Do you carry in a "gun-free zone?

[tom turner]

I always follow the law . . . usually!

 

[merbeau]

I would never admit to breaking the law on a forum... Of course I always obey those signs.

One local farm supply store near me has a sign saying something like all guns must be unloaded and encased in a gun case EXCEPT for those persons who have a concealed carry permit and are exercising their right to legally carry a firearm.

I like that sign!

I'm going to start carrying some slips of paper I can hand clerks and owners asking them why they would post a 'no gun' rule and what they expect is going to happen besides keep the good guys unarmed and making the place safer for the bad guys.

The indoor range that I frequent has that exact quote. When I go to the range my handguns are enclosed in my Gun Ho pistol box and unloaded. I would just walk away from the store. No need to cause a problem or worse yet get arrested and then your carry permit is gone along with probably buying any other firearms. I live in Texas where you would think issues for firearms are little more foregiving but the same signs are everywhere and the county I live in just passed a rule making it illegal to discharge a firearm unless you own 10 acres or more of property!!

 

[mwilson6]

Hard to imagine the store has something so unique you can't purchase elsewhere. I saw a few comments about pressing the issue with the store manager, but doubt that would do any good unless it is a local small business owner. Even if it is, they have gone through a fair amount of soul searching to arrive at their position and aren't likely to back up because of a gun advocate pressing the issue.
I say, walk away and find another vendor.

 

[feralmerril]

Maybe I am not observant enough but the first and only sign I have seen was a few days ago in colorado. My daughter is a instructor at a huge gym. She took us over the other day to show us where she works. I wouldnt want to carry in there to start with due to stripping down, changing cloths amoung many and not being able to exercise with it anyway.

 

[CigarGuy]

I have to admit to being a little surprised. I would have thought at least half of us woulda penalised the establishment by not shopping there.

 

[66snub]

Here in Michigan, just because a regular business posts a "no hand-guns" sign in their window, that doesn't mean that it's illegal to do so. Having said that, there are still places that you cannot carry in accordance to state statute. Being a police officer gives you more authority to do so in most cases, however, even law enforcement aren't allowed to carry off-duty in certain places, such as casinos.

 

[photoman]

I just carry it.
Just conceal it very good.
And when the wolves come and the sheep start to cry you just pull it out and snd the wolf to go nite nite.
And the sheep will love you and squeeze you forever.
Good night kids.

Boy howdy are you in for a big surprise...

 

[Hunterfz6]

To me, if your carrying concealed and its very well concealed, I just might go in. As long as your not showing it, and nobody is frisking you. Just don't make it anybodies business. Of course I'd never go into court, police station, etc with a gun on me. More of a risk of metal detection anyway. Aren't gun free zones hunting areas for armed mentally deranged people anyway?

 

[mwilson6]

My previous post (95) was a logical one, from my view.

However, after reading views by Massad Ayoob, it seems I might have been on track from a professional's point of view as well. Take the time to read his writings, it just might cause you to take a different view of what a CHL is all about.

Not that you would abandon your view to carry a concealed weapon, but if you aren't a "seasoned" concealed carrier, I can guarantee his vantage point will make you stop and think.
He is absolutely a proponent of being protected at all times, but he is always respectful of local, federal, and local business guidelines-laws.

You are carrying a weapon for protection, not to make a political point.

There, I feel much better!!!
Be safe, folks.

 

[CigarGuy]

So many(all) of you are so rabid when it comes to ANYONE or ANYTHING infringing on your 2A rights, but over a 100 of you would still frequent a business that does just that? I really don't understand that?

 

[LenS]

So many(all) of you are so rabid when it comes to ANYONE or ANYTHING infringing on your 2A rights, but over a 100 of you would still frequent a business that does just that? I really don't understand that?

Let me take a stab at this . . .

Almost any significant shopping mall is owned by some huge conglomerate thousands of miles from most of us. Their lawyers set "policy" and signage requirements for all their malls. Corporate lawyers look for CYA more than a political statement, so you get ridiculous rules like no weapons (knives, guns, OC, sharp-pointy sticks if you get technical).
Tons of independent and chain stores move to these malls. The policies and political opinions of these individual stores may not be reflected in the mall "policy" and they may not even be aware of it.
I do not typically even go into malls any more, hate them, but I do recall a Remington store (sold lots of knives), Herman's Sporting Goods (sold guns), Galyans (sold guns) in malls that are managed by Simon Malls (which posts all their malls "no guns/weapons") and I know that multiple Dick's Sporting Goods stores (sell ammo) are located in local malls (no idea who owns/manages each of these malls)! I'd give a guess that these stores may disagree with the posted policy as their survival depends on disobeying such signs (this is in a state where signage has no legal standing).
Should we each query every store we shop in to ascertain their gun policy? Should we do the same for their policy on carrying a knife or condom into said store before determining whether or not to shop there? My guess is that 90% of stores queried would either have a no weapons policy or the person you ask would "make it up" if asked.
I shop a lot in one of the large warehouse chains where I know that the owner (3K miles away) is totally anti-gun . . . however I know that the store manager, asst. store manager in two stores (respectively) are gun owners (and I'm friendly with both) plus another management person wants to take a firearms course but has been dragging her feet on committing to it (needed to possess anything in this state). Should I stop shopping here? Do I need to really vet every store I shop in? If I do, I can almost guarantee that I'd have no place to buy groceries every week in this area!

When I visit friends/relatives (all of them anti-gun), I don't ask their permission to bring a gun. When I carry, I do so for my own protection, not to make political points and nobody is the wiser. For the young ones dating, do you ask permission to possess a condom when you enter your date's house? Same concept in my eyes!

As long as you aren't violating any laws and you aren't subject to a search upon entering any place, what you have on you should be your business and your business alone. That's my position and I accept the idea that others may well differ and want to make a political statement in their shopping habits.

 

[jaxonj]

To shop or not to shop

I say carry.

 

[carpriver]

If the busness does not want my gun in their store,they don't want my money. I may call the the owner/manager and ask way they don't want gun in their store. It's just as much my choice where I shop as it theirs about having gun in the store.

 

[Srigs]

In MN, we have a requirement to inform regardless of any posting (part of our constitution). Also any owners of any retail space can not ban something that is legal for a tenant to do (like carry at their business) so only the tenant can "ban" handguns in MN.

So in MN at the Mall of America, I carry heavy (even though they MOS ban) with 3 guns and extra reloads (we generally go in the Nordstroms store which does not post). I don't go into any business that have legal "ban handgun" signs to respect their wishes and spend my money elsewhere.

So, I choose to not give up my right to protect myself and those I love.

 

[edprof]

A. How badly do I really need something from that store?
B. If I really need what's in there, if things look calm from the outside, I'll temporarily disarm and go in to shop.
C. I'm from Arkansas. This is almost a moot question here. The store owner who puts that sign by his door is not going to have many customers.

 

[Warren Sear]

For the guys who won't shop at a store that bans the lawful carrying of firearms: rather than just getting upset and stomping back to my car, I make it a point to talk to the store manager and politely tell him that I hold a CCW permit and since his store bans legally carrying them, I won't shop there any more and I will advise everyone I know to do the same. If you don't have time to talk to the manager, write him a polite letter.

Either of these is infinitely more effective then just being offended and driving away. If the store's business is down, they need to know what might be the cause.

 

[bp231986]

Based on a couple other threads, I'm wondering that if you are legal to conceal carry and start to go into a privately-owned store with a sign on the door that says "no guns", what do you do?

Thats just a silly question CigarGuy, ofcourse am going back to my car to disarm myself.....you betcha

 

[nipster]

I dont pay any attention to those stupid signs. In my state, they are not enforceable by law.

 

[swampersand]

As I recall, Ohio's law is worded such that the carrier will not "knowingly" carry into posted areas. General areas such as schools, churches govt buildings etc are pretty much common knowledge for no carry and can be easily obeyed. If one runs across the occassional private no carry sign, well sometimes one might "forget".

 

[1fowlhunter]

I've found that a lot of private businesses are not properly posted in SW Ohio. These businesses i have no issue with going into. I try to avoid places that are posted properly and obviously don't carry in the buildings stated in the Ohio CCW booklet. I do work in government buildings and long term medical facilities that don't want guns in their buildings. While I do oblige their rules, my handgun is in a Nano lock box in the work vehicle.

Heck, my bank is not posted so I carry there. I have also noticed a lot of signs have come down since the legislation passed and was enacted in September of 2011.

 

[royalwulff24]

I dont read signs i dont care i am carrying a concealed weapon and doubt very much i would be frisked. I have open carried into bars, banks, resturants and the like... if i knew where my gun would be needed then i wouldnt carry it until then. mot places i go dont bat an eye when i open carry.. everyone behind the counter at my favorite gun shop open carries.. we are adults not children. I did have a lady at the grocery store point at my pistol and ask me " do you really think you need that thing ?" I politley replied that" if i thought i was going to need it I would have stayed home". it is funny how many tikes you are called "sir" while open carrying and when a cop sees you he knows that he is pretty sure in assuming you arent a crimial although we have very few cops.. we dont have a county police force, we dont have a local police force, all we have are statet troopers and the nearest barracks is over 30 minutes from my home. Last year i walked into a state park to get a map after just coming out of teh woods from fishing and was open carrying when the park ranger told me if i were going to be in teh park with a handgun it needed to be concealed i toild him that was way too many rules for me and that all i wanted was a map and then untucked my t-shirt and pulled it down over my gun.

 

[GarnetGold]

in georgia all can do to ask you to leave

 

[hd28cw]

I don't think its smart to respond to questions like this. As we all know everything on the internet is highly visible, and can always be linked back to you.....

 

[cmort666]

In OHIO it's a CIVIL TRESPASS issue, not a criminal one.

Not it's not.

Carrying in a posted PARKING LOT is (or was, I'm not sure about a recent change in the law) is civil trespass.

Carrying into a posted business is a CRIMINAL offense.

 

[Alnamvet68]

If you willfully enter an establishment that has displayed a no gun sign, then you should have the privilege to carry revoked. It is exactly these kind of civil disobedience behaviors that fuel the anti-2A crowd, who will use any reason and excuse to continue demagoguing the issue(s)...they will win if you choose to set the bad example.

 

[CigarGuy]

Have to insert my obligatory "why would you want to give that business your money by entering" query for this page........
I understand you can, but why would you?

 

[PortRoyalDad]

Why would anyone suspect I'm carrying???

Based on a couple other threads, I'm wondering that if you are legal to conceal carry and start to go into a privately-owned store with a sign on the door that says "no guns", what do you do?

I've been wondering…was there just ONE person who was sitting in the Aurora Theater (that night during the shooting) who possessed a concealed carry permit, but then decided to leave their firearm in the car or at home due to a "no-gun" sign on the door?

When I conceal carry, I consider it for my personal protection and my family's only…period… nobody else. No one knows I'm carrying, I don't fiddle-fart around with the gun, it's not printing, and I'm not doing anything differently to attract attention to myself. I'm just the same'ol average looking, slightly overweight bald dude going to watch a movie, shop for cloths, grocery shopping, or buying a can of paint at the hardware store…

And when I go to pay my bill and reach for my wallet, the sales person isn't screaming, "Oh my Gooooooooooooooooooooooood, he's got a gun!!!!!!!" 99.9 percent chance they don't have a clue I'm carrying concealed.

I'm never relying on the staff at the local mall, the local movie theater, or the maître d at the new fancy steak-n-seafood restaurant to "not provide" protection for me.

Regards, Mike

 

[photoman]

Abolish "gun free zone" areas. Problem solved.

 

[LenS]

I'm with PortRoyalDad!

Those that stress out on being outed need to reevaluate HOW they CCW. If done properly nobody will ever know. [I'm not advocating breaking any laws. Lots of places have signs where laws don't give any weight to such signage.]

 

[The Big D]

But consider if that "ONE person" was like you and the others who carry solely for their/their family's personal protection. Likely nothing would have changed had he/she not been fired upon...directly.

Not picking on you...and welcome to this great Forum.

Be safe.

PS:

I do NOT carry in "gun free" areas where posted or where I know it is not permissible/lawful.

Note: Could not cast a ballot in the poll; my option was not listed among the choices.

I've been wondering…was there just ONE person who was sitting in the Aurora Theater (that night during the shooting) who possessed a concealed carry permit, but then decided to leave their firearm in the car or at home due to a "no-gun" sign on the door?

When I conceal carry, I consider it for my personal protection and my family's only…period… nobody else. ...

Regards, Mike