Spokane Teachers Credit Union

I emailed STCU recently to see what their official policy on OC is. I informed them in the email that I would be posting their response here, so here it is:


Interesting that they equate the hiding of one's identity with openly carrying a firearm.

Did you ask them if it was okay to wear jeans and a t-shirt?

I have oc'd at the stcu east sprague branch before without incident. Also I have spoken with a senior member officer at the same branch who called stcu's head of security to verify their policy. She informed me that they follow state law in which oc into their branches is legal. (Much to her dismay...)

Cubex DE said:

I emailed STCU recently to see what their official policy on OC is. I informed them in the email that I would be posting their response here, so here it is:

Thank you for your inquiry concerning open carry of fire arms. STCU is a member-owned cooperative that is governed by a member-elected board of directors. These directors are responsible for creating and maintaining STCU policies and standards that facilitate a safe environment for employees, members and visitors. These standards prohibit weapons on STCU property along with the wearing of sunglasses, hats and masks.

If you have further questions regarding STCU policy, feel free to contact me at 509-344-2119.
Bobbie Travis | Director - Operations Support Services​

Interesting that they equate the hiding of one's identity with openly carrying a firearm.

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One more GOOD example of why one should not ask!!!

Have OC'd while wearing a hat in the Liberty Lake and East Sprague branches with no incident.

Vandal said:

Have OC'd while wearing a hat in the Liberty Lake and East Sprague branches with no incident.

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I always remove my HAT because the sign says so... :lol:

-Thor

Trigger Dr said:

One more GOOD example of why one should not ask!!!

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+10

i don't think you guys are getting it...

I think you're the one not getting it. This happens every few months... A newer member here will post about calling ahead or emailing, asking company policy about firearms in their establishment. And every time, we try to get across the point that you should never "ask permission" (essentially what this is doing).

Just go and do your normal stuff while OC'ing. If they ask you to leave, then leave. Write your letters and call corporate or whatever after you leave and try to clear it up.

You see all the sarcasm in the previous posts?

Stop asking permission do do something that is lawful. That's all we're trying to say.

NavyLT said:

What is there to get? If they don't want firearms on their property then they can damn well post a sign clearly visible on the doors! Other than that it's don't ask, don't tell. There is no more reason to call ahead and ask about their firearms policy than there is to ask if neckties are required or not.

The only ALMOST justifiable reason for calling and asking permission to exercise a legal behavior is IF someone was considering opening an account there or not. And for me, a visit to the building looking for signs would be the way to go and open carry while opening the account in person.

Do these people call ahead EVERYWHERE they go and ask for permission to carry a gun? Every 7-11 store, every gas station, every grocery store, every insurance office, every oil change garage, every tire store, every auto parts store, every hardware store? I guess you are right... I don't get it.

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But what if this is the only topic they can think of at the time to use for a post? I't kind of like starting a conversation with "So what do you think about the Mariners"?

Maybe it was crazy man "Timothy Allen Campbell" posting as he sits in the parking lot, motor running, praying for a policy challenger? :banana:

Cubex DE said:

prohibit weapons on STCU property along with the wearing of sunglasses, hats and masks.

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you really think they're just going to walk up to you and ask you to take your sunglasses or hat off? or ask you to leave if you don't? not likely.

are "transition lenses" sun glasses? I'm sorry, I cannot do business with you because I cannot see without my glasses....I guess that means they do not allow blind people either eh?

OK sorry to everyone for the long delay, I have been away for a while.

I understand about not asking, and normally I wouldn't, but in the case of a bank I'd rather not have alarms sounded and cops roll up just because some teller gets scared. I have OC'd quite a few places (not as much as most of you, since I have only owned a handgun for a couple of months now) without ever asking and without any problems.

I really didn't post this so you could debate about how smart I was for asking. I posted because I thought it was interesting that they equate carrying a firearm with attempting to conceal your identity, and I wanted to talk about that.

But if all you want to do is talk about me and how inexperienced I am, that's fine too. Totally constructive and not at all a waste of anyone's time (least of all yours).

well,,,

Thor80 said:

I have oc'd at the stcu east sprague branch before without incident. Also I have spoken with a senior member officer at the same branch who called stcu's head of security to verify their policy. She informed me that they follow state law in which oc into their branches is legal. (Much to her dismay...)

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see how much better, just doing it is than asking for permission?
her e-mail response to your query equating firearms with hats and sunglasses
is just the kind of obfuscation that will invariably happen when they are just asked!

not putting you down, because you had your own reasons to ask for permission, BUT
when you ask, they WILL decide that firearms should Not be allowed in their store/bank/park!
and they will often preemptively change their policy from "follow state law" to "Not allowed".
If you just go about your business with your gun, they will be inclined to LOOK it up!

lastly, when you ask, you are single handed, undoing the acceptance that other ORers
have accomplished over the years before you started to carry yourself!

1245A Defender said:

BUT
when you ask, they WILL decide that firearms should Not be allowed in their store/bank/park!
and they will often preemptively change their policy from "follow state law" to "Not allowed".
If you just go about your business with your gun, they will be inclined to LOOK it up!

lastly, when you ask, you are single handed, undoing the acceptance that other ORers
have accomplished over the years before you started to carry yourself!

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Excellent reply.

When you simply open carry into places that do not have a no firearm sign posted then you are doing nothing wrong. In return, all the employees and customers have the ability to see a normal person doing normal things and can view it as a positive encounter.

I have been banking with STCU for 10 years. For a large portion of that time I would go into their main branch office once every 2 week and I ALWAYS open carry. I have gone in for vehicle loans, credit cards and a number of other things. Every employee I have dealt with has had the chance to see open carrying and think about how it might not be all that bad.

Then some person in a corporate office somewhere, who never sees a single customer or has to deal with anything inside of the public offices at all, gets an email and they have no idea how to answer it because it is a rare and unusual question. This leads down the road to deciding we should make a new policy to cover this just in case.

Next think you know it is no firearms in all the branches.

With a single email you have the potential to wipe out years worth of effort in getting people used to, and being fine with, seeing someone open carry in their business.

vandal said:

have oc'd while wearing a hat in the liberty lake and east sprague branches with no incident.

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+10 lol

So basically everyone is now screwed on OCing into that bank.

GG man, GG.

.45ACPaddy said:

So basically everyone is now screwed on OCing into that bank.

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I don't think it went that far... I will be OCing in the main branch after work in about another half an hour. We'll see then.

David.Car said:

I don't think it went that far... I will be OCing in the main branch after work in about another half an hour. We'll see then.

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I would have expected a report by now, but I am pretty sure I know how it went.