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 ...
I was showing my receipt to a large black lady attending the exit door at a Sam's Club in the north Atlanta metro area when my jacket fell open and my legally carried S&W revolver was revealed. She smiled broadly and gave me a thumbs up as she handed back the receipt. I didn't ask and she didn't volunteer a comment, but I got the distinct impression that she was on my side of the issue concerning CCW in Walmart and Sam's stores. Since WM donates 97% of it's political donations to Republican candidates I will give it the benefit of the doubt on CCW issues until I see an official announcement from WM to the contrary.
"Costco is a completely liberal enterprise, and supports all the leftist/union agendas. And yet people here at FR bitch and moan about Wal-Mart, which mostly does not."
It's interesting how such a liberal company makes their customers buy a membership when Walmart is open to the public.
From buyblue.org:
$220,303 to Democrats
$2,000 to Republicans
$0 to Others
$222,303 in Total Contributions
Meat seems to vary (at WalMart and Krogers, etc.) from store to store as much as it does across chains.
dunno if they were union funded. Based on my personal experience it seemed reasonable to me.
You buy larger quantities there. You buy stuff you don't need. If you check the unit prices against that of your regular store Costco or Sams are frequently higher. That means you not only buy twice as much peanut butter as you can use in the next 3 years, but you're paying more for it.
These places are a businessmans dream. Spend next to nothing on customer service, interior, cleaning etc but charge much the same price as any place else.
Yes you can save money on some things. They make up for that with the other items you purchase.
"To me, the signs mean absolutely nothing. If my weapon is concealed, the only people who will know are the ones who find out the hard way."
Except if you enter a business with a sign posted then you are breaking the law. One possible outcome is you could lose your right to own a firearm let alone carry one concealed.
At one business where I have worked only guards were allowed to wear or have guns at the site. If a armored truck guard needed to enter the building other than the delivery area they would lock the gun in a vault till they came out. In a well secured area you want only know people to have guns. If the guards at the store were armed it could be to avoided their guard shooting the wrong person in a robbery.
If I recall the story correctly, she lost both her mother and her father in that attack. She left her gun in her truck because of the carry law that was in effect at the time. Again, if I'm not mistaken, it was legal for her to carry in her car but not outside of it.
She went on to become a Texas legislator and headed up the effort to institute their new concealed carry law. I believe her name is Suzanne Gratia-Hupp or something close to that.
We live within a mile of Costco and Sams Club. Costco gives away more free food samples so we go to Costco more often ;)
About the only valid way to protest the policies of a commercial enterprise is to withhold your business: I'd have done the same (if I lived in a state/county that even considered carry permits for Joe Average).
Bear in mind that the author was entirely legal, bear in mind also that Costco does have (or should have) the right to set rules; despite the fact that if their rule was "no burkas" they'd be in court by the next week end.
What's the difference between telling a firm you disagree with their policy and telling them that their policy is wrong?
Is it possible to agree with a policy but think it is wrong? Is it possible to disagree with a policy but think it is right?
If so, examples, please.
"Non-Sequitur" is right.
Or was that post a joke, and I didn't realize it?
Nice. You just insulted law-abiding gun-carring citizens everywhere by calling them nuts.
Now, please show us just how dangerous legal conceal-carry holders are. Provide us the statistics and the newspaper reports detailing the carnage.
Either that, or retract your insult.
Local law enforcement, sheriff's departmentn, state cops, FBI, ATF, Border Patrol and even the IRS to name just a few.
Fighting the anti-gun mentality is very much 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.
No, he is simply engaging in the time-honored practice of a boycott.
It always amazes me that, here on FR, one of the premier sites on the web for gun wisdom, there are still a few posters who refuse to avail themselves of such.
Never been in a Costco before, but if they do this in Texas they need a very specific sign on the front door to prohibit entry for CCW holders.
Let's say he had his wallet and the gun in a fanny pack and the cashier noticed the gun when he opened the fanny pack. That is consistent with him getting confronted at the register instead of in the larger store as he is shopping.
That doesn't seem like a gross violation of concealment.
First of all, the guy is not calling for legally forcing Costco to allow weapons in their store.
He is asking they make the policy publicly-known. And is boycotting the store for their policy and requesting that others join him.
Which is more than fair. As opposed to your attempts to slime him as a liberal.
Google Luby's Killen Texas 1993.
23 people slaughtered and the lady that could have shot the bad guy had her gun in the car.
That is another study that is suspect.
Do you shop at Costco? Costco has a maximum markup of 13% or something like that. I do not think a regular grocery store can even come close to that.
All NC Pizza Hut restaurants among many others, but only after the NC Firearms Owner Assoc called for a boycott of Pizza Hut if it continued to post it's restaurants against legally armed patrons. Now I can enjoy a large pan pizza with my family without being concerned about my concealed gun being accidentally revealed.
what kind of a nut walks into a public place carrying a loaded weapon?
Me for one, along with a few million other legally armed American "nuts" who you won't ever know are armed unless they're forced to defend themselves and/or you with that horrible gun you obviously and irrationally fear. You may as well get over it, because those of us who have decided to LEGALLY assume our long neglected responsibility as the first line of defense for our families and ourselves against ILLEGALLY armed human predators aren't in any mood to give up the tools we need for that duty just because the grass eaters among us aren't willing to assume that same responsibility.
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