TravisNM
Regular Member
I've OCed probably 30 times at Cottonwood without incident but still look for a posted sign each time I walk in (it's a habit now). A couple days ago I was shopping with the wife and, as usual, I was OCing and she was CCing. After grabbing a bite in the the food court we split up.
After a few minutes I started walking to JCPennys to meet back up with her when a young kid (let's call him Paul Blart) on a segway comes flying up to me demanding to see my badge. It didn't click to me at first what he was getting at so I asked him to repeat himself. He got more stern (never once looking at my face) and put forth his demand again.
I told him I don't have a badge. Before I could ask why he wanted a badge he, keeping his head held high looking like some pompous politician, informed me that this is private property. Now I get what he is on about and am ready to tell him it's not a problem and that I'll go put the gun in car when he cuts me off (I felt he was trying to pick a fight or show his amazing powers as a mall cop) and tells me I can't have that in here and proceeds to give me an ultimatum; I can leave or go put it in the car.
Sensing that he is wanting to make this into a scene I politely inform him that I am not being combative and will gladly leave. Still looking over my head, never once looking at my face, he attempts to cut me off again (I had just finished speaking) by repeating that this is private property. I think, "okay dude you want to engage me? I'm game." I tell him that I'm complying with his request but that I wouldn't have OCed and he wouldn't have needed to ask me to leave if the mall would simply post a sign at each entrance informing the public they do not allow open carry.
He, in his high and mighty voice, informs me that it is posted at each entrance in their "code of conduct" that no weapons are allowed and he is willing to go point it out to me. I quickly respond saying that I've carried here plenty and never saw a sign forbidding weapons but that I understand that him demanding that I not carry is perfectly within the mall's rights and that I'll leave now but that my wife is in penny's and I'll need to go get her (we never have cell service in there). As I walk away Mr. Blart throws in that he will be in the area watching me.
I go grab the wife and on our way out we stop at the entrance (food court) we came in to look for a sign. We found nothing. I step outside, give the wife my gun to put in her purse (yes, now she's CCing two at once but at this point we dont care), and light up a smoke. After I get my fix I walk back in that entrance to look again. Ahh...there it is! I finally found their "code of conduct". It's a piece of paper about 14"x16", on one wall between the two rows of doors, perpendicular to the flow of traffic, behind the automated handicap door, at about waist level. There are probably 13 things on this list. Number 6 reads something like, "No weapons of any kind to include knives, guns"...blah blah blah..."or anything that can cause bodily harm to another person."
My wife and I have a good laugh at the douche mall cop, the placement and wording of the sign, and the whole situation and then leave.
After a few minutes I started walking to JCPennys to meet back up with her when a young kid (let's call him Paul Blart) on a segway comes flying up to me demanding to see my badge. It didn't click to me at first what he was getting at so I asked him to repeat himself. He got more stern (never once looking at my face) and put forth his demand again.
I told him I don't have a badge. Before I could ask why he wanted a badge he, keeping his head held high looking like some pompous politician, informed me that this is private property. Now I get what he is on about and am ready to tell him it's not a problem and that I'll go put the gun in car when he cuts me off (I felt he was trying to pick a fight or show his amazing powers as a mall cop) and tells me I can't have that in here and proceeds to give me an ultimatum; I can leave or go put it in the car.
Sensing that he is wanting to make this into a scene I politely inform him that I am not being combative and will gladly leave. Still looking over my head, never once looking at my face, he attempts to cut me off again (I had just finished speaking) by repeating that this is private property. I think, "okay dude you want to engage me? I'm game." I tell him that I'm complying with his request but that I wouldn't have OCed and he wouldn't have needed to ask me to leave if the mall would simply post a sign at each entrance informing the public they do not allow open carry.
He, in his high and mighty voice, informs me that it is posted at each entrance in their "code of conduct" that no weapons are allowed and he is willing to go point it out to me. I quickly respond saying that I've carried here plenty and never saw a sign forbidding weapons but that I understand that him demanding that I not carry is perfectly within the mall's rights and that I'll leave now but that my wife is in penny's and I'll need to go get her (we never have cell service in there). As I walk away Mr. Blart throws in that he will be in the area watching me.
I go grab the wife and on our way out we stop at the entrance (food court) we came in to look for a sign. We found nothing. I step outside, give the wife my gun to put in her purse (yes, now she's CCing two at once but at this point we dont care), and light up a smoke. After I get my fix I walk back in that entrance to look again. Ahh...there it is! I finally found their "code of conduct". It's a piece of paper about 14"x16", on one wall between the two rows of doors, perpendicular to the flow of traffic, behind the automated handicap door, at about waist level. There are probably 13 things on this list. Number 6 reads something like, "No weapons of any kind to include knives, guns"...blah blah blah..."or anything that can cause bodily harm to another person."
My wife and I have a good laugh at the douche mall cop, the placement and wording of the sign, and the whole situation and then leave.