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Hello,

i found myself in a situation the other night which I wasn't sure that I handled properly or not. I went out to meet some friends for dinner to a place that I'd never been before. When I pulled up to the valet, I realized I wasn't going to be able to carry inside. I have a gun safe in my car and I proceeded to take my holstered gun off and put it in the safe, but all of this happened as the valet stood there watching awkwardly. Is it legal for me to do this? I wouldn't want to get in trouble for brandishing a weapon for something like this. Any suggestions on how to handle this?

Thanks!

IANAL but brandishing is a term (and I did not look it up in a dictionary) but refers to showing a weapon in a 'fashion to alarm'. That was not the case here even though it probably was not a good idea to let him see the weapon. Once in a while things do not go as planned and that is the case here. You said you placed the gun in a strong box in your car. There is only a remote chance the valet was a criminal and I am sure your gun was safe. I am sure you verified it was there when you returned and all is good and you gave him an extra tip. Plant your corn early!

JerryK wrote:IANAL but brandishing is a term (and I did not look it up in a dictionary) but refers to showing a weapon in a 'fashion to alarm'. That was not the case here even though it probably was not a good idea to let him see the weapon. Once in a while things do not go as planned and that is the case here. You said you placed the gun in a strong box in your car. There is only a remote chance the valet was a criminal and I am sure your gun was safe. I am sure you verified it was there when you returned and all is good and you gave him an extra tip. Plant your corn early!

I see what you did there.

I agree! Unless you expose your firearm as a means of intimidation then you should be fine! On a second note, the valet guy knows who NOT to mess with!

I would not have a problem with it. But I prefer to not let people see me putting a handgun into my lockbox though. I would have likely gone to another spot and put the gun up there and then come back. But if you do put your gun in a lockbox in front of the valet, make sure the key to the box is not on the keychain the valet gets. Just give him the car key.

Good point

I have a keychain that separates.
I keep the key for my gun cabinet at home on the half with my truck key.
I keep the half for my nano vault in my truck on the half with my house key.

This way I can split the keychain and give the truck key to the valet and he will not have the key to the nano vault.
Likewise I can give the key to my house to a friend without worrying about my gun cabinet being rifled thru.

Flightmare wrote:I have a keychain that separates.
I keep the key for my gun cabinet at home on the half with my truck key.
I keep the half for my nano vault in my truck on the half with my house key.

This way I can split the keychain and give the truck key to the valet and he will not have the key to the nano vault.
Likewise I can give the key to my house to a friend without worrying about my gun cabinet being rifled thru.

I don't carry if there is a chance I will have a drink with dinner. I'm not saying you did but it's a subject worth broaching. It's not worth taking the chance if you're carrying.

I am faced with the situation you encountered daily with my job. I lock the pistol in the safe ahead of time. The less that know I carry; the better.

In your case, I think you did the right thing. You made sure the firearm was secure.

felipefenton wrote:Hello,

i found myself in a situation the other night which I wasn't sure that I handled properly or not. I went out to meet some friends for dinner to a place that I'd never been before. When I pulled up to the valet, I realized I wasn't going to be able to carry inside. I have a gun safe in my car and I proceeded to take my holstered gun off and put it in the safe, but all of this happened as the valet stood there watching awkwardly. Is it legal for me to do this? I wouldn't want to get in trouble for brandishing a weapon for something like this. Any suggestions on how to handle this?

Thanks!

My only suggestion is that if anyone from the valet company or the venue tries to give you grief over it, point out that nobody there will ever see your gun again if they take down the 30.06 signs.

I likely wouldn't have done that. Those valets have sticky fingers typically.

techenigma wrote:I likely wouldn't have done that. Those valets have sticky fingers typically.

Sticky fingers for change: yes. Sticky fingers for a safe locked in a car.... That would be interesting!

Hmmm. My opinion, not optimal. When I disarm I try to be out of sight. You can't open carry unless it's in a belt or shoulder holster. In transit from holster to safe it's not holstered.

Let me add I think it would be bizarre to get into trouble for honoring a restriction, but I guess it could happen.

treadlightly wrote:Hmmm. My opinion, not optimal. When I disarm I try to be out of sight.

I agree. When I have to disarm at work, I take my gun out of my pocket with the holster, then set it in the back seat (vault won't come thru the front of the driver's seat). I then step outside the truck and move to the back and open the door, reach in and lock the gun in the vault. In the same motion, I pick up my laptop and carry it inside. To the outside observer, I'm just getting into the back seat to pick up my laptop to go into work. When I get done with work, I reverse the process.

If I were to go somewhere that would have a valet, I would try to store it before I pulled up to the valet.

Flightmare wrote:

treadlightly wrote:Hmmm. My opinion, not optimal. When I disarm I try to be out of sight.

I agree. When I have to disarm at work, I take my gun out of my pocket with the holster, then set it in the back seat (vault won't come thru the front of the driver's seat). I then step outside the truck and move to the back and open the door, reach in and lock the gun in the vault. In the same motion, I pick up my laptop and carry it inside. To the outside observer, I'm just getting into the back seat to pick up my laptop to go into work. When I get done with work, I reverse the process.

If I were to go somewhere that would have a valet, I would try to store it before I pulled up to the valet.

You can always not allow ANY valet to have the keys to your vehicle.
I don't.