Mercedes Benz of Austin (courtesy The Truth About Guns)

I open carry in Austin. I’ve suddenly noticed that the places where I can open carry are shrinking in direct relation to the places I open carry. Bringing my CLS into Mercedes Benz of Austin for service, I discovered this sign on the door. Had a rash of open carriers harshed their customer’s “gun-free” mellow? Nope. Just little old me. This isn’t the first time I’ve inspired a “no open carry allowed” 30.07 sign . . .

One magically appeared at a local eatery called Vert’s Kebap after an open carry visit.

So be it, I guess. Private business owners have a right to suspend my civil rights on their private property — unless they do so because of my skin color, sexual orientation, religion or anything else not having to do with my Second Amendment protected right to keep and bear arms.

Yes, well, there is that.

I have a strict policy regarding businesses that ban concealed carry (as directed by a 30.06 sign): they can’t have my money. Except for Whole Foods where, yes, I disarm before entering. Because I have a vegetarian daughter. And OK, fit women of a certain age wearing yoga pants are in abundance. As Irish novelist Laurence Stern said, “respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others our manners.”

Where was I?

At the moment, I still reward frequent enterprises that ban open carry. I balance my gun rights fervor against their right to make me ashamed of exercising my gun rights fervor. Wait. That doesn’t sound right. I respect their desire not to let me, a law-abiding American, scare their customers by exercising my civil rights on their property. Nope. That doesn’t do it either.

Seriously confused. What should I do about those business that ban open carry? Pass or play?

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174 COMMENTS

    • ^ nailed it on the first one.

      I was just dropping off my car for service this morning and was drooling on a C63s they had on the lot.

        • Mercedes are overpriced crap made who folks who look down their noses at the other plebs. I had a GL320 once; got rid of the damn thing before the lease was up due to warm-start hesitation that the dealership refused/wouldn’t address. This wasn’t an “annoyance” kind of hesitation, it was a “whoa where did all the power go” kind of hesitation.

          C. R. A. P.

    • Sorry, I’m not patronizing anyplace that threatens to put me in jail for exercising my constitutional rights. Especially not Whole Foods. Luckily in Florida signs have no power. All they can do is ask you to leave if they figure out you’re concealed carrying.

  3. Question is nearly irrelevant, as we are free to associate or disassociate with whomever we please for any non violent reason whatsoever. Although this seems to be going by the wayside as we cry to government for everything nowadays.

    On another note, think all those clamoring for transgendered people to be able to ignore the male and female signs on bathrooms are also pushing for us to be able to ignore no weapons policy signs?

    This is why we don’t get government involved and leave it up to the establishment to determine what they want to permit and in what capacity (pun intended).

    • “Although this seems to be going by the wayside as we cry to government for everything nowadays”….Are you sure it’s not good ole fashion government overreach? I don’t know anyone calling for more government control/regulation on anything, except for maybe banking.

      • The 30 odd signage isnt government over reach. Its a legal protection on private property rights. Although i disagree with the reason businesses want to use that signage, i do believe that some of my rights end on someone elses property. Just like some of your rights end on my property.

        • I don’t think the right to protect yourself ever goes away. Sure, your home, your rules. But publicly accessible business premises shouldn’t be able to remove ANY of my natural or civil rights as a condition of entry.

        • @Ing,

          So I should be able to stand INSIDE A BUSINESS wearing a placard telling everyone else what a shitty time I had shopping there the previous week? Note: I am not talking about slander here, I am positing a truthful sign. He has no right to ban you because it’s your first amendment right?

          A loud prayer session in a movie theater, during the feature? It’s their right to worship as they please, after all.

          Your logic fails, methinks.

        • Not all of them. I firmly believe that attempting to post no-carry signs in business open to the public (excluding appointment-only and similar) should be a misdemeanor.

        • Is clear (glass) and white considered contrasting colors???? inquiring minds wants to know.

        • Here’s the funny thing. I have serious doubts that corporations are private. They’re government-sponsored entities, and as such I don’t think they are “private”.

          Your local mom and pop shop, non-incorporated, however, is a different story.

          Kurt

      • You must not know any “progressives”, then, pg2. Because their standard response to nearly anything seems to be to get the government to pass new laws and regulations, no matter how trivial the original problem is or how unlikely the “solution” is to work.

    • concealed is concealed.

      Whether that is a firearm or a penis makes no difference.

      Keep doing what you know is right and don’t let the government let you say you can’t.

    • “On another note, think all those clamoring for transgendered people to be able to ignore the male and female signs on bathrooms are also pushing for us to be able to ignore no weapons policy signs?”

      Think all those clamoring against gun-free signs because criminals ignore laws aren’t also pushing to regulate people’s genitalia and where they take a shit?

    • I self identify as a non-firearm carrier, despite the ar strapped to my back and the handgun on my belt, so I can ignore signs like this, since they only apply to people carrying firearms.

  4. “Although this seems to be going by the wayside as we cry to government for everything nowadays”….Are you sure it’s not good ole fashion government overreach? I don’t know anyone calling for more government control/regulation on anything, except for maybe banking.

  5. Want to clarify my previous statement. Irrelevant isn’t the best word usage here. I mean to say, it’s such a nuanced and particular issue that we cannot possibly claim to know and thus advocate you behave in any manner based on your personal circumstances. Again this is why we need individual liberty not dumb one-shoe-fits-all laws.

    • “Again this is why we need individual liberty not dumb one-shoe-fits-all laws”-Couldn’t agree more. I’ll take the risk of this comment being censored for off topic, but this has my argument here all along against the one size fits all vaccine program, which also flies in the face of individual liberty.

      • Oh, just shut the fuck up already.

        At least, once in a while, use a different fucking example, when there are so many to choose from.

        • Stevie, Again, overreact much? Whatever medication you’re on, maybe it’s time to up the dosage. Or get some counseling. You actually give some credence to people wanting to use the pseudo-science of psychology to restrict other peoples right to own and carry firearms.

        • I assume you have no children because of your inability to perceive the importance of parental rights and individual rights concerning children and families? As you yourself referenced, it is not just gun rights under attack, get control of yourself, by whatever means necessary.

  6. It’s their business, avoid when possible, but if you really need their services there is nothing wrong with accepting their conditions. Obviously if you feel there is some great danger going in unarmed that would be different but I would expect that doesn’t come into play very much.

    Nothing wrong with telling such merchants your concerns but they probably won’t care.

  7. I’m not going to stop eating at P Terry’s until and if they ban conceal carry. Though It still chaps my ass every time I’m there sitting across from a couple of cops, who naturally have their guns out in the open.

  9. Seeing as how it’s a German car, you will be in for service very often. If you really want a luxury car I suggest you go for an Acura or Lexus. You will not have to deal with the dealership as often.

    • My wife and I shopped Mercedes and the other luxury brands last year when we were in the market. Maybe at the six figure price tag it’s different, but in the ranges we were shopping, the Mercedes models struck us as overweight and underpowered (the car models, not the spokesmodels).

      Ultimately we bought a pair of matching Acuras. Amazing vehicles. That dealership is in League City, TX (30 mins. south of Houston), home of the highest per capita carry license rate in the state. We and the salesman and manager all actually had a pleasant conversation about their and our EDC sidearms while the cars were in make-ready. Completely casual. Not a twisted pair of panties nor a clutched strand of pearls anywhere in sight.

      • Infiniti has a great power to price ratio with the G37 and Q50 / Q50 Hybrid / Q50 t. Maintenance with any of the luxury brands is pricey, and it’s where most dealerships plan on making their money. Infiniti also has lower maintenance prices, with the exception of BMW’s 4 year free maintenance plan.

        The nice thing is that the consumer wins. BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura (albeit to a lesser extent) make some great cars.

        • You’re extremely unlikely to get a lemon with any of these brands. If anything goes wrong before six figures of miles, it’s probably the result of an abusive or negligent owner.

          I didn’t care for the BMWs; too cramped and packed with cheap plastic and noisy gadgets. The Lexus models were all too low to the ground, which is a pain to get in and out of and a risk in flood prone Houston. Plus my hair touches the ceiling.

          We did like the Infiniti QX70 and QX80 and they were strong contenders. The choice between these brands really comes down to personal preference, and resale value, which Honda and Acura are among the highest. The market has spoken.

      • I always find guys driving sedans kinda cute. Then I hope for their sake it’s their Wife’s car.

        • Eh. I’ve driven armored trucks, humvees, F700s, Harley’s, crotch rockets and Italian scooters. If somebody doesn’t care for what I drive it doesn’t bother me a whole lot.

        • Your post tells me all I need to know about you: you find guys cute. Got it. nttawwt

    • It’s plain fantasy to ask for Glock reliability in cars anyway… Given up a long time ago. Dunno about other makes, wife worked for Mercedes and told me after-sale service is where they really make money. The profits from selling the cars themselves are not even close. So, yknow, attract customers with the reputation and wait until their cars break

  10. How is this not another “We don’t want your kind here” form of discrimination? If butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers operate a place of public accommodation and can be forced by courts to serve those who they morally object then why are we not equally protected?

    • Better question is why aren’t we leaving the butcher, baker and candlestick maker be to run their businesses as they see fit in the first place?

      Everybody’s pro-liberty……until…..he wants to employ the levers of government to wrest his neighbor to his will…..

    • There’s a subtle difference between denying service based on WHO a person is versus WHAT that person is carrying.

    • Some people will never understand the distinction between regulating the behavior of invitees (can’t carry a gun in here) and racial discrimination.

      It’s not the same. Regardless my race or gender, carrying a gun is a chosen behavior.

        • I didn’t say a word about build location. I said “American car companies”.

          The guys and ladies on the assembly line, regardless of location, can only build what they are provided. American car companies burned their credibility to hand the assembly folks quality plans and parts decades ago. Is that a little clearer?

        • If the sign really was a reaction to an armed Jew entering their dealership then you might be on to something.

        • My Grandfather fled Germany in the 1930s, when he was in his late 20s. Although he essentially had to fee for his life, and knew many members of his extended family who were not so lucky, he had been raised as a German for long enough that he was culturally a German until the day he died, and he only drove Mercedes.

          The American car companies have been dead to me since the financial crisis – my first 3 cars were Big 3 (ok, one was a re-badged Suzuki) but since then it’s been Toyota, BMW and VW. Cannot beat the Toyota for pure dogged reliability, but the BMW is more fun. CPO FTW.

        • Oh look an anti semitic gun owner.

          Shut up and get the fuck out, we don’t need you feeding into the anti 2a claims that every gun owner is a rabid hateful racist.

          This jew has a gun too, NAZI.

    • What is American in cars anymore? Big Japanese brands have more US content including manufacture, labor/assembly, etc. while ‘tried and true American’ brands such as GM have offshored their production to Mexico. My last BMW was built in South Carolina. Is SC a foreign country? My neighbor’s HHR Chevy was built in Mexico. Which one is more American? The bigger question is why would an ‘American’ company decide it was better for business to build its products in other countries? Quality or cost?

      • It’s all engineering and materials. Toyota and Honda care. GM, Ford and Chrysler don’t. Can’t speak for other companies.

        The folks and robots on the assembly line, whether Mexican, American or whatever, can only put together what they are provided.

      • If like my Sequoia – the only I believe it’s the only Toyota model that is only built in the USA. I can’t imagine how awful it would be driving one in a crowded Japanese city, but it’s perfect for the American suburbs. When we were shopping we looked at the Sequoia, Nissan Armada, GMC Yukon and Ford Expedition. The Sequoia won hands down, and 8 years later it is still going great.

        My mom’s Corolla was finally retired after 21 years on the road.

        • My Camry has 22 years on it and my son uses it as an everyday commute car. I’m no expert, but i believe the basic 4 cylinder toyota motor is as murphy proof as a motor can get.

        • I bought myself a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe in October, but I didn’t get rid of my previous car. It’s a ’94 Toyota Celica I’ve had since ’96. About 300 miles shy of 275k, and it’s still a decent car. Not too pretty any more, as the paint is going, but it goes well enough, rides well enough, radio and ac work. Hell, if I took the time to put motor mounts in it, it’d be pretty near tip top.

    • Ok ready, fire, aim, Mr. Buy American, this is what I want you to do–go out in your front yard and take off every article of clothing not made in America so the neighbors can see you naked. Next, go in your house and take everything in your house, furniture, appliances, clothes, carpet, dishes, everything not made in America outside and set a match to it. When you are done you will probably be naked and homeless. Have a good day.

    • I don’t know what he drives, but the Mercedes GLE SUV, GL SUV, the C-Class, and the new for 2016 GLE Coupe SUV are all made in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

    • American cars are great, if you’re into constantly working on cars.

      I’m not. So I drive a Tacoma.

      • I have owned various different Ford vehicles. Reliability has never really been a problem for me.

  13. My local supermarket’s owner (it’s a franchise operation) bans all firearms. Nope, no state law backing up his sign (unlike Texas and a few other states), so I don’t Open Carry there. Others in the area have no problem with carrying (OC or CC), just him. But he’s the closest one and your food purchases can build up discounts on their corporate-owned gas stations. Build up enough discounts and you can end up getting up to 30 gallons of gasoline at $0.00 per gallon. So, like I said, I don’t OC there. Do I CC there? Well, that’s for me to know and for him to not know.

  14. I avoid businesses that actively work against my rights and freedoms as much as I possibly can. In this instance, if there is another Mercedes dealer within a reasonable distance, I would go there for service. I would also let them know why they lost my patronage. I also encourage spreading the word regarding such businesses, so that others are able to act accordingly.

  15. Pass if it makes sense and you have other options that are also cost effective enough to not be a hindrance. Otherwise stow the firearm, and go about your life. Also if you pass, make sure you let them know why you are leaving them, and that you will do everything in your power to drive people away from doing business with them because of their Hoplophobia. Make sure you use the word Hoplophobia too, because it will confuse most people and they will think you called them a racist or something, which is just as good.

  16. Have a T-shirt made that says on the front.

    30.07 prevents my open carry of firearms

    But don’t mistake that I am currently armed.

    And on the back
    SUCK IT.

  17. I don’t OC, but I avoid spending my money at businesses that don’t support OC and/or CC. That goes for other issues too. You’d be hard pressed to get me to spend money at a Hobby Lobby or a Chik-fil-a. Sometimes it is inevitable, but that’s life.

    I just don’t understand businesses going out of their way to lose business by being political. That goes for stances I agree with. Just stay out of it. A business is about making money, and last I checked, everybody’s money was green.

    • I don’t think Hobby Lobby was acting to advertise their owner’s politics. It appeared to me that that they were resisting what they thought was an unethical mandate. I could be wrong though, I didn’t pay much attention to that affair.

    • You’d boycott Hobby Lobby because they fought for, and won, the right not to pay for abortions?

      • I’m actually pro-choice. But I hate like hell being forced to pay for other peoples’ abortions.

        My complaint about the Hobby Lobby decision is not that Hobby Lobby got an exemption…but that it was a religion based carveout.

        I shouldn’t have to believe God told me it was bad, to be allowed to refuse to pay for someone else’s shit.

        • That is the first amendment for ya. It is supposed to protect people from being forced to do things AGAINST their religion (or lack there of). However, Hobby Lobby won because they said that paying for something they categorically believe (and there is a biblical basis for) amounts to murder of unborn children violates their rights protected under the 1993 federal Religious Freedom and Restoration Act.

    • A gay friend of mine still eats Chik-fil-a. Because, goddamnit, it’s good chicken. Besides, he’s still married despite them.

    • Well, when you file suit to not have to provide basic medical care, then yeah, I think you end up putting yourself in the public eye, which for all intents and purposes advertises your political views while trying to run a for-profit business. Nothing quite like a holier than thou billionaire trying to tell his employees what they should believe and how they should live. Sounds vaguely like a secular billionaire we all love to hate for telling people they can’t own guns, drink super-sized sodas, smoke cigarettes, etc.

      Hobby Lobby exempted themselves from various types of “non-abortive” contraceptives, not just abortion, but whatever. The answer is yes, I would boycott Hobby Lobby for that. As the pro-life bumper sticker likes to claim, “abortion stops a beating heart.” And that’s exactly why we do it.

      • M3 – I perceive an amazing disconnect with you not understanding the difference between morality and politics. Fighting a mandate to cover abortions is not a political opinion, it is a personally held belief.

        This may be one of the reasons I have nothing in common with folks with your viewpoints.

        Am I wrong?

        • I really fail to understand how people who believe in the right to self-defense… as clear of a means to maintain their own bodily integrity seems to think that government should be involved in telling a woman how to maintain her own bodily integrity so the government can save a cluster of cells (and that’s regardless of whether you want to call that “life” or not).

          I could give a f*ck what your religious morality is. It’s not mine. Don’t wanna have an abortion, don’t have one. Don’t wanna own a gun, don’t own one. Just keep the godd*mn government out of my gun safe and my wife’s uterus.

      • abortion is not basic medical care. It is extremely rare for a pregnancy to kill the mother. And when it does, more often than not, it is the result of child birth. Abortion is mostly just a voluntary decision of the mother to not be bothered with having a child that she did not take precaution to protect her self from having. And I am not talking about ultra rare pregnancies due to rape.

        • All true and it’s a good thing we have it or the crime rate we see in Baltimore and Chicago would be spreading everywhere.

          Those same unwanted babies turn into unwanted kids. Guess what unwanted kids turn into?

        • Exactly, abortion, same for birth control, is not basic or essential health care. These are elective lifestyle choices, and no 3rd party should be REQUIRED to fund them.

    • I’ll never eat at Chick-fil-A, for two reasons. 1) there are none in this area, and 2) the one time I did, I was sick for two days straight.

      Never. Again.

  19. These boycotts sure build up over time don’t they? I would have a hard time functioning if I boycotted every business I had some philosophical disagreement with.

    My latest conundrum is Amazon. I use Amazon like crazy but their leader appears to be a flaming progressive. Sigh.

        • And the NRA is responsible for NO OC in Florida. They were all in on that law too. Mistakes were made. no one is perfect and no one can perfectly represent me but me.

        • The SAF also filed McDonald v Chicago, which incorporated the Second Amendment against the states. That’s only the most famous of the many, many cases they’ve filed. With the comparatively small resources they have, they’ve had a huge positive impact on gun rights over the years.

  20. Not saying you have to pass on everywhere with a 30.06 sign (although considering your line of work, that would be easier to deal with), but maybe take a look at Trader Joes. You can still find good produce there, interesting vegan/vegitarian options, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. There looks to be 3 in Austin, although I’m not sure how close they are to bus stops in the likely event of your Merc breaking down…

  21. One of my guilty pleasures for eating bans open carry except for law enforcement. Although their sign does say concealed carry is welcome. As long as they still support some form of carry, at least it’s a step the right direction. The smaller businesses, try to befriend the managers or owners. Maybe over time you can turn them pro gun.

  22. Sounds like you need a good late model MBZ independent shop. (it’s the late model part that might present a problem, most of the indies make their money servicing cars that the dealers forgot how to fix)

    Reply here if you want me to ask around my club for a referral.

    • I’d expect WF to know how to post a legal 30.06 sign.
      I’d rather avoid WF (easy for me, I’ve never been inside one anyway, and I know Vegans who haven’t been in one either) than violate their 30.06 zone.

      • You’d think. Stop by the one in my neck of the woods, and you’ll see signs that are not visible from entrances, too small, and have near-zero contrast.

        By that I mean ten feet and around a pillar, at best half in lettering, and dark text on clear backing on tinted windows (I only saw the sign because I was inside the store looking out and saw the contrast of a sign against the bright sun reflecting off of parked cars).

  24. Move to Utah. It is truly a free state. Unlike Arizona or Texas (where “no guns” signs have the force of law). In Utah, I almost never have to disarm. Essentially, I carry every moment except when I go to the doctor (no actual restriction, but CC can be challenging when you have to disrobe) or when I am skiing (don’t like the idea of falling on my gun, not that it will go off, but it is not soft). This includes carrying at my kids public high school, in bars, while having a drink (not while intoxicated) at the airport (outside of secure area), at the capital, on university campuses, and on and on. I have only seen two signs that say “no guns” one is at the instant care and the other at Tiffany’s (the jewelry store). They have no force of law, so I am free to ignore them.

    It surprises me that states like Arizona and Texas have such reputations for gun rights when carrying in those states requires constant vigilance monitoring for signs or stowing your gun when you have a drink with dinner.

    • You can have a drink and carry in Texas. The law just says you can’t be intoxicated. Of course, if you’re going to an establishment that makes more than 51% of its revenue from the sale of alcohol, you can’t carry there no matter what. Certainly, yeah, there are more restrictions and places you can’t carry in TX than here in WA or over the border in ID where I find myself quite often.

    • In AZ, It’s only a “force of law” if the business asks you to leave (if they discover you have a firearm on you) and you refuse to. Than it’s considered Trespassing.

      Personally I feel if it’s a private business that does not have permission from the State to monopolize local services, they they have a right to restrict services to whomever they choose. And I do think some of the federal restrictions on services are Constitutional overreaches.

  25. You shop at whole paycheck???? But will now change dealerships? I guess moral consistency isnt your strong suit.

    • I read this post as a “I make enough money to have the luxury to pick and choose where I get to exercise my freedoms” humblebrag.

  26. But, But, Open carry is teh best.

    If you are going to boycott a place you have to tell them why, or it does no good.

    And If you say, “I’ll never be back” then they have no incentive to change.

    “Until you change your sign/policy, I won’t spend money there.”

  27. I understand where they are coming from. I wonder if you could convince them they are wrong, though.

    I say play, because I think boycotting is silly. I could see it being warranted on occasion, though.

  28. If a customer actually complained about the guy with the gun, I doubt there’s anything you could do to convince them it’s not worth losing your business.

    However, I’d certainly NOT go to Whole Foods, I don’t care about the numbers of yoga pants.

    • …in fact, I’d rather go to a place that banned OC only, than a place that banned ALL carry.

      I don’t much care if the sign has legal authority or not, or even if there’s no sign and it’s just a “policy” they put in fine print on their membership app (e.g., Costco). If you’re that anti-gun, you don’t deserve my business, and you need to eat a bag of pus-dripping dicks.

      • 100% with you Steve. And no I don’t open carry but I frequent Indiana where it’s legal and live in Illinois where it ain’t. RF lost a bit of respect from me…

  30. Unless they satisfy a “need” that no one else can go somewhere else.
    It is your moral and patriotic duty.

  31. Well, I’m still holding firm on my own boycott of Whatabuger. I know, it’s a Texas icon and they haven’t actually put up any gun-ban signs that I’m aware of. Still, they issued a press release just before OC legalization to the effect that they would ban OC while allowing CC.

    Way too much splitting of the baby there, especially when they went out of their way to take such a position when nobody was even asking them to.

    • Jonathon – Houston

      The two Whataburgers I’ve been in (south and southwest) of DFW had absolutely no problem w / open carry.
      Had a manager in one tell me they felt safer with open carry customers after I asked about the corporate stance against open carry!

  32. Whatever you do, just make sure to use the ladies’ room while you’re there.
    /sarc off

  33. Tell ’em that you self-identify as Annie Oakley and can use any bathroom that you want.

  34. Shop at Central Market instead. Although they don’t allow open carry, they dont ban concealed carry. Better prices too.

    • Plenty of young hard bellied women in yoga pants there too.

  35. I try to patronize pro-gun as much as possible. With that being said, concealed means concealed.

  36. I can better understand acquiescing to the dealership’s rules, since there’s not a lot of Mercedes dealerships around (though I would expect the Georgetown dealer is likely more firearms-friendly than the Austin one), and it being a Mercedes, you’re gonna need that service department. But Whole Foods? There’s tons of places to buy vegetables. And Whole Foods isn’t just asking you to “not scare the horses” with open carry, they’re telling you flat out that they don’t respect your civil rights or care about your safety at all.

    It’s Austin, there are plenty of places you can ogle women in yoga pants without giving Whole Foods your money.

  37. I see a lot of attitude, but very little addressing the question; “What should I do about those business that ban open carry? Pass or play?”
    My advice is; Write them a very polite, handwritten letter(NO TYPOS! This is a business letter, NOT a blog…) informing them that for so long as this policy is in place you will be taking your fat, Mercedes buying(not in these words, polite remember…), wallet elsewhere. In today’s world we have left to us only ONE VOTE that actually counts for anything(not counting the bullet box), and that is with your Federal Reserve Notes(FRNs). Make them count….

    • A semi side note. If you are actually contemplating buying a car, don’t hesitate to threaten to go to another city if necessary (assuming there’s another one less than a few hundred miles away, that is–If you’re in Anchorage, this isn’t for you). Many dealerships have a monopoly mentality if they’re the only one of their brand in your city.

      I probably got to knock a couple of thousand dollars off my last new car purchase (1992–and I still have that car) by casually dropping mention of the three Denver dealerships, while visiting the Colorado Springs dealership. (And the icing on the cake was they still had to get the car they sold me from a different dealership!)

  38. A business or property owner should have the right to ban whoever they wish for whatever reason they wish. That doesn’t mean I’ll support their reasoning, only that they should have the right to do so.

    • Precisely. And your counter-right is to refuse to do business with them, for banning things you don’t approve of them banning.

  39. Couldn’t you just open carry outside then open the door a crack and yell across the place when you need the service guys?

    “SORRY I CAN’T COME IT BECAUSE I AM OPEN CARRYING. CAN YOU GET THE SERVICE MANAGER TO COME OUT HERE PLEASE? THANKS!”

    • As someone who works at a car dealership, I’d laugh my ass off at you doing this. And I mean that in a good way, because I think the rule is stupid, too.

      I’d probably ask you why you don’t just come in with it concealed, because that’s what cough other people do.

  42. Okay they need NO money only from hypocritis so lets them alone.

    And personal mercedes is whack car”s for old guys white hat ^^

  43. “Private business owners have a right to suspend my civil rights on their private property …”

    Our unalienable right to life is not subordinate to a private property owner. Stating it another way, our unalienable right to life is UNALIENABLE which means it is most certainly NOT a function of where we are standing.

    Can a private property owner demand that you protect your life in a manner that is least disruptive as possible to his/her property? Absolutely! Can a private property owner demand that you totally give up your right to protect your life on their property? Absolutely NOT.

    Thus, if a private business tells you to conceal because they believe open carry will disrupt their business, that is fine. They are telling you how you can protect your life in the least disruptive manner possible without totally eliminating your right to protect your life. Telling you that you cannot carry at all is wrong because that totally eliminates your right to protect your life.

    So, I would still patronize businesses that prohibit open carry as long as they allow concealed carry. That is their prerogative.

    • Come on over to my private property and tell me how you want to do things. Yeah right…

      • Pond Avenue,

        You can dictate whatever you want on your private property as long as your dictates do not cause physical injury/death to your guests.

        But go ahead and murder someone on your private property and tell the jury at your trial how you are “not guilty” since you dictate everything on your private property. Alternatively, go ahead and physically restrain a guest on your private property and enable someone else to murder them … and then tell the jury at your trial how you are “not guilty” as an accomplice to murder since you dictate everything on your private property.

        Are any lights coming on yet? Are you seeing that you cannot dictate events that knowingly contribute to the injury or death of your guests on your private property? Anything you do that knowingly contributes to your guest’s injury or death makes you an accomplice to their assault/murder. Whether you bind your guest with your hands or your policies is immaterial. Either way it is wrong.

        If you are concerned that guests who openly carry self-defense tools will cost you business, then go ahead and tell your guests to conceal their self-defense tools. That addresses your business concern without contributing to the injury/death of your guests. Telling your guests that they cannot possess concealed tools makes you an accomplice to any harm that befalls them and you should be both criminally and civilly liable.

        • No, you are missing my dictate. Leave and stay off my property. None of the above can happen if you aren’t allowed on my property.

        • Pond Avenue,

          Denying entry to your property is fine. And specifying what a person can or cannot do on your property is also fine as long as your specifications do not contribute to that person’s injury or death.

        • Pond Avenue,

          With regard to businesses having infinite providence to select with whom they will and will not conduct business as well as defining the conditions for conducting business, consider this: what happens if your local electricity and natural gas supplier refuse to conduct business with people who do not vote for Democrats (or Republicans)? How are you going to live in your home without electricity and natural gas? What if your local phone and Internet suppliers refuse to conduct business with people who do not vote for Democrats (or Republicans)?

          There are many situations, especially when it comes to business, that infinite providence to conduct business could cause immense harm. This is why we should have non-discrimination laws.

    • It is their property, they can do what they want with it. If they will only service people who wear day-glow orange shoes. guess what, you need to head to foot locker. The bottom line is I do not want the gubmint to tell me what I can do with what is mine. That is what started our war for independence. The tyrant King and his parliamentary cronies were forcing the colonists into purchasing certain things and paying high taxes on other things. The fathers of this country fought for and secured the right of the stupidity of the american voter to put that same crap back on us, but atleast the money isn’t flowing across the atlantic anymore. Just the pacific.

    • It is not a matter of them dictating how you will defend your life while on their property.

      It is a matter of them denying you entry onto their property in the first place. Which they should have every right to do.

  44. I conceal carry, so if going to a business I ignore the sign. If there is an convenient option I will patronize a business that does not have a sign over one that does. In state I live it is not illegal to carry into an establishment with the sign, you just have to leave if they ask you to, so if conceal carrying what they don’t know won’t bother them, and if a situation comes up where DGU is called for, they can ask me to leave then and I will comply.

  45. 2 mistakes. I give no sympathy to people who can afford a Mercedes (But they are great cars!).
    Second living in Austin. The only liberal stronghold in the Republic of Texas!

    • I am sure it was a YUGE jump to the right from his old Rhode Island stomping grounds. politically speaking.

  46. I fully support the right to open carry – but I’m not a fan of the practice, and concealed carry is my preference. I would suggest a sit down with the manager (I would disarm before doing so) to have an educational discussion on the subject. If you can’t reach an amicable agreement, I would scour the earth for a competent mechanic that isn’t so obtuse, and I wouldn’t set foot in the place again – ever.

    • Likely be wasting your time with the manager at this location. Mercedes of Austin is owned by Continental Automotive Group, which owns three other dealerships, a body shop, an insurance agency, and an ad agency, all in Austin. If you want change, you need to go to the parent company to have any hope at all.

    • Yup. I am willing to part with my money. But I am very hesitant to part with my money and my 2nd Amendment protected rights as well.

  48. Not going to wade thru a hundred posts to see if this has been posted but what’s wrong with concealed carry?

  50. “Because I have a vegetarian daughter.”

    If she’s old enough to create her own dietary restrictions, she’s old enough to buy her own groceries.

    Just sayin’.

  51. First of all, the sign is not compliant since Texas law states that the letters must be on a contrasting color background. Clear glass is not a contrasting color. That being said, I wouldn’t want to be the test case by open carrying past the sign. If you are willing to take your business elsewhere, I would suggest a conversation with the general manager which includes handing him a TSRA No Guns equals No Money card. Since to open carry in Texas, a LTC is required, The card explains the background qualifications needed to receive the LTC. Because of the extensive background check, you’re basically a certified good guy. The card ends asking the question “How much do you know about your other customers?” I was successful in getting a gas station / convenience store to remove their 30.06 and 30.07 signs by doing this.

  52. I have a wife that is vegeterian. That’s what farmers markets are for.

    As for cars. It’s your money, spend it how you wish. I just don’t buy new cars. It’s a bad business choice.

  53. RF, just be patient, Kroger is coming to your neck of the woods. Forget Whole Foods, Kroger has plenty of organic and vegetarian options for your daughter.

  54. If you drive a Merc (or are shopping for one) and and feel the need to shop at Hole Foods, I think you’ve already made your decision.

    You could buy for a Merc in another city (make sure you drive it by Austin Merc when you get it).

    And there are a whole lot of other places besides Hole Foods to get produce. Winn-Dixie or the Pig might not be quite as aristocratic but they may not care if you tote your heater on your belt.

    Nothing like voting with your wallet. Just sayin…..

  58. I understand why Mercedes owners are so sensitive about the dealership policies… When the thing breaks every few months and you end up spending so much time there…

  59. You’re just spelled out your hypocrisy. Never do business with people who have opposing views. You mustn’t be able to do much. I’m willing to bet there are other grocery stores and farmers markets available in place of Whole Foods. Mercedes can be fixed by any number of places. I doubt your bank allows this nor some of your favorite restaurants. But I guess for YOUR greater good, you’ll look the other way.

  60. I noticed a 30.07 sign in the David McDavid Acura as well. I was conceal carrying at the time so I went about my business. Did you visit that dealership as well perhaps?

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