Walmart Open Carry 9/14

[father-of-five]

I’m not a lawyer, but I feel I have an adequate understanding of the law to offer a response.

In PA, a “no guns allowed” sign does not carry the weight of law, it is merely a statement of store policy. By law, you are not required to abide by the sign, however, a store owner/manager/employee is fully within their rights to ask you to leave for non-compliance of the posted store policy. At that point, you ARE required to leave. If you refuse to leave or cause a scene, you can be cited for defiant trespass.

AFAIK, Walmart has not yet posted signs, not that it makes a difference in PA.

In other states, where the sign DOES carry weight, the law stipulates the size, colors and location requirements for the sign in order for it to comply and be enforced. So no sign up yet means “no gun” policy is not enforceable...yet.

Yes. For now........it is just open carry, although it is likely that Walmart will further cave on 2A issues if left to anti-gun vices.

Since they supposedly only want to discourage open carry at this point, one would think that the Walmart powers that be would be understanding if a person switched to concealing their firearm if they were carrying openly and approached by management.

Yes....The best way to avoid the complexities of this situation is to shop elsewhere.

[FBG001]

I live in Montco and avoid the Horsham Wally World like the plague. The employees are animals and there's no sign of management. The lunatics are running the asylum. I doubt anyone would be OC'ing there. If you did, I'm sure LE would be on you like ugly on an ape.

I also have a place in Pike County and shop at the one in Matamoras. Lots of people OC there, including this past weekend. The store is just a few miles from the state line so lots of New Yorkers. It's fun watching their eyes bug out when they notice someone with a gun on their hip.

[Didnotcomply89]

As should be the response. As an employee I would have asked what you were carrying and made a double thumbs up. I do that at all retail stores I work for when I see an OC'er. A friend has open carried at a Reading, PA Walmart frequently with no fanfare or requests to leave, or 'interventions' or 'confrontations'. I don't think anyone cares- until someone starts shooting.

[Emptymag]

I don't think anyone knows the "policy" yet beyond what they have stated publicly about requesting that people refrain from open carry.

Corporate has stated that they have instructed management team members on how to approach anyone open carrying, but I've yet to see anything more.
My manager wasn't working this weekend, or I would have asked, and the "greeter" was always too busy to ask her what she's been told to do.



Side note: Ammo shelves are still pretty well stocked, so there's no big rush to buy it up before it's gone.

Frankly, I think 99% of the general public know nothing about this new change/policy and likely 75% of gun owners as well.
It was announced with a "roar" and the outrage faded away practically overnight.

UPDATE: Sept 23 2019

Well, I still don't have any info direct from management. I think my "gun guy" manager has finally transferred to a different store, so I wasn't able to pick his brain.
I did stop and talk to one of the "greeters". (they have a new title, but I forget what it is)
I said, "Hey, regarding the whole ammo and no open carry policy thing, what did they tell you to do if you see someone come in openly carrying a handgun?"
He/she replied that "We're supposed to politely inform them of the wishes of Walmart to not carry openly while shopping."
"We're supposed to ask if they would be willing to cover it, or lock it in their car."
He/she then went on to say, "It's ridiculous - it's their right - they can carry that way if they want - I have a license to carry - my whole family carries."

I pressed for more info - "What if they decline to comply with your request to disarm, or cover up? What are you instructed to say then?"

He/she said, "We're supposed to call for management to handle it at that point."

He/she went on to say that he/she missed the group meeting where this was all dished out, and had his/her instructions given by a store manager one on one. He/she alluded to feeling that the manager was blowing smoke up his/her ass with chat that included "I own a gun too" the way politicians often do to prove their "support" for the 2A.

Since I wasn't speaking to management, I didn't push for any further info. He/she seemed to have given me all the action he/she is to take and any refusal to the request to not open carry then gets deferred to management.

Until I can speak to a manager (and I'm only comfortable asking certain ones) I still don't know just how firm they are looking to be regarding this new policy - a policy that seems more like a suggestion than anything.

We then chatted about some of the regulars we see who carry openly and he/she described some conversations they had since the new policy.
One of them said that he can't lock it up in his car because he's riding a motorcycle - another offered to untuck his shirt to cover.
I'm not "buddy buddy" with this person, but I know from talking to them that he/she is a pretty laid back and respectful person who is unlikely to give anyone grief about it regardless of any official policy.

[Gunsnwater]

UPDATE: Sept 23 2019

Well, I still don't have any info direct from management. I think my "gun guy" manager has finally transferred to a different store, so I wasn't able to pick his brain.
I did stop and talk to one of the "greeters". (they have a new title, but I forget what it is)
I said, "Hey, regarding the whole ammo and no open carry policy thing, what did they tell you to do if you see someone come in openly carrying a handgun?"
He/she replied that "We're supposed to politely inform them of the wishes of Walmart to not carry openly while shopping."
"We're supposed to ask if they would be willing to cover it, or lock it in their car."
He/she then went on to say, "It's ridiculous - it's their right - they can carry that way if they want - I have a license to carry - my whole family carries."

I pressed for more info - "What if they decline to comply with your request to disarm, or cover up? What are you instructed to say then?"

He/she said, "We're supposed to call for management to handle it at that point."

He/she went on to say that he/she missed the group meeting where this was all dished out, and had his/her instructions given by a store manager one on one. He/she alluded to feeling that the manager was blowing smoke up his/her ass with chat that included "I own a gun too" the way politicians often do to prove their "support" for the 2A.

Since I wasn't speaking to management, I didn't push for any further info. He/she seemed to have given me all the action he/she is to take and any refusal to the request to not open carry then gets deferred to management.

Until I can speak to a manager (and I'm only comfortable asking certain ones) I still don't know just how firm they are looking to be regarding this new policy - a policy that seems more like a suggestion than anything.

We then chatted about some of the regulars we see who carry openly and he/she described some conversations they had since the new policy.
One of them said that he can't lock it up in his car because he's riding a motorcycle - another offered to untuck his shirt to cover.
I'm not "buddy buddy" with this person, but I know from talking to them that he/she is a pretty laid back and respectful person who is unlikely to give anyone grief about it regardless of any official policy.

This he/she, you got any pictures? Maybe laying on the driveway stones for continuity? Last time I had to pay 10 cents. Dingy tent.

[Emptymag]

This he/she, you got any pictures? Maybe laying on the driveway stones for continuity? Last time I had to pay 10 cents. Dingy tent.

I didn't want to make the employee identifiable, so no pics of him or her.

[Daycrawler]

I also have a place in Pike County and shop at the one in Matamoras. Lots of people OC there, including this past weekend. The store is just a few miles from the state line so lots of New Yorkers. It's fun watching their eyes bug out when they notice someone with a gun on their hip.

I have a place in pike also. Should I have a need to hit a wally world, Ill go to that one. Its 34 miles away, however if I can make some heads explode it will be worth it. IDK if you know but the Tommy gun warehouse is about 15 to 20 miles(ish) away from that Walmart.

[FBG001]

IDK if you know but the Tommy gun warehouse is about 15 to 20 miles(ish) away from that Walmart.

I do. I’m in Dingmans Ferry. TGW is about a half hour from me. Haven’t had a chance to get there yet. Heard it’s a cool store.