Carmike Cinema 12 -Bethlehem Ga (Barrow County) No Firearms signs and checking today

[willr1]

Went there today, signs all over the place saying No Weapons/Firearms allowed, they reserve the right to search bags/purses and so forth. We entered and there was the person who was going to save us, a 18yr old girl who asked my wife to open her purse.

I asked if they were taking on the responsiblity of protecting my family since they are only dissarming lawful citizens that could prevent such an attack and the criminals would just walk right through here and she said it was corporate.

She did ask if I was carrying and I asked her if she saw one, "no" she replied, then I said "If someone does begin shooting in here, it is not me unless they fire first" and she laughed

She smiled and said "Enjoy Batman"

I am writing Carmike (a GA company) with a nice letter to highlight
1. I respect their right as private property owners and I have a choice in where to spend my money
2. They are disarming only legally carrying persons, crazy gunmen do not care about signs or teenagers wanting to check them
3. By disarming or requesting such actions, they will not only loose my business and others, but they are now showing criminals that the patrons and staff are not armed and increase the risk of danger to all, so are their insurance policy's ready for claims if someone is attacked and could not defend themsevles or others in an attack

It will be tastefully written as again, they have the right to ask such as Taco Mac, but I have the right to let them know that they lost my business also

Carmike Cinemas, Inc.
1301 First Avenue
P.O. Box 391 (31902-0391)
Columbus, GA 31901
(706) 576-3400

 

[Gunfighter]

I carry there all the time and never been checked.

Of course the avengers was the last time I was there so....

But they won't be getting any of my money again. Buying tickets at the concession stand is stupid anyway.

 

[fistfullaholla]

Carmike is based in Columbus? Hmmm, maybe we should assemble a delegation to visit their offices for some open discussion on the issue. Ask them to invite their insurer's risk assessors as well.

 

[willr1]

08/01/2012

Carmike Cinemas, Inc.
1301 First Avenue
P.O. Box 391 (31902-0391)
Columbus, GA 31901
(706) 576-3400

To whom it may concern,

I want to first start off by introducing myself and tell you a little about me so you will understand the merit of my letter. My name is Will Dunn and I am the owner of Coup de Main Training Center based in Winder, GA. My company is a firearms and self defense training and security consulting company that specializes in training civilians, law enforcement and security forces both domestic and internationally in the use of said practices. I hold many instructor certifications both in the state and through various organizations like the NRA and have trained more than a thousand people in the past few years. Also, before that I served in the military and in law enforcement and was assigned to the SWAT team and a host of other special operations groups that dealt with gangs and other less than upstanding citizens.

The reason why I tell you this is because today, while out with my family, we went to our local Carmike Gateway 12 located in Bethlehem, GA to watch a movie. We have always liked this theater due to the value, cleanliness and distance from a Regal theater only a few more miles down the road. Today when we came in, I noticed signs posted on the front doors, entrance ways and exterior doors stating that weapons and firearms are not permitted and that bags, purses and items are subject to search by the staff.

I understand that the incident in Aurora, CO has everyone on edge; however, this one isolated incident by a deranged man should not interfere with the daily life. By posting those signs, Carmike has just announced that permit holders, who are justified in carrying their firearms are not permitted, but a criminal who will always disobey the law and prey on others will not care about what signs or which teenager is posted at the door. They simply will do what they want to do, which is prey upon your customers and know they know that they have more victims that cannot defend themselves.

The teenage girl who checked my wife’s purse asked me if I was carrying (I was wearing my firearms training shirt) and I told her that I would not answer that and that I did have concealed carry permit and would be their only defense in an attack, which is highly unlikely. She nodded her head and we went on in and watched the movie and left, which I saw several people turn around and leave who were shaking their head in the parking lot apparently at the signs.

What gets me and why I will not patronize your establishment until you remove such signs and allow those who conceal carry legally feel welcomed back, is the fact that whoever came up with this idea has now just placed Carmike in a good stance for vicarious liability lawsuit if harm comes about to staff and patrons. I hope someone spoke to the legal department and your insurance company as I would make sure that Carmike would pay dearly if harm came to me or my family while in your theater after you advertised that everyone in there should not be armed.

If you request (it is private property) that you do not want someone carrying legally in your theater, but your staff or patrons are attacked and could have stopped such an attack if they were armed, will Carmike now be responsible for any death and injuries ? I see that by asking the only person who is responsible for me and my family’s safety, which is me, to come in unarmed that Carmike has upgraded its security by having armed security on premises or some sort of way to prevent anyone needing to protect themselves as Carmike will do that for us.

I just wanted someone to know that it was one of the dumbest things a company can do is to advertise to any possible predators that this establishment does not allow its patrons to protect themselves and now someone has raised the risk. Instead, you should remove such signs and welcome law abiding gun owners, knife owners, pepper spray etc in and put a sign out saying we support you, then if anyone comes in looking for trouble, they will know that there is a great risk that they will be stopped. I took the liberty and researched a statistic today and it showed that 14.8 people will be shot if the police respond instead of 2.2 people who would be shot if a person who is armed intervenes. As a former law enforcement officer, I can tell you that having someone in the building that is trained is a lot faster than some officer responding from across town. An average person can fire a well placed shot every .5sec, which will mean an entire magazine of 10rnds can be unloaded in 5sec’s, that is at least 10 people if one round reaches its mark.

In closing, I urge you to reconsider this. I empathize with you trying to show that you want to do something to help stop public fear, but it is backfiring as not only will word of this will spread and patronage will drop, but also someone in your company has just announced that they will now be responsible for the lives of all people in the theater and criminals will know where to go for easy pickings. Before you stop reading this, imagine if only 1 person in that theater in Colorado was armed? How many people would have been saved, instead a crazy man who had an agenda went out and committed a horrible act. I urge you also since you care so much for your patrons, to stop serving butter, candy and soda as this causes diabetes, obesity and is dangerous to people’s health. That makes about as much sense as posting signs to keep out concealed carrying members. It is the person who makes the choice to use the gun or eat stuff bad for them, not the items in question.

Respectfully,

Will Dunn

 

[fistfullaholla]

With your permission, may I repost your letter in social media with a request for others to write to Carmike as well? My letter will be written in the next few days as soon as I do some more research. I want to attach source information for their review as well.
If anyone knows of any case law, verifiable stats, personal defense first hand accounts, or even something as simple as the stats on violence committed in Pro 2 businesses vs. anti- it would help.
Thank you for doing this Will. Since the Aurora incident I had hoped theaters would reverse corporate policies, especially one based in Georgia. Personally, because of the policy I have not been to a theater in over a year, and would like to go to the movies again!

 

[willr1]

With your permission, may I repost your letter in social media with a request for others to write to Carmike as well? My letter will be written in the next few days as soon as I do some more research. I want to attach source information for their review as well.
If anyone knows of any case law, verifiable stats, personal defense first hand accounts, or even something as simple as the stats on violence committed in Pro 2 businesses vs. anti- it would help.
Thank you for doing this Will. Since the Aurora incident I had hoped theaters would reverse corporate policies, especially one based in Georgia. Personally, because of the policy I have not been to a theater in over a year, and would like to go to the movies again!

go ahead. The stats I have are from the FBI who did a study regarding reactionary time while shooting and you can google police response times etc. As far as case law, just google vicarious liability failure to act etc and you should find stuff. It is stupid though they want to try and do something, all they are doing is hurting themselves and hopefully no one else. I wont be back till it changes and if I do, Im concealing as alway's until they ask me to leave

 

[moreammo]

This is dead on! I will be writing a letter myself

 

[Laufen]

I certainly don't respect their "right" as a private company to amend the law as they see fit. Carry is legal in GA when you complete the process, any company public or private that wishes to eliminate that right for any reason loses my respect. Private companies should play by the same rules as anyone else.

 

[Laufen]

go ahead. The stats I have are from the FBI who did a study regarding reactionary time while shooting and you can google police response times etc. As far as case law, just google vicarious liability failure to act etc and you should find stuff. It is stupid though they want to try and do something, all they are doing is hurting themselves and hopefully no one else. I wont be back till it changes and if I do, Im concealing as alway's until they ask me to leave

I think you meant reaction time. The word reactionary means extreme right wing, neo nazi style political beliefs. I hear people misuse that word frequently.

 

[chucklenut]

i quit going to the movies in general a while ago

boring bad movies with stale plots at beyond high pricing