Almost a "boo-boo"

A couple of weeks ago, I was out of town on business, as I often am. One evening, I was eating at a restaurant, as I often do. I had checked for those silly signs that a very few places post that prohibits Handgun Carry Permit Holders, like me, from carrying within their establishment.

Note: any place can post such a sign, not just restaurants. I do not patronize any business that does. It is obvious by the sign that they do not want my business there. Sometimes, I drop off a card that explains why "no guns = no money."

Anyways, I finished up my dinner, finished up an interesting conversation with the waitress (that will be another post!), and was speaking with the manager, as it was nearing close and he saw that I was a friendly sort of person.

I asked him what he thought about the "guns in bars thing." He actually "corrected" me and stated it was in reality a guns in restaurants bill. He was right, of course, and I knew that, of course; but I get much more interesting responses when I phrase it like that. He went on to say that he saw both sides of the fence - several of his close family members were HCP holders, and he was a former bartender.

Toward the end he stated he was glad that his restaurant posted because of corporate mandate. My ears perked up. I had not seen the sign and I was carrying! Had I seen the sign, there's no way I would have entered! Oh, boy!

In the course of conversation, I asked him where the signs were - I had missed them. I'd told him earlier that I was asking him these things as part of research for this blog, without telling him in full what the blog was about. I told him I'd actually picked his place to eat because I saw no signs. He offered to show them to me.

I'm thinking "concealed is concealed." I am so worried someone is going to spot my gun and then I'm toast.

We get to the front, and he cannot find the signs!

He asked one of the coworkers, and they told him the signs had been taken down weeks ago. I breathed a sigh of relief (very quietly, so he would not know).

We conversed a bit more, and I thanked him and left. Good guy. He was actually glad they didn't have the signs up anymore.

I was, too. I was also glad I had looked very carefully.