Laundry Owners Having Guns

Not so long ago a group of laundry owners were in a restaurant chatting over coffee just after their local coin laundry association''s meeting. The subject of personal security arose after one of the owners announced that he had applied at the Sheriffs Department for a concealed weapons permit. There was general interest by the others wanting to know the details of the carry permit process. That began a long discussion about guns in coin laundries. One operator admitted that he had been carrying a gun in his toolbox when he was out in his laundry collecting or doing repair work. Another said that he''d carried a gun from time to time, especially when he had to be in his laundry at night. One said he kept an old gun under his laundry desk, in case of a robbery. Not one of these operators pooh poohed the idea of a laundry owner having a firearm in his laundry for protection. Were these operators the exception, or the rule? Informal conversations with laundry owners and operators over the years indicates that there are quite a number of them who have felt a need to carry a gun from time to time. This is mostly while carrying money or doing business at night. Their justifications are best summed up as the perceived need for personal safety and self-protection. Many in the public have the impression laundry owners keep large sums of cash on hand. That makes some owners nervous about being robbed. Some laundry operators are doing business in what are called high crime areas. They may feel they have a right to be nervous about their personal security and that of their customers. Being armed while doing business is the personal choice many make to feel safe. The News neither recommends nor condemns carrying firearms for self protection. We''ve done it. That is a decision made by individuals. However, if coin and card laundry folks are going to arm themselves, they should do it safely, and within the law. That is the purpose of this article, to briefly review how it might be done. The second amendment of the constitution gives citizens a right to keep and bear arms. There have been some restrictions placed on this right. Some types of weapons, such as sawed off shotguns and machine guns, have been made illegal, but in most states citizens can legally keep firearms in their home or place of business for purposes of self-protection. It might be wise for you to check with your local city attorney''s office to be sure there are no local ordinances that you might be in violation of, but you probably do have the right to have a gun in your laundry. Carrying a pistol on your hip would likely terrify some of your customers, so if you do keep a gun in the laundry, don''t broadcast the fact that you have it. Keep it as a surprise for any bad guys who may come along. In some neighborhoods, at certain times of the day, having a gun in your pocket might give one a feeling of confidence. A confident attitude tends to discourage thugs, as they prefer picking on the unsure, the weak and the helpless. The confident are left alone. However, don''t be over confident either and take unnecessary risks. Keeping quiet about having a gun in your laundry is wise. If thieves get wind of it, it might become a target for theft as guns are prized as a quick cash sale item worth more than the cash they might steal. Carrying an unlicensed weapon could become expensive. Unless you hold a weapons permit, it is specifically against the law to have a loaded weapon on your person or carried in your car, while outside of your home or place of business. In most states it is a misdemeanor to carry a firearm outside of a business or home. Being caught could bring arrest, fines and jail time. However, it is most likely that the gun would be seized and a ticket written with a personal guarantee that you will appear in court. If found guilty, a judge typically will sentence first time offenders to ''suspended time''. What about weapons permits? The chief benefit in holding a Concealed Weapons Permit is that it allows you to have a weapon outside of your home or laundry such as walking to your car with the bank deposit or driving to and from home. Without such a permit, you break the law carrying a weapon on your person or in your car. Permits are only for a limited time. Concealed weapons permits are usually for one year only, and one has to go through the full application process each year in order to renew it. In addition, you should know that the guns you have listed on the permit application are the only ones you can carry with you. It''s just as much a violation of law to have a gun that the licensing authority has not approved for a carry permit as it is to not have the permit when carrying a gun outside of your place of business or away from home. Let''s assume that you already have bought a pistol and keep it in your laundry for personal safety. You went through the Federal and State background checks and waiting periods, so you are legally entitled to own it. But, have you ever been at a range to fire it? Do you know how it''s ''kick'' will be when it goes off? Do you know anything about guns at all? Too many people own guns they never mean to fire except in self defense. So they just keep them around, handy and just in case. If ever just in case actually happens, these people can be more dangerous than the crooks. There is one rather famous case where a man fired his weapon and promptly fainted because of the loud sound and kick of the gun. He missed, of course, but the bad guy also got frightened and ran away in a panic. It takes very little time and just a few bucks to go to a range to learn how to use a firearm. It''s just another tool you might have to use someday. Not knowing how it works is just plain dumb. Everybody knows somebody that knows about guns. Ask them for help and advice. It will help with your confidence and keep those around you safe from any mistake you might make.