Beale Street Carry?

[drapnw01]

Hey guys I have a quick question and figured this was the best place to ask. I'm heading to Mississippi this weekend for some casino action and I understand that I can't carry in a casino, I'm ok with that I guess, theres enough security in those places I generally feel safe. My main concern is that we are also going to Beale Street for a bachelor party Saturday and I was wondering if I could even carry there. I've read a few things about them setting up metal detectors and not allowing guns anywhere in any building and even on the street. Something about it being a private street gives them the right to ban guns outside the businesses as well as inside. Anyone heard of this? I feel like this could be a dangerous area and because we'll be at the casino we may have larger than normal amounts of cash on hand so I'd really feel more comfortable with a firearm. In situations like that I would typically carry my S&W Bodyguard .380 in a pocket holster so I wouldn't worry someone would point me out but if they're wanding or have detectors at the door I'd be screwed. I'd rather have a good time with my friends and take a chance than get kicked out and have to party alone. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I can't speak about Beale st. specifically, but if you're going to Memphis you'd better carry.

ETA: I'd never heard about Beale St being private property

 

[diverdown219]

Looks like it's a gun free zone now...heres a google search.
Let me google that for you

 

[lrahm]

I can't speak about Beale st. specifically, but if you're going to Memphis you'd better carry.

ETA: I'd never heard about Beale St being private property

6 feet off Beale Street...isn't that part of a song. Walking in Memphis.

 

[Moparracer89]

I went by there last summer. There ARE metal detectors and officers wanding people at the gate. No firearms.

 

[littletommy]

I would not go to Memphis without a weapon, once there, I would not go anywhere I couldn't take my weapon. I'd just not go.

 

[drapnw01]

Yea I googled it, did you look at the dates on those articles, everything was from 09...except where they listed shootings, those were more recient. Last I checked things DO change all the time so I was looking for something more recient like "I went by there last summer. There ARE metal detectors and officers wanding people at the gate. No firearms. " so thank you Mopar for your help.

I really don't want to go there without carrying but if there are wands then i'm not taking a chance. I'll see if a small group of guys wants to do something else more productive with their time like I do. I hate not being able to carry in an area where carrying is most necessary.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=43407

Elkington said Beale Street merchants will pursue a gun ban as part of the city’s beer ordinance, a way around the state law

My advice is don't give these liberal scumbags one red Hoosier cent.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

Yea I googled it, did you look at the dates on those articles, everything was from 09...except where they listed shootings, those were more recient. Last I checked things DO change all the time so I was looking for something more recient like "I went by there last summer. There ARE metal detectors and officers wanding people at the gate. No firearms. " so thank you Mopar for your help.

I really don't want to go there without carrying but if there are wands then i'm not taking a chance. I'll see if a small group of guys wants to do something else more productive with their time like I do. I hate not being able to carry in an area where carrying is most necessary.

Repped.

 

[Whosyer]

The wife and I visited Beale Street about 10 years ago. (stayed in Memphis on our way to, and back from NOLA. ) They didn't have this crap then. I carried my model60 the whole time. Out of all the places we have traveled , Beale Street is the only place that I actually thought we were about to have a "situation". We were leaving, and had two guys shadowing our every move. We turned around and went back towards them, and they disappeared down a side street. If they're wanding folks now, I won't be going back.

 

[Moparracer89]

Honestly, if you skip it you wont miss much. Most of the bars are dives anyhow.

 

[hooky]

Is it jsut the one block stretch from BB King's place on down towards the arena? How many metal detectors do they have?

It's bee 4 years since I was there for a NCAA tournament game. Beale St. was wide open then.

 

[Moparracer89]

I dont remember exactly but its at least 3-4 blocks. There is police and metal detectors at every entrance.

 

[mizzi]

If I were a perp, and knew all the folks leaving a location were unarmed and outside earshot of security (not that they would save you anyway)... That would be some easy targets would it not??? If you go, stay in a crowd!

 

[011101110111]

6 feet off Beale Street...isn't that part of a song. Walking in Memphis.

6 feet under Beale Street is a more correct assessment.

 

[drapnw01]

Well we made it home safely without incident. I succumbed to the peer pressure and decided to go without carrying after all. They all thought I was crazy for even thinking of it. I talked to a federal officer stationed in the area for 29 years and he said that it's not as bad as people say and that there would be over 200 officers on the street monitoring everything. That made me feel comfortable enough to go. He said that we would be wanded and pass through detectors frequently and that everyone was checked multiple times and that as long as we stayed on the main street it was safe, and he was right, it felt fairly safe for a large crowd of drunk people. the officers were friendly and stationed well as to cover as much area as they could. the funny thing was...not one detector or wand was used!
Everything was going fine until about 2am.. it was like a light switch went off and all the officers left. as soon as that happened I said "we're leaving and I mean right now." We had to wait a half hour for the officer to pick us up (we rented a driver service that used police officers as the driver). During that half hour wait we watched one guy get pulled out of his vehicle and it was seized and he went to jail. we also saw a guy running from a cop who had his baton drawn and extended, he ran right by us and got away. After that, they didn't think I was so crazy anymore.
Overall it was a good experience and I'm glad I went, that said, I would never go back at night. I know it was a bad idea and a risk but I suppose we take risks everyday, we just look for ways to mitigate them when possible. Thanks for the advice, I'm glad I have somewhere to share my story.

Another good story came out of that trip so if you have the time it was a good lesson too.

During our drive over to Beale Street I was talking to the officer driving. I told him that usually I would carry in a situation like this and he said he didn't blame me but it was a private street so there wasn't much I could do except for not go. I agreed with him and we had a good conversation about it, he was a very nice person and supports the second amendment. He then mentioned that they arrest people at the security points at Beale Street all the time trying to carry weapons in. Apparently they usually do have the wands and detectors but Saturday they did not for some reason. He said that they get people trying to carry knifes in every day and that they have to take it from them and take them down to the station for questioning before releasing them without their weapon. At this point a friend of mine said "I forgot, I have my knife on me" which wouldn't surprise me, I had one with me too. The officer asked us for them and said that they would have both been seized and we would have never seen them again and would have spent the first hour of our trip in the station. He said they were illegal anywhere in the state actually. I could sort of understand my friends, it was an assisted open 'tactical' knife with about 1.5" of serrations but overall the blade was probably 3.5" but mine is a dang Leatherman Blast. So not only could I not carry a gun I couldn't even take a multi-tool..

 

[Titanium_Frost]

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

If I understand it correctly, in Tennessee those "No Guns Signs" carry the force of law. Does anybody know if this is true? If so, does that explain that one comment two posts up in drapnw's last post about the Memphis cops arresting folks at the check points?

 

[Titanium_Frost]

If I understand it correctly, in Tennessee those "No Guns Signs" carry the force of law. Does anybody know if this is true? If so, does that explain that one comment two posts up in drapnw's last post about the Memphis cops arresting folks at the check points?

You are correct.

Gun laws in Tennessee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia