HEB, Applebee's, Half Price Books, 06, 07...... is it worth it?

[Ruark]

While it makes me red in the face to know that the MDA types are giggling with joy at all the new signs going up, I have to wonder if it's even worth it to not patronize these businesses. My wife and I love eating at Applebee's - there are certain items on their menus we like, their cocktails are excellent, the booths are comfortable, and we have a history of eating there going back to our honeymoon almost 20 years ago.

"Just not going in" a posted business is not always a small matter. There are certain items we use that ONLY HEB carries. So I'm supposed to disarm every time I go in, then walk back to the car and re-arm?

Same with Half Price Books. I love going there, going through all the old books and being able to sit and read them. I'm an old book-lover from way back. So if I refuse to go there, just on principle, will it REALLY matter? Will it affect their bottom line? Will somebody give me a medal? Should I refuse just for my own principles, even though nobody else even knows I didn't go? Or should I just blow it all off, leave the guns in the car or at home, and go on with our lives?

[zero4o3]

Raurk,

I have been asking myself the same questions. a company who only posts .07 as HEB as done will with out a doubt continue to get my business anyone else who is posting .06 now the question is just is the risk worth the reward? if I was going to go out for dinner and a drink I likely wouldn't carry anyway.

[tlt]

While it makes me red in the face to know that the MDA types are giggling with joy at all the new signs going up, I have to wonder if it's even worth it to not patronize these businesses. My wife and I love eating at Applebee's - there are certain items on their menus we like, their cocktails are excellent, the booths are comfortable, and we have a history of eating there going back to our honeymoon almost 20 years ago.

"Just not going in" a posted business is not always a small matter. There are certain items we use that ONLY HEB carries. So I'm supposed to disarm every time I go in, then walk back to the car and re-arm?

Same with Half Price Books. I love going there, going through all the old books and being able to sit and read them. I'm an old book-lover from way back. So if I refuse to go there, just on principle, will it REALLY matter? Will it affect their bottom line? Will somebody give me a medal? Should I refuse just for my own principles, even though nobody else even knows I didn't go? Or should I just blow it all off, leave the guns in the car or at home, and go on with our lives?

Drinking and carrying do not mix, you should not be carrying if you are having cocktails. It is risk and reward, so if you want to go there, disarm and go, let them know each and every time, that you have patronized them for X years while concealed carry, and would appreciate due consideration. Remember, Lubys started it all (CHL).

You do not need to disarm to go into HEB, it is only posted 30.07 no open carry or long guns.

Take your pick, if you want to go into HPB, disarm and go, if you do not, don't.

It is your choice to do what you want. It is theoretically possible if things go smoothly with OC, some businesses may relax their restrictions or be open to lobbying for it in the future.

do what you want.

[mr1337]

Are there any HEB's posted 30.06? I thought they were only posting 30.07. In that case, I'm going to continue shopping there on occasion, carrying concealed.

Half Price Books - very sad to see them post 30.06. It's really a personal decision on whether or not you want to disarm yourself to continue patronizing the business. To me, it's an insult. They have deemed me, as a license holder, untrustworthy. Why would I continue to be a customer if they don't trust me? Their stores are typically in large shopping areas, which are prime areas for robberies and assaults.

Applebees - I can understand the sentimental value if that's where you and your wife have been going for years. Again, it comes down to the personal decision. Do you disarm and continue to patronize, or do you stop going there? I would be pretty hurt if I've been going there for years and they put the 30.06 sign up. It's really a slap in the face. Depending on when you go, it could be dark out - which is when I want to have my gun on me the most. I never did go there very often, so it won't be much of a loss to me, but it's sad to think of how many law-abiding license holders can no longer carry there.

[parabelum]

Let's remember sacrifices people made in the years past during War and Peace times, all over the world, before we bellyache about some book store, grocery store, restaurant etc.
Especially in the age where you can literally get about 99% of "stuff" delivered to your front door.

[Ruark]

Good comments from all. No, HEB isn't 06, just 07, but if I'm carrying openly that day I'll just have to leave the gun in the car. I'm not into walking around with my shirt tail out, unless it's a tropical shirt, which isn't my daily wear. Applebee's is a tough one. Like I said, we have a relationship with them going back to our honeymoon. It's personal. So we're out running errands, it's about noon, and my wife says "I'm getting hungry, let's stop at Applebee's and eat." Should I say "no, I'm boycotting them because I can't carry my gun in there" just on principle? And at the end of the day, will it really make any difference?

Same with Half Price Books. Sometimes I'll have an hour to kill and I'll drive past a HPB. I've been a patron of HPB since the 70s, when they opened. I love to go in and sit down in an easy chair and read all kinds of old books (not buy them), having been a reader all my life. Same question: should I just forget it, disarm, go in and relax, or not go in there just on principle? Again, would it really make any difference?

Looking at the broader picture, I kinda resent the fact that I HAVE to attend to these issues. Which businesses have an 06, which have an 07, which have both, am I open carrying, am I concealed carrying, what kind of shirt am I wearing, or do I need to wear, should I take a windbreaker (even though it's too warm for one), etc. etc. etc. I resent the fact that I can't just get up, get dressed the way I want to dress, don my holster and just go out and enjoy my day without being hassled.

I wonder if there would be grounds for a lawsuit if you were a CHL holder, left your gun in the car because a business had an 06 sign, then got mugged because you couldn't defend yourself. Probably not.

I'm sorry if I sound like a whiner; I certainly don't mean to. I know, some days you're the hammer, some days you're the nail.

[drjoker]

Half Price Books is 30.06/30.07, HEB is 30.07 only, and Applebee's is 30.06/30.07.

To me, HEB is OK in my book because being only 30.07 posted means that they're neutral on the issue. They want to offend the least number of people. However, Half Price Books and Applebee's are anti-2nd A. I will continue to go to HEB but not Applebee's nor Half Price Books.

1. Half Price BOOKS?! I own a publishing company and I am almost going out of business because nobody buys paper books anymore. Everybody sells eBooks on Amazon.com. I HATE Amazon ebooks because they don't do anything for you but take 30 to 70 percent of your money. If they ran printing presses for you and charged 30 to 70 percent, I would understand, but they do NOTHING for MOST of the purchase price of your books. Ugh. The point is, just modernize and buy an iPad or Android tablet. If you're on a budget, pay $50 for an Amazon Fire tablet. Then read the dang eBooks. I'm putting my entire catalog of books from my company on to Amazon. I've thrown in the towel. Modernization is inevitable.

2. Applebee's is crap. Really? Just peruse their health department grade online. Yup. Lots of other better restaurants.

[rotor]

Perhaps the real issue is do you want to go into a gun free zone? You carry to keep you and yours safe. The gun in the glove box does not keep you and yours safe. The Luby's massacre could have just as easily been the Applebee's massacre.

If we have to give up going to some stores so be it. If you want to go bare and not be armed your choice. We all know the risk is small. Your choice.

[Jeff B.]

As many have posted, it's really what it comes down to a personal matter to you...

I shop at the Central Market in Southlake about weekly and almost always am CC. I don't plan on open carrying, so it's not an issue for ME.

I don't think I've ever been to Half Priced Books, so it doesn't cross my horizon. But, I used to shop about once a week for odds and ends at a local Sprouts. They posted 30.06, so I emailed them and let them know that they would not be seeing me again unless circumstances changed.

As for Applebee's, I view them as a step up from McDobald's and haven't eaten at one in, well a really long time, so no loss there, either. Because of the emotional attachment you and your wife gave to them, you need to mull that one over... It also makes it simpler for me as I don't drink, so the cocktails aren't an issue!



Jeff B.

[treadlightly]

30.07 is a dress code issue.

30.06 is a civil rights issue. My family has enjoyed meals at a nearby Applebee's, but I'm not going back. 'Course, that's probably good news for Applebee's. They probably don't like knuckle-draggers.

I have always over-tipped, too. Probably best they keep me out.

[VMI77]

To me it's simple....if you give your money to businesses that post 30.06 signs you're financing those who are using some of their resources to deny you the right to self-defense. And even if they're not using your money against you directly, by essentially labeling you as a threat they are contributing to the perception that mere possession of a gun is dangerous and thereby facilitating the anti-gun agenda.

It doesn't matter that my going elsewhere will not affect their business enough to change their practices. There may be circumstances where I don't have a practical choice but eating at a particular restaurant or buying at a particular store are voluntary choices. I'm not voluntarily giving money to my enemies. If a business posts a 30.06 sign I consider it an enemy.

OTOH, I consider just a 30.07 sign only as an indication that a business is trying to satisfy as many customers as possible.

[Redneck_Buddha]

Have not missed Sprouts, and will not miss Half-Price Books either.

[TxAggieEngineer]

Perhaps the real issue is do you want to go into a gun free zone? You carry to keep you and yours safe. The gun in the glove box does not keep you and yours safe. The Luby's massacre could have just as easily been the Applebee's massacre.

If we have to give up going to some stores so be it. If you want to go bare and not be armed your choice. We all know the risk is small. Your choice.

I agree with rotor. For me, there are two issues here. First, the practical standpoint. If you're willing to go unarmed into a restaurant, book store, grocery store, or any other business why bother carrying or getting a CHL at all? Just leave it in the car permanently. If somebody can guarantee me that I will never have a need for my firearm at, or on my way to/from, any of those establishments I will be o.k. with leaving it in the car but I have yet to meet somebody like that. There will always be places where LTC holders can't carry that we must go to (schools, perhaps our jobs, etc.) but at this point we simply don't have a choice about those locations.

The second issue for me is principle. It offends me a great deal when businesses decide that I am not worthy to bring my holstered firearm into their establishment. Will HPB or Applebees notice the loss of a single? Probably not. But if they lost 4% of their customers (the percentage of the Texas population that has a LTC), especially in a business that's probably dropping off anyway, they may start to notice. By continuing to patronize a business that prohibits carry, I would be giving my tacit approval to their policies that are not only offensive but could be jeopardizing mine and my family's safety.

As for HEB and other businesses that are only posting 07 signs, I will continue to shop there because we know the majority of people for whatever reason are not used to the idea of OC yet and the business probably doesn't want to have to deal with the issues arising from that. My hope is eventually those signs will come down.

[parabelum]

Something else to consider, not to go too far down the Friedman path but, if I have $500 to spend on groceries per month (hypothetically speaking) and if I choose to spend that money at a store that sits on both sides of the fence and not at, let's say... their competitors store that welcomes me and my properly holstered weapon, both OC and CC, then, am I not withholding $500/month from a store that supports my right 100% and giving it to a store that's lukewarm?
Now, extrapolate that by a certain %, let's say just 2%. Let's take TX 2014 census of roughly 26,000,000 residents. That's 520,000 people.
Maybe the average person spends $250/month for groceries. Let's say half of them choose to go elsewhere. That amounts to roughly $65,000,000 in monthly revenue loss.
Maybe it's no big cheese, but I can't imagine that it's something to sneeze at.
Just trying to demonstrate that we have more fiscal potential then we realize. Power of the purse.

[rp_photo]

I wonder if there would be grounds for a lawsuit if you were a CHL holder, left your gun in the car because a business had an 06 sign, then got mugged because you couldn't defend yourself. Probably not.

It sure ought to be, and conversely, should a CHL harm someone on a non-banning property, there should be immunity.