Would you carry??

[TonyB]

OK,you're going to a concert and the arena has no weapons policy.....according to their info they do "visual searches".......would you take the chance that they don't have wands,or frisk people,and carry anyway??Or would you just leave it in the car......BTW the place is in a kind of bad part of town....thanks..:cool:

[Mal H]

If the concert is at an arena and in a bad part of town, it doesn't sound like the kind of concert I would be going to anyway. :)

But, that's not what you asked. If I really wanted to go to the concert, I wouldn't carry into the concert. The odds are much, much higher of getting caught than are the odds of getting mugged in the concert or on your way to and from the car. That is assuming you don't plan on dallying after the concert and have to go back to your car in a nearly empty parking lot at night.

Muggings in a crowd are extremely rare. I'd rather take my chances than lose my CCW rights altogether since security at concerts is often supplied by off-duty LEO's.

[FPrice]

I concur with what Mal H said. In both parts of his response. I tend to stay away from "bad" areas. The first rule of surviving an attack is to not be there when it happens.

It seems that more and more events are beginning to search people so the risk of being caught versus the chance of being in an incident just does not make carrying worth the potential loss.

[SLCDave]

I think your choices are:

A) Carry the whole time, risking the chance that you may not make it through security.

B) Leave the gun in the car in the "bad area of town", risking the fact that your car could be broken into/stolen, in which case your gun is taken as well.

C) Leave the gun home, taking the chance that you won't need it that night.

Personally, I would go with C. YMMV.

[Black Snowman]

Ditto on C, but I would take my Leatherman. It's many times overlooked that it has blades. If I didn't want to have to take something back to the car if discovered it'd take a cheap pocket knife that I wouldn't mind them confiscating.

[jpIII]

TonyB,

I noticed your from NY. I don't pretend to know about NY law.


HoweverIF you are not breaking NY law, and IF you are merely violating the arena policy for which you could only be asked to leave, carry small and carry deep.

Also you may wish to arrive very early in the event that they have more sophisticated means of searching, you can go back to the vehicle and disarm before making it to the gate.

In my opinion company policy without the backing of the .gov is pretty meaningless.
As others have said....

I have a policy of not being killed,... my policy trumps theirs.

Be safe, and don't do anything illegal..... take the high road.

[R.H. Lee]

Ditto what Mal said. I think your chances of being crushed in a panicked stampede are greater than a one on one attack.

[Daniel Flory]

They normally will have you lift your shirt to expose your waist. Sometimes they have you lift your pant leg too. A Smartcarry might work.

[TonyB]

Yeah,I guess I'll leave the hog leg at home.But if this IS the one time I get attacked I'm REALLY going to be p.o.ed;)
Just because I'm paranoid ,doesn't mean they're not after me.....:uhoh:

[Dominic]

You could go the concert and wear this shirt:

http://www.binarystorage.net/clients/liberty/prod/shirt-iana-large.jpg

Or, stay home and read a book and listen to music.

But if you're going, I hope there is a damn good reason too, since it is in a bad part of town.

Since I started carrying daily there are many places where I am no longer seen about town. Namely, bars and concerts. Since I am the kind of music lover that is content to listen to recordings, this is not a problem.

Let me preface the following by saying that I'm not trolling! But this is exactly the kind of thing that antis like to make a "public safey" issue out of. I don't know what the ccdw laws are in your state, but it may well be that it is illegal to carry to the concert or it may be that it is only prohibited by the people holding the concert. I don't know that an off-duty LEO/security could arrest you for carrying there if the latter is true, unless of course you done something else that was criminal.

Imagine a world where three out of ten citizens carry concealed daily. Now imagine a rock concert in that world. Now imagine the antis going nuts.

[Zundfolge]

In Colorado I am in violation of my agreement with the state if I attempt to enter someplace where they are using metal detectors ... but otherwise, the worse thing I'm guilty of would be tresspassing.


It would also depend on whether or not there is assigned seating ... I don't want to be wearing a gun if I'm going to be compacted into a mass of bodies on the floor in front of the stage, but have no problem with sitting in my seat with a gun.

[Gordon Fink]

So my wife and I went to a couple concerts over the summer. The first one was in Orange County. Concerned that there might be searches, I hid my legal pocketknife in my boot. There were no searches that I witnessed.

Going to the second concert, in Los Angeles, I was more confident. I clipped my knife to my back pocket like I usually do. Of course, this time, they were doing pat-down searches at the gate. Uh oh!

Maybe I look harmless, because the guy at the gate patted me down very superficially. He did not find my knife. Nevertheless, I think I’ll put it back in the boot next time.

~G. Fink

[ExtremeDooty]

In Michigan, we have CEZ's, Carry Exception Zones. Bars, hospitals, Gov't buildings, and entertainment arenas seating more than 2500 people. You can lose your CCW for carrying in these places.

At my age, I'm more likely to go to a hospital than a concert, so I don't worry about it much. And I don't go to the "bad areas" of town unarmed.

[grendelbane]

OK, I am confused. You say that the arena has no weapons policy. Therefore, I would think that you could carry there if carry is legal in your state.

The fact that they search people does not change this. They are searching for more than firearms. If the gun is carried legally, what can they do? Complain in a loud whining voice? The most that they could do is keep you from watching the concert. (Which, I understand, would be a punishment, because if you did not want to see it, you would not be going.)

Either it is legal to carry in that situation, or it is not. Should be a clear cut case.

In my state, I have to avoid carrying in schools, hospitals, and bars. Never tried to carry in a concert, but if they did not post it, it would not be illegal.

[JohnKSa]

If the concert is ... in a bad part of town, it doesn't sound like the kind of concert I would be going to anyway. Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

I carry to be safe--not so I can intentionally endanger myself simply because I'm armed.

If I REALLY thought that there was a chance I might have to use my carry gun in a situation, I'd avoid the situation if there was any way.

[Malice]

I go to small shows (or "concerts") in downtown Houston (pretty bad parts) all the time. Some of my favorite places have a "No drugs, no guns, and no a?s?o?es" policy. And since they are doing ME a favor by being there and hosting bands and performers I want to see, I oblige them. I do not have a CCW yet anyway, and I dont carry, but if I did, I wouldnt carry in these places. I think of it as an issue of respect.

I feel fine with two knives tucked away.

[Dave T]

I guess music isn't as important to my life as it is to many of you. If a place of business, any place of business, won't allow me to defend myself they don't get my money.

And, as other's have said I don't intentionally go into bad areas or situations just for fun, and that includes listening to music or seeing a show.

Obviously YMMV,
Dave

[Atticus]

I went to a concert last month (John Mayer/Maroon 5) - first one I've been of in a couple of years.
I'm nearly 50 years old and was in the company of my wife. The security guys searched me and the wife more thoroughly than the airport screeners do....including a light pat down. :fire:

[trapshooter]

I avoid crowds as much as possible. CD's are cheap. JMO.

[carpettbaggerr]

It's not illegal, so carry it in. DO NOT leave your pistol in the car, that is illegal in NY. You'll be in a world of hurt if your gun or your car [or both] is stolen.

[NMshooter]

I do not go places where I am not welcome. :)

[Marko Kloos]

If they don't want me there legally armed, they don't want my dollars.

[45Badger]

As a former upstate New Yorker, I wasn't aware that Schodack even had a bad part of town:D

What/where is the concert venue?

[Jim4003]

My thought, if you cant go armed and its a potential dangerous place--dont go. Part of defending yourself is knowing when to avoid things if possible. Plus if they cannot respect legal concealed carry I will find some other place to spend my money.

[Mannlicher]

go to a concert? nope. bad part of town? double nope.

[Kamicosmos]

I even leave my leatherman in the car now....I've had to walk back too many times after being told 'No Pocketknives'.

For what it's worth...I've gone to the type of shows where spiked collars, spiked boots, spiked bracelets...well you get the idea, are commonplace. Some venues allow that type of 'clothing' others don't.

I was commenting the other day to a coworker that the true measure that you're getting older is when going to a concert is a 'hassle' and they're 'too loud'. Heh....and I'm only 31... :(

Edited to add: I didn't directly answer the question. I wouldn't carry for two reasons. 1) You're going to get searched in someway at the door. 2) If you are concerned enough for your safety in that part of town that you feel the need to carry...don't go there.

[Super Trucker]

I would check the law, in MI as ExtremeDooty stated, an arena with 2500 seating cap makes it illegal. The no weapons sign in MI is useless, as far as the law is concerned, all that means is they can ask me to leave. As others have stated if its in that bad of an area don't go.

[Valkman]

Here in Vegas the concerts I go to mostly are at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. I know they are gonna use wands so I don't carry in there - I leave it in the truck so I don't go without it the whole night. That's what works for me.

I always love the comments in these threads from the guys who won't go anywhere their gun isn't allowed. Uh-uh. Hope you never have to go to the hospital, or into a government building, or a police station, DMV or a post office. I've had to go to the Fingerprint place several times getting the UZI paperwork ready, and there's no carrying in there. There are so many places I CAN carry here, including bars and casinos, that it isn't a huge deal to leave the gun in the truck while I go in somewhere, do my business and leave.

[Dave T]

I always love the comments in these threads from the guys who won't go anywhere their gun isn't allowed. Uh-uh.

Valkman,

Hospitals and government buildings are places you go of necessity. I was referring to places that offer a service or product. If they won't allow me to leaglly carry, they don't need my money and I make it a point to advise them (politely) of why they are loosing me as a customer.

Dave

[TonyB]

Update:The "concert" was the Spirit of America" show..kind of ironic that they don't want you to carry at a "spirit of America show"....anyway..I chose not to carry(it wa sin downtown Albany)...they were searchiing bags,but not people...I could've had a 870 under a coat and been ok....oh well,no problems anyway...next time..I'll carry...:cool:
The show was awesome BTW.....It was an Army drill team and history thing..lots of "shooting"..the drill team was incredible.A local high school drill team opened up(Christian Brothers Academy)and renewed my hope in the next generation.
As far as concerts...I don't go to many anymore,too expensive and I'd rather NOT know some singer's views on ANYTHING...just shut up and sing...:cool:

[Valkman]

Hospitals and government buildings are places you go of necessity. I was referring to places that offer a service or product. If they won't allow me to leaglly carry, they don't need my money and I make it a point to advise them (politely) of why they are loosing me as a customer.

Not many places are posted around here, although I have seen "No Weapons" signs and walk right by those. When it comes to sold-out shows that I want to see though, I'm not going to NOT go because of a no-gun policy. I spent 48 years in CA not carrying and it ain't the end of the world to be without it for a couple of hours.

[WEPS]

i always carry. if i can't carry there then i don't go there. the one time you forget your pistol or fail to carry for some reason is the time your gona need it. that's just murphy's law for you.

[Byron Quick]

I only go through metal detectors when to do otherwise would mean armed folk in uniform showing up at my residence. When the government tells me be there or else we'll come looking for you. Jury duty and such.

Other than that...I don't go into victim disarmanent zones.

On the other hand, check your state laws out.

Some malls here in Georgia try to ban CCW on their premises. Two problems for them: 1) the Georgia legislature has reserved the right to decide where it is legal to carry with a license. "Public gatherings" is one listed restriction. 2)The Georgia attorney general has given an official opinion that malls are not public gatherings. Some malls still try to say that CCW is banned on their premises. If they made you then all they could do was tell you to leave.

Pat me down? You'd best be wearing a policeman's uniform and a badge or have shown me convincing LEO credentials. Otherwise, I will treat you patting me down as an assault and react accordingly.

It's like I told a mall ninja once who was bowing up at me,"You'd best go get a gun before you take this much further."

I'm not going to give anyone just cause to lay hands on me and they'd best not do so.

[carpettbaggerr]

I spent 48 years in CA not carrying and it ain't the end of the world to be without it for a couple of hours. Tell Dr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp that.

[Valkman]

I guess if you won't go somewhere you can't take your gun, then you didn't want to go there very much to begin with.

It's not like there are lots of places where I leave my gun behind - besides gov't buildings concerts are about the only time I've done it. I carry in casinos, bars, just about everywhere - places most states don't allow. I don't go to UNLV so that's not an issue (it's illegal there).

Also, I'm not going into a bad part of town like the original poster stated. Not much chance of Mandalay Bay being taken down - unless you've watched "3000 miles to Graceland" too many times. :)

These are the choices we all have to make. There are things I want to go to bad enough to leave my gun behind, but not many things.

[Mal H]

I wouldn't think there would be much need for a gun anywhere in the public areas of Mandalay Bay.

[carebear]

You've obviously never tried to pry my buddy J. away from a roulette table with nothing left to bet but the gas money back to base.

If I never hear "put it all on red" one more time it'll be too soon......