I went to donate blood this week at the Red Cross office in Orem and they had a new "No Concealed Weapons" sign on the door. I've been donating there for the past 5 years (carrying for the last 4) and that's the first time the sign has been there. I know I could have simply donated and nobody would have known, but I figured if they didn't want my blood because of my weapon I would be happy to keep it to myself.
I mentioned to the person at the front desk that I had a concealed weapon, and if I was no longer welcome because a new policy that I would not be able to donate today. He was a little confused, I'm assuming I was the first one to make an issue of the sign. His initial response was "I don't even know why we have that sign, we don't handle any cash." To which I thought, ya, and if you did, that sign sure would protect you from anyone intent on relieving you of it. Of course the smart alec in me wanted to simply uncover my gun and ask if that would suffice, since it was no longer concealed, but I didn't expect anyone else to appreciate the humor. He asked if I could leave my weapon in my car while I donated. I responded that that wasn't a compromise I was willing to make when I'm donating to them. He disappeared to talk to whoever must have been in charge, and then came back and told me that I couldn't donate with my weapon, so I left.
I expect I'll get a call in a couple weeks asking me to make another appointment, at which time I'll inform them that as I'm happy to donate as soon as I'm welcome back at that location. I don't know if this is a decision made at that local office, or something pushed down from a national office. I'll probably write a letter to the local office at some point, but I guess I get a break from the bloodsuckers for the time being.
I mentioned to the person at the front desk that I had a concealed weapon, and if I was no longer welcome because a new policy that I would not be able to donate today. He was a little confused, I'm assuming I was the first one to make an issue of the sign. His initial response was "I don't even know why we have that sign, we don't handle any cash." To which I thought, ya, and if you did, that sign sure would protect you from anyone intent on relieving you of it. Of course the smart alec in me wanted to simply uncover my gun and ask if that would suffice, since it was no longer concealed, but I didn't expect anyone else to appreciate the humor. He asked if I could leave my weapon in my car while I donated. I responded that that wasn't a compromise I was willing to make when I'm donating to them. He disappeared to talk to whoever must have been in charge, and then came back and told me that I couldn't donate with my weapon, so I left.
I expect I'll get a call in a couple weeks asking me to make another appointment, at which time I'll inform them that as I'm happy to donate as soon as I'm welcome back at that location. I don't know if this is a decision made at that local office, or something pushed down from a national office. I'll probably write a letter to the local office at some point, but I guess I get a break from the bloodsuckers for the time being.