Gunslinger spotted at local Starbucks
Posted on 23. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in local news, politics
Until last night, the only thing I feared when I entered my local Starbucks was that I’d order something that I’m allergic to. That was before a friend told me that when she was at the La Canada Starbucks yesterday, a man entered with a pistol in a holster strapped to his thigh. Here’s the email she sent to me:
I was at Starbucks on Gould today. A guy arrived shortly after I arrived with a pistol in a holster strapped to his thigh. He was wearing a blue jump suit with some type of helicopter insignia. I glanced at the insignia and it looked “made up” to me, sort of a pseudo uniform, but I’m not really sure of that. He was with two friends and they sat down outside.
I was with a friend who said, the guy might be reliable, but it looks like it would be easy to distract him and disarm him. What if some nut took the pistol? Then what? My friend also looked around the parking lot for an official vehicle. We didn’t see anything. Wow.
This is still bothering me, eleven hours later.
She emailed me because several days earlier, I’d emailed her a link to a petition from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence that encouraged people to ask Starbucks to prohibit guns on their premises. I’d been spurred to action by an editorial titled, “Who Can Relax This Way?” that I’d read in the New York Times. Here’s the email I had sent her:
Over the past few months, more and more gun owners have been gathering at restaurants and coffee shops like Starbucks with guns strapped to their hips, intimidating fellow patrons. They are testing open carry laws to see how far they can go. Businesses can legally create policies to prohibit guns from being carried in their establishments — and so far, Peet’s Coffee & Tea and California Pizza Kitchen have heeded customer concerns and barred open carrying.
But Starbucks is refusing to prohibit the “open carrying” of firearms in its stores, despite protests from loyal customers. Starbucks has declined to elaborate beyond this statement: “Starbucks supports the federal, state and local laws of the communities in which we do business.”
The practice of packing heat in places like Starbucks is intimidating and could be potentially dangerous to our families and communities — and it must be stopped at Starbucks.
I just signed a petition telling Starbucks to stand up for the safety of their customers and adopt a nationwide, gun-free policy in all Starbucks stores.
This is surreal. I can’t believe this is actually an issue. But it is, and I have no desire to see someone packing a gun the next time I take my sweet 7th grade small group to Starbucks.
Isn’t it ironic that someone can’t smoke in our Starbucks, but they can pack a gun?
Source: Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11, 2010
The Brady Campaign reports that California actually has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, although it scores poorly when it comes to gun shows. Wikipedia sums up California’s open carry gun laws the best:
Personal possession (i.e. carry) of a loaded firearm is prohibited in incorporated areas (such as inside city limits) or prohibited areas of unincorporated territory without a license to carry or other exemption provided for by law.[15] A license to carry “loaded and exposed” may be issued by a Police Chief or County Sheriff in a county with population of less than 200,000 persons at the last census.[16] No license or permit is required to openly carry a loaded firearm in unincorporated areas where discharge is not prohibited by local ordinance.
Despite these restrictions, there is no section of the California penal code that specifically prohibits open carry of an unloaded handgun (though possession may be restricted or prohibited in certain areas such as a State Park (CCR Title 14, Div.3, chap. 1, s 4313 (a), in a school zone (PC626.9) or federal properties like a Post Office or National Park (36 C.F.R. 2.4(a)).
Carrying a loaded magazine separate from the handgun is also not prohibited under the penal code (Subdivision (g) of California Penal Code 12031 defines what constitutes a loaded weapon).
Just because something’s legal, it doesn’t mean you should do it. When a private citizen carries a gun in public, we don’t know his intentions or whether he’s been trained to use the gun safely. When in danger, I’ll call 911, not the guy at the next table. In the editorial, “Message to Open Carry members: It’s time to put the guns away,” the Contra Costa Times pointed out that “the open carry of weapons could prompt all sorts of consequences never intended or considered by the person exercising his or her constitutional right.”
According to the Popehat blog, even the NRA doesn’t allow people to bring guns onto its premises.
Sign the petition and ask Starbucks to do the same. And, for extra measure, ask your elected officials to close up the gun show loophole.
I can not believe this. That’s it! Starbucks has lost my patronage. If I want coffee in La Canada I will be going to Zeli Coffee. Better parking, GREAT coffee, and NO GUNS! and it’s only 1-2 blocks away from the Gould Starbucks. The dollar is the greatest motivator in these type of situations. I sure hope that Starbucks changes their policy soon.
My friend who saw this at Starbucks spoke to the Sheriff’s station this morning, and they chastised her and told her that she should have called them yesterday. There’s no guarantee that the man with the gun had a license to carry it, and they would have liked to check it out. So if you see this happen again, call 911 right away.
I thought you were writing a clever satire.
This would be a straight-up exercise of Starbuck’s property rights — something that the open-carry supporters frequently ignore.
Actually, I’m glad the sheriff gave her that advice. Who is to say that guy wasn’t a nutjob and was going to mow everybody down? There are too many crazy stories in the news these days. I’m totally freaked out by this story and I just signed that petition. Thanks for the link.
Wow, I am also amazed by this. I will think twice before I patronize any Starbucks in the future and i will definitely call the Sheriff if I see anyone besides a police officer carrying a gun in the open. Thanks for this article and the link to the petition.
All very interesting, but please don’t punish Starbucks. That’s silly. Sure, go protest at WalMart or another place where they sell guns…or something…I’m sorry, this just makes me feel sorry for Starbucks…smear campaign worked pretty well for the gunslingers then…
I find this somewhat amusing.
Question #1:
If you brought a fire arm to Starbucks with the intention of “mowing down” the people inside, would you rather carry it openly or concealed?
Question #2:
If you came to Starbucks with the intention of mowing down the people, what would you be thinking of if you saw another patron carrying a gun inside?
Question #3:
If you came to Starbucks with the intention of mowing down the people, would you be more or less successful in your mission if you had encountered another patron with a gun?
In full disclosure: I am not a gun owner, and I even hate the smell guns