Ok so after a good meal with great folks I just had my first misadventure with "the paint guy" at walmart on Reagan dr in Lake STL.
I have open carried in this store at least 20 times, perhaps a lot more so I had no reason to have the video rolling and there was not a good opportunity to engage it without it being noticeable. Since Doc has indeed been told not to film in walmart I thought it best not to make it obvious. I needed a 3 gallon bucket for an ice bucket, five gallons are too big so I look in lawn n garden and spot none.
The last one we got was kind of a POS so I thought perhaps paint might have a bit more durable and who cares if it is 3 bucks instead of 2 or whatever, I just wanted it to work.
I see some 5 gallons so I head down that isle, nope, none smaller so I head on to the end and scope the end caps to see, nope, head up the next isle and get to the end and here is the "paint guy" (he was sealing and labeling a can of paint when I went down the first isle) and I asked him "could you tell me where I might find a 3 gallon bucket?" and here is where the fun begins, it of course starts off with "I have my ccw but...."
He asked me if he could talk to me a second, I said sure, he tells me he is a ccw I said that's good.
Him-Concealed carry is legal but open carry is not in Lake St Louis.
me- no, it is indeed legal here.
him "no,it is not legal here, we had a guy in here a couple of weeks ago and one of the managers asked him if he was a cop and he said yes and the manager asked him why he was not displaying his badge and the cop said he did not have to and the manager asked him to cover it or leave and he refused to do either so they called the police"
Me- well that settled it right there, the gun was no longer the issue (should have seen the look on his face) when you are told to leave someone's property you must leave or you are breaking the law, it does not matter if you have a firearm or not, you can not stay where you are not welcome"
him- well that's right, you say it is legal here? because everyone here says it is not legal at all
Me- well that is where it gets fuzzy, you can if you have your ccw as the ordinance that makes it illegal specifically exempts ccw holders from the law just like it does cops, usually it is something like sub section "d" that does it.
him-walmart does not have rules about it they had a sign here once and a fellow made a big fus about it and corporate made the managers take it down and told everyone walmart follows the law, nothing extra.
Me- Yes, walmart has been real clear on that which is why I was unconcerned about it, I have carried in here at least 20 times in the past few months, pretty much every weekend and have never heard a word and I know it is completely legal.
Him- are you completely sure about that? I mean I am not complaining I am saying it for your sake.
me-(at this point the hook was set, time to reel him in) Sure I am sure, our group of advocates are very specific in our research and we never violate the law or stay where we are not welcome, I can show you in the ordinances where it specifically says so.
Him- Really?
Me- sure, you just have to love these new fangled phones that let you carry the internet in your pocket! a few flicks of the finger (It ain't "d" for Lake STL I did forget that) and a few magnifications of sullivan and whammo, I have a true convert!
I did point our my Doc designed shirt and said with a grin "I ain't sure it would help much if I covered it up now would it" which did get a grin but not a full laugh.
There was more to the conversation but it was post event and he had backed off 100% and even converted from the teacher to the student without a lot of prodding required. I think he really believed it could be an issue and was genuine in his just wanting to warn me about lake stl laws.
I fired up the camera and spent about 45 more minutes shopping, I was a little concerned a manager might be on the prowl or a lstl popo might come try and educate me further but it was a non-event after that.
I have open carried in this store at least 20 times, perhaps a lot more so I had no reason to have the video rolling and there was not a good opportunity to engage it without it being noticeable. Since Doc has indeed been told not to film in walmart I thought it best not to make it obvious. I needed a 3 gallon bucket for an ice bucket, five gallons are too big so I look in lawn n garden and spot none.
The last one we got was kind of a POS so I thought perhaps paint might have a bit more durable and who cares if it is 3 bucks instead of 2 or whatever, I just wanted it to work.
I see some 5 gallons so I head down that isle, nope, none smaller so I head on to the end and scope the end caps to see, nope, head up the next isle and get to the end and here is the "paint guy" (he was sealing and labeling a can of paint when I went down the first isle) and I asked him "could you tell me where I might find a 3 gallon bucket?" and here is where the fun begins, it of course starts off with "I have my ccw but...."
He asked me if he could talk to me a second, I said sure, he tells me he is a ccw I said that's good.
Him-Concealed carry is legal but open carry is not in Lake St Louis.
me- no, it is indeed legal here.
him "no,it is not legal here, we had a guy in here a couple of weeks ago and one of the managers asked him if he was a cop and he said yes and the manager asked him why he was not displaying his badge and the cop said he did not have to and the manager asked him to cover it or leave and he refused to do either so they called the police"
Me- well that settled it right there, the gun was no longer the issue (should have seen the look on his face) when you are told to leave someone's property you must leave or you are breaking the law, it does not matter if you have a firearm or not, you can not stay where you are not welcome"
him- well that's right, you say it is legal here? because everyone here says it is not legal at all
Me- well that is where it gets fuzzy, you can if you have your ccw as the ordinance that makes it illegal specifically exempts ccw holders from the law just like it does cops, usually it is something like sub section "d" that does it.
him-walmart does not have rules about it they had a sign here once and a fellow made a big fus about it and corporate made the managers take it down and told everyone walmart follows the law, nothing extra.
Me- Yes, walmart has been real clear on that which is why I was unconcerned about it, I have carried in here at least 20 times in the past few months, pretty much every weekend and have never heard a word and I know it is completely legal.
Him- are you completely sure about that? I mean I am not complaining I am saying it for your sake.
me-(at this point the hook was set, time to reel him in) Sure I am sure, our group of advocates are very specific in our research and we never violate the law or stay where we are not welcome, I can show you in the ordinances where it specifically says so.
Him- Really?
Me- sure, you just have to love these new fangled phones that let you carry the internet in your pocket! a few flicks of the finger (It ain't "d" for Lake STL I did forget that) and a few magnifications of sullivan and whammo, I have a true convert!
I did point our my Doc designed shirt and said with a grin "I ain't sure it would help much if I covered it up now would it" which did get a grin but not a full laugh.
There was more to the conversation but it was post event and he had backed off 100% and even converted from the teacher to the student without a lot of prodding required. I think he really believed it could be an issue and was genuine in his just wanting to warn me about lake stl laws.
I fired up the camera and spent about 45 more minutes shopping, I was a little concerned a manager might be on the prowl or a lstl popo might come try and educate me further but it was a non-event after that.