IL: Manager tells police no guns allowed

[Keith B]

I have to applaud the manager for being one of the few ethical anti gun people in this country, by applying the same rule to tax payers and the publc servants paid with our tax dollars.

I often say that I don't hear a person's message until I see if they're walking the talk. He's walking the talk. I don't think that he's thought his talk all the way out, but I agree, it's better than hypocrisy.

Equality but stupid

[texanjoker]

I have to applaud the manager for being one of the few ethical anti gun people in this country, by applying the same rule to tax payers and the publc servants paid with our tax dollars.

I often say that I don't hear a person's message until I see if they're walking the talk. He's walking the talk. I don't think that he's thought his talk all the way out, but I agree, it's better than hypocrisy.

Equality but stupid

I hear that. I actually had a nurse in CA give me crap for being on duty in uniform in the ER with my gun. We had a political discussion. She wanted to what if me to death. "What if" somebody takes your gun.....well lady then we have a real problem don't we... duh

[Dori]

I have to applaud the manager for being one of the few ethical anti gun people in this country, by applying the same rule to tax payers and the publc servants paid with our tax dollars.

I often say that I don't hear a person's message until I see if they're walking the talk. He's walking the talk. I don't think that he's thought his talk all the way out, but I agree, it's better than hypocrisy.

Equality but stupid

Equally as stupid as a restaurant manager posting a 30.06 sign in Texas but only 1% as stupid as gun shows posting 30.06 signs.

[goose]

Equality but stupid

I'll still happily claim that it is better than hypocritical and stupid. The political landscape seems to be littered with it these days.

[baldeagle]

Here's what struck me when reading this article (the parts in red are my emendations):

Belleville Police Captain Don sax said, “It’s absolutely a slap in the face I totally agree it’s completely disrespectful. How can anyone think to tell a CHL holder you can’t be in here with your gun its absurd to me.”

Five on-duty but out of uniform CHL holders were in the middle of their meal at the Denny’s. The restaurant chain said a customer spotted one of the CHL holders carrying a gun and alerted the manager. The manager told the CHL holder she would have to leave or secure the gun in her car, that guns are not allowed in Denny’s. Even after the CHL holders explained they were licensed they were still told they could not carry their weapons in the business. Captain Sax said, “I’ve never known anybody that didn’t want a CHL holder present in an establishment in a business it’s added security it’s absolutely what they want.”

Local citizens like Jennifer Veri support the CHL holders, Veri said, “You want them to be with their guns that makes them so they can protect the public.”

It's all about perspective, isn't it?

[Keith B]

I have to applaud the manager for being one of the few ethical anti gun people in this country, by applying the same rule to tax payers and the publc servant paid with our tax dollars.

I often say that I don't hear a person's message until I see if they're walking the talk. He's walking the talk. I don't think that he's thought his talk all the way out, but I agree, it's better than hypocrisy.

Equality but stupid

Equally as stupid as a restaurant manager posting a 30.06 sign in Texas but only 1% as stupid as gun shows posting 30.06 signs.

A 30.06 sign only prohibits a CHL holder. Telling the people that are to serve and protect your community they can't carry there is absurd.

[Frankie]

I reget to inform everyone here that my previous address was Belleville, Il. and just up the road from the Denny's in question. Horrible town, horable police department ( 60 min. Did a special on them in the early 90's) and local politics that mirror Chicago. Just a few of the reasons I live in TX now.

[punkndisorderly]

Stories like this always make me wonder what the WHOLE story is. Taken at face value, yup pretty stupid.

I have a feeling there's more to it. Maybe the manager had a run in with these cops recently. Still stupid, but makes sense.

Maybe the cops were being jerks (they are people) and that was his excuse.

Maybe they had a history of stiffing the servers.

Maybe they didn't bother to tell the manager "Hey, we're cops. We HAVE to carry."

Maybe it was just a huge misunderstanding and is being blown out of proportions.

[chasfm11]

Stories like this always make me wonder what the WHOLE story is. Taken at face value, yup pretty stupid.

I have a feeling there's more to it. Maybe the manager had a run in with these cops recently. Still stupid, but makes sense.

Maybe the cops were being jerks (they are people) and that was his excuse.

Maybe they had a history of stiffing the servers.

Maybe they didn't bother to tell the manager "Hey, we're cops. We HAVE to carry."

Maybe it was just a huge misunderstanding and is being blown out of proportions.

Perhaps. I looked at reports from about a dozen different news agencies on this matter and found little to explore the customer complaint on which the Denny's manager's actions were taken. One story said that the customer "was offended" by the sight of the guns.

In our PC society, one person being offended does seem to drive situations like this. Almost every ridiculous news story that I read, it starts with "one person complained." While I certainly acknowledge individual rights, the complaint from a single person should not be used to drive business or governmental policy.

I know people who are offended by guns. I suspect that their being offended extends to police and that they would have a heart attack if they saw a private citizen with a firearm in public. As long as society continues to feed this sort of paranoia, we will have an uphill battle in OC or Constitutional carry situations, never mind with LEOs.

[Redneck_Buddha]

I know several people who still can't wrap their little pea brains around the fact that law abiding citizens can carry a firearm in public.

[longhorn_92]

I would bet NO officer goes back even after they said sorry, and if it is like a normal Dennys, that will hurt them in the pocket book. Glad the 2nd manager wanted them there, but that was too late after ruining their meal and embarrassing them. There are other places to eat on night shift and I would bet that nobody is going to frequent this place anymore. They lost their "free" security as most of those restaurants want the officers eating in the wee hours when all the drunks are out.

That manager is a complete moron. I was a restaurant manager for years and I ALWAYS discounted police officers' meals. I wanted police officers in my restaurant as much as possible.

[sunny beach]

Maybe some of the kitchen staff had outstanding warrants or weren't citizens.

[Liberty]

I have a little different take on this incident. While its pretty obvious that the manager completely mishandled the situation. I wonder about the circumstances that haven't been made very clear.

There were 5 officers at the table out of uniform and on duty. Detectives perhaps?
One officer in particular seemed to be at the focus of the managers complaint.
She was female.

It is cold this time of year in Illinois. So we could assume that that the officers had doffed their jackets and exposed their handguns.

We do understand that a lot of women find waistband concealed carry awkward. Could this lady have have been carrying with a shoulder carry? Were customers uncomfortable because they were staring down the business end of a .40 cal Glock?

There was a thread here a while ago where some forum members were uncomfortable because they at a barbeque joint and they found themselves looking down the barrel of Border Patrol Officers handgun While the officers having lunch. The poster understood he was not in any particular danger, but he was pretty uncomfortable about the whole situation.

The thing is we don't really know what sort of carry the officers were using, and it likely won't ever be reported. I do think think that the scenario I described very well could be as it happened though and there may be more behind the story than what it seems. Most of Illinois isn't as antigun as Chicago and its surrounds.

Edit: small edit for clarity

[Hector]

Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

[DEB]

Here on Fort Hood at its Hospital, Law Enforcement cannot carry unless they are on duty for a reason at the Hospital. Which means they cannot carry while sitting down eating at the dining facility, cannot carry getting medication or seeing a doctor/etc. Only if they have an assigned Law Enforcement mission at the hospital can they carry. I am totally pro citizen carry. If L.E. can carry, so should anyone else. If it is 30.06 or otherwise prohibited, then no one should be able to carry, including L.E. unless again if it is mission required. Get rid of the hypocrisy and suffer the consequences that is engendered by one's actions.