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Wal-Mart OC incidence

shanebelanger

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Oh, and this happened in the Presque Isle, Maine wal-mart on the 10th of October around 10:55pm

Hey all, a little background information. I'm currently 19 years old and attending the University of Southern Maine in the Pre-Med Biology program. I came home this weekend to spend time with my family and go hunting with my bird dog. I had OC'd for quite some time before I left for school and was looking forward to finally getting my gun back! Of course, I obviously can't carry at school. So I get home, first thing I do is say hello to everyone then grab my HK USP compact in .357 Sig! Later the next day my mother says that we need to go to wal-mart to get some items. I said all right and hopped in the car. Of course, I was open carrying my HK as always! We get to the store, walk around picking out items for about 45 minutes with no problems as usual. Then out of the blue I begin getting stalked by a man in a blue polo with a key chain around his neck. And by stalked I mean that he was looking at a product rather suspiciously, constantly keeping an eye on me so I picked up on this and began to watch him. As soon as we passed him he came up to my rear and a little behind me on my strong (gun) side. He was about a foot away and could reach and grab my gun so I turned making it so he couldn't. We both stopped, I was about to ask him what he was doing when he told me that he had been approached by about four people about "me". I asked for what reason? He stated that I was making people "nervous". I told him that I was carrying perfectly legally and that there was no reason to be nervous. He told me that he knew the laws and that he knew I was doing everything legally and asked me if I had a vehicle that I could put my gun in. I asked him if he knew wal-marts stance on OC and he said that he did. He stated that he had nothing against me or anything that I was doing and that he didn't want to start an argument (which I wasn't about to start and make OC look bad...) So I said, well I guess I can just go get my coat out of the car and conceal it. He told me thank you and moved on. I was just surprised that he would approach me so sneakily? And I was well within my right to be carrying... I felt like asking him if he could go change his shirt because I didn't think the blue went well with the colors of the store and that made me "nervous"...

So, opinions? What could I have done better/differently?
 

Task Force 16

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I think I would have told the guy to go ask those that complained if they were nervous about other folks that might be in the store that were hiding their guns.

This "out of sight, out of mind" mentality just erks me to no end. :banghead:
 

shanebelanger

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Ok, So I just emailed walmart asking for their policy regarding firearms. Of course... I already know the policy :) I knew the policy before I ever stepped foot in the store... Should be interesting what they tell me though!
 

buster81

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shanebelanger wrote:
As soon as we passed him he came up to my rear and a little behind me on my strong (gun) side. He was about a foot away and could reach and grab my gun so I turned making it so he couldn't. We both stopped, I was about to ask him what he was doing when he told me that he had been approached by about four people about "me". I asked for what reason? He stated that I was making people "nervous".
My response to this would be "You are making me nervous. Is there a reason that you are sneaking up on my like you are about to assault me?"
 

NigNog

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Unlike many here, you handled it well. Covering it up, when asked, was the right thing to do. That's how OC public relations are advanced, by not acting like a psycho and going on a tyrade just because the store asks you to cover your weapon.

Had he said the weapon was not allowed in the store at all, you would do well to have simply left. However, covering up is not a big deal. You still have your gun. You're just as able to defend yourself. As a show of good faith for relations, just cover it. You did well.
 

shanebelanger

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Thanks, I am currently the ONLY person that OC's in my area so I definitely don't want to give it a bad reputation. People around here tend to see it as "a bit much" but i'm simply exercising my right! Walmart still has not emailed me back about the incidence. I'm going to give them a few more days then email them again.
 

NigNog

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shanebelanger wrote:
Thanks, I am currently the ONLY person that OC's in my area so I definitely don't want to give it a bad reputation.


Acceptance comes in time. OC becameunaccpeted over a long period of time, it will take an even longer period of time to make itaccepted again.

Have patience with people that are uncomfortable. Do not disarm, but don't put up a fight to simply covering it. Remember, this is aprocess of baby steps. If you act like many here do and go with the attitude that you're going to ram OC down peoples' throats, this cause will continue to be mocked by even pro-gun people.
 

shanebelanger

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Exactly, and it looked and felt awfully awkward being covered, I had a big bulge on my side. It also made me feel like a criminal. The people that complained i'm sure saw this and obviously thought that they were right, that I couldn't carry openly. I hate the "as long as I don't see it, it's not there" mentality. I'm still surprised that walmart hasn't emailed me back yet... i'm not sure if I should keep pushing the issue or not?

There is no reason I should have to conceal my firearm, I am not a criminal, I am a law-abiding citizen simply exercising my rights. I could easily be afraid of the 6ft tall man wearing a pink and blue polka-dotted shirt that says "death to all" or something like that, but that wouldn't be right to go and complain about would it?? What if I saw two gay men holding hands and walking through wal-mart? Could I go ask the manager to tell them to stop because they are making me uncomfortable? Maybe I was beaten by a belt when I was a child and the belt the manager is wearing made me distraught and afraid... can I tell him to go put that in his car?
 

Vegassteve

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NigNog wrote:
Unlike many here, you handled it well. Covering it up, when asked, was the right thing to do.





No the right thing to do would have been to leave and not given any money to the store. All the OP did was bow down to wally. Leaving then writing a letter and calling the store mgr serves better and is the right thing to do. To continue to shop and give money to stores than do not want us is not the right thing to do.
 

shanebelanger

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I have done that before, went outside, locked the pistol in my car, walked back inside, put everything back where I had gotten it from, told the manager that I was now taking my business elsewhere and left. But I had way too much stuff to do that into wal-mart, my mother was also with me so... I will be emailing wal-mart again. I should also call or stop in and talk to the store manager.
 

RockyMtnScotsman

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If someone had complained that there were *gasp!* black people shopping in the store and their presence made them nervous ....

would they have asked the black patrons to go wait outside...?

... or tell the complainant to STFU?
 

Flintlock

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NigNog wrote:
Acceptance comes in time. OC becameunaccpeted over a long period of time, it will take an even longer period of time to make itaccepted again.

Have patience with people that are uncomfortable.

Most of us aren't going to be around 120 years from now. Do the anti's or the uninformed have patience with us? The media will do everything in their power to never let the social acceptance of open carry be realized.

Why do we continually tip-toe aroundon eggshells when what we are doing and what we are about is legal, constitutional, safe, and just?

People make me uncomfortable all the time and that doesn't stop them from continuing their choices, style, dress, attitude, habits, or whatever... And it shouldn't stop us either.




Do not disarm, but don't put up a fight to simply covering it. Remember, this is aprocess of baby steps. If you act like many here do and go with the attitude that you're going to ram OC down peoples' throats, this cause will continue to be mocked by even pro-gun people.

At this rate, thatwill never change regardless of how many years go by. The NRA puts it into words the public will accept such as "right to carry permits." Gun manufacturures and gun magazines also feed into what is socially accepted with the design, advertisement, and written articlesabout firearms specifically made for the concealed carry market.

The law enforcement community are largely against us and aside from the few that frequent this forum, writesuch opinionson forums throughout the web and also in e-mails, and articles in magazines, letters to the editors, and news comments.

On most other gun forms I have visited, open carry is met with resistance and ridicule.

One open carrier at a Obama speech brought about significant negative reporting from the media. Cheers to him for accepting some interviews to set the record straight.

Unless we get on one page with the gun owning community and the law enforcement community as well as receivenumerous, positive media exposure, the "uncomfortable" ones will end up being the least of our problems. Not sure what it will take to convince others but lots of gun owners actually believe in "the gun will get taken from you and used on you"theory.
 

shanebelanger

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Well... I can see this, but if you get the majority of the population to hate you then obviously you won't get anywhere. Maybe people could be a little bit more confrontational but not much. People are already turned off and arguing or fighting will simply cause more ridicule. I was even ridiculed at my local gun club for open carry. I actually brought it up and got preached to about it... he hadn't noticed my HK yet and then I made the statement of "so you think that as soon as someone walked in here oc'ing you'd notice huh?" He looked around sheepishly and said yes! Then i gently tapped the handle of my gun with my fingers and saw him turn beat red. Then he was really embarrassed because he had just preached to me about what I was doing right in front of him. He just kind of left after that happened. Of course, this is a man with no CCW permit and has probably never carried a firearm in his life for self protection. Mind you this person also thought that the BAR was a 2 man rifle... he's about 65 years old... i'm 19 and I know it's a one man rifle... random I know, just something that came to mind.
 

Task Force 16

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If I hear of someone being "uncomfortable" about my side arm, I'll invite that/those people to come speak to me in person about it. That way I'll have a chance to possibly dispell what ever perceptions they may have that are causing their discomfort.

But I'll never cover up for anyone, as long asOC islegal.
 

Task Force 16

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shanebelanger wrote:
Well... I can see this, but if you get the majority of the population to hate you then obviously you won't get anywhere. Maybe people could be a little bit more confrontational but not much. People are already turned off and arguing or fighting will simply cause more ridicule. I was even ridiculed at my local gun club for open carry. I actually brought it up and got preached to about it... he hadn't noticed my HK yet and then I made the statement of "so you think that as soon as someone walked in here oc'ing you'd notice huh?" He looked around sheepishly and said yes! Then i gently tapped the handle of my gun with my fingers and saw him turn beat red. Then he was really embarrassed because he had just preached to me about what I was doing right in front of him. He just kind of left after that happened. Of course, this is a man with no CCW permit and has probably never carried a firearm in his life for self protection. Mind you this person also thought that the BAR was a 2 man rifle... he's about 65 years old... i'm 19 and I know it's a one man rifle... random I know, just something that came to mind.
This is how you debate with anti-gunners and anti-OC'ers. You don't have to argue much with them. Just ask the right questions, challenging their position, and sooner or later they will make a fool of themselves. It's easy really, they don't know what they are talking about most of the time anyway.
 

sraacke

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Task Force 16 wrote:
If I hear of someone being "uncomfortable" about my side arm, I'll invite that/those people to come speak to me in person about it. That way I'll have a chance to possibly dispell what ever perceptions they may have that are causing their discomfort.

But I'll never cover up for anyone, as long asOC islegal.

+1

Personally I don't ever carry my CHP on me (not required for OC ) so if asked to cover up I point out that doing so would be illegal. IfI'm not breeaking store policy of the law thenI'm going to finish my shopping and the uncomfortable shoppers will just have to deal with it.
 

Task Force 16

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yale wrote:
Task Force 16 wrote:
If I hear of someone being "uncomfortable" about my side arm, I'll invite that/those people to come speak to me in person about it. That way I'll have a chance to possibly dispell what ever perceptions they may have that are causing their discomfort.

But I'll never cover up for anyone, as long asOC islegal.

+1

Personally I don't ever carry my CHP on me (not required for OC ) so if asked to cover up I point out that doing so would be illegal. IfI'm not breeaking store policy of the law thenI'm going to finish my shopping and the uncomfortable shoppers will just have to deal with it.
I'm not able to use that argument since OC and CC require a HCP or similar permit, here in TN. I've been carrying for just over a year, always OC, and haven't had a problem about it yet.
 

SouthernBoy

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shanebelanger wrote:
I have done that before, went outside, locked the pistol in my car, walked back inside, put everything back where I had gotten it from, told the manager that I was now taking my business elsewhere and left. But I had way too much stuff to do that into wal-mart, my mother was also with me so... I will be emailing wal-mart again. I should also call or stop in and talk to the store manager.
I think you handled the situation fine, though like others, I don't particularly care for the mindset where somehow people believe they have a right to feel safe and secure from others who are exercising their rights.

As for leaving your gun in your car, my take on that is quite simple. If someone steals my car, not only have they taken my car and whatever is in in, but I have effectively just given them a loaded firearm. Not good.

One has to weigh what they consider to be the benefits to them between choosing not to do business with a store who has done what the OP reports here, and just biting the bullet and covering up.

I have never had an incident at Walmart or Target or any such store, including Home Depot and Lowes. I suspect my initial reaction would be one of embarrassment followed by anger, but I would contain myself and probably just leave.
 

IanB

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shanebelanger wrote:
I'm currently 19 years old.... {snip} So I said, well I guess I can just go get my coat out of the car and conceal it.
I wish the other states would recognize adulthood at 18 like Maine has chosen to do, least as far as CC permits are concerned.
 

shanebelanger

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I completely agree, although it would be nice to not have to "borrow" a handgun everytime I want to carry... I can't legally own a handgun until i'm 21 but I can legally conceal one at 18+ and of course, OC is legal at any age!
 
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