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Kicked out of Wal Mart...What to do next?

junkie

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
65
Location
Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA
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Alright, I had my first real run in while open carrying in Wal Mart in Menomonie tonight. I went to get a couple groceries and to look for a birthday present for my daughter. After getting my groceries I was going over to the toy section when the night manager approached me. She introduced herself and told me that I need to take my gun back to my car. She said that I was on private property and that guns are not allowed in the store. I asked her who's policy this was and she said Wal Mart's. I told her that I would be leaving and that I would leave my cart right where it was at (full of groceries). I then asked for her contact information as well as the district managers contact information. She escorted me to customer service where she wrote everything down and I left.

Where do I go from here? I was given the manager's phone number. Do I call him and talk to him? Do I try to find his address and write a letter? I am not sure what is the best approach, but it is ridiculous that I was kicked out of a store that sells guns and ammunition when I was legally carrying a gun.
 

Passive101

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Someone will be along shortly I'm sure who knows far more then I do.

1) keep a cool head
2) Walmart's policy is to follow the local laws and regulations (I think)
3) Whatever you do, do NOT go back to the store until this is sorted out and there is a CONFIRMED positive outcome. (boycotting is fun anyways)
4) If things go good, I'd make sure to thank the ones responsible for correcting the situation.
5) Thank you for having the courage to carry in these times :)


I'm sorry that I am not that helpful.
 

bnhcomputing

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
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Location
Wisconsin, USA
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This is typical in WalMart as of late, the night people don't seem to know the policy.

Call the actual manager ASAP. Ask for clarification of the policy. Tell him/her that it was your understanding that WalMart follows state law.

I'll be reviving my call to the WalMart VP to demand answers directly from him as well.

You did right by leaving.
 

barronburke

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Messages
183
Location
Chetek, Wisconsin, USA
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junkie wrote:
Alright, I had my first real run in while open carrying in Wal Mart in Menomonie tonight. I went to get a couple groceries and to look for a birthday present for my daughter. After getting my groceries I was going over to the toy section when the night manager approached me. She introduced herself and told me that I need to take my gun back to my car. She said that I was on private property and that guns are not allowed in the store. I asked her who's policy this was and she said Wal Mart's. I told her that I would be leaving and that I would leave my cart right where it was at (full of groceries). I then asked for her contact information as well as the district managers contact information. She escorted me to customer service where she wrote everything down and I left.

Where do I go from here? I was given the manager's phone number. Do I call him and talk to him? Do I try to find his address and write a letter? I am not sure what is the best approach, but it is ridiculous that I was kicked out of a store that sells guns and ammunition when I was legally carrying a gun.
This seems to becoming a un-welcome trend two in one day wow. Well I think that maybe we need to send a message what do you guys think.
 

Passive101

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I was going to go there to buy a Motorola Droid tomorrow.

Maybe Best Buy would be a better place to purchase one from? Hit them in the pocket book?
 

BROKENSPROKET

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Messages
2,199
Location
Trempealeau County
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Well, I am steamed. A manager tried to kick me out of Eau Claire WalMart and failed.

I will be in Menomonee on Saturday to visita friends. I will be going into that Walmart armed.

Junkie, I sent you a PM.


EDTIED: We got a last minute free table at a gunshow. Menominee Wal-Mart will have to wait until Monday.
 

Wisconsin Carry Inc. - Chairman

Wisconsin Carry, Inc.
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Just a word of caution. Don't be steamed... Don't demand anything...

Members here have had good success with a polite conversation with management at Wal-Marts in other parts of the state.

In an organization the size of Wal-Mart it is very difficult to communicate everything to every manager. People make mistakes, not every manager at every store will have all the facts.

I'm sure a polite conversation with the store manager will clear things up as it has in the past.

Demanding and getting steamed won't get us anywhere. Wal-Mart is a private company, we are on their private property. Even though this situation has come up before at other stores, it won't benefit us to become frustrated or expect perfection from every manager.

In a perfect world, the policy that has been shared with managers at other stores would be ingrained in the brain of every Wal-Mart Associate from store manager to janitor in the state. In reality, that is unrealistic.

If we start start approaching companies like Wal-Mart with a sense of entitlement to carry and demanding action from them, we may turn what has previously been successful conversations with managers into adversarial situations which won't help.

At some point down the road if these situations stop working out positively and Wal-Mart begins to adopt an anti-law anti-rights policy across the board then we may get 'steamed' but for now we should always politely try to work with people and be a good ambassador.

Lastly, a reminder that law-enforcement monitors this message board. It might not be a good idea to post your intention to carry in a store that someone has already indicated they were told firearms were not allowed.

Hundreds of pages of text from this forum have been entered into evidence in the Federal Lawsuits pending against municipalities in Wisconsin. I don't say this to invoke fear or squelch conversation but please be mindful that what you say here is monitored by law-enforcement. Indicating that you intend to go where you acknowledge a manager has said firearms are not allowed could expose you to trespassing.

When we carry into a store we have no reason to believe carry isn't allowed, we simply need leave when we are asked.

If one of us were to acknowledge and document online here that they are aware of a no firearms policy in a particular store and carry there anyway, that could potentially be used against you in a trespass citation accusation.
 

Mugenlude

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
367
Location
Racine, WI
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^^^ I agree.

Junkie as suggested I would follow up with the store manager ASAP.

You did the right thing by not causing a scene, leaving your cart full of groceries behind, requesting the managers contact info, and politely left the premise.

Hopefully, this will be resolved with a couple phone calls just as other incidents have been in the past.
 

GLOCK21GB

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
4,347
Location
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
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I agree stay professional & stop shopping at Wallyworld. The managers all know the policy, they just chose to ignore it & kick the OC ers out.

I have never set foot inside a wallyworld & won't start now. any thing they sell , can be purchased somewhere else.
 

junkie

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
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65
Location
Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA
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Here is an update:

I called the store to ask for the manager. I was told she was not in today but I got an assistant manager on the phone instead. I explained the situation and the first thing he said was that guns are not allowed in Wal Mart. I told him that open carry was completely legal and it is granted in the Wisconsin Constitution. He then said he wasn't sure of Wal Mart's policy, but that he would do some research and get back to me.

I got a call back and he said that Wal Mart does not have a policy on guns in the store, but since it was private property they can tell me to leave if any associate feels uncomfortable. I told him thank you for getting back to me and that was it.

I then put a call in to the regional manager to get his take on the policy. Until this is resolved I am not setting another foot into Wal Mart. I can't believe that people would feel uncomfortable with a law abiding citizen wanting to protect themselves.
 

GLOCK21GB

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
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4,347
Location
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
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junkie wrote:
Here is an update:

I called the store to ask for the manager. I was told she was not in today but I got an assistant manager on the phone instead. I explained the situation and the first thing he said was that guns are not allowed in Wal Mart. I told him that open carry was completely legal and it is granted in the Wisconsin Constitution. He then said he wasn't sure of Wal Mart's policy, but that he would do some research and get back to me.

I got a call back and he said that Wal Mart does not have a policy on guns in the store, but since it was private property they can tell me to leave if any associate feels uncomfortable. I told him thank you for getting back to me and that was it.

I then put a call in to the regional manager to get his take on the policy. Until this is resolved I am not setting another foot into Wal Mart. I can't believe that people would feel uncomfortable with something with a law abiding citizen wanting to protect themselves.
would you or anyone else shop there again, even if this gets resolved & they say OC is ok. After treating you like they did ? NOT ME. Spend your money at places that WANT you as a customer, regardless of if your open carrying.
 
Joined
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across Death's Door on Washington Island, Wisconsi
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junkie wrote:
I can't believe that people would feel uncomfortable with something with a law abiding citizen wanting to protect themselves.
Really? So your nom-de-net is supposed to be emotionally neutral and a political null? How about body modifications, neutral and null too? NONE of my acquaintances have visible discretionary body-modifications or are 'junkies'.
 

junkie

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
65
Location
Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA
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I am not sure what you are trying to get across here, but I have no visible body modifications and I am not a junkie. It is a name that I have used across the internet for several years now.
 

GLOCK21GB

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Apr 22, 2009
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Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
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Master Doug Huffman wrote:
junkie wrote:
I can't believe that people would feel uncomfortable with something with a law abiding citizen wanting to protect themselves.
Really? So your nom-de-net is supposed to be emotionally neutral and a political null? How about body modifications, neutral and null too? NONE of my acquaintances have visible discretionary body-modifications or are 'junkies'.
We are equal or we are not, right Doug ? NONE of your associates have this and that. Why do you always have to come across to everyone like your BETTER THAN THEM.................Because Doug, that's the way EVERYONE takes your posts & comments. You have never felt equal to anyone here, you think your better than us ALL. God your so well educated, well to do, live on your little secluded Island....God I wish I could someday be as GREAT & PERFECT as you Doug.:?
 

Mugenlude

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
367
Location
Racine, WI
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junkie wrote:
Here is an update:

I called the store to ask for the manager. I was told she was not in today but I got an assistant manager on the phone instead. I explained the situation and the first thing he said was that guns are not allowed in Wal Mart. I told him that open carry was completely legal and it is granted in the Wisconsin Constitution. He then said he wasn't sure of Wal Mart's policy, but that he would do some research and get back to me.

I got a call back and he said that Wal Mart does not have a policy on guns in the store, but since it was private property they can tell me to leave if any associate feels uncomfortable. I told him thank you for getting back to me and that was it.

I then put a call in to the regional manager to get his take on the policy. Until this is resolved I am not setting another foot into Wal Mart. I can't believe that people would feel uncomfortable with a law abiding citizen wanting to protect themselves.
What the store manager got back to you with is on par with what we have heard in the past, they still do reserve the right to ask you to leave. I think the difference is that in the past they have said that if people are complaining they can ask you to leave, not an associate (employee).

Let us know what the regional manager says, also save the contact information you have for both of these people, if this doesn't turn out like we would like I'm sure some letters for several people might just change their tune a little (this has worked in the past).

Carry on!
 

BROKENSPROKET

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Jan 5, 2010
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Trempealeau County
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Wisconsin Carry, Inc. - Chairman wrote:
Lastly, a reminder that law-enforcement monitors this message board. It might not be a good idea to post your intention to carry in a store that someone has already indicated they were told firearms were not allowed.


If one of us were to acknowledge and document online here that they are aware of a no firearms policy in a particular store and carry there anyway, that could potentially be used against you in a trespass citation accusation.

First of all. I have not been told. Also, it is not a published or posted policy. Even if I knew that someone else was told to leave, I, nor the general public have been informed by THEM.

I was in a Walmart under the same district manager. An assistant manager was attemptint to kick me out when I challenged him to confirm with the the district manager that the policy that he stated was actual policy. He came back and aplogized and has not given any grief since. He has been very friendly since.
 
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Glock34 wrote:
We are equal or we are not, right Doug ? NONE of your associates have this and that. Why do you always have to come across to everyone like your BETTER THAN THEM.................Because Doug, that's the way EVERYONE takes your posts & comments. You have never felt equal to anyone here, you think your better than us ALL. God your so well educated, well to do, live on your little secluded Island....God I wish I could someday be as GREAT & PERFECT as you Doug.:?
Want in one hand and wish-wish in the other and see which one fills first.
 
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