Asked to remove firearm at Olive Garden

[davidmcbeth]

In 2008 I did the fight with Olive Garden in Tacoma. After many email back and forth to corporate, the policy was changed to allow firearms.

That's nice...but here's my take on this subject.

Companies, if they do nothing but go about their business, by default, allow carry.

A company has to take proactive steps to disallow carry (sign, tell you etc).

In doing so, they now are basically stating to the LAC: we control you, what you are doing is wrong...

Rape me once, and I will always consider you a rapist.

Now they have a change of heart and change their policy..now you can be an American again....so you do..and then, after a while, they switch their policy again.

 

[Grapeshot]

In 2008 I did the fight with Olive Garden in Tacoma. After many email back and forth to corporate, the policy was changed to allow firearms.

There is no doubt how that would have played out had you simply refused to return.

As a result of that David vs Golith effort you not only gained Olive Garden, but also Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House - all under the corporate umbrella of Darden Industries. Through these subsidiaries, they own and operate more than 2,100 restaurants, employ more than 200,000 people.
http://www.darden.com/

 

[tannerwaterbury]

Actually, there were MANY here who tried to say very clearly from the outset that Starbucks was only gun tolerant and not gun friendly, and therefore not to push them. We were ignored then, and forgotten now, apparently.

Welcome to the A.D.D. Generation...

 

[MattinWA]

Dardens policy means kaput if in practice they remove you. I will not be returning.

I agree with mcbeth, although I wouldnt have compared it to rape.

 

[Grapeshot]

Dardens policy means kaput if in practice they remove you. I will not be returning.
--snipped--

Darden Industries does not make a practice of removing customers legally carrying, not withstanding isolated circumstances in violation of corporate policy.

You have made that point, sir - now you are beating your own horse....repetitiously.

 

[acmariner99]

My 2 Cents

I think the OP did a great job. Isn't it part of our mission statement to "normalize the presence of legal guns in every day life?" When we OC aren't we being ambassadors and activists for the right to self defense? That means engaging people who make assumptions about what they think law and policy is. If someone asks us directly to leave or else, then yeah we have to leave, but I think it is our responsibility to correct misconceptions about what managers think law and policy are.

I had a Safeway manager do something just like what the OP described. He asked me to cover or leave my firearm in my vehicle because a couple of people told him about me carrying - and he told me he was certain Safeway's policy was to not allow it and "it was private property." I politely informed him he was incorrect and provided him a copy of Safeway's policy plus one of our pamphlets. We shook hands and he thanked me for being proactive. Simply thumbing our nose at people's misconceptions doesn't accomplish anything. But sure, if the manager is being an ignorant ****** then yeah, I'd walk away too, but that is another matter.

 

[davidmcbeth]

Dardens policy means kaput if in practice they remove you. I will not be returning.

I agree with mcbeth, although I wouldnt have compared it to rape.

I don't mind people trying to get businesses to change their policy .. but IMO, they'll eventually just change it back...

A tiger cannot change its stripes.

 

[Grapeshot]

I don't mind people trying to get businesses to change their policy .. but IMO, they'll eventually just change it back...

A tiger cannot change its stripes.

Your point is what? Trite and inappropriate application and a defeatist attitude.

Edmund Burke has had a few things to say on the subject.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/edmund_burke.html

 

[davidmcbeth]

Your point is what? Trite and inappropriate application and a defeatist attitude.

Edmund Burke has had a few things to say on the subject.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/edmund_burke.html

Defeatist attitude? Nah, just a hypothesis. I made a new thread to test it out.

Make hypothesis ... gather information to disprove ... come to conclusion.


http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/s...-then-change-back-later&p=2007002#post2007002

^^^ the link to the gathering of information .. feel free to add data


Walks like a duck, squawks like a duck? Its usually a duck.

 

[SPOProds]

GS, you at least could've edited my response instead of deleting the whole thing.


Eta: Mattin: stop twisting my words. I said nothing of the sort. You screwed yourself and did nothing to help Spokane gun owners. Deal with it. You're wrong.


Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

 

[sudden valley gunner]

In 2008 I did the fight with Olive Garden in Tacoma. After many email back and forth to corporate, the policy was changed to allow firearms.

+1 Thank you Bill. Although I had no problems OC here in Bellingham even prior to 2008, your efforts are well appreciated even if it's the peace of mind that if one does run into a rogue manager, who is in the right and in the know and that there is an effective channel to take care of misunderstandings.

 

[Grapeshot]

GS, you at least could've edited my response instead of deleting the whole thing.
-snipped--

No, sir.

A reply like that will never survive - you even anticipated that it would not.

At any given time the non-registered readers of this forum out number the user/members by 300-400%. These are politicians, media, educators, LEOs, grandmothers, pastors, children and antis. We must conduct ourselves in a civil manner w/o cursing or profanity.

Simple respect for others demands that also.....even if you don't like them.

 

[MattinWA]

GS, you at least could've edited my response instead of deleting the whole thing.


Eta: Mattin: stop twisting my words. I said nothing of the sort. You screwed yourself and did nothing to help Spokane gun owners. Deal with it. You're wrong.


Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

This is your opinion
You said nothing of the sort about what? Out of context your words mean about as much as dardens firearm policy... worthless.

ps: eta means estimated time of arrival, which, in keeping with the rest of your post, makes no sense

 

[SPOProds]

This is your opinion
said nothing of the sort about what. Out of context your words mean as much as dardens firearm policy.. nothing.

No. It's the opinion of everyone here that you twisted what I said and that you're at fault for not trying to fix the problem.

My deleted response, if you saw it, still stands.

Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

 

[SPOProds]

No, sir.

A reply like that will never survive - you even anticipated that it would not.

At any given time the non-registered readers of this forum out number the user/members by 300-400%. These are politicians, media, educators, LEOs, grandmothers, pastors, children and antis. We must conduct ourselves in a civil manner w/o cursing or profanity.

Simple respect for others demands that also.....even if you don't like them.

Understood. Any chance you have access to the original post? I'll correct it myself.

Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

 

[Grapeshot]

Understood. Any chance you have access to the original post? I'll correct it myself.

Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

The original post is still there - just not visible. Reopening it for edit would be against the site owner's directives.

 

[SPOProds]

The original post is still there - just not visible. Reopening it for edit would be against the site owner's directives.

Okay. No problem wont edit it or retype it. I did want to fix it with no vulgarity. But whatever :banghead:

Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

 

[MattinWA]

GS, you at least could've edited my response instead of deleting the whole thing.


Eta: Mattin: stop twisting my words. I said nothing of the sort. You screwed yourself and did nothing to help Spokane gun owners. Deal with it. You're wrong.


Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

It doesn't help Spokane gun owners when I call the centennial trail to remind them that their no firearms signs are out of compliance with Washington law? How about when I went to gonzaga before a home game to talk to fans about the college's illegal seizure of students firearms in their apartment? Or when I wrote an email to the police department asking why they allowed private security to seize weapons in a student's apartment. I suppose it doesn't help that I post reviews about gun unfriendly pawn shops in the area and their lies, or that I have attended every local OC event posted. Or that I make an effort to make my appearance above average previous to OCing in public?

All this I have done since becoming a member,

Which was when?
<~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~

And when I choose not to patronize a restaurant and their staff (they get tip money) because I had a negative experience while OCing at their establishment, and I feel stongly in my opinion not to return, Now you want to write posts worthy of deletion because of profanity?

Tell me, o guru of guns rights,
What have you done for Spokane gun owners lately?

Besides make this one slightly annoyed, yet curiously, mildly amused

 

[SPOProds]

It doesn't help Spokane gun owners when I call the centennial trail to remind them that their no firearms signs are out of compliance with Washington law? How about when I went to gonzaga before a home game to talk to fans about the college's illegal seizure of students firearms in their apartment? Or when I wrote an email to the police department asking why they allowed private security to seize weapons in a student's apartment. I suppose it doesn't help that I post reviews about gun unfriendly pawn shops in the area and their lies, or that I have attended every local OC event posted.

All this I have done since becoming a member,

Which was when?
<~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~

And when I choose not to patronize a restaurant and their staff (they get tip money) because I had a negative experience while OCing at their establishment, and I feel stongly in my opinion not to return, Now you want to write posts worthy of deletion because of profanity?

Tell me, o guru of guns rights,
What have you done for Spokane gun owners lately?

Admittedly, nothing. I dont live in WA. But I can almost guarantee I've done more for CT than you have for WA with your "oh no i was asked to leave" bravo sierra.

--Moderator edited personal insult--



Individually Responsible.
Sent from the back of a black van

 

[MattinWA]

I'm confused. I see a lot of things you've done to help the cause.

I think the only issue that got blown up was not that you didn't contact a restaurant's corporate office, but that when others did, it seemed as if you said they were wasting their time about it.

Absolutely not, I had the pleasure of meeting bill starks and have tremendous respect for what he does, and has done. Even with the olive garden in 2008. it's just not something I choose to put my energy into when there are outwardly pro gun places to patronize, and I don't feel a public berating or cussing is justified.