i want to know more
New member
My wife and i are new business owners, and we are torn as to how to handle the open carry options for our customers. i start out saying this 1: because i'm new at forums and just picked a good starting point. 2: i am a legal gun owner and have chosen to only conceal carry 3: have some rules that i must follow and have many arguments with my wife whom i love more then my gun to deal with and 4: a concerned majority of people i service who are against open carry.
ok so this is the scenario and thank you in advance for reading this.
i own a mall, and i was informed by my landlord that this is his private property and he doesn't not allow guns on his property. now that i'm essentially "subletting his space for my business" his contract states i have to abide by the rules of the entire strip mall. Ok i get it he doesn't like guns. However i do, where as my wife is terrified by them. Not the guns as much but those few who i would call braggart legal gun owners that get flashy with their guns. now before i get crucified, our first day we opened a man came in with a card saying he would not patronize me because i left the no weapons sign up from the previous tenant and landlord and showed my wife and many customers as well as my clients and 2 year old daughter his gun and how he has committed no crime and went on about how i was taking his rights away. Well what put me off about it was that my rights to choose not to allow the "open carry" in the store was being ridiculed but i was to respect his rights and as he put it shove it up my arse. Now this is what i mean about those few who legally can carry guns but probably shouldn't for the sake of their own desire to obtain power with it. (more like doesn't respect the power he was given). and for the records i know and have many many friends who carry both open and concealed
Now after this incident and mind you i was very nice and informed him that i also know my rights and he is scaring my customers and my wife and i asked him to leave, but in a joking manner said his gun could stay as i have the right to refuse service to him for his rude attitude(one that i didnt pull him off the street and invite in to my store, where as he came on his own to provoke a scene)in front of children taking a class from us, all while the sign was not inconspicuous but smack in plain sight. now i called the police and they came out, and i showed them the video. they stated to me that he was clearly one of those who spoil the bunch of apples, but they actually knew who he was and said he gets worked up and has had many complaints in the past.(lucky me right) and i clearly understand that there are those types in every group, even the right ones. So now i sit with a predicament. The clients 177 of them that i service in my store have spoken up requesting me to ban weapons as a whole, my wife who is more balanced in her opinions wants me to restrict just open carry and concealed is just fine, as we both believe out of personal experiences the person who needs to flash it is more to fear then the man who carries for protection of himself and others. i believe that i am the latter i carry concealed because i exercise my rights to protect my own, but i defend my rights first, and the last thing i want is to alienate my customers though i cannot please everyone, and in retail you gotta suck it up sometimes. So after all this mess i spoke to the landlord and informed him i was going to have my own legally purchased gun in the store which i pointed out to him that i didn't have to have a license as it was considered an extension of my property inside of the store where as his insurance covers the outside and mine inside. he reluctantly agreed that he would not press the issue but would be on the fence. i took that as a small win. But those people who pay my bills and afford the money to provide for my child and wife are against it. so the compromise is this. and i want to know if it would be understood by those who every day come and throw " i will not patronize you cards at my doorstep" that i am not against legal weapons at all, i want them to stay concealed or leave it in the car. I don't see a sign that says that anywhere and that is the first question is there one and where can i get it. My wife and i want to be neutral ground for all who wants to shop with us but i have to compromise to keep the balance and stay well in business even for the minority of people who patronize me. the last thing that is in the equation is this. we are registering with the state and county as a "safe place" for lost children or whomever needs a place to go in an emergency. i also have weekly classes that my wife and i teach children, most of them are too young to understand the rights battles. and i am under the understanding that guns are not allowed in local govt affiliated establishments, (safe place makes us an affiliate with DHS for children) so with all this and i think i need some work on my forum posting skills can any of you offer productive advice and insight. I know my rights and don't need to be preached to i'm looking for advice as to how to post my signs with the intentions of a "compromise carry" and save the what seem like vindictive argument from these same few men who are just ******* my wife off and thats not cool at all. legal or not.
ok so this is the scenario and thank you in advance for reading this.
i own a mall, and i was informed by my landlord that this is his private property and he doesn't not allow guns on his property. now that i'm essentially "subletting his space for my business" his contract states i have to abide by the rules of the entire strip mall. Ok i get it he doesn't like guns. However i do, where as my wife is terrified by them. Not the guns as much but those few who i would call braggart legal gun owners that get flashy with their guns. now before i get crucified, our first day we opened a man came in with a card saying he would not patronize me because i left the no weapons sign up from the previous tenant and landlord and showed my wife and many customers as well as my clients and 2 year old daughter his gun and how he has committed no crime and went on about how i was taking his rights away. Well what put me off about it was that my rights to choose not to allow the "open carry" in the store was being ridiculed but i was to respect his rights and as he put it shove it up my arse. Now this is what i mean about those few who legally can carry guns but probably shouldn't for the sake of their own desire to obtain power with it. (more like doesn't respect the power he was given). and for the records i know and have many many friends who carry both open and concealed
Now after this incident and mind you i was very nice and informed him that i also know my rights and he is scaring my customers and my wife and i asked him to leave, but in a joking manner said his gun could stay as i have the right to refuse service to him for his rude attitude(one that i didnt pull him off the street and invite in to my store, where as he came on his own to provoke a scene)in front of children taking a class from us, all while the sign was not inconspicuous but smack in plain sight. now i called the police and they came out, and i showed them the video. they stated to me that he was clearly one of those who spoil the bunch of apples, but they actually knew who he was and said he gets worked up and has had many complaints in the past.(lucky me right) and i clearly understand that there are those types in every group, even the right ones. So now i sit with a predicament. The clients 177 of them that i service in my store have spoken up requesting me to ban weapons as a whole, my wife who is more balanced in her opinions wants me to restrict just open carry and concealed is just fine, as we both believe out of personal experiences the person who needs to flash it is more to fear then the man who carries for protection of himself and others. i believe that i am the latter i carry concealed because i exercise my rights to protect my own, but i defend my rights first, and the last thing i want is to alienate my customers though i cannot please everyone, and in retail you gotta suck it up sometimes. So after all this mess i spoke to the landlord and informed him i was going to have my own legally purchased gun in the store which i pointed out to him that i didn't have to have a license as it was considered an extension of my property inside of the store where as his insurance covers the outside and mine inside. he reluctantly agreed that he would not press the issue but would be on the fence. i took that as a small win. But those people who pay my bills and afford the money to provide for my child and wife are against it. so the compromise is this. and i want to know if it would be understood by those who every day come and throw " i will not patronize you cards at my doorstep" that i am not against legal weapons at all, i want them to stay concealed or leave it in the car. I don't see a sign that says that anywhere and that is the first question is there one and where can i get it. My wife and i want to be neutral ground for all who wants to shop with us but i have to compromise to keep the balance and stay well in business even for the minority of people who patronize me. the last thing that is in the equation is this. we are registering with the state and county as a "safe place" for lost children or whomever needs a place to go in an emergency. i also have weekly classes that my wife and i teach children, most of them are too young to understand the rights battles. and i am under the understanding that guns are not allowed in local govt affiliated establishments, (safe place makes us an affiliate with DHS for children) so with all this and i think i need some work on my forum posting skills can any of you offer productive advice and insight. I know my rights and don't need to be preached to i'm looking for advice as to how to post my signs with the intentions of a "compromise carry" and save the what seem like vindictive argument from these same few men who are just ******* my wife off and thats not cool at all. legal or not.