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I would like to share with all of you my experience open-carrying my Beretta PX4 Storm Sub-Compact 9mm at the Greater Richmond Convention Center this past weekend (9-11 June 2011). I would have conceal-carried my pistol had I had my CHP, but I had just submitted for it a week prior, so I did not have it yet.
My wife and I drove down to Richmond for the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV). I wasn’t planning on open-carrying my pistol primarily because, even though the convention was not an official school event, nor was it on school property, I felt that it might be inappropriate to open-carry at such an event with so many children and undoubtedly I would cause some parents to be uncomfortable with a gun in the area and possibly the result would be negative to the open-carrying community. Well, all it took for me to change my mind was to walk from my hotel (the Double Tree by Hilton) to the Convention Center. As my wife and I walked with the two of four children that we brought, we quickly became very uncomfortable without my sidearm. As we approached the hotel in our car, we literally saw a cop car and at least one or two police officers on EVERY SINGLE corner; in some instances, there was a cop on all four corners of an intersection. I think they set the tone nicely.
As we were walking, we passed by some very drunk African-Americans who decided to make some comments as we passed by. I mind you, I grew up in very similar settings in South Florida, so I immediately felt very uncomfortable with the whole situation (and I am 1/4 black to dispel any racial issues). When we arrived at the convention center, I immediately checked google for any issues with open-carry there. I found a thread here that detailed some “illegal policies”. I then checked the Convention Center’s website and found that their policy had changed to reflect the law appropriately. I was clear to carry at least in the common areas. I approached security associated with the HEAV and asked them if there would be any issue, they said that since it was a public area, there was no problem with carrying it in the conference rooms. So, guess what I did! I ran straight back to my hotel room, picked up my gun and brought it back with me. Peace of mind!
That night, after all of the classes at the conference center, I escorted my family to the hotel without any issues. I tell you, I felt at peace walking back.
So, the next day, things were fine. Of course, I would have the looks from people…you know, the looks like, “Is that a gun?” I had to get used to the extra attention. After a few hours, some of the security guards from the Convention Center approached me and stated that I was fine to carry in the common areas outside of the Convention Center rooms, but that I could not carry in the rooms themselves. I very politely asked them to show me that in their security policy. I pulled up their security policy on my Android phone and read them their own security policy. :banghead: They called for their supervisor and we had a chat. He said that according to their security policy, the carry of firearms is up to the organization which rents out the rooms. Well, I had this covered. If you recall, I did say that I talked with HEAV before I carried in the firearm. Well, I explained this to the supervisor and we took a walk over to the HEAV security desk. I explained the situation and the representative from HEAV security approached us. He immediately said, “Oh, yeah. He and I talked last night. What seems to be the problem?” Well, at that point, I had no more issues with security. :lol:
Security did say that they had some minor complaints about having the gun in the general area since kids were so close by, but legally, they had no grounds to ask me not to carry. I generally had a very positive experience carrying my pistol. One woman approached me and tapped me on my shoulder. As I turned towards her, she whispered, “Thank you.” I gave an inquisitive look to her, and she in response tapped on her hip signaling towards my gun. I also had another attractive woman ask me what kind of gun I had, and then said that she wished I could be her body guard since her husband in currently deployed to Afghanistan. I also had a few others who asked me about the gun I was carrying and about my military service. I was actually surprised how many people were carrying at the event, only concealed-carry. I still wish more people carried openly. One of the boy scouts said that they saw one other person carrying a pistol on their hip openly as a result of me leading in the charge! Well, needless to say, I was able to exercise my 2nd Amendment Rights, without any excitement from the Police. I am very glad that I had no issue with wearing my sidearm in the hotel, nor at the Convention Center. Keep it in mind if you ever go there.
My wife and I drove down to Richmond for the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV). I wasn’t planning on open-carrying my pistol primarily because, even though the convention was not an official school event, nor was it on school property, I felt that it might be inappropriate to open-carry at such an event with so many children and undoubtedly I would cause some parents to be uncomfortable with a gun in the area and possibly the result would be negative to the open-carrying community. Well, all it took for me to change my mind was to walk from my hotel (the Double Tree by Hilton) to the Convention Center. As my wife and I walked with the two of four children that we brought, we quickly became very uncomfortable without my sidearm. As we approached the hotel in our car, we literally saw a cop car and at least one or two police officers on EVERY SINGLE corner; in some instances, there was a cop on all four corners of an intersection. I think they set the tone nicely.
As we were walking, we passed by some very drunk African-Americans who decided to make some comments as we passed by. I mind you, I grew up in very similar settings in South Florida, so I immediately felt very uncomfortable with the whole situation (and I am 1/4 black to dispel any racial issues). When we arrived at the convention center, I immediately checked google for any issues with open-carry there. I found a thread here that detailed some “illegal policies”. I then checked the Convention Center’s website and found that their policy had changed to reflect the law appropriately. I was clear to carry at least in the common areas. I approached security associated with the HEAV and asked them if there would be any issue, they said that since it was a public area, there was no problem with carrying it in the conference rooms. So, guess what I did! I ran straight back to my hotel room, picked up my gun and brought it back with me. Peace of mind!
That night, after all of the classes at the conference center, I escorted my family to the hotel without any issues. I tell you, I felt at peace walking back.
So, the next day, things were fine. Of course, I would have the looks from people…you know, the looks like, “Is that a gun?” I had to get used to the extra attention. After a few hours, some of the security guards from the Convention Center approached me and stated that I was fine to carry in the common areas outside of the Convention Center rooms, but that I could not carry in the rooms themselves. I very politely asked them to show me that in their security policy. I pulled up their security policy on my Android phone and read them their own security policy. :banghead: They called for their supervisor and we had a chat. He said that according to their security policy, the carry of firearms is up to the organization which rents out the rooms. Well, I had this covered. If you recall, I did say that I talked with HEAV before I carried in the firearm. Well, I explained this to the supervisor and we took a walk over to the HEAV security desk. I explained the situation and the representative from HEAV security approached us. He immediately said, “Oh, yeah. He and I talked last night. What seems to be the problem?” Well, at that point, I had no more issues with security. :lol:
Security did say that they had some minor complaints about having the gun in the general area since kids were so close by, but legally, they had no grounds to ask me not to carry. I generally had a very positive experience carrying my pistol. One woman approached me and tapped me on my shoulder. As I turned towards her, she whispered, “Thank you.” I gave an inquisitive look to her, and she in response tapped on her hip signaling towards my gun. I also had another attractive woman ask me what kind of gun I had, and then said that she wished I could be her body guard since her husband in currently deployed to Afghanistan. I also had a few others who asked me about the gun I was carrying and about my military service. I was actually surprised how many people were carrying at the event, only concealed-carry. I still wish more people carried openly. One of the boy scouts said that they saw one other person carrying a pistol on their hip openly as a result of me leading in the charge! Well, needless to say, I was able to exercise my 2nd Amendment Rights, without any excitement from the Police. I am very glad that I had no issue with wearing my sidearm in the hotel, nor at the Convention Center. Keep it in mind if you ever go there.