Good question.
I'd bet there are as many 'correct answers' as there are federal, state, counties or city codes in the U.S. The RCW for 'Off-Limit' any gun or (any) weapons carry are IMHO pretty cut 'N dry, but that's WA State. Would I enter a store that had a 'no-guns allowed inside' sign on it if I were going against that sign the moment I entered? Maybe, depends, but it would spark my curiosity. I'd eye-ball the door-frame to make sure a metal-detector had not been emplaced, and if so what it detects, large metal objects or spare change that sets of bells and whistles with every customer going in or out! 2 minutes outside 'window shopping' & watching customers come & go answers that question without a need to see any blue-prints. Too much noise for me to even bother myself patronizing any place that sounds like San-Quintan, CA on visiting hours! Yes, I have visited some inmates there; most doing hard time for booze/dope, driving offenses or firearms 3-strikes screw-ups. Better have a legit property-loss agent at the door who is authorized to touch let alone search me if that were the case. If it looked cool I may enter, making sure nothing was obviating what I was/or wasn't concealing & chat with the owner as to why he/she has that sign up front, my fall-back being: "Wouldn't it be better to have a sober, honest and willing to help you out CC bearing patron buying up your goodies if an armed robber busted in and started gun-play?" "Sorry sign say 'No guns allowed', so what gives?" Asta la bagels baby! There ARE other places to shop that don't enforce laws made up by owners but maybe not even legal in a court of law.
Inability to speak anything close to English would clue me in to change the subject, then maybe call my local LEO's front-desk and ask why that joint had that 'Rob Us!' sign displayed, or go online and check out any clauses on their listed business license that made them a legal exception. Is it legal and what would happen to me if I entered the place with a completely hidden pistol, left 10 minutes later with it never being even known I was packing. Nothing! Then the next question goes: "What if I had to pull, point or use a weapon to protect my life in this gun-free establishment, would you protect me as your sign says I sure can't the moment I stroll in!" "No you are on your own Mistah, my sign also tells that to criminals too so what you make big fuss over, my sign clearly says that they no bring guns in here either!" OK, so now I am a nice fat sheep in a field where wolves maybe prowling the joint. In true open public shopping areas most times the owner would appreciate the help if I prevented the place from getting jacked, the employees or customers from getting gunned down and if it is truly private property then I better not have any gun and all that store's customers better have some form of personal invitation to shop there, or are they not trespassing on true private property? It is not private if anyone can come & go as they please. I would also check to find out if the owner had a CCW permit and ask the vendor what made him/her exempt from their own laws? I don't need any store, they need my patronage to make money to eat/pay bills, etc., so if the sign is just up there (I suspect) just to make other patrons feel safer from us 'dangerous armed vigilante CC types', and that is what a LOT of the significance behind that sign fools customers into buying, a smoke free zone is as good as a gun free one I guess, which really means it's just a sham that lures in foolish sheeple who feel safer assuming no one would dare disobey a sign in red & white so wear your best jewelry and carry lots of cash when you show up to that 'very safe' shop. When in fact unless there is a P & S officer/rent-a-cop security armed & badge wearing heavy @ the door, that establishment is yelling, 'Come get all you want and do it in under 5 minutes because no one in here can or will stop you, and you'll be across a state line by the time the LEO's run the CC tapes!' In 7 years of being all over this town, I have yet to see that sign except on areas where it means not only guns but any weapon: federal land, court-houses, jails, alcohol consuming joints or schools (there are a few more like psych hospitals and (some) banks, where pulling any weapon out for any reason is a wrong reason. But WTF do I know? I would love to hear other's takes on their a/o's anti-gun sign vendors. Oh yeah, just as a final act of legal payback for displaying a nickel & dime store sign that is not legal in my town I would e-mail, FAX or write to every gun shop, hunting club, range or Fairchild AFB public relations, just to start off with a letter/e-mail/FAX of grievance all referenced to current legal statues as to why that sign is BS & their members should not bother even going there as it is IMHO not safe. I also have a quick laugh @ those signs posted on private land & homes proclaiming "Any trespassers will be shot on sight, any survivors will be shot again!" I have seen those around in the back-woods Spokane county, U can buy 'em in (some) stores here and online all over, and think I may as well put a sign on my door that proclaims: 'I can not wait to go to jail after a long expensive court case I know I will lose, I can't wait to pay you (or your NOK) a LOT of my cash when I try that sign out on you when you pull into my non-gated driveway past a nonexistent security gun-toting guard, lost of course and just politely asking for directions.' Shake & bake macho signs IMHO attract more problems not deter them whether it be on a store, a home or a farm. Real ones are normally E-Z to spot as the fine print @ the bottom goes: Per USC codes... & State laws..." The ones I see with every trip to a V.A. hospital or go shopping on local Fiarchild AFB. Those I take VERY seriously.
Respects & regards on a thread I am looking 4-ward 2 following,
Canis-Lupus :y:
