Mo. cop kicked out of Olive Garden because of duty gun

[popper]

Not surprised, O.G. want to think of itself as an 'upscale/snob' place. Met the wife there a few times for lunch & they always wanted to push booze sales. They don't get much 'worker' lunch traffic around here. Cracker Barrel started near Lebanon, Tn - guess their owned by N.J. execs now. Stop there near Toad Suck often, guess I'll look for another place. I see LEO in Chick-a-Filet all the time, no problem. Do note, the article said he was waiting for his family - i.e. getting off duty so NO don't go home and change.

[M-Tecs]

It was his lunch break. http://www.westernjournalism.com/cop...ing-profusely/

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Off topic but 97-01 WE could not wear our camies off base!!! IN 29 Palms the biggest Marine Base around?? Not sure if that still the case but hell I lived OFF base, then we would get in trouble if NOT in uniform while going in and out of the Front gate...I see Air force and Army around here all day long in Uniform , granted they look like slobs or over weight Civies trying pull off a costume thing, but I guess the don't have to Iron anything these days?? Or get hair cuts?? They don't look like WAR FIGHTER TO ME. AND COPS are just that war fighters against CRIME...

Police in uniform eating lunch in public does not bother me,

IT WHEN I SEE THE fat lard of beer gut dressed in A cop Uniform that makes me sick, No weight height standards they just look like well Pigs, these guys are so fat, how do they get in and out of a cruiser- Never mind , we just got a new fleet of suvs , FOR our urban areas, the cars did not have enough room for the new breed - I am not a hater of POLICE , just a hater of the new Standards that are deemed Good Enough...

[jcwit]

I have never went to Olive Garden to eat, and I do not use Cracker Barrel either. But unless it is just our local area they have lines coming out the doors. I doubt that losing a small group will get their attention.

IMO I give my business to restaurants that are gun friendly, not just for LE. I would rather encourage, and reward good business practice instead of wasting my time with GFZ business.

Usually local restaurants are welcome to armed customers. Post the friendly restaurants on state local forums. Nationally IHOP, Denny's, are gun friendly. Nationally Olive Garden, and Cracker barrel are not. They just opened a new Buffalo Wild Wings here, but because of their national policy we will not ever go there. So far I have seen no posting on the doors.

In Sanford, NC the only place that has an anti gun policy is Cracker Barrel, seems all the other restaurants are on board.

ETA I don't have a lot of sympathy for cops that give their money to anti gun restaurants. They know before they go they are anti gun, so it should be no surprise.

Never had a problem with the Cracker Barrels in my area and I open carry most of the time.

[jumbeaux]

... The uniform denote He is on Duty.... It lack of Common sense
He should have went Home and Changed

Outrageous to suggest that a uniformed LEO should not be allowed to have a meal while on duty...ever heard of a coffee or meal break ? I live in rural East Texas but all of the restaurants locally offer LEO discounted meals, coffee and drinks (tea, cokes etc...). These men & women have a difficult enough job without all of this BS...

rick

[jcwit]

Don't get me wrong. This was not an off the cuff statement. my family Owned Bars and Restaurant In New York City for decades. It was unheard of The a Uniform Cop to come in , Sat down, eating and Or drinking. . The uniform denote He is on Duty. There were a lot Of Cops in My father Place , #34 Precinct . Maybe it happens where you Live But Not In the city . It show no respect for the badge and None for his co worker not that he can't. It lack of Common sense
He should have went Home and Changed

You sure seem to have a warped way of looking at things. But that's JMO.

[Walkingwolf]

Never had a problem with the Cracker Barrels in my area and I open carry most of the time.

It is company policy, some may ignore it. I will dig, and see if I can find the official statement. I don't care if one, or two allow, if it is company policy none get my business.
Cracker Barrel

Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with all of us here at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. We're always pleased to hear from our guests.

Open Carry Policy
As we work to achieve our mission of Pleasing People, one of our top priorities is the safety and comfort of our guests, both external and internal. Because of this, and because it is our intent to provide our guests and employees with a relaxed, comfortable, family-oriented environment, we feel its important to review our open carry policy.

Simply stated, our policy is that we will not seat or serve patrons who are openly carrying or wearing firearms unless the patrons are law enforcement officers, security guards, or uniformed military personnel.

We look forward to seeing you in one of our locations again soon.

Sincerely,

Sandra Vance
Guest Relations Representative
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc

[trapper9260]

Fir how i see it is that if they have that much of someone that is there to protect and serve and like to stop to eat and they do not want them there for being dress for duty when needed, then i say that when OG need the police ,when some one want to clean them of the funds they have or other hold up, the police should not show up inside and let OG get there own security then .since they do not want any officers in there place.they do not need there bussiness for being there to eat and on duty then they will not need them when they really need help.Just like any other place that wants to be that way.

[Lonegun1894]

Don't get me wrong. This was not an off the cuff statement. my family Owned Bars and Restaurant In New York City for decades. It was unheard of The a Uniform Cop to come in , Sat down, eating and Or drinking. . The uniform denote He is on Duty. There were a lot Of Cops in My father Place , #34 Precinct . Maybe it happens where you Live But Not In the city . It show no respect for the badge and None for his co worker not that he can't. It lack of Common sense
He should have went Home and Changed

The last suicidal person I had to drive to a psych hospital to get them help was a 675 mile drive EACH WAY (and I had to leave 10 hours into a 12hr shift) because our local hospital said that they were unable to find an open bed in a psychiatric center any closer. Would you suggest that I take the suicidal person home with me next time this happens and make sandwiches to take for the road, or just wait til I get home? Now this is by no means a normal shift, but it happens now and then. So you can't expect us to go change before going to grab lunch if during a shift. For what it's worth though, if I have the option, I tend to change into off duty clothing and hide any hint of what I do for the sake of I just don't want anyone messing with my food, cause nowadays, it happens a lot. I am lucky that I work in a small town and we have the local communities support, so I try to stop off and have lunch in public, but I go out of my way to make sure I blend in with everyone else when going out anywhere outside of my town.

[Elkins45]

Wonder what they would have done if he had refused to leave? Called the cops?

[Littleton Shot Maker]

messing with your food!! Lame-
I worked food as a young man- we had a waitress have a bad experience with a jerk, YEAH he came around every morning but I think he'd been a jerk even if not in Uniform but it almost killed that guy and She was cuffed an stuffed the same day for Assault ?? I think it was, Won;t say what see did but I guess he did not make it far donw the road and got very sick, ran off road, almost took out some other driver that day.. etc...

This is so dumb I hate to hear about that... her claim was he was "grabby" "touchy" tried to get out on date?? What ever you don't screw with some ones food ever!!! AND if claim was real she could have just asked some other girl, we only had women servers, to serve him. AND reported him?? BUT he could have killed anyone around him while going down that Hi-way and him self for what??? Stupid people...

[alamogunr]

with the current state of mind in this country. i can Understand This situation. I am a firm believer that it make People Uncomfortable. . Open carry Or Not. There is a place and time for everything. It not a Matter Of respect Or dis- respect. It is strictly a matter of Business.

I would have to dispute your location of "Any Town, USA". Most Towns USA would not have businesses that treated a police officer in uniform in this way.

The wife and I were in New York for a few days about 3 weeks ago. It was the first time we had been there and stayed more than hours. We ate a couple of times at a sort of neighborhood(if Times Square area can be called a neighborhood) restaurant. Both times we were there what was apparently a special squad of police officers came in for lunch. They were all in uniform and armed. I have to say they were treated at least as well as any other customer and I felt very safe. I don't mean to leave the impression that we didn't feel safe otherwise. I never felt unsafe at any time.

[Plate plinker]

smart for leo people to buy food where they can see it being prepared.

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Plate Plinker - Not just for Police- I like when I can see the cooks, how they work, what the stations looks like- I cooked for More than a couple years while getting through school before getting deep into making lead. I like to see if they look like they are doing it right!! When food comes out of a door from some where else in the building I don;t want to eat there much. I caught a cook in a sleeveless shirt cooking my food , nothing holding in his beard in or long hair and those flake where not pepper , he was back there smoking.

DID not pay, did not eat , never went back. told the Mgt. what and why-- 3 months later it was closed down for good...thank the lord- give food service folks a bad rep all around...

[jcwit]

It is company policy, some may ignore it. I will dig, and see if I can find the official statement. I don't care if one, or two allow, if it is company policy none get my business.
Cracker Barrel

Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with all of us here at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. We're always pleased to hear from our guests.

Open Carry Policy
As we work to achieve our mission of Pleasing People, one of our top priorities is the safety and comfort of our guests, both external and internal. Because of this, and because it is our intent to provide our guests and employees with a relaxed, comfortable, family-oriented environment, we feel its important to review our open carry policy.

Simply stated, our policy is that we will not seat or serve patrons who are openly carrying or wearing firearms unless the patrons are law enforcement officers, security guards, or uniformed military personnel.

We look forward to seeing you in one of our locations again soon.

Sincerely,

Sandra Vance
Guest Relations Representative
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc

Guess you'd have a hard time at our club then as well. No open carry by range officers at sanctioned NRA matches while policing the line.

Don't ask me why.

As far as Cracker Barrel, I like their food and have no problem with them.

Ever eat anything from Quaker Oats?

[jcwit]

Plate Plinker - Not just for Police- I like when I can see the cooks, how they work, what the stations looks like- I cooked for More than a couple years while getting through school before getting deep into making lead. I like to see if they look like they are doing it right!! When food comes out of a door from some where else in the building I don;t want to eat there much. I caught a cook in a sleeveless shirt cooking my food , nothing holding in his beard in or long hair and those flake where not pepper , he was back there smoking.

DID not pay, did not eat , never went back. told the Mgt. what and why-- 3 months later it was closed down for good...thank the lord- give food service folks a bad rep all around...

Don't eat in many fancy, expensive resturants do you? You know, the kind you spend $75 to $500 a plate.

[retread]

The wackos are pushing us farther to the sidelines. Make a statement that businesses understand, take your money elsewhere. If enough people take a stand things will change. If we keep accommodating the people that push their agendas on us, we deserve the results.

[jcwit]

The wackos are pushing us farther to the sidelines. Make a statement that businesses understand, take your money elsewhere. If enough people take a stand things will change. If we keep accommodating the people that push their agendas on us, we deserve the results.

The reality of it is it's similar to not buying ANYTHING made in china.

[smokeywolf]

35+ years ago, every department I knew of required their officers to carry while off duty and away from home. Get caught by supervisory personnel out without you duty or off duty gun and it was 4 days off without pay (4 on, 2 off schedule).

[jcwit]

We have some Officers in one of the clubs I belong to, I concur that they are required to carry even when off duty.