Letter to BJ's Wholesalers

[acosenza2]

Just received my email from BJ's;

FW: Re: Response from Member Care Regarding Your Inquiry ::827531 :: 828270
From:
"MemberCare@bjs.accentonline.com" <MemberCare@bjs.accentonline.com>
Add to Contacts
To: *****@yahoo.com
Our home office has informed Club management that they should not ask Members to leave in these situations, unless other Members complain or there is a disruptive situation.
Sincerely,
KRISTINA V.

^^^^That's not the same response Lexington got. "...they are reserving the right to ask individuals who are open carrying to leave if they are being disruptive and making a scene." Me thinks this needs to be in writing.

This is an issue. Lexington got the response that if OC'ers are disruptive they will be asked to leave. No problem with that. However, I am concerned with this new response that if other members complain that an OC'er will be asked to leave.

[Lexington]

This is an issue. Lexington got the response that if OC'ers are disruptive they will be asked to leave. No problem with that. However, I am concerned with this new response that if other members complain that an OC'er will be asked to leave.

Yeah, this has me concerned, too. I think I will take the advice of others and give Mr. Povich another call tomorrow or Wednesday to see if I can get something in writing and also ask a question to the effect of, "What constitutes a valid complaint from another customer?" and "What would happen if the manager investigated and discovered the OCer was just minding his own business picking out milk and this other member is having hysterics for no reason? Who would then be asked to leave the premises?" Or, something to that effect.

Red, I know you spoke with Mr. Povich over the phone as well. Do you think both of us should give him a call?

[Eskimo]

I still call it a WIN!

[Red]

Red, I know you spoke with Mr. Povich over the phone as well. Do you think both of us should give him a call?

I personally think they are fence sitting on this one, and they are leaving themselves too much wiggle room. If there is a vocal customer who does not know the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Will the manager: 1) inform her of the laws of the Commonwealth and tell her that BJ's Wholesale respects the constitutional rights of it's customers; or 2) they will ask ask the customer who is OC'ing to leave?

If we look at Marriott's policy: "Marriott's policy is to comply with national, state and local laws or regulations governing firearms in the communities where we operate. Where it is legal to carry firearms, our hotels generally allow guests to bring guns into the hotel, unless special circumstances merit an exception. Where carrying firearms is unlawful, it is of course unlawful to carry guns into our hotels. Where it is unlawful to carry a gun because alcohol is being served, we will post such restrictions if we are required to do so by law."

Marriott leaves themselves an out with the text "unless special circumstances merit an exception." What we are talking about here is a "special circumstance" like the President of the United States or some other high profile government official either speaking or staying at the hotel.

A Marriott customer complaining about another Marriott customer exercising a constitutional right will not result in the customer lawfully carrying a firearm being asked to leave the hotel.

Since I felt the answer I got from Lon Povich was not black and white enough. So I went to Sam's Club this weekend, across the street from the BJ's on Airport Road in Allentown and got a membership. While I was there I bought $801.95 worth of merchandise and I filled my vehicle up with gas even though the gas was 5 cents per gallon cheaper across the street at BJ's.

I will continue to shop at Sam's Club until BJ's: 1) respects their customer's constitutional rights and does not limit those rights because another customer complains, and 2) BJ's makes the same policy in all states that allow concealed and/or open carry, not just in Pennsylvania. Similar to the policies of: Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's Club, Walmart, Marriott, Starbucks, Wegman's etc.

I am going to be at the NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh later this month and plan on bringing this issue with BJ's Wholesale up NRA's ILA staff that maintains this list http://www.nraila.org/issues/factsheets/read.aspx?id=15 .