Incident at Bass Pro shop (MESA)

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Hey guys,

(sorry its kinda a long story)

The other day i went into bass pro shop OCing my XD40. As of a few months ago they started a policy to ask every OCer if they could "check" their weapon (meaning put one of their trigger locks on it while you are in the store, and then you have to carry the gun around in your hand since it will no longer fit in your holster with the lock on it) However this is optional and the OCer can say no.

Anyway this was my second visit since they had started this policy. but this time I walked through the main door and was stopped immediatly by the doorman. I said hello. Hetold me right away heneeded to"check" my weapon. I politely answered him by stating that i was informed on their new policy last time i was in the store that it was optional and i couldsay no. The doorman replyed by saying he needs to"check" my weapon. By this time the doorman was standing up and had started to speek a bit louder. I calmly replyedNO, I saidI am not going to walk around your storecarrying my pistol in my hand. Hethen asked, well that gun isnt loaded is it. I stated it was. At that point the doorman freaked out and got right in my face (like 6" away) and said I NEED TO CHECK YOUR WEAPON.I told the doorman to back up and not get so close to me.He didnt move.So i took a few steps back. The doorman then started saying that i needed accw in order to carry a loaded handgun. I tryed to inform him on the laws about OC, but he said NO NO NO YOU NEED A CCW.Thenhe got right in my faceagain and said i was doing the most stupid thing carrying around a loaded gun and not letting them check it. I then raised my voice and told him toget away from me, Itold him i dont trust him being so close to me and to back up. He didnt move. I then took another few steps back and told him im done arguing withhimabout this. He then yelled at me"well i can stop you, but you are doing the most stupid thing.

I proceeded to walk into the store andfound the store manager and told him the whole story, I stated that there is absolutly no reason for someone to get in my face and start yelling at me about laws theyknow nothing about. I said this will be the last time icome to this store. the store managerthensides with the doorman and says he was doing his job and its my problem because i OC. I firmly statedto him that there is no reason at all for someone to get that close/in my face,twice, even after i told them to stay away from me.

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Several of us have had the same problem in Las Vegas. Our bass pro is connected to a casino here in town, and casinos are notorious for not allowing gun possessors on property. However, many of us have sought solution from corp. and we've been told that it's the company policy that bass pro allows OC, everywhere.

I myself have been hassled, and given the run around etc. Another poster on these boards regretted letting a bass pro employee check his gun, as the guy carelessly pointed the gun at his wife, then him, then another employee, back at his wife, etc.

I have refused checking my gun, stating that their corp. pol was to allow OC and that I didn't intend to let some 17 year old girl touch my gun. They reply "well its for safety" and I adamantly retorted, safety is the same reasonI carry a gun and will not hand it over.

After some mutterings....a manager agreed to let me carry and just followed me throughout the store as I made my purchases.



In vegas...many of us are at the point we're just gonna avoid giving money to a company who doesn't want our business.....I want to give them chances to fix their errors...but I'm about done with giving chances myself. It just depends how badly you need their stuff. Don't back down though. And hopefully you now know you're not alone in the struggle.

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Lostlittlerobot wrote:

Another poster on these boards regretted letting a bass pro employee check his gun, as the guy carelessly pointed the gun at his wife, then him, then another employee, back at his wife, etc.

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I have the same regret from when I let some dumb old bitch trigger lock and case my pistol when I went to take my CPL class, which was back before the policy change. She pointed my pistol straight at me. It's an awfully bad feeling, giving your gun over to some ass hole who points it at you.

They've had many months to educate their people at the doors, and apparently they still haven't. If some idiot in Mesa isn't aware of OCing and company policy, then I think it is an extremely fair assumption that they have done next to nothing to educate employees.

I cannot emphasize enough how disappointed I have been each and every time I've gone to Bass Pro Shops for any reason. Their prices are high, and their selection is far less than satisfactory for anything I've ever looked for. Add in their failure to educate their employees, and I'm pretty much convinced I never feel like going there again unless they go out of business and get bought out by a better corporation.

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thats wierd iv never had that problem at bass pro. i was just there the other day to and no one said anything. ill try to make time today to go down there and see if i get the same reaction, hopefully when i tell them im not shopping there because of this it will click in the managers head that hes losing customers

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Michigander wrote:

Lostlittlerobot wrote:

Another poster on these boards regretted letting a bass pro employee check his gun, as the guy carelessly pointed the gun at his wife, then him, then another employee, back at his wife, etc.

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I have the same regret from when I let some dumb old bitch trigger lock and case my pistol when I went to take my CPL class, which was back before the policy change. She pointed my pistol straight at me. It's an awfully bad feeling, giving your gun over to some ass hole who points it at you.

They've had many months to educate their people at the doors, and apparently they still haven't. If some idiot in Mesa isn't aware of OCing and company policy, then I think it is an extremely fair assumption that they have done next to nothing to educate employees.

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Sounds like Bass Pro is ripe for a lawsuit. When the company asks to "check" someone's gun at the door, which is a euphemism for unloading it, I believe the company itself is taking on the responsibility for everyone's safety. Looks like they need to reevaluate their desire for customers that own guns. Alienate them, or invite them in for business.

The moment they point your own gun at you, and your family, there is likely to be emotional distress and suffering for wanton endangerment. Given the hostility of their employees from the posts on this thread, it also sounds like they are likely to be viewed as the aggressor if any altercation takes place, up to the point where the customer is asked to leave.

Just my opinion. Not legal advice.

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The doorman may have spent time living in CA (not to denigrate Californians in saying that, just OC/CC laws differ there). The store manager is going to hear about that doorman quite a lot though here in AZ - I wonder how long before they find him a new position in the store.

Either that or the doorman crawls up into the face of the wrong guy - some folks kind of take their personal boundries seriously, especially the folks carrying loaded and OC (in terms of paying attention to who's in reaching distance, etc).

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R6 Rider......Any updates? Like you, I've been to both Bass Pro and Cabela's OCing with no problems. I'll occasionally get asked if I'm planning on taking my weapon out of its holster (i.e. to fit holsters, etc) and my standard response is either "no" or "I hope not" and that's the end of it. I'll have to make astop there this weekend to see if the policy has changed.

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Ya should have asked the manager if he knew where the nearest Cabela's was and then handed him a couple of my door stickers. (see KY thread).

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Armed4Life wrote:

R6 Rider......Any updates? Like you, I've been to both Bass Pro and Cabela's OCing with no problems. I'll occasionally get asked if I'm planning on taking my weapon out of its holster (i.e. to fit holsters, etc) and my standard response is either "no" or "I hope not" and that's the end of it. I'll have to make astop there this weekend to see if the policy has changed.

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haha i said that same thing when i went into cabelas once. at first i just looked at him like an idiot thinking "why the hell would he ask me that, is he asking if im going to shoot up the place or something??" then it hit me when i was walking away that one might take it out to show the guy at the counter for what ever reason.

unfortunately i didnt make it down to mesa yesterday and probly wont today either but as soon as i do ill defiantly post my encounter

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They were completely out of line. Check out this thread.


http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=28171&forum_id=4&highlight=Bass+Pro+Shop

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well i went in there today. heres how it went

Employee is 1
i am 2

1. hi how are you today

2. good you?

1. good. is that loaded?

2. of course

1. well are you planning on going to the shooting range? cause if so i need to put a trigger lock on it

2. no, i didnt even know you had a shooting range (which i honestly didnt lol)

1. yes its right up there


that was it. i would of gone more in depth about the "trigger lock rule" but it kind of took me by surprise that they had a range and i wanted to check it out. all in all not to bad for me except for everyone staring. i dont know what it is about hunting and fishing stores but everyone that shops there always thinks its so wierd people carry guns. irony much?

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You ever wonder if employees in those places think, not about a holstered firearm, butaboutthe possibility of a young child reaching up on the display to grab a musky lure to show Daddy and burying a few of those treble hooks in it's hands. Now there's something to be concerned about. I do believe the key word in this statement is 'Think'. :banghead:

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Had a similar occurrence in Va. wherein the elderly greeter said I need to check that and actually reached for my 1911. I covered and stepped back before they made contact, demanding to see the store manager NOW!

Told the store manager what had happened and if my weapon been touched (attempted grab), the greeter would have been on the floor immediately. The mgr. did not like that but after our conversation was concluded, she understood and reluctantly agreed that what the greeter had done was wrong and that I was free to shop.

Continued on in and was treated courteously throughout the rest of my visit.

Point is that I will give up control of my gun involuntarily to no one excepting LE.

Yata hey

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r6-rider wrote:

i dont know what it is about hunting and fishing stores but everyone that shops there always thinks its so wierd people carry guns. irony much?

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Basically, around here (Alabama), there are two kinds of gun people: hunters and carriers. I can only think of a few avid hunters who also carry, and I'm pretty sure they would pee themselves at the thought of OC.

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r6-rider wrote:

well i went in there today. heres how it went

Employee is 1
i am 2

1. hi how are you today

2. good you?

1. good. is that loaded?

2. of course

1. well are you planning on going to the shooting range? cause if so i need to put a trigger lock on it

2. no, i didnt even know you had a shooting range (which i honestly didnt lol)

1. yes its right up there


that was it. i would of gone more in depth about the "trigger lock rule" but it kind of took me by surprise that they had a range and i wanted to check it out. all in all not to bad for me except for everyone staring. i dont know what it is about hunting and fishing stores but everyone that shops there always thinks its so wierd people carry guns. irony much?

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So um (reminiscent of old Paul Harvey) whats "the rest of the story"? Did you let 'em trigger lock it???

Im not sure if its just me, but if a store is going to be silly about trigger locks, I'm gonna conceal. Unless I have to pass through a metal detector or Im wearing a muscle shirt and it imprints- they wont know the difference.

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hell no! besides, after she told me there was a pistol range i was eager to go check out the prices, which by the way are kind of stupid. 10 bucks for 30 minutes... i think ill pass. so i dont know if its a policy for them to want to lock all guns or just the ones that go to the range?

either way, if your going demand a trigger lock on my pistol before i go to the range im going to say f*** you and walk out. i dont need someone holding my hand and walking me to the range thats like 30 feet away

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That's patently insane. 'Trigger lock if you go to the range (30 feet away)? Whatinhell for?

Quote: "I can only think of a few avid hunters who also carry, and I'm pretty sure they would pee themselves at the thought of OC."


FUDDs... Myopic,,, introverted FUDDs!

Quote:"I dont know what it is about hunting and fishing stores but everyone that shops there always thinks its so wierd people carry guns."

You notice that too? Most times I'll get it from men with their wives in tow... Envy perhaps?

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r6-rider wrote:

hell no! besides, after she told me there was a pistol range i was eager to go check out the prices, which by the way are kind of stupid. 10 bucks for 30 minutes... i think ill pass. so i dont know if its a policy for them to want to lock all guns or just the ones that go to the range?

either way, if your going demand a trigger lock on my pistol before i go to the range im going to say f*** you and walk out. i dont need someone holding my hand and walking me to the range thats like 30 feet away

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Lol, I think trigger-lock policies are beyond retarded. Seriously. If I were a dedicated aggressor: 1. I sure-as-hell would not open carry. 2. I would be nuckin-futs to rob a place that sells guns (I may be superman, but i dont think i would last in a mega-store full of hunters). 3. If by chance I forgot rule #1, and trigger locked my gun- pistol whipping still really hurts- and rule #2 would also re-apply (as im sure some hero with a boat anchor would bash my skull in before the fuzz got there anyway) and finally 4. Guys that like guns usually shop at gun-type stores. How many off-duty municipal, state and federal law enforcement types are in a BPS or a Cabella's at any given time (none of which would need a boat anchor to defeat me anyway, a 9mm slug will do the job just fine) ?

my 2¢

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AZ Patriot wrote:

Lol, I think trigger-lock policies are beyond retarded. Seriously. If I were a dedicated aggressor: 1. I sure-as-hell would not open carry. 2. I would be nuckin-futs to rob a place that sells guns (I may be superman, but i dont think i would last in a mega-store full of hunters). 3. If by chance I forgot rule #1, and trigger locked my gun- pistol whipping still really hurts- and rule #2 would also re-apply (as im sure some hero with a boat anchor would bash my skull in before the fuzz got there anyway) and finally 4. Guys that like guns usually shop at gun-type stores. How many off-duty municipal, state and federal law enforcement types are in a BPS or a Cabella's at any given time (none of which would need a boat anchor to defeat me anyway, a 9mm slug will do the job just fine) ?

my 2¢

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AZ, 2 cents well spent.:banghead:

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People think we are savages because we choose to have the ability to defend our lives. I recently bou ght a pistol from Cabelas in Hammond,in nics check came back good girl took my money and carried pistol all the way to the door before giving it to me. I told her that I already had a loaded gun on me she said the escourt was for safety. How stupid it that?