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rp_photo,

I appreciate your comment about not bringing the topic up but that won't work here. There is a company policy that prohibits firearms in the parking lot. One can bring them in but if you get caught, you are terminated (not an option I would like to explore). I am hoping that a happy place can be found where all employees that work on the ship channel will be able to enjoy the benefits of the new parking lot bill.

Folks,

Thank you for the replies and information. We do not need our TWIC card to enter the parking lot (yet). The TWIC card is not needed to enter the main office building but is needed to get past the reception area. The fenced area for the refinery is behind the main office building and it requires the TWIC card to enter the gate there (parking lot is in front of and on the sides of the Main Office Building). At present, the parking lot is open to the public. They have talked about putting up security arms to restrict entrance to the parking lot (probably with the TWIC to open them) but nothing has happened to date. There are cameras in the parking lot but I have no idea if they are all monitored 24 hours a day. I am not as worried about being unarmed during my normal daily commutes (but still don't like the idea) but I am very uncomfortable being unarmed when I get called out at 2 AM. Hope the Coast Guard will work with us on this. The first time someone is killed because they can't legally carry and defend themselves, there will be a big issue made over this "variation" in the parking lot.

I was all excited to hear that the parking lot bill passed and was discussing that with one of the managers at our refinery. He mentioned that the new law would be invalid for us as our refinery is on the Houston Ship Channel and the Coast Guard would prohibit us from having any weapon in our vehicle in the parking lot (we must have TWIC cards at our site and that applies to any site on the Ship Channel).

Charles, please tell us that he is mistaken.