Above: the photo for the article Bar owners coming up with ways to deter gun carriers. Caption: “Kim Carpenter, left, and Holly Aucreman pose for a photo Wednesday at Citi Bar with a pair of metal detector wands. The wands might become a necessity if a proposed change in Ohio’s concealed carry law allows permit holders to carry their guns into bars.” Define necessity . . .
Citi Bar on West Main Street and Orange Carpet Lounge on North Columbus Street already have bought metal detector wands to ward off customers who are carrying weapons, [bar manager Kim] Carpenter said.
“(Bar customers) are not going to hear the part that you can’t be drunk [and carry a concealed weapon,” said Mark Brobeck, who owns both Citi Bar and Orange Carpet Lounge. “That part is going to be drowned out.”
Brobeck said he intends to post signs that guns are prohibited in his bars.
I’m astounded (not to say incredulous) that a bar owner would consider wanding his customers. Aside from losing business (and rightly so), what’s his well-trained staff going to do when they hear a sound which might indicate a gun (or might not)? Frisk them?
What if they find a gun? Are they going to secure the weapon, detain the scofflaw (somehow), ask the potential perp to “show me your papers” and then keep the illegal gun toter under citizens’ arrest until the cops arrive? How would any of that increase customer safety?
I mean, seriously? TTAG contacted the article’s author to verify the wand action and check the authenticity of the photo showing a pair of $183 Garrett Superwand Security Metal Detectors.
“The metal detectors belong to the bars,” Richard Rouan assured us. “And they plan to wand everybody who comes through the door if the bill is signed by the governor.” Because there’s no other door in or out—other than the ones required by the fire marshalls.
Heads-up girls! The bad guys are already carrying guns into bars (and everywhere else). Restrictions on legal gun owners does nothing to deter them. If you think you’re going to wand away armed aggression, you are living on Planet Uh-Oh. More to the point, any bar owner who wants to “ward off” legal concealed carry owners is like a drunk looking for his keys under a streetlamp because the light’s better.
Now let’s talk about bars with a shotgun under the counter. No wait! What about the cops who don’t seem to have a grasp on the current situation re: guns in bars, never mind any change in the regulations allowing law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment privileges where the owner agrees:
Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen said he has “mixed feelings” about the bill.
Restaurants that serve alcohol likely won’t cause problems for law enforcement, but adding the potential for guns to bars with a history of violence “would probably not be a very good idea,” he said.
“I think, in general, this is not helpful to law enforcement,” said Lancaster Police Chief David Bailey, who is against the change to the law.
Bailey said it is unlikely a person would go to a bar without drinking and that the law will put an extra burden on police officers breaking up fights in bars.
“They have to be very cautious that there could be concealed weapons involved,” he said.
As opposed to now, where they can simply assume that patrons are unarmed? As Bob Dylan sang, “When you gonna wake up, and strengthen the things that remain?”