Marriott Betrays NRA, GRNC

[ncpatriot]

NRA and Grass Roots NC both held gun rights events in Charlotte, NC recently, at the Charlotte Marriott, City Center. During the events, the manager had all the hotel entrances posted against firearms. As anyone knows, this instantly put any armed guests at risk, for carrying guns in a posted facility. Whether a court would believe them that the posting had just been done, no one knows.

Marriott had the obligation to post its hotel all along, if they do not allow firearms. It would have been polite, if not required, if they had verbally reminded the NRA and GRNC reps while arrangements were in progress. They should have known that some of the attendees would be armed.

Check this out at www.grnc.org. If you and your family travel a lot for pleasure or business, please make Marriott your last choice, if at all. This was dirty business.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

To claim Marriott betrayed the two organizations is to saying that Marriot allied with them before the events. That isn't the case.

Don't go getting bent out of shape about Marriot not allowing carry. It is done for safety reasons. After all, many gun stores, gun shows, and the Shot Show doesn't allow carry either and deny carry on the basis of safety and liability..

 

[ScottRiqui]

I agree that "betray" isn't the right word, but I think the concern is that the Marriott management supposedly put up the signs after the events had started, presumably while people were already carrying inside.

This is akin to the "Boss Hogg" trick of placing a fire hydrant next to a car that's already parked. (referring to the TV show - not claiming that this has actually happened, although some towing companies have been sued for placing "no parking" signs near cars that were already present and then towing them.)

 

[Standing Wolf]

It is done for safety reasons. After all, many gun stores, gun shows, and the Shot Show doesn't allow carry either and deny carry on the basis of safety and liability.

That's what the mayor of Chicago says, too.

 

[johnwilliamson062]

It is done for safety reasons. After all, many gun stores, gun shows, and the Shot Show doesn't allow carry either and deny carry on the basis of safety and liability.

A gun shop near me has a sign to the effect "If you are carrying a loaded firearm, please leave it in your holster at all times. If you have a firearm you would like to show please be certain to clear and lock back the slide of the gun before entering the store"
To me, this is the ONLY reasonable policy anyone who claims to be pro-2a/carry can have for their business outside the restrictions of state law. I also like this policy much more than just not posting anything at all. I went to the OGCA show in Wilmington Ohio Today. Supposed to be "higher class" no riff-raff, and for the most part it was as described, but someone sighted a pistol on me. I could see the zip-tie from 20 feet away, but the guy was still an idiot.

 

[flashover251]

Thanks for the post.

I make it a point to avoid businesses who do not allow carry whenever possible. And before anyone points out that banks are off limits, yes I use a bank. That's why I said whenever possible.

 

[ncpatriot]

Double Naught Spy, did you miss that the hotel posted signs DURING THE EVENT? A person carrying checks for signs, as we all would before entering a building. No sign, all is clear. During the event, signs are posted, making your possession illegal. You walk out, see the signs and realize you could be prosecuted. And you say "don't get bent out of shape"?

Marriott accepted their business and their money, then backstabbed them by posting signs in midstream. I suspect you would sing a different tune if it happened to you.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Betraying might be a bit strong, but, I hope that the NRA might steer business away from the Marriot whenever possible going forward.

 

[danez71]

That's what the mayor of Chicago says, too.

No he doesnt..... he leaves out the word "liability".

 

[ScottRiqui]

Double Naught Spy, did you miss that the hotel posted signs DURING THE EVENT? A person carrying checks for signs, as we all would before entering a building. No sign, all is clear. During the event, signs are posted, making your possession illegal. You walk out, see the signs and realize you could be prosecuted. And you say "don't get bent out of shape"?

To be fair to Marriott, if there were any prosecution involved, it would have to be Marriott instigating it, and they may have simply decided that they would post the signs even though there were already carriers inside but not prosecute anyone already inside. Unless other stories come out, there's no indication that Marriott was trying to "trap" anyone or trip them up.

If you think about it, even without the Grass Roots/NRA events in progress, the possibility always exists that when they decide to put up "no carry" notices that there could be people carrying inside already.

 

[PSP]

Before I would join in a boycott against a very conservatively run corporation, I'd have to have a few questions answered.

Why didn't the organizers of the event clarify the situation before booking?

What happened that touched off the guns banned posters?

What did the hotel management say when asked about the signs being posted "DURING THE EVENT"? If you didn't ask, then why didn't you ask?

Is carrying on private property a prosecutable offense in N.C.?

I suspect there may be another side to this story.

 

[golfnutrlv]

THe way I see it, it could be one rogue liberal anti gun manager. I don't know a lot about Marriot's corporate policy, but I wonder if this manager is in line with that policy or is a "rogue".

 

[ncpatriot]

In NC, carry is forbidden in a bank, school, government office, establishment serving alcohol and a few other places. These do not need to be posted. We are suppose to know about them, posted or not. Businesses in general are not forbidden unless posted. A business is obligated to post a sign if they do not allow ccw on their premises. While I don't much like it, I understand that some managers may not want us to carry there. OK, I can go or not go. But to post while an event is going on is totally unethical, especially NRA or GRNC, where you know many people are likely to be armed. The morning of the slowest business day would be the appropriate time to post, when fewer people are in.
Again, one can read the full details at www.grnc.org, website of Grass Roots NC.

 

[ncpatriot]

Still further details and statements from Paul Valone, president of GRNC can be
seen at www.examiner.com. Pull up site and enter Charlotte under other cities. Then see Marriott in list of articles.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

That's what the mayor of Chicago says, too.

Yep, and he can look to quite a few pro-gun organizations and events for justification.

Marriott accepted their business and their money, then backstabbed them by posting signs in midstream. I suspect you would sing a different tune if it happened to you.

While, I have been to events where some such activity was noted whilst the activity was in progress, said activity was a problem, and signs had to be posted to curtail the activity.

Why didn't the organizers of the event clarify the situation before booking?

You would think they would have done so unless they felt that by posting the query in advance, they would be outright rejected in advance. So they don't ask in advance. If nothing goes wrong, then no harm and no foul.

Of course, it is rather ironic that the NRA didn't bother to confirm that the hotel would allow guns, given that it was a pro guns rights event. You would think that the NRA would have researched the issue in advance and to have had carrying on hotel property allowed via contract before shelling out the money. Not only that, but why didn't the NRA check Marriott's gun position before supporting Marriot? That is a rather significant oversight.

What happened that touched off the guns banned posters?

More than likely, it was some sort of public display of arms that bothered non-gun patrons who then complained.

THe way I see it, it could be one rogue liberal anti gun manager.

It could have been, but probably not. While I don't know about Marriot, mgmt in many chains receive bonuses for how well the business performs and that performance benefit can be from room sales, ballroom sales, bar, and restaurant sales.

According to warbird here...
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?p=4328286
it is company policy to not allow firearms.

Marriott accepted their business and their money, ...

Accepting business and money does not mean Marriot's operations are then determined by the client.

NR

A and Grass Roots NC both held gun rights events in Charlotte, NC recently, at the Charlotte Marriott, City Center. During the events, the manager had all the hotel entrances posted against firearms. As anyone knows, this instantly put any armed guests at risk, for carrying guns in a posted facility. Whether a court would believe them that the posting had just been done, no one knows.

I realize that this happened when gun rights events were ongoing. So if the concern was timing and legal risk, then basically Marriott could not post such signs ever after opening for business as the signs would create legal risk for any occupants.

 

[ncpatriot]

Again, check this out with the sources I gave. Paul Valone, of GRNC, says he walked the premises when making arrangements and there were no signs posted. Signs were then posted DURING THE EVENT.

No Marriott does not have to allow firearms in its hotels. But this is a shady way of posting. I don't understand the lack of concern here. This is a gunowner's forum, correct?

 

[ScottRiqui]

Who cares when/how the signs were posted, as long as Marriot wasn't doing so in order to "trick" carriers and then prosecute them? Unless I see some evidence of carriers actually getting jammed up by management or security after entering the facilities legally, This is big freakin' non-issue.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Again, check this out with the sources I gave. Paul Valone, of GRNC, says he walked the premises when making arrangements and there were no signs posted. Signs were then posted DURING THE EVENT.

Yep, apparently a problem occurred after the event started.

As I said previously this is something that sometimes needs to be done by mgmt for a variety of behaviors. Hilton at the Ballpark in St. Louis had to put up a sign tells Hotwheels conventioners not to set up tracks down the resident hallways. The sign went up on the 2nd day.

So are you suggesting that the fact that Paul Valone walked around for a while is some sort of substitute for the groups not doing their homework and booking with an anti-gun business? By the time he walked around, it was already too late as the meeting was booked and setting up.

Hotels have lots of rules, but they don't have them all posted everywhere because by and large, most people either don't break the rules or don't break them in a readily apparent manner. When you have a large group and a problem develops, an effective way of notifying members of that group is by temporary signage.

The NRA and GRNC didn't do their homework, didn't get a contractual release, and you want to blame Marriott?

No Marriott does not have to allow firearms in its hotels. But this is a shady way of posting. I don't understand the lack of concern here. This is a gunowner's forum, correct?

You are RIGHT!!! As gun owners, we should be embarrassed that the leaders of two of our organizations screwed up in such an overt and ironic manner. Never in a million years would have I have guessed that the organizers of a gun right conference would so completely drop the ball on an issue that is a central point to the conference. Somebody should find out who made that mistake or mistakes. Personally, I would think such organizations would be a little more careful with their money.

 

[armoredman]

has anyone contacted this hotel to see why this was done?

 

[Don H]

Sometime on Friday evening, as Grass Roots North Carolina held its “Gala for Gun Rights,” hotel General Manager Jim Diehl instructed hotel personnel to post “no firearms” signs on hotel entrances. Under NC General Statute 14-415.11(c), carrying of firearms into places where a “conspicuous notice” banning firearms has been placed is punishable as a Class 2 misdemeanor, meaning that many of the hundreds of gun rights supporters staying at the hotel or attending the GRNC event were subject to fines and imprisonment.

Based on the sparse information and the link provided in the OP, this incident ocurred during a GRNC event, not a NRA event. Why are people linking the NRA to this and criticizing the NRA for lack of due diligence?