Bondhead88
Expert
Yesterday I was shopping at the Aldi at Ridge Road in Gary. I tend to open carry there because it has been robbed more than once.
After about 20 minutes the security guard came up and said. "Sir, could I have a few moments of your time?"
I said sure and he started saying that they had received a couple of complaints from other customers. Apparently the sight if my gun was making them feel uneasy.
I tilted my body angle a little to look at his exposed gun and my daughter almost laughed.
He immediately said it wasn't him and he didn't care, it was another customer and he asked me if I would flip my shirt over it.
I politely told him "No, I will not cover it." and told him the reason why I opened carried there was because there was a history of Aldi's getting robbed in the Gary area and I didn't want to wrestle with a shirt if I had to get access to it in a hurry.
I did tell him if he wanted me to leave the store I would do so without any argument.
He said "No it's you're right to carry it that way if you want, I was just addressing the concern of another customer."
We finished shopping and as we were in line I saw the lady who had made the complaint as her vocal objection was hard for anyone to miss.
While she was speaking to the security guard she went on saying I had no "right" to make her feel uncomfortable wearing my gun out. I must have missed that "right" in the Constitution.
She said she shops there all the time and that if it was Aldi policy to "allow" people to wear a gun exposed like that she would be shopping somewhere else.
The security guard told her that was her right but it was my right to carry my gun as I was. He told he he had seen us shopping there every week and we had never caused any problems for anybody. (matter of fact she was creating more of a scene that anybody I had ever seen before.)
I never said a word to her, I let security handle it. I said thanks to the guard and left.
It was funny because her husband followed us out of the parking lot trying to stare me down. My family and I just ignored them and had a good time together.
As the man got to his car he took off his t-shirt and tried to flex his flab showing the fact that he could have used a bra and nobody should ever eat that much jello. That's when we all broke out laughing.
I think this turned out really good for us. I do not blame the security guard. He addressed the concerns of a customer, spoke to me and agreed with my rights. Yes he made a request for me to cover it but it wasn't a rude or bad one.
He had the right to request me to cover it and I stood my ground (politely) and refused. I got to continue shopping.
Flabby lips and flabby gut didn't get what they wanted (their "right not to feel uncomfortable") and I got what I wanted "my stuff from Aldi.
By the way this is not a debate over open carry vs conceal carry. (so lets not turn it into a debate) I do it both ways depending on my feeling of security or just how I am feeling that day.
I think anybody should carry as they are comfortable.
After about 20 minutes the security guard came up and said. "Sir, could I have a few moments of your time?"
I said sure and he started saying that they had received a couple of complaints from other customers. Apparently the sight if my gun was making them feel uneasy.
I tilted my body angle a little to look at his exposed gun and my daughter almost laughed.
He immediately said it wasn't him and he didn't care, it was another customer and he asked me if I would flip my shirt over it.
I politely told him "No, I will not cover it." and told him the reason why I opened carried there was because there was a history of Aldi's getting robbed in the Gary area and I didn't want to wrestle with a shirt if I had to get access to it in a hurry.
I did tell him if he wanted me to leave the store I would do so without any argument.
He said "No it's you're right to carry it that way if you want, I was just addressing the concern of another customer."
We finished shopping and as we were in line I saw the lady who had made the complaint as her vocal objection was hard for anyone to miss.
While she was speaking to the security guard she went on saying I had no "right" to make her feel uncomfortable wearing my gun out. I must have missed that "right" in the Constitution.
She said she shops there all the time and that if it was Aldi policy to "allow" people to wear a gun exposed like that she would be shopping somewhere else.
The security guard told her that was her right but it was my right to carry my gun as I was. He told he he had seen us shopping there every week and we had never caused any problems for anybody. (matter of fact she was creating more of a scene that anybody I had ever seen before.)
I never said a word to her, I let security handle it. I said thanks to the guard and left.
It was funny because her husband followed us out of the parking lot trying to stare me down. My family and I just ignored them and had a good time together.
As the man got to his car he took off his t-shirt and tried to flex his flab showing the fact that he could have used a bra and nobody should ever eat that much jello. That's when we all broke out laughing.
I think this turned out really good for us. I do not blame the security guard. He addressed the concerns of a customer, spoke to me and agreed with my rights. Yes he made a request for me to cover it but it wasn't a rude or bad one.
He had the right to request me to cover it and I stood my ground (politely) and refused. I got to continue shopping.
Flabby lips and flabby gut didn't get what they wanted (their "right not to feel uncomfortable") and I got what I wanted "my stuff from Aldi.
By the way this is not a debate over open carry vs conceal carry. (so lets not turn it into a debate) I do it both ways depending on my feeling of security or just how I am feeling that day.
I think anybody should carry as they are comfortable.
For you and the security guard for staying cool and handling everything in a mature responsible way by respecting each other.
Well Done.
