So I broke the law tonight...

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esheato

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and it wasn't even worth it.

Picture this, Halloween night, downtown Sacramento, and some organization is putting on a haunted house at one of the downtown malls. I figure, what the heck, why not. My girlfriend and I call up some buddies and we all meet there. Of course, I'm legally carrying my Kimber concealed and we wait through about 40 min of lines just to purchase tickets, only to see a large sign by the register that says they prohibit:

firearms, weapons of any kind, cigarette lighters (??) etc...

I had my Kimber on and a Kershaw blade clipped to my pocket. Call me a common criminal, but there was no way I was going back to my truck to drop it off. First of all, I parked in a parking garage (horrible idea, but where else in downtown am I supposed to park?) and second of all, there was no way I was waiting in line again. I had on a long shirt over the gun along with a pretty heavy coat (it was cold and rainy tonight) so I couldn't have printed if I wanted to.

Nobody noticed, and no pat downs before the event so everything went smoothly. I'm not sure what my point is, but just getting my frustrations out.

I would think Halloween would be a perfect opportunity to rob and pillage. I mean, everyone is dressed up and you can't see half the faces....just for an example, say you get assaulted by a clown...what are you going to tell the police? I got assaulted by a guy wearing a clown outfit...he had a big nose and multicolored hair? yeahhhhh, right. Anyway, hope everyone out there had an uneventful evening. Sigh...

...it wasn't even worth it...This haunted house must have been put together by...well, I won't say; but it was BAD. It was absolutely the most miserable experience ever. Not in the least bit frightening.

esheato...
 
I took my wife and my twelve year old daughter and one of her friends to a haunted house and the line was similar. Well of course everybody in line is saying whatever they can to scare the daylights out of their kids. Well i can tell that is working on my daughter. She all of a sudden says in a voice that is loud enough for half the line to hear : God Dad I hope your carrying your gun.

So I gave her a little lecture that concealed means that no one knows. But the real moral of the story is that my daughter is a little "anti" and when the SHTF even the little anti is wishing for a gun.
 
If what you did was actually against the law, maybe you should not be carrying if you can't abide by the law and then don't have the sense to not admit on a public forum that you broke the law? Carrying comes with a lot of responsibility and descretion, something not shown in the story provided.
 
I agree with Double Naught Spy. Some folks do whatever they have to do to protect themselves and their loved ones. It's probably best to keep discreate about it before, during and after. The first C in CCW can be an advantage.

That said, I believe those signs usually have more to do with litigation than anything else. If someone was to attack you inside, the owners of the establishment can point to the sign after the fact and argue that they tried to make a safe environment, that they were victims themselves. Until something actually happens though, 95% of your everyday businesses will not take any active measures. They rely passively on the sign to prevent trouble.
 
I don't know if you should have carried or not--that is a different question--but I did have a story. A few years back a friend of mine was mugged, on halloween night, by a group of men wearing costumes and masks. He went to report it to the police, and they basically laughed him out of the station when he got to the part about "I was mugged by a gorilla, and Richard Nixon, and a cheerleader...."
 
In the great state of Texas,
the signs have requirements they have to meet to be legally enforceable, if they dont meet those requirements, you are "obligated" to ignore them. although Im not a lawyer, but I do play one on TV, I would have done just what you did, comfortable in knowing Im capably of protecting those around me.
 
I can understand why a mall might not want gang-bangers fighting it out at the mall on Halloween. That said, it seems to me that without some level of security these are the folks who are going to ignore the sign, so what is the point? I wonder what would happen if you took your gun and put it in the car? What if upon returning you were attacked by a gang banger with a gun. The lack of security might just be a legal liability for the mall. I think that you could have your ghost come back and sue the mall. I think that the Brady folks would be willing to provide your ghost with legal representation. Personally, I would not have posted this on a public board, but then again I'm PARANOID...:uhoh:
 
The last thing they want is someone tipping off a lighter for a little "extra light" and accidentally setting fire to the decorations.
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Good point! That actually happened where I used to live. Some of those decorations can be extremely flammable. A fire in such a dark, crowded and disorienting place can be a complete disaster. In fact, that alone is a very good reason not to go there in the first place.

I can understand why a mall might not want gang-bangers fighting it out at the mall on Halloween. That said, it seems to me that without some level of security these are the folks who are going to ignore the sign, so what is the point?
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If you are able to enter such an establishment carrying your legally obtained and owned weapon(s), you've got to think: How many violent felons could be doing the very same thing?

Things to make you go hmmm....
 
Dunno how things are done in PRK, but I'd be a bit surprised if one were to be considered to have "broken the law", just by ignoring a sign that wasn't worded in an official manner, such as Texas' (amusingly titled) 30.06 sign requirements. (wording specified, size of type specified, prominent place specified.) Generally, at worst, you could just be asked to leave, and issued a Criminal Trespass notice if you failed to. I'd be shocked if there were a crime specified that you could be charged with for bringing a lighter into a haunted house. :)



But, if it IS against the law in Cali, posting on a public forum about it isn't the smartest move, either. :rolleyes:
 
I had considered putting something on my ankle before going to one of those block party halloween events last year. I put in on then took it off. When IU got to the event, you stood in a long line, paid then turned a corner and there was a wand waving security gaurd. She frisked the guy in front of me with his arms out. I mentally verified with myself that I had removed my ankle buddy before going out, stepped up to the lady, and she waved my right through. no search , no wand, nothing. Of course I wouldn't want to break the law. And I hope Rosa Parks would have never admitted to doing so on a public forum either!
 
Bad boy...

Put up a shrine to John Browning, ask for guidance of your bullets and think trigger pull & follow through.
 
I think Matt G hit it - I don't believe "No Firearms" signs pertain to my legal CCW. If they want to keep CCW's out it has to be a correctly worded legal sign, or I just carry on in. Yes there are many places who really wouldn't like it if they knew it (casinos for example), but if they found out I'd just be asked to leave or to lock it up. If I know that the place is properly posted I will not carry but if it's not then I will - that simple.
 
"Good point! That actually happened where I used to live."

IIRC, they think that people with matches cigarette lighters accidentally setting fire to the decorations is what started the Coconut Grove nightclub fire in Boston in 1942 and possibly the fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Lexington, Kentucky in the 197s.
 
500 people haved viewed this what's the odds of one being LEO ?:rolleyes:
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At least 3 LEOs and one retired one have posted in this thread....Are you surprised that no one has kicked esheato's door at 4am yet? :rolleyes: Relax I don't think anyone is discussing major capitol felonies here :D

Jeff
 
Half of the people on here are saying that they would have ignored the sign anyway. My intelligence isn't in question here, in fact, I'm not questioning anything..just relating a recent experience.

Maybe the original title was misleading, maybe I did break the law, but I'll tell ya what. I and the people I went with all got home safe and alive.

As far as posting it on here, I just wanted to share an experience. I certainly didn't take time to type out the post just so my intelligence could be questioned.

Thanks

esheato...
 
I did the same thing last night. Went to the Castro district in SF to watch the freak show. Last year it erupted in near rioting and violence from what I understand. So no way I was going in there with my wife without the trusty G27, surefire and titanium MPF folder on my persons. Saw the same signs "no weapons" but figured my permit would protect me should I be searched. Never even came close to searching me.
 
esheato,
You're just relating an experience that everyone who carries a weapon has to live with from time to time. I don't see it as a reflection on your intelligence. Seems to me you were just trying to get the opinions of other like minded people.

Thanks for sharing your experience so we could talk about it.

Jeff
 
FWIW, I don't think the ''intelligence'' angle is in the least bit relevant! There was an occurrence which was described - the rights or wrongs of which bring out different views.

I took it only as it was meant ...... the sharing of an experience...... and I did not read it in fact as necessarily needing the subject line used .. it was much more of a ''transgression'' ..... if it needs a label!:)
 
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