Posted: 3/2/2002 7:52:28 PM EDT
| I've had an unrestricted CCW for about 20 yrs. Tonite I go to the mall for some shopping, and as I'm putting on the babies snowsuit to leave, I notice a sign that says no weapons allowed in mall except for police.What gives? Does that mean I'm done shopping there? |
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I assume that this is a mall policy,not some strange local ordinance. I guess that anyone can ask you not to carry a gun on their property. If you did anyway? Seems like it would be a stretch to say that you were tresspassing, I think the most they could do would be to ask you to leave. Then again they would have to know you had a gun. I suppose (this is really streching it) if you were found to have the gun, that you have been apparently successfully carrying concealed for 2 decades [;)], and the person who found it not only asked you to leave but somehow found out who you were (I guess if they freaked and called the cops on you) he could rat you out to the County Court judge in the county where you got your permit. From there it depends on where you live as to whether the judge would be a jerk about it or not. I was at a mall in Syracuse and a young girl working there refused to let my girlfriend and I in because she had a shopping bag with her (duh it's a mall). We had to go back out to the car and drop the thing off. I guess that they are attempted to prevent someone from bombing the theatre, but I had a tough time keeping a straight face since I had a Glock 21 on me. Unfortunately we were sneaking candy into the theatre in the bag they made us leave outside. The sad part is that there are often fights and other trouble in the parking lot of this mall after the late movies get out. A Syracuse cop advised me to park on the other side and cut through the mall to get back to my car. I may be finding somewhere else to spend $ 20 on the movies. |
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sunacre - I would also guess that this is a silly mall policy and consequently, the worst they could do is ask you to leave. The only time this could be brought up to the "trespassing" level is if you refused to leave. Of course, if they tried to enforce a stupid policy like that, they woldn't have to ask me a second time to LEAVE. If it's concealed properly I certainly wouldn't worry about it. Aimless - I had to laugh when I read your post about the movie theater stupidity! A few weeks ago when I was going to the movies around here the guy at the ticket booth area wouldn't let my girlfriend in with a couple bags from Old Navy, the contents which only presents a threat to her Visa card, pointing to the new sign in front of the theater restricting what can be brought in. I almost broke out laughing (reason further down) but my girlfriend was PISSED! So, we also had to walk all the way back to the car to ditch her bags and when we returned (barely in time for the movie start) the guy happily admitted us with a big smile on his face. What a moron, I had my Glock 32 in my OWB Glock holster the whole time! [>:/] Needless to say, I am now completely convinced that the BS phrase "it's for the childen!" has now been replaced with the equally BS phrase of "in light of the September 11th tragedy..." |
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As has been posted, on private property the property owner or their agent can request that no firearms be carried. If you violate their policy with CCW and they somehow find out, they are within their rights to ask you to leave the premises (they can do that anyway), and once you've been notified of their policy carrying anyway might subject you to a trespassing charge. Generally there's no way for the property owner (in this case, the mall security?) to determine if you've got a CCW - but it would serve to prevent open carry on those premises. In states which allow unrestricted open carry (except for schools, government buildings, bars, churches, usually), posting a no firearms notice is the only legal recourse a property owner has to prevent the display of weapons on their premises. Needless to say, if you're practicing open carry, you probably will get asked to leave if you ignore the sign and carry openly anyway. |