Life In Dickson City

You make my day

Jahwarrior72, Many of us older folks read your experiences with delight. I say, once again, if things are happening exactly the way you report them, you are awesome!! I know you originally reported this back on the 16th of September, but I have been away. Keep up the good work. If my wife and I ever get to meet you, it will be an honor.

email i received from Giant management today:

Hello Jahwarrior72,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Giant Food Stores does adhere to a No Weapons Policy. The purpose of this policy is to provide a safe, secure and comfortable environment for the Company's associates, customers and visitors to our premises. Just as associates are prohibited from carrying weapons on Company property or while on Company business, customers and visitors (other than law enforcement and other authorized security personnel) are prohibited from carrying weapons while shopping in our stores.

"Weapons" covered by this policy include any firearm, explosive, taser and any knife and other device that is used or displayed in a manner that could be perceived as dangerous or threatening.

Thanks, again, for contacting us so we could provide you with this information.

Sincerely,

Catherine Garrett
Customer Care Representative

Ref: 793752

Click to expand...

Catherine Garrett
Customer Care Representative said,

"Just as associates are prohibited from carrying weapons on Company property or while on Company business, customers and visitors (other than law enforcement and other authorized security personnel) are prohibited from carrying weapons while shopping in our stores.'

Click to expand...

.

Can you pass this on for me please?

Well, if your no weapons policy provide's such a safe, secure and comfortable environment for the Company's associates, customers and visitors to your premises, why allow law enforcement and other authorized security personnel to carry on company property? Cheers, Haz.

Well, I call BS on the no guns in Giant unless it is supposed to be PA specific. I carry here in Virginia at a Giant at least one a week. I have probably carried at 3-4 Giants in the last month. No issues whatsoever.

But, but, the store employees use box cutters. Do you know how dangerous those things are? A stockboy could go crazy or something with it.

thebigsd said:

Well, I call BS on the no guns in Giant unless it is supposed to be PA specific. I carry here in Virginia at a Giant at least one a week. I have probably carried at 3-4 Giants in the last month. No issues whatsoever.

Click to expand...

I call BS on your "I call BS".

First, there are different "Giant" stores, owned by different corporations. Second, your successfully getting away with it proves nothing, other than you were able to get away with it.

I carried regularly in my local Giant, never an issue. Then I saw the policy, in writing, and I haven't gone back. Fortunately, too many alternatives in my area. Alternatives that do not have policies against carry. Aside from local businesses that do not allow carry, where I have successfully carried before I knew about their policies, I have also successfully Open Carried at least 2 places with very strict anti-carry restrictions. I should have known better, it is my responsibility to know and I did not, but had no issues. And I was still wrong.

Yesterday, while passing a truck on the interstate I absent-mindedly accelerated to 68 mph in a 55 mph zone. No one said anything, so I guess speeding is legal there.

...just a logic lesson.

Statkowski said:

But, but, the store employees use box cutters. Do you know how dangerous those things are? A stockboy could go crazy or something with it.

Click to expand...

I heard it rumored on the internet that a person (or persons) could commandeer a commercial airliner and do unspeakable damage armed with nothing more than a box cutter.

Meh... I'm sure it's just a rumor.

Curmudgeon said:

I call BS on your "I call BS".

First, there are different "Giant" stores, owned by different corporations. Second, your successfully getting away with it proves nothing, other than you were able to get away with it.

I carried regularly in my local Giant, never an issue. Then I saw the policy, in writing, and I haven't gone back. Fortunately, too many alternatives in my area. Alternatives that do not have policies against carry. Aside from local businesses that do not allow carry, where I have successfully carried before I knew about their policies, I have also successfully Open Carried at least 2 places with very strict anti-carry restrictions. I should have known better, it is my responsibility to know and I did not, but had no issues. And I was still wrong.

Yesterday, while passing a truck on the interstate I absent-mindedly accelerated to 68 mph in a 55 mph zone. No one said anything, so I guess speeding is legal there.

...just a logic lesson.

Click to expand...

my only issue is that there are no other supermarkets in a convenient distance. Giant is a 10 minute walk, or a 3 minute drive. the next closest supermarket is a 15 minute drive, Wegman's. we also do our grocery shopping at Walmart, which is fine, but sometimes i don't want to drive, or deal with the parking lot, or the long lines. some days, i just want to take a quick walk through the woods and buy a jug of milk.

it's more of an inconvenience than anything. i'm shooting off another one of my polite, insightful emails rolleyes on Monday, but i don't expect it will make a difference. oh, well, there goes my .10 cents off a gallon of gas.

Statkowski said:

But, but, the store employees use box cutters. Do you know how dangerous those things are? A stockboy could go crazy or something with it.

Click to expand...

They are very dangerous. I had a store employee approach me with a box cutter in his hand and in a terrified voice I screamed; "What do you think you are doing?" He immediately stopped in his tracks and said; "Sorry, but I thought you were a box?"

I complained to the store manager and he apologised and said. "Only two people in the store were allowed to have box cutters, Me, and my schizophrenic other!"

The above, Just joking! Box cutters are dangerous in the wrong hands. Cheers Haz.

jahwarrior72 said:

email i received from Giant management today:

Click to expand...

IMO, she's doing the very common thing of using her 'brain' to conflate the rules for employees to cover customers, which they don't. Customers (depending on preemption) are not governed by employee rules.

Unfortunately, you may have shot yourself in the foot so to speak, by asking for a rule, I don't know.

Maybe you could get another opinion from a higher up above her?

Badger Johnson said:

IMO, she's doing the very common thing of using her 'brain' to conflate the rules for employees to cover customers, which they don't. Customers (depending on preemption) are not governed by employee rules.

Unfortunately, you may have shot yourself in the foot so to speak, by asking for a rule, I don't know.

Maybe you could get another opinion from a higher up above her?

Click to expand...

i kinda had to ask for a rule. i was told by a manager that was their policy, so i needed to confirm it. if i'd simply ignored it, and went on shopping there, i not only would be the ******* in this situation, but i could be charged with defiant trespass.

jahwarrior72 said:

i kinda had to ask for a rule. i was told by a manager that was their policy, so i needed to confirm it. if i'd simply ignored it, and went on shopping there, i not only would be the ******* in this situation, but i could be charged with defiant trespass.

Click to expand...

So noted.

http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.035.003.000.html

Guess that would be jail time. IMO, not worth even arguing over, turn about, walk on out.

so, i went to the Sugerman's Flea Market today, in Eynon. my girlfriend refers to it as Carbondale Indoors. if you've been to Carbondale, you know what i mean. if not, it's too hard to explain. i'll just say that it's full of...interesting and colorful characters, selling a lot of junk. some junk is neat, most not so much. as i was browsing the tables, a guy said to me, "whoa...nice. is that real?"

"yeah. it's my girlfriend's, actually." i was talking about my girlfriend's stainless steel Springfield GI45 1911. i had my own concealed. i don't normally carry two full sized 1911s, i just wanted to see what it was like.

"buddy, is the hammer cocked on that thing?"

"uh, yeah."

"that's not safe."

"oh, yes it is."

"naw, you're supposed to carry that thing with the hammer down!"

"um, no, there's one in the chamber, and the safety is on. actually, all three are on."

"three safeties?"

"yeah. the thumb safety, the grip safety, and this safety," i said, pointing to my head.

"naw, you're supposed to cock it, then let the hammer down easy. my step-father's cousin's mother's nephew's wife's neighbor is a federally license dealer and gunsmith, and that's what he told me!"

"well, your friend was wrong. putting a round in the chmaber then dropping the hammer is damgerous, not to mention stupid. you cock it, then you lock it. you know, cocked and locked?"

"okay, whatever, buddy." he turned to his friend, and smirked. i shook my head, and walked off.

1911 is made to be carried that way as you know.

I think people conflate a properly carried firearm with a mousetrap, no, seriously. But it's not. It takes some thought and some training to overcome some bias or nerves, but hey, so does driving car, riding a bike, dating, dancing, eating spicy food.

i took a walk to my local convenient store, to buy some bottled water, and a candy bar. i was in line, when a black woman in her 40's tapped me on the shoulder. "excuse me, your gun..." i waited for a lecture, or something.

"....is that a 1911?"

i got kind of confused, then said, "uh, yes. yes, it is. thanks."

"oh, that's what i thought it was." she turned to a young girl, barely in her teens, and said, "see, i told you, it's the same gun your daddy has." she turned back to me, and said, "my husband has one. i recognized it by the grip. no other gun has that grip safety on it like that. that's a Colt, right?"

"um, no. it's made by Taurus."

"oh. i don't ever shoot his, i got this little Smith and Wesson in my purse right here," she said, opening her purse. sure enough, she had a S&W in there, i think it was a 640 or a 642, because it hammerless.

"oh, nice. i had one of those awhile ago."

she closed her purse up, and said, "i like it. i feel safer, you know? i didn't like it at first, but that changed."

it was my turn at the register. i paid for my items, then turned and said, "it was nice meeting you. stay safe."

"oh, you too, honey!"

jahwarrior72 said:

i took a walk to my local convenient store, to buy some bottled water, and a candy bar. i was in line, when a black woman in her 40's tapped me on the shoulder. "excuse me, your gun..." i waited for a lecture, or something.

"....is that a 1911?"

i got kind of confused, then said, "uh, yes. yes, it is. thanks."

"oh, that's what i thought it was." she turned to a young girl, barely in her teens, and said, "see, i told you, it's the same gun your daddy has." she turned back to me, and said, "my husband has one. i recognized it by the grip. no other gun has that grip safety on it like that. that's a Colt, right?"

"um, no. it's made by Taurus."

"oh. i don't ever shoot his, i got this little Smith and Wesson in my purse right here," she said, opening her purse. sure enough, she had a S&W in there, i think it was a 640 or a 642, because it hammerless.

"oh, nice. i had one of those awhile ago."

she closed her purse up, and said, "i like it. i feel safer, you know? i didn't like it at first, but that changed."

it was my turn at the register. i paid for my items, then turned and said, "it was nice meeting you. stay safe."

"oh, you too, honey!"

Click to expand...

Gotta really like that kind of encounter - though I cringed a bit when she opened her purse to show it - even that was OK though considering the circumstance.

Hope she was knowledgeable enough to have a permit.

jahwarrior72 you need to star passing out PaFOA and OCDO information.

Grapeshot said:

Gotta really like that kind of encounter - though I cringed a bit when she opened her purse to show it - even that was OK though considering the circumstance.

Hope she was knowledgeable enough to have a permit.

jahwarrior72 you need to star passing out PaFOA and OCDO information.

Click to expand...

i refuse to pass out PAFOA info. that place has become Stormfront Lite, for the most part. i refer people here, or PAOpencarry.org, if i have to.

QUOTE=jahwarrior72;1625298]i refuse to pass out PAFOA info. that place has become Stormfront Lite, for the most part. i refer people here, or PAOpencarry.org, if i have to.

Click to expand...

Wasn't aware of any change/problems - haven't been up that way since just before when shefearsnothing was killed - RIP Meleanie.

Will make a point of checking paopencarry more frequently

I do agree though that OCDO has got more going for it specific to OC - in my mind #1

so, i was in Walmart yesterday with my girlfriend, shopping for a few things we needed. i decided that i didn't need to help her pick out girls clothes, so i walked off to the sporting goods section, to see if the price on .45ACP ammo had dropped anymore, which it has. that, and now they're selling that Russian, steel cased ammo, which is only $15 a box!

as i was milling around, waiting for Molly to show up, a store employee approached me. she was a hispanic girl, probably in her early 20's. "excuse me, are you a cop or something?"

i smiled. "no."

"oh, so is that a real gun?"

"i hope so. i paid a lot for it. hahaha."

she smiled, and started asking me a bunch of questions about it: was it legal? how do i get a gun? do i need a permit?

"where are you from originally? NYC?"

"um, yeah." he looked surprised that i guessed right.

"you just moved here, right?"

"yeah! like, 3 months ago. i never seen no one carrying a gun like that. you know, like, a regular person, not a cop. that's awesome."

i started to fill her in. basically, a quick and dirty version of hows and whys of owning and carrying a gun in PA. you know, what would prohibit someone, where to go for a license, when you actually need a license (carrying in Philly, operating or riding in/on a vehicle, etc), how much it costs, and which gun stores to shop at.

"so, what's like the cheapest gun i could get, that would still work good? i don't want a real cheap one, because those probably wouldn't work good, right?"

"if you don't want to spend more than $200, you should probably get a Hi Point." she was typing all this stuff down on her smart phone, so i think she was serious about all of this, which is good. "Hi Points are good guns, but they're big, ugly, and heavy, and a pain to carry around. they're good for the house. but if you want a gun for the house, you're better off with a shotgun."

"how about revolvers and stuff?"

"i dunno. maybe a Taurus? i had one, they're good little guns. also, Rossi or Charter Arms make good ones that are cheaper than Smith & Wessons."

"are Smith & Wessons expensive?"

"kind of. if you can afford one, or find a used one, i'd get that, but if you're strapped for cash, any gun is good enough, really."

"i like that. i can't believe you can just carry out like that in the open. i bet nobody messes with you, right?"

i laughed. "only old ladies who have nothing better to do, and cops."

"for real? that's messed up."

"yeah."

"what is that you have?"

"it's a 1911." she looked confused. "it's a forty five," i said. i've found that people who don't know guns won't know a 1911 from a Mauser, but will instantly know what you're talking about when you say 45.

"that looks hot. it's a good look." she grinned.

"uh, there's my girlfriend. hey, baby." Molly walked up to us. "alright, take care now."

"you too. thanks for the info," she said, waving her phone to me.

oh, and just remembered: a few days ago, we were there, doing some food shopping. we were in the frozen food section, and a woman was walking with a teenage girl, probably her daughter. in our vicinity. they both looked over at me, and the teen started waving her hands excitedly as they spoke in hushed tones. i thought about getting cookie dough to make some with my daughter, so i had to walk past them.

the woman looked at me with an expression of confusion, while the teen was smirking. i looked at the cookie dough, and saw nothing i wanted, so i walked back. as i passed them, the teen called out, "yo! that **** is tight!"

"um, huh?"

"that's mad gangsta. i respect that **** a lot, yo."

"uh, okay. thanks....i guess."

she turned to the older woman, and repeated what she said to her, as i walked away. "word, that nigga is gangsta. you see that ****? that's what i'm talkin' about, fo real..."

only me.

the woman looked at me with an expression of confusion, while the teen was smirking. i looked at the cookie dough, and saw nothing i wanted, so i walked back. as i passed them, the teen called out, "yo! that **** is tight!"

"um, huh?"

"that's mad gangsta. i respect that **** a lot, yo."

"uh, okay. thanks....i guess."

she turned to the older woman, and repeated what she said to her, as i walked away. "word, that nigga is gangsta. you see that ****? that's what i'm talkin' about, fo real..."

Click to expand...

It seems to me the teen could use some work on her English language skills.