Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Costco bans guns
Keepandbear arms.com ^ | ? | Mark A. Taff

Posted on 10/22/2006 5:25:01 AM PDT by sig226

Costco Bans Guns Fellow newslinks editor Bruce Kraft learned the hard way about Costco's gun ban. Below is his story.

Mark A. Taff

. . . We arrived at the registers, and got rung out. I paid, and as we are getting ready to head out, Brian came up and said that "for the comfort and safety" of their employees and guests, he asked that I leave my gun outside.

I said "No problem, sorry if I caused any fuss." I then asked if this was the policy of the Eden Prairie store, or a company-wide policy. He said it was company policy. I asked if I could get some sort of written statement or copy of the policy, because there were 35,000 permit holders in the state of Minnesota alone who were going to want to know about it.

Oh, and since they didn't want me in their store could they please return my groceries. Brian said "Oh, no, your perfectly welcome to shop here, we just" at which point I cut him off saying "You just asked me to leave, so obviously I am *not* welcome here, and neither is my money." (I have played out scenarios like this in my mind for several years, it was gratifying that he kept giving me all the right straight lines).

(snip)

Bruce continues:

"BTW, their letter is misleading, I never raised the issue of civil rights, because I firmly believe that companies have every right to ban whomever they please, I just think it is not fair for them to hide the fact."

You can read a pdf of the letter Costco sent to Bruce.

Call Costco at 1-800-774-2678 and give them your feedback on their gun ban policy.

(Excerpt) Read more at keepandbeararms.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; costco; rkba
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 201-220221-240241-260261-265 next last
To: svxdave

This is a batle that wasn't worth fighting. By demanding that his groceries be returned to the shelves, this happy gun toting guy gained nothing and gave the image that all gun owners could be as anxious for an argment as he is.

If Mr. Gun Toter can't shop at Costco now, it is his loss, not Costco's ...





HUH???? Anxious for an arguement????? He was just buying groceries.


221 posted on 10/23/2006 6:49:40 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (Lead...follow...or get the HELL out of the way!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Sir Francis Dashwood

Which one?


222 posted on 10/23/2006 6:52:37 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (God has blessed Republicans with political enemies who are going senile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 207 | View Replies]

To: mamelukesabre

We're in 100% agreement. Carry the firearm and don't mention it to anybody at the store. The original narrator could have kept the flannel shirt worn properly and the gun would have remained covered the whole time and there wouldn't be a story to tell!


223 posted on 10/23/2006 6:54:06 PM PDT by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 217 | View Replies]

To: sig226
Do you also support the right of citizens to complain to businesses about their practices?

Absolutely. And the best way to complain is to take ones $$ elsewhere if one doesn't like a business's practices. That's why capitalism works and socialism doesn't. There's no incentive for businesses under socialism to please the customer ... there's no competition ...

224 posted on 10/23/2006 6:55:21 PM PDT by Babu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 220 | View Replies]

To: Air Force Brat

Could someone explain why a person would feel the need to carry a concealed weapon into a Costco store?

__________________________________________________________

HUH?????


225 posted on 10/23/2006 6:55:27 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (Lead...follow...or get the HELL out of the way!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Melas

I agree with you on that. Open carry means the bad guys can see who to attack first. Concealed carry makes the bad guys afraid of everybody. I'm not intimidated by people who open carry, but that is because I am one of the few sentient beings left on earth with common sense. Killers rarely telegraph.


226 posted on 10/23/2006 7:08:07 PM PDT by sig226 (There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 219 | View Replies]

To: Babu
If they don't know why you took your business elsewhere, they can't address the problem. I don't know if you ever worked in retail; there are many legitimate reasons people stop shopping at a store - 'someone else was cheaper' 'didn't carry the brand I want' 'clerk was nasty to me' (happens) 'wouldn't let me concealed carry'

Now how are they, as retailers, supposed to know that they are losing customers because of the CCW policy? We have to tell them we are not interested in their products until they change thier CCW policy.

227 posted on 10/23/2006 7:19:56 PM PDT by sig226 (There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 224 | View Replies]

To: DTogo

Most Freepers laud the military's ban on gays, but bemoan Costco for making a decision to ban firearms on their premises?


Wish that applied to businesses who oppose bans on smoking!!


228 posted on 10/23/2006 7:29:29 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (Lead...follow...or get the HELL out of the way!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: Still Thinking

Yep--got my Michelins there,too. I swear by those tires!!! Butter--the best deal anywhere and eggs, too. And cream cheese is a steal!!!


229 posted on 10/23/2006 7:35:20 PM PDT by hsmomx3 (Steelers in '07--Go BIG BEN!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 215 | View Replies]

To: Still Thinking

I use the one off of I-17 and Yorkshire.


230 posted on 10/23/2006 7:35:52 PM PDT by hsmomx3 (Steelers in '07--Go BIG BEN!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 214 | View Replies]

To: Non-Sequitur

You can think it's wrong, that doesn't make it wrong. In Costco's eyes it a correct policy. And their opinion is really the only one that matters.


Not another talk about smoking? Oh Gun Control...never mind.


231 posted on 10/23/2006 8:03:51 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (Lead...follow...or get the HELL out of the way!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 163 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido

Thanks for that post. I needed a good laugh. Talk about explaining the obvious. Oh man, Some of these people posting here make me wonder if there are any real americans left out there. But You let me know I'm not totally alone...yet.


232 posted on 10/23/2006 8:57:53 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 184 | View Replies]

To: mamelukesabre

That's what gets me about "gun free zones." What if you take the bus everyplace? Leave your gun with the teenager outside the door?


233 posted on 10/23/2006 9:06:31 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 232 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido
A Seargent in the local sherrifs office once told me to ignore them. Gun free zones are a joke in his opinion. Just don't take one inside a school, or inside an airport. But otherwise ignore them. That was exactly what he said. The reason, according to him, is that there are people who live within gun free zones and therefore the whole concept is a joke and most likely unconstitutional, but definitely unenforceable.
234 posted on 10/23/2006 9:17:57 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 233 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido

Clearly we need a government funded 'Gun Assistant' program so that we can have someone to hold our pistols when we go into Costco. </sarcasm>


235 posted on 10/24/2006 3:52:03 AM PDT by sig226 (There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 233 | View Replies]

To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Do you have an open carry law in Minnesota with a concealed law?
Was the guy who wrote this article legally able to walk around this store with an open carried pistol?


236 posted on 10/24/2006 5:12:09 AM PDT by Shooter 2.5 (Vote a Straight Republican Ballot. Rid the country of dems. NRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 235 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

Carry any way you so choose, in Minnesota.

"On, or about your person or clothing."


237 posted on 10/24/2006 5:21:26 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Offended By Islam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 236 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

Look, I'm all for guns. I have several nice ones myself. However, the principle basis of a right to keep and bear arms is the more fundamental right to property. A store, especially a membership store like Costco, is not really "open to the public" as they have a the right to exclude you for any reason--and they also have a right to make rules (shirts and shoes is a common example...not usually required on public property, but typically required by stores (except at the beach)).

One doesn't have to be "anti-gun" to exclude gun-carrying customers....it's probably just a business decision. Since 99% of their customers won't be carrying anyway--the managers of Costco probably think (rightly) that 99% might be more comfortable knowing others won't be secretly carrying guns. Would their being safer true? Probably not...but to a business owner, logical or not, they want to please their customers, so count on them pleasing the 99%, not the concealed carry folk.

I would be appalled if GOVERNMENT mandated no concealed carry in stores, just like I'm appalled when government mandates no smoking in restaurants--but when a private enterprise makes rules of their own--in their private property--well, that's what America and our freedom is all about.

You're free to shop wherever you want--at whatever shop wants you.


238 posted on 10/24/2006 8:54:23 AM PDT by AnalogReigns
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 206 | View Replies]

To: AnalogReigns

Another thing, no one has mentioned. It may well be that Costco gets a big break on their insurance with the "no weapons" rule. This way if someone was shot inside their store, it would be harder to win a lawsuit against (gigantic) Costco corp. claiming some sort of liability.

There are all kinds of reasons why private businesses make private rules for their own private property.


239 posted on 10/24/2006 9:02:58 AM PDT by AnalogReigns (blame it on the LAWYERS!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 238 | View Replies]

To: AnalogReigns

I think Mr. Kraft’s actions in this case were noble but could be viewed as bad judgment. By taking off the shirt and exposing the weapon he was inviting a response from the business which I think was obviously baiting on his part. I was happy to note that when Mr. Kraft got the response that he was looking for, everyone acted in a civil manor.

That being said, I would have to say that I’m not comfortable with the whole incident. It seems to me that this was poor judgment and very bad advertising that reflects poorly on a fairly large group of people who choose to exercise their rights.

I think it is probable that there were people that saw Mr. Kraft’s weapon that were personally uncomfortable with the situation. After all, how often does one see a non law enforcement type person carrying a hand gun in public? Not that there is anything wrong with that because it is legal but, its just not common place. It draws unwelcome notice by people who are against what we value.

I think it would be wise to remember that the people that are uncomfortable with these situations vote. We are about to go through an election that could very well go badly for politicians that have supported us in the past. I don’t think that Costco was necessarily the enemy here until they were provoked. I do think it is likely that there were people who witnessed the incident that are the real enemy. Remember, they vote.

K


240 posted on 10/24/2006 1:39:34 PM PDT by The Little Guy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 238 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 201-220221-240241-260261-265 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson