I was called out for carrying..

[Bob Wright]

I went to visit Nita yesterday at the rehab center. Just as I got to her room two officials from the center approached me and said I had been identified as having brought a gun into the facility, which is prohibited.

The thing about it was, I WAS NOT ARMED, THEN OR EVER THERE! I had seen the sign prohibiting firearms at the entrance and have always abided that rule.

Not too sure how to take that!

Bob Wright

 

[hittman]

Seems there’s 2 possibilities.

1. Someone who saw you there knows you carry a gun and ratted you out.

2, They made a simple mistake like confusing you for someone else.

 

[blammer]

What happened next? Not sure what I'd do, tempered by not wanting to get someone I knew in trouble there. In a public place, I'd be tempted to tell them: No, I don't have a firearm now, nor have I ever brought one here. Who told you I had a firearm?

Of course, if they asked me to leave a private place, I'd do it. I might not ever come back and might complain in a letter to management about falsely accusing me of illegal action. I might have a chat with my lawyer about my options in such a case.

The older I get the more ornery I have become: just on principle.

 

[hittman]

Oh good Lord …. Everybody needs to be a victim these days. Holy moly what a shame.

 

[Mobuck]

Very likely I'd have said some very unkind things to those 'officials'.

 

[contender]

I would POLITELY inquire as to who had falsely accused me of carrying a firearm. Especially if you politely allowed them to see you were NOT carrying one. If they refuse to share that info, POLITELY ask to see the Administrator,, and ask the same question.

If it's a "known" thing that you often carry,, and the ASSUMED you were carrying,, then you can use it as a teaching moment to show the Administrator that you are a law abiding, polite gun owner. Show that you'd seen the sign, and had obeyed the law or regulation.
And then,, once you establish that you are not some crazy gun nut who's going to shoot up the place, you can ask a few polite questions.
Things like;
Since this facility is posted,, what are your security procedures to protect me, and my wife?
Who IS authorized to carry in that facility?
What insurance company do you use, so I know who to sue in case my wife or myself get injured by someone while we are here,, defenseless, because of your policy? Say it's a liability issue.


Questions like this often get the management folks upset,, because you actually politely question their authority,, AND put them into a position of being LIABLE for your and your wife's safety.

And when it comes from a well dressed, polite elderly gentleman,, it also throws them off guard,, and they are often, left without the ability to give you plausible answers.

However,, if you DO ask such questions & such,, it's possible that they may decide to remove your wife from the facility,, "due to security concerns."

In any event,, I'd have to at least let it be known that I'm a polite person,, who only wants to be treated with the respect due me. And to be unjustly accused is an insult to you. Plus,, by doing such inquiries in a calm, polite manner,, it shows them that not all folks who carry a gun are to be considered a threat,, but quite the opposite.

 

[Chief 101]

When I go to the VA facility here in town I always sit in the parking space and unload all the knives guns and ammo from my pocketses...most of the time I remember anyways...

 

[Colonialgirl]

When I go to the VA facility here in town I always sit in the parking space and unload all the knives guns and ammo from my pocketses...most of the time I remember anyways...

OH NO NO !! You need to note that the VA FORBIDS Firearms ON THE VA PROPERTY and NOT just in their Clinics and buildings !!
If they even SUSPECT you have a firearm in your vehicle they WILL have their security perform a complete search of it and confiscate the firearm. Be sure you take off any inside the waistband holsters too.

 

[Rick Courtright]

If they even SUSPECT you have a firearm in your vehicle they WILL have their security perform a complete search of it and confiscate the firearm. Be sure you take off any inside the waistband holsters too.

Hi,

I remember when Pamela learned this lesson first hand (about the empty IWB holster.) Believe what she's telling us!

Rick C

 

[Swampbilly_2]

I went to visit Nita yesterday at the rehab center. Just as I got to her room two officials from the center approached me and said I had been identified as having brought a gun into the facility, which is prohibited.

The thing about it was, I WAS NOT ARMED, THEN OR EVER THERE! I had seen the sign prohibiting firearms at the entrance and have always abided that rule.

Not too sure how to take that!

Bob Wright

Was that a pistol in your pocket...or were you just happy to see them?

 

[GunnyGene]

There is no rational reason or justification for prohibiting someone who is armed, but without demonstrable ill intent, from any public place or government property. There are only tyrannical reasons for it.

 

[37fed]

If it is a public facility there is a state law in Tennessee that you cannot be prohibited carrying a firearm unless armed security is provided by the facility. For your safety if they are not armed, you can be.

Wonder if a metal detector went off at the door due to knee replacement, etc. I get into that with steel toed boots at courthouse.

 

[blume357]

I think it's obvious the someone reported Bob because they know he carries and just assumed he was while there. Seems like if I recall, he mostly open carries and so it would seem that some one is just being a jerk.

 

[Mobuck]

Yupper, I was tossed out of the local SSA office for an empty holster once. Fortunately, I'd parked on the street beyond their premises line.

 

[Johnnu2]

As I get older, I find that I've become MUCH more mellow.... nothing seems to bother me, and, I've become quite 'understanding'. Anyway, I would want to be sure that the facility that is caring for my wife is happy that we are there, and especially compassionate to my wife. So, I would thank them for their concern after showing them that I was not armed. If they wanted to do a strip search on me; it would be a scary site for them, but they would be welcome to it.
IMHO of course,
J.

 

[larry8]

An empty holster is not a gun, so how can they kick you out for having one?

 

[g5m]

As I get older, I find that I've become MUCH more mellow.... nothing seems to bother me, and, I've become quite 'understanding'. Anyway, I would want to be sure that the facility that is caring for my wife is happy that we are there, and especially compassionate to my wife. So, I would thank them for their concern after showing them that I was not armed. If they wanted to do a strip search on me; it would be a scary site for them, but they would be welcome to it.
IMHO of course,
J.

I'm not quite that mellow. But I do understand.
Being falsely accused is one thing that I find very irritating, however.

 

[BloodyThumb]

Whether you agree with the policy or not, it was posted and I assume it was within their legal right to set that policy in your state. If not the following does not apply.

It was posted.
You complied.
They were therefore doing their job to insure the policy was being adhered to for (you would assume) the perceived safety of their residents.
Again.... I am not saying I agree with the policy.

I am certainly NOT saying this applies to the OP, but so many people we deal with are the first to cry out when they are in compliance and are approached like this. Assuming it was done in a private and professional way, they still are offended and cry foul. Many... I would say probably MOST, would ALSO be the first to scream about the policy NOT being adhered to and therefore the institution is liable for NOT enforcing it, if someone DID violate the policy and a loved one was injured, or even inconvenienced.

The longer I live the more it is proven to me that a lot of us just aren't happy unless we are bitching about something.

 

[DeletedMember275]

An empty holster is not a gun, so how can they kick you out for having one?

Kind of like someone who is intoxicated sitting behind the wheel of a parked car. He isn't actually driving it, so how can he be arrested for DWI? Yet, he will be if the police find him. They merely assume that since you have a holster, there is a gun to accompany it somewhere at hand.

 

[peachhead]

Not much you can do about it. You don't have to be polite, but then again they don't have to let you back in at all, ever. Make a note of it, try not to do business there in the future if you have a choice.

 

[Chief 101]

OH NO NO !! You need to note that the VA FORBIDS Firearms ON THE VA PROPERTY and NOT just in their Clinics and buildings !!
If they even SUSPECT you have a firearm in your vehicle they WILL have their security perform a complete search of it and confiscate the firearm. Be sure you take off any inside the waistband holsters too.

I was thinking about your incident when I wrote this...hoped it didn't bring back bad memories..

 

[RCA1504]

There are many places where carrying is prohibited by law. Try post office property, anywhere, including the parking lot, next time you go to the post office. Anyone has a right to post their property for non-carry, you can simply not go there.
As to you wife, you forgot about the medical information form……your wife may have told them, inadvertently, when she was checked in, if she was concious.

 

[Dave P.]

If it was my wife there and it was a good facility, I'd thank them for checking and quietly continue on.

 

[pyth0n]

An empty holster is not a gun, so how can they kick you out for having one?

People with same warped mentality that suspends a kid for a gun shaped sandwich, for having a tweety bird fob key chain, finger gun, etc...
I had jury duty and was in and out of the building a number of times over two days. I had a miniature glock fob on my key chain and all but one time re-entering the building there was no problem. The FOB was taken but I didn't leave until I got a receipt and could get it back when I left. They were annoyed I asked for a receipt. I got my property back.

 

[9mmm!]

I would POLITELY inquire as to who had falsely accused me of carrying a firearm. Especially if you politely allowed them to see you were NOT carrying one. If they refuse to share that info, POLITELY ask to see the Administrator,, and ask the same question.

If it's a "known" thing that you often carry,, and the ASSUMED you were carrying,, then you can use it as a teaching moment to show the Administrator that you are a law abiding, polite gun owner. Show that you'd seen the sign, and had obeyed the law or regulation.
And then,, once you establish that you are not some crazy gun nut who's going to shoot up the place, you can ask a few polite questions.
Things like;
Since this facility is posted,, what are your security procedures to protect me, and my wife?
Who IS authorized to carry in that facility?
What insurance company do you use, so I know who to sue in case my wife or myself get injured by someone while we are here,, defenseless, because of your policy? Say it's a liability issue.


Questions like this often get the management folks upset,, because you actually politely question their authority,, AND put them into a position of being LIABLE for your and your wife's safety.

And when it comes from a well dressed, polite elderly gentleman,, it also throws them off guard,, and they are often, left without the ability to give you plausible answers.

However,, if you DO ask such questions & such,, it's possible that they may decide to remove your wife from the facility,, "due to security concerns."

In any event,, I'd have to at least let it be known that I'm a polite person,, who only wants to be treated with the respect due me. And to be unjustly accused is an insult to you. Plus,, by doing such inquiries in a calm, polite manner,, it shows them that not all folks who carry a gun are to be considered a threat,, but quite the opposite.

Thank you! Very well thought out response, and the response I hope I would have.

R

 

[jules]

Not saying I agree but maybe for the facility better to be safe then sorry. Not a big deal really.

 

[turd]

Bob, how is Nita doing? Hopefully things are going well for her, and for you batching it.

 

[Swamphunter]

Ankle holster, problem solved

 

[caryc]

Kind of like someone who is intoxicated sitting behind the wheel of a parked car. He isn't actually driving it, so how can he be arrested for DWI? Yet, he will be if the police find him. They merely assume that since you have a holster, there is a gun to accompany it somewhere at hand.

In some states, it all depends on where the keys are. If they are in the ignition, they can charge you on the pretense that you were about to drive or you have driven.

 

[Chief 101]

We got a lot of lawyers on this board...