Just a Little Irritated (Sorry, it's long!)

[randomoutburst]

This weekend at work, a couple of people got under my skin and I need to vent.

I work at Chili's, where the regulation for employees with a CHL is "absolutely no weapons on the premises". That's fine, and I will choose to carry anyway once I have my license. I'll simply ensure that it remains concealed and that no one who works there will hear even a whisper about my carrying. If someone finds out and I'm fired, so be it. Serving jobs are never hard to find and I can be trained and working again in a week.

Back on topic, I also carry a pocketknife at work. Girls don't typically carry any useful tools (women on this forum are an exception!), so it strikes a few coworkers as "odd" for me to carry one. One guy, let's call him Alex, acts as a faux manager when we are shorthanded, so he's in a position superior to me. He started making comments about it while on managing shifts. Ignorant comments.
"Oh, watch out! Don't make her mad, she has a knife!"
"Hey, be cool girl, don't break out your knife!"
"You'll have to answer to randomoutburst if you aren't doing your work. She'll pull her knife on you!"
And so on and so forth.

I was understandably upset and told a real manager (the only one who also likes guns and 2A rights, luckily for me) what was going on. I don't know what he said to Alex, but he stopped poking fun at me and making those dumb comments. In fact, he barely said a word to me all day.

So later that night I was talking to the Pro-2A manager about something when he cautioned a new female hire to not walk to her car alone at night. Since she's new to the Lone Star State, I dropped a comment about how it's legal for her to keep a handgun in her car.
The buzzkill manager, of whom I'm not fond, happened to overhear around the corner and said, "Since it's against company policy to have weapons on premises, I hope you don't have one in YOUR car!"

Of course I do, but didn't say anything about it. I just repeated the MPA of 2007 and said I knew what our company policy was. He shook his head and said, "All you gun people. Pry 'em from your cold dead hands, huh?"

Today, in my earshot, he made a comment to someone else that I carry guns in my car to work. I said, "I never said that I carry guns to work." He just laughed it off with a "whatever", but I didn't find it funny.

Buzzkill manager says the parking lot is owned by the company, which may or may not be correct. Can the company say I can't leave a weapon in my car, if my car is parked in a parking lot open to the public? Does it make a difference if they do, in fact, own the lot?

Regardless, I think I'll park 6 inches away, on the opposite side of the divider, in the neighboring restaurant's parking lot from now on. Geez. If I had known he'd take a passing comment and make it into such a big deal I would never have said anything at all.

Thanks if you read it all; I just needed a place to vent, since I obviously don't want to out myself to my coworkers.

[Grog]

Watch your rear, some people are not happy unless they are causing issues. I worked with a few of those over the years.


On a positive note, I love your fries


P.S. If you have not mentioned the restaurant before on this forum, you might want to edit it just in case someone sees it and figures it out. No reason to have an issue before you want one.

[TexasGal]

I'm so sorry you have had to put up with such childish behavior from a co-worker. It's ok to vent to us, we understand. I will leave it to someone else to answer the law questions. If this co-worker wanted to really cause you trouble, he could fabricate stuff to the cops, so please resist the temptation to play into his hands by going off on him if you can. You certainly do not want a charge on your record to stop you from getting your CHL. I have a dear friend who works with a couple of morons like him. It makes her otherwise good job a stressful day. Watch your back, there is no cure for these types and when they see your anger, it is like blood in the wind to a hyena.

[nitrogen]

The company can fire you for any reason they want to, as long as it's not a state or federally protected reason (sex discrimination, age, etc)

A friend of mine just got fired for posing with a gun on his facebook, for a post that happened 2 years before he was hired.

[randomoutburst]

I'm so sorry you have had to put up with such childish behavior from a co-worker. It's ok to vent to us, we understand. I will leave it to someone else to answer the law questions. If this co-worker wanted to really cause you trouble, he could fabricate stuff to the cops, so please resist the temptation to play into his hands by going off on him if you can. You certainly do not want a charge on your record to stop you from getting your CHL. I have a dear friend who works with a couple of morons like him. It makes her otherwise good job a stressful day. Watch your back, there is no cure for these types and when they see your anger, it is like blood in the wind to a hyena.

Alex was only poking fun - he always has, but I felt this one was excessive and crossed a line.

The buzzkill manager, though...he just likes to swing his you-know-what around and let you know who's boss. I wouldn't mouth off to him in any situation, but I don't think he would intentionally cause trouble or fabricate a story. If I were to be found out once I start carrying, though...man, he would cause a stink and bring up the exact conversation I posted here.

Also, Grog, I have posted where I work on this forum before. There are a lot more things I could get in trouble for than mentioning my weapon preferences and intentions...like, for instance, running a blog in which I complain about corporate policies and specific employees. I have a feeling they'd be more upset about that, those crazies. ;)

No one I work with seems to care too much about guns, pro or anti (except for buzzkill manager) so I'm not incredibly worried. I could take the path of most caution by not posting where I work on this forum, but I'll chalk it up to my daily dose of danger. Besides, there are always "what-if"s and I think that I can reasonably conclude that no one I work with will see anything on this forum because they don't know or cares that it exists. It's a risk I'm comfortable taking.

[TXlaw1]

Randomoutburst, glad you had this forum where you could vent to people who understand. Be brave and smart in your conversations or random comments. I'm glad you know you can easily get another job as that could be on the horizon based upon the stories your told. If I lived in your community I'd look you up as my server at Chili's. Good luck.

[A-R]

A bit of advice: keep discussions of RKBA/MPA/CHL issues PRIVATE at work, or don't discuss them at all at work. No one benefits from such discussions in a work environment amongst the sheeple. Invite the other gal for a drink after work and tell her all about Texas gun laws then.

The less colleagues know about your own MPA/CHL the better, especially if you intend to carry on the job against company policy. Remember, if "someone of authority" tells you orally that guns are not allowed on premises, you are in violation of PC 30.06 if you carry. Then it's not just your job that's in jeopardy, you could be prosecuted. I don't know if this "faux manager" qualifies as "someone of authority" or not and I am NOT a lawyer. But I strongly recommend you tread lightly. Hopefully the "real manager" has your back, but "politics" can quickly come into play in something like this and I doubt the "real manager" is willing to risk his job to save yours or even to keep you out of jail.

[Oldgringo]

During WW II, long before make believe computer war games and political correctness, patriotic slogans adorned many businesses and schools and churches, etc. One such slogan was, "Loose lips sink ships". It's as true today as it was in the mid '40's. That was; BTW, the greatest generation.

Good luck and God Bless.

[Matt78665]

In Texas you can be fired for any reason. Sounds like you need to find a new place to work. At the next job, maybe keep the whole thing quiet to prevent any problems.

[mctowalot]

Those types are everywhere random. As the old saying goes, people point at what they don't understand.

Years ago I had a Jeep. I ran around with no top (on the Jeep) or doors. A guy I worked with left a note on my steering wheel lock. It said "this like stupid - you must be paranoid".

Less than 24 hours later his (nice, paid off, uninsured) car was stolen and never recovered. I swear, I had nothing to do with it!

I can't help but contemplate his motivation in regards to his comments. It could be that he is envious of your confidence, or perhaps he "likes you" even though you are spoken for. Maybe a combination of both.

You know what they say a fear of weapons indicates, right?

Also, be advised that if he were to Google your screen name he's going to find this forum, so I hope he doesn't know it.

Wouldn't it be something if someday you had to save him from danger at work or in the parking lot?

[92f-fan]

Be mindful that the no weapons policy could be used against your knife as well.

[The Annoyed Man]

If your employer shares parking with another business, then "premises" does not legally include the parking lot. "Premises" would include all areas directly under their control, which is commonly interpreted to mean the buildings, but which companies can claim to include the parking lot, if the parking lot is directly under their control. When the lot is shared with other facilities, in some kind of "restaurant row" for instance, or if the lot is off the property and belongs to someone else, then the lot is not under the direct control of any one of the restaurants. So on the one hand, you cannot be fired for parking in a shared parking lot while having a gun in your car, based on some kind of "no-guns-on-the-premises" policy. On the other hand, they can fire you because they know you own a gun. They can fire you because you were born on a Tuesday, and they don't like people born on Tuesdays. They can fire you because they don't like the cut of your jib. Like Nitrogen said, they can fire you for any reason they want. So really, the parking lot issue is a moot point in situations like yours, and probably will remain one even if Texas passes a "parking lot bill" for CHL holders.

[mctowalot]

Because I'm sure there's no really long, sharp knives in the kitchen, right?

[KC5AV]

You might consider mentioning to the buzzkill manager that his comment has now put a target on your vehicle. Anyone who overheard his comment might be willing to break into your vehicle to see if there really are guns there. Maybe mention that if that happens, you will hold him personally responsible.

[alvins]

how is the manager going to prove he has a gun in his car?

And i seriously dought they have the right to search his car without some type of warrant.