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Yesterday very late in the day on the 4th, I was at a fireworks stand looking to pickup a couple more mortar tubes for the evenings festivities.
I did have a 6" stainless gp100 on my hip in an open carry holster - I figure what better day to open carry around my front yard. That and the red holster and redwood on the grips really complimented my blue jeans and white tee shirt .
I did look on the tent for a sign prohibiting firearms and saw none.
I did hear a couple loud whispers when the two kids (16-19) handing out baskets at the door after I walked in - I assume they saw my sidearm at that point.
I wasn't in the place 3 minutes before I had a gentleman about 40 approach me and say, "Hi, there". I said howdy and he went into a could I please ask you to leave, we are not allowed to have someone with a firearm in a fireworks tent speech.
My first response was there was not an RCW about that and he responded with," well you can't carry in a bar and you don't see signs forbidding it there either". I told him a friend of mine owned two bars locally and does in fact post the RCW on his sign prohibiting firearms in the bar areas.
At all times the conversation was civil and I didn't want to cause a scene just to buy $12 in fireworks so I gave what I had to my daughter to pay for and left thru the front door.
Now during all of this there was a point (and he was very apologetic about having to ask me to leave) that he mentioned last year they had a guy walk in with an AR slung over his shoulder, a gopro on his hat and seemed to be slightly intoxicated and looking for an altercation. I can certainly understand why that would sour someone on open carrying anything I guess.
In the end, I politely left (I wasn't there to make a point or cause a ruckus. I figured if it's my right to carry, it's his to ask me to leave his (rented) property.
Could I have fought about it to make a point? Sure! Should I have? At the time I didn't think so.
A question for y'all is; is it his right to ask me to leave? And is there actually any illegality about possession within a fireworks tent? (For next year and just to satisfy my curiosity).
P.S. After I left, my daughter told me that I had sparked a great debate between the employees about the fact that it was not illegal and that there was only a few hours left and why bother making a sign at that point lol.
Cheers, and hopefully you had a safe and great Independence Day.
I did have a 6" stainless gp100 on my hip in an open carry holster - I figure what better day to open carry around my front yard. That and the red holster and redwood on the grips really complimented my blue jeans and white tee shirt .
I did look on the tent for a sign prohibiting firearms and saw none.
I did hear a couple loud whispers when the two kids (16-19) handing out baskets at the door after I walked in - I assume they saw my sidearm at that point.
I wasn't in the place 3 minutes before I had a gentleman about 40 approach me and say, "Hi, there". I said howdy and he went into a could I please ask you to leave, we are not allowed to have someone with a firearm in a fireworks tent speech.
My first response was there was not an RCW about that and he responded with," well you can't carry in a bar and you don't see signs forbidding it there either". I told him a friend of mine owned two bars locally and does in fact post the RCW on his sign prohibiting firearms in the bar areas.
At all times the conversation was civil and I didn't want to cause a scene just to buy $12 in fireworks so I gave what I had to my daughter to pay for and left thru the front door.
Now during all of this there was a point (and he was very apologetic about having to ask me to leave) that he mentioned last year they had a guy walk in with an AR slung over his shoulder, a gopro on his hat and seemed to be slightly intoxicated and looking for an altercation. I can certainly understand why that would sour someone on open carrying anything I guess.
In the end, I politely left (I wasn't there to make a point or cause a ruckus. I figured if it's my right to carry, it's his to ask me to leave his (rented) property.
Could I have fought about it to make a point? Sure! Should I have? At the time I didn't think so.
A question for y'all is; is it his right to ask me to leave? And is there actually any illegality about possession within a fireworks tent? (For next year and just to satisfy my curiosity).
P.S. After I left, my daughter told me that I had sparked a great debate between the employees about the fact that it was not illegal and that there was only a few hours left and why bother making a sign at that point lol.
Cheers, and hopefully you had a safe and great Independence Day.