Wal-Mart's new NO GUN policy???

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While OCing last weekend at my local Wal-Mart store in Lewiston, ID. I was approached by the manager. He asked me next time I come into the store to "leave my firearm in my vehicle". I asked "why"? He stated that he had some "concerned" customers that saw me with my gun (holstered obviously). I proceeded to tell him that his "concerned" customers were responsible for their own feelings and that I am in no way doing anything illegal. And the fact that Wal-Mart policy is to mimic state policy; which in Idaho and Washington it is legal to open carry. He said yes I know, but I have to ask you to leave it in your vehicle anyways. I said OK, whatever and continued my shopping with my wife. The more and more I got thinking about the whole situation, the more I got pissed off. He didn't even ask me if I was LEO, had a permit or nothing. Now, just some brief history; I've been OCing at that store for many many years. Never had a problem. Well, that night when I got home, I wrote a letter to Wal-Mart corporate and emailed it to them. The next day, the assistant manager at the Lewiston store (Ada) called me. She proceeded to tell me that Wal-Marts policy is and always has been, NO FIREARMS. I told her she was full of @#$%! I corrected her on the policy and asked her to reference it in her policy book. She said she didn't have one. I asked her to send a copy of the policy to me. She said she would have to contact corporate for a copy. I said, "your telling me you don't keep a copy of your own policies on hand!?". So, I'm kind of perplexed by the whole situation here. I wish I could get about a dozen people from the area here and take a trip to Wal-Mart and go shopping!:celebrateBecause I have no intention of EVER leaving my sidearm in my vehicle! Any thoughts?

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I tried to find if someone had posted Wal-marts corporate policy here and haven't found it. I seems most wal-marts especially in the southern part of our country have no problem with it. I am going to assume this is the manager's opinion and not corporate policy, but I would quickly write or e-mail corporate and see what their official policy is. There are some good letters posted on here to other corporations that have been written up very well and I don't think the creators would mind you editing and using them to apply to your situation.Wal mart is listed as pro open carry in ourbusiness section here but the thread for that isn't working.Good luck.

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Right. I used to live in Arizona; again, never had a problem down there. I did email Wal-Mart corporate, however the email went directly to the assistant manager. How/why, I don't know. I also called Kyle Windhorn @ 509-922-8868. He's the Marketing Director for the area. He was very evassive about the policy. Said it all depended on the situation. He would not be clear or specific.

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Something similar happened to a poster at a Virginia Home Depot. He called corporate offices and stated how much money he has spent and spends and corporate set him an e-mail, and also called and corrected the store manager.

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http://deadbangguns.com/Articles/WalMart.html

It looks like Walmart may be a problem. There's some contact info on this site.

Here's another bad encounter from last year.

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-300305.html

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I see that letter is almost 10 years old too. I sure hope Wal-Mart is changing tactics.

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sirpuma wrote:

It looks like Walmart may be a problem. There's some contact info on this site.

Here's another bad encounter from last year.

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-300305.html

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I know this thehighroad post is over a year old,but I couldn’t resist this part "When my relative wanted to leave, he was told that he had to write a report. After the report was written and signed, he then told him to leave the property." They stayed to assist the jackass assistant manger write a report! Why? Were they held against there will and forced to do this? Or just being nice to help the JA out? They were notrequired to stay,and JA has no legal right to make someone stay behind and not allowed to leave until told or given permission.

Myresponse would have been: you get paid to write company reportsnot me. If he said I had to stay and couldn’t leave, I would haveleft and called the police. I'm sure the company doesn’t give their employees the rights to illegally detain, its not like he was shop lifting and being held for the sheriff or parent to pick up.

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I've been into Wal-mart once, the one it Renton. I've never seen so many minorities at one place in my LIFE!!! Or should I say that I was the minority being one of only two white guys there.

I don't think that management there could even own a gun themselves let alone tell me not to bring mine in.

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Seems that a lot of managers/assistant managers seem to think they can do what they want...oh well...at least up here I can legally carry loaded into a place whereas in a few months I'll be in PRK and unable to. I'm still waiting on the email from Don Rosenborough regarding what Wal-Marts written policy is...I'm about out of patience and will go over him if needbe.

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PolskiG wrote:

I've been into Wal-mart once, the one it Renton. I've never seen so many minorities at one place in my LIFE!!! Or should I say that I was the minority being one of only two white guys there.

I don't think that management there could even own a gun themselves let alone tell me not to bring mine in.

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I've OC'd twice in that store to go to the gun counter (which meant I had to cross the whole row of cash registers) to pick up some ammo before going to an IDPA match and to go shooting with a buddy in the mountains. Neither time was there any issue.

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Wal-Mart probably doesn't distribute written policies to their stores because most of their employees can't, or don't, read. Either that or they would have to print it in too many languages and the resulting manual wouldn't fit on the shelf.

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amlevin wrote:

Wal-Mart probably doesn't distribute written policies to their stores because most of their employees can't, or don't, read. Either that or they would have to print it in too many languages and the resulting manual wouldn't fit on the shelf.

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LMAO!!! NOW THAT'S FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!

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I don't do Mal-Wart-America's source for cheap plastic crap made in China.

It's just somewhat against my religion to do business with a company with policies like theirs.

I'd rather drive the same distance to another retailer and pay a bit more for the same item, than shop in a filty store, where I don'tfeel safe and have to wonder if my vehicle will still be in the parking lot when I'm done shopping.

The store near me is in a "decent" neighborhood but close to the freeway and the amount of police calls I hear on my scanner for stolen vehicles in quite high compared to similar stores located away from the freeway.

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Shoot, I expect to be working at Wally World one of these days. With rampant inflation, high taxes ('cause I actually paid attention in school and learned enough to be a productive tax paying citizen) and means testing keeping me out of Social Security, I'll be the guy welcoming you at the door.

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PolskiG wrote:

I've been into Wal-mart once, the one it Renton. I've never seen so many minorities at one place in my LIFE!!! Or should I say that I was the minority being one of only two white guys there.

I don't think that management there could even own a gun themselves let alone tell me not to bring mine in.

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And the racial make up of their customers matters how?

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amlevin wrote:

Wal-Mart probably doesn't distribute written policies to their stores because most of their employees can't, or don't, read. Either that or they would have to print it in too many languages and the resulting manual wouldn't fit on the shelf.

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+1 LOL

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sv_libertarian wrote:

PolskiG wrote:

I've been into Wal-mart once, the one it Renton. I've never seen so many minorities at one place in my LIFE!!! Or should I say that I was the minority being one of only two white guys there.

I don't think that management there could even own a gun themselves let alone tell me not to bring mine in.

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And the racial make up of their customers matters how?

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It doesn't at all. I was just really, really overwelmed. I felt like I was at some twisted UN delegate convention. It was awesome and I will never go into another wal-mart for the rest of my life.



Open Carry

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As far as I know, Wal-Mart's corporate policy is to abide by the applicable state law where the store is located.

I OC'd in aWal-Mart in Spokane Valley, WA twice in the last week or two. The last time I had a neutral encounter with a middle-manager but was never asked to leave the store or conceal my firearm. He asked if I had a permit and I responded that in WA I didn't need a permit. I informed him that Wal-Mart had a policy to abide by whatever state law was applicable to the store. He said I still needed a permit to carry in his store, and I told him he was wrong. Wal-Mart can't ask to see my permit, nor can they do anything to enforce WA concealed carry laws.

After that the friend I was with ran into some friends he knew and we chatted for at least 15-20 minutes. Then we paid for our goods. My friend ran into someone who was curious about OC so he chatted with him for a bit while I waited near the front of the store. The mid-level manager did get the top store manager and someone who I assume was in Loss Prevention and chat for a while. They had a 3-way pow-wow for 15-20 minutes a few dozen feet away from me, but out of earshot.

I stood near the entrance waiting formy friend with my receipt for my merchandise in my strong-side hand, just so there was absolutely no case for warranting alarm. I was not asked to leave, nor was I hassled byany of them. I watched them, and gave them every opportunity to call the SVPDor the Spokane County Sherriffs, but they never did. They had at least 45 minutes from the time we first encountered the mid-level manager to the time we left the store, but no contact was made with me.

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I don't understand the Walmart bashing. What board members are experiencing at Walmart is no worse, and in some cases dramatically better, than what we have experienced at many large chain stores. Joe's Sporting Goods bans us completely, yet the threads about that never resorted to bashing Joe's and its employees, just their policy. Walmart, on the other hand, has an OC friendly policy that some of the managers apparently don't understand. That has been clearly established on this board. So why the need to bash Walmart unless you already hated Walmart for your own reasons and just saw an opportunity to pile on.

Do a little research and don't take the AFL-CIO's word for the net benefit of Walmart. If people didn't want to shop at Walmart the corporation would have no negative effect whatsoever on local businesses. If there is a problem it isn't Walmart, it is the customers. They have a right to shop where they want. They have a right to choose to pay more to shop elsewhere. As far as the Chinese manufactured stuff being sold their, it is the same product being sold at most competitors, including the small downtown store. Much of the product sold at Walmart is no longer manufactured in the United States, not because of Walmart but because people would rather pay less for the product than buy American.

As far as the employees go, the unions and the left have done a masterful job of creating a huge lie about how Walmart treats their employees. They pay as much as any of the mom and pop stores that they allegedly put out of business did, they DO offer health benefits, contrary to the lies put out about them, and no one has to work there except voluntarily.

I will continue to shop at Walmart, and I will continue to openly carry my firearm there, until such time as they change their policy, at which time I will reevaluate based on that fact and that fact alone. Meanwhile, how about if we confine the discussion to open carry and Walmart's policy and not resort to ad hominem attacks against the corporation. Shop there or don't, its your choice, but it has nothing to do with their firearms policy.

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Know that when I retire form the Navy this year and have to resort to working at WalMart, I will welcome you and greet you at the door with open arrms.