Confronted at Tolt MacDonald Park (King County Parks)

Last Friday I went to Tolt MacDonald Park in Carnation, WA for my friends 10 year wedding anniversary and vow renewal. They held a brief Algonquin Indian ceremony to renew their vows and asked me to preside over the ceremony.

I open carried to the event... and since I was on a brief break from elk hunting I was carrying in my Serpa on thigh mount.

The park entrance is a bridge... a narrow bridge when you try to cross against a 4WD Gator driving back across from the other side. But the two men driving it beckoned me over. They were obviously caretakers at the facility.

I was able to pass by them, but just barely. The driver noticed my sidearm and asked what I was carrying. The way he asked sounded enthusiastic so I expected a friendly conversation.

"Springfield .45 !" I replied.

"You can't have that here. We don't allow guns in the park." He frowned as he said it. I knew at once that I was in for a stand off.

"This is a County park, isn't it?" I asked, very respectfully. I knew the answer because I had looked it up before I went.

"Yes, it is."

"Then I'm afraid you can't restrict guns here. That would be against state law," my statement was met with a blank stare, so I continued.

"I'm really not trying to B.S. you, sir. If you'd like to look it up the RCW number is 9.41.290. It says that cities and counties cannot make gun laws more restrictive than the state laws. And the state law says that I CAN carry my gun here."

"I'm not saying you're BS'n me... but there are families here!" Knowing his "rules" argument was lost he was turning to child safety, as THEY often do.

"Yes, sir. I am a guest of one of those families." Was my reply.

"Why do you carry that thing anyway?" It was the passengers turn to chime in with the 'no reason for a gun' argument.

"Not that I need a reason, sir, but I carry it to protect myself and the people around me." To which he rolled his eyes. That little bit of disrespect almost earned him a verbal thrashing as my first instinct was to open hand slap him... but I resisted.

"Why don't you just cover it up with a jacket or something?" He asked scowling, raising his voice.

"That, sir, would be illegal without the proper license." At this point I scowled back as the conversation was seeming to turn hostile on their part.

They turned, motored off to wherever they were going. They must have returned sometime later that evening because my friend texted me after I left asking what that RCW number was again..? They must have come back looking for me or asking about me.

I will have to ask him what happened... or maybe he was asking for himself since after I told him what happened to me he swore he was going to return home to strap on his .357 for the remainder of his weekend stay at the park.

Just to be thorough I checked the park rules as posted when I left and the website after I got home... I found no mention of gun restrictions, whatsoever.

Just a couple of guys who thought they knew better.

Way to stand your ground. Also, way to memorize your RCWs ! Looks like another win for OC.

Joe~

joejoejoe said:

way to memorize your RCWs

Click to expand...

Thanks, I felt the excitement of a small battle won.

Funny, that is pretty much the only RCW I know by heart, that and .300

Just knowing that 9.41 pertains to firearms seems to be enough to quiet those who THINK they know.

Way to go brother. Personally, for me, the eye roll is where I have to have bitten my tonque.

Great job and congrats! What a wonderful representative of gun owners everywhere.

... it sure feels good to be right!

That right there is awesome...nothing like being able to recite the RCW from memory. That is the facts straight out of the book. Nothing that they can say back. Makes me want to memorize it too. Has anyone here been in the Army? If so do you still remember your general orders? I remember back in Basic Training, practicing over and over trying to memorize my general orders. LOL It was only 4. I know that Corp has a lot more than that though. Now, just as important as my general orders is the RCW's. I think we all should know it by heart. Instead of referring to a pamphlet when being confronted.

strange since my memory is so full of holes I typically do not remember things... this one sticks though.



"Most people use 10% of their brain. You use 1 and 1/2%. The rest is clogged with malted hops and bong resin."

Actually there are only 3 General Orders in the Army.

1. I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.

2. I will obey my special orders and perform all of my duties in a military manner.

3. I will report violations of my special orders, emergencies, and anything not covered in my instructions to the commander of the relief.

I did have to double check on the 3rd one. There was however a refered to 4th General Order but it is not official.

4. I will walk my post from flank to flank, and take no **** from any rank.

The Navy (and USMC by default, the whole Department of the Navy thing...) have 7 General Orders. To this day I still have them memorized. I have also begun commiting RCW's to memory, the problem for me is that the GO's were simple one liners, the RCW's tend to be paragraphs at times....

Good job though in dealing with that situation.

That is great! I was waiting to see if anyone would notice there is not a 4th general order. Does anyone here have any of the RCW's memorized? If so how many?

No way I could quote the wording of the code... but that is one RCW# I happen to remember

For the rest I have Google

Great job!

A little OT, sorry.

devildoc5 said:

The Navy (and USMC by default, the whole Department of the Navy thing...) have 7 General Orders.(snip)

Click to expand...

The USMC has 11 General Orders:

1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.

2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.

3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.

4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.

5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.

6. To recieve, obey, and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Oficer, Officer Of the Day, and officers, and noncomissioned officers of the guard only.

7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.

8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.

9. To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions.

10. To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.

11. To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.

This is a perfect example of how its done.... GREAT job!

-G20

Nicely handled, sir!
____

In the USAF, airmen commit three general orders to memory: protect personnel and property, report all violations, and sound the alarm in cases of emergency. (That was 44 years ago for me.)

tletourneau said:

The USMC has 11 General Orders:

1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.

2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.

3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.

4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.

5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.

6. To recieve, obey, and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Oficer, Officer Of the Day, and officers, and noncomissioned officers of the guard only.

7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.

8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.

9. To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions.

10. To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.

11. To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.

Click to expand...

OOps....good job correcting me...

Very good, Glad to see you handled that just as it should have been. Calm, direct, and on with your business.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

daddy4count
strange since my memory is so full of holes I typically do not remember things... this one sticks though.



"Most people use 10% of their brain. You use 1 and 1/2%. The rest is clogged with malted hops and bong resin."
--------------------------------------------------
This always make me wonder, if we only use 10% of our brains, why did God make the woman with our ribs?

daddy4count said:

... it sure feels good to be right!

Click to expand...

+100
I find it gives you more courage when dealing with ignoramuses too.

tletourneau said:

The USMC has 11 General Orders:

1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.

2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.

3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.

4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.

5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.

6. To recieve, obey, and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Oficer, Officer Of the Day, and officers, and noncomissioned officers of the guard only.

7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.

8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.

9. To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions.

10. To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.

11. To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.

Click to expand...

Yup, and I still have all of them memorized from the four years I spent in NJROTC during high school, along with most of my uniform regulations, and movements for basic armed (sword/rifle/guidon) and unarmed drill. Some things just stick with you I guess.