janes to view the right to carry firearms as commonplace, then you must accept the right these same folks have to their property.

The manager was polite and respectful; he doesn't need corporate policy to ask you to leave.

You did the right thing by considering your relationship with this store and contacting corporate.

You both acted within your rights, did so in a respectful way and now life goes on.

Carry on

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Wrong.

Managers don't "own" the property - corporate policy dictates these kinds of things when it isn't a "mom and pop" kind of store.

Just like Wal*Mart managers have to follow corporate policy and can't make up rules within their store regarding firearms.

Property owners can dictate whatever rules they want on their land, managers cannot.

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hsmith wrote:

jmlefler wrote:

Look, if you want Joes and Janes to view the right to carry firearms as commonplace, then you must accept the right these same folks have to their property.

The manager was polite and respectful; he doesn't need corporate policy to ask you to leave.

You did the right thing by considering your relationship with this store and contacting corporate.

You both acted within your rights, did so in a respectful way and now life goes on.

Carry on

Click to expand...

Wrong.

Managers don't "own" the property - corporate policy dictates these kinds of things when it isn't a "mom and pop" kind of store.

Just like Wal*Mart managers have to follow corporate policy and can't make up rules within their store regarding firearms.

Property owners can dictate whatever rules they want on their land, managers cannot.

Click to expand...

Unless they have been given the authority to act at their own discretion by corporate, you are right.