Weapons policy @ Randolph movie theatre?

[Len-2A Training]

Yes it is.

Maybe the movie theaters are comparable "crime" wise or "perception of crime" wise but otherwise Randolph is, for the most part, a physically nice looking town while Brockton is a run down cess pool. There are still good people in Randolph and tons of good restaurants to eat at (La Scala, Lynwood, Zacks to name a few, in addition to all the chains). We can't control the population or geography.

As somebody who lives there, you guys who are basically saying its up there with the taboo to visit towns in the state are off your rockers, sorry. I don't like the population that has moved in any more than the next person but it is not dangerous to drive through the town or walk main street at 2am.

The movie theater looks bad and the perception of crime is there but I hear very little going on there, my scanner is always on. We have an extremely good and responsive PD (mainly because we had a great chief in the 1990's) who are on top of everything that happens. Most of our bad rap comes from the youtes of a certain nationality and their weapons of choice are mostly rocks, cement, bricks and metal bars.

That said, I go to movies elsewhere because I hate being around the ignorant youtes, I'm not afraid of them though, they would not so much as bat an eye at a random person.

Randolph history:

In the late 1960s I was mugged by the brother of a Randolph PO as I pulled up to the USPO to mail a letter at ~8PM and they were rifling cars parked along the street (USPO was located in a Randolph Square back then). Although I reported it to the police and told them who it was, nothing was ever done about it.

Let's see . . . back ~1972 the town had to call in the MSP to keep order. It seems that the Rumpot Rustlers (motorcycle gang) had pretty much taken over the town. The town was over-built in a massive way but the population that you allude to had not moved into town yet.

Sometime in the 1980s, there were allegations (by LEOs that I know, they lived in Randolph but did not work there) of a major real estate firm doing "block busting". I'm not aware of the veracity of these allegations, but these people were selling their homes in Randolph and would be more aware than I about what was going on there.

As to the former police chief in the 1990s, I believe that you are referring to Jake. I knew him casually and he seemed like an OK guy. I went to school with one of his Brothers, who was a scrapper. However, Jake "snapped" and allegedly attacked one of his own officers in the parking lot and was then forced to retire. Sad, but points out that all was not well there.

The current chief is someone I went to RHS with and his late Wife graduated with me. Paul's a nice guy. I don't live there and can't pass judgment on the competence of either Paul or Jake's leadership of the PD.

The design of these "destination cinemaplexs" is such that it becomes a magnet for youts to hang around. Never a good thing anywhere, but it does keep them off the streets.

All this said:

- I've never been fearful of driving thru Randolph, even to this day.

- I would not feel comfortable wandering around Randolph Square on foot in the late evenings.

- I always keep my situational awareness in "alert mode" there.

- Brockton on the other hand, I wouldn't feel comfortable walking their downtown streets in broad daylight!

- So no, Randolph IMNSHO has not (yet) sunk to the level of Brockton (which also has some very nice neighborhoods and houses in the West Side). I hope it never does either.

Having eaten Zach's pizza a few years ago, I was disappointed . . . it was not as tasty as it was back in the late 1950s thru 1970s. Haven't been to La Scalla in years but it was always a good upscale Italian restaurant. A few good restaurants don't make a town good/great. Brockton has Christo's which is a great restaurant, but doesn't cancel out the crime issues of the city.

 

[George D]

.Going to movies became unfun many years ago .People talk and sometimes smoke in the theatre because they are asshats.If I have to pay 10 bucks or more to see a movie,I expect it to be a nice experience.Unfortunately,society has become so bad, movies to me are history.

Sadly, that is true for me as well. The lack of consideration for others and outright douchebaggery have made it imposible to enjoy a movie. If I really want to see something, I'll go to a matinee.

 

[Masterguns]

I've carried in that theater before,
haven't noticed any signage,
i haven't done the "VIP section" where they have the lazyboys and serve alcohol though

 

[Garys]

We went to Randolph a lot in the early to mid 1970s because the girls were supposed to be easy.

 

[fencer]

Like a lot of towns like Randolph just seems to get worse. That having been said when I was a kid growing up in Avon the only place for pizza was the Linwood. Does anyone know if it is still worth the trip? I was at the Cape Cod Cafe on main street in Brockton with the wife and two other couples a couple of Saturday nights ago. We had no trouble what so ever and the crowd was very diverse. That having been said I wouldn't have gone unarmed and I was very aware of my surroundings, especially during the short walk to and from the car.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

I just carry every where I go these days. Even in the quiet and quaint towns on Maine, I am never "alone".......

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

+12 Smartest post in the thread.

Dad told me as a teen, go to the nicer place, pay an extra $1 for the drink and you won't have to worry about having a chair broken over your head.!

Movie theaters in general seem to have been getting much worse the past few years. Even ones that are supposed to be nice. My guess is that the places have cut back on their police details.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

I just carry every where I go these days. Even in the quiet and quaint towns on Maine, I am never "alone".......

That is a good philosophy. When I first started to carry, I really just wanted to do so in situations/areas that were concerning. The more research I did, the more I found that these things often happen where you wouldn't expect. I don't ever want to be in a situation where I can carry, choose not to, and then myself or someone else is unnecessarily hurt.

 

[newenglandshooter]

We went to Randolph a lot in the early to mid 1970s because the girls were supposed to be easy.

They still are .

 

[Garys]

They still are .

Those would be the daughters of the girls we went looking for!

 

[Len-2A Training]

Those would be the daughters of the girls we went looking for!

Or grand-daughters!

 

[usnma]

I just carry every where I go these days. Even in the quiet and quaint towns on Maine, I am never "alone".......

Same here.

I haven't been to the Randolph cinema in years. That was my theater of choice during high school and the earlier part of the decade. My mother recently moved to Randolph, not too far from the theater. I don't expect any trouble there, and I don't expect any trouble in Walpole, nor do I expect trouble in Wells, ME, but I am carrying wherever I am.

 

[MadRussian]

In 2005 or so the Framingham AMC put "No Guns" signs on all the doors.
Then a month or two later they where gone.
I wonder if anyone actually payed attention to them.
I assume that anyone else who stopped going did so to take their money elsewhere and not to obey the signs.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Now here is a question for you guys that I was just thinking about. Now we know that posting a sign prohibiting firearms means nothing, unless they ask you to leave and you refuse. However, can anything happen if a person (God forbid) needed to defend themselves in said theater?

 

[Len-2A Training]

Now here is a question for you guys that I was just thinking about. Now we know that posting a sign prohibiting firearms means nothing, unless they ask you to leave and you refuse. However, can anything happen if a person (God forbid) needed to defend themselves in said theater?

Yup, you will most likely be prosecuted (in MA) and have to defend yourself again in court. However, this has NOTHING to do with any signage posted by a merchant.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Yup, you will most likely be prosecuted (in MA) and have to defend yourself again in court. However, this has NOTHING to do with any signage posted by a merchant.

So you're just talking about general self defense LenS? I know that is a given in most communities around eastern MA. I was more interested in finding out if firing your weapon in self defense, when a no guns sign is posted, could carry additional charges or liability.

 

[Len-2A Training]

What are they going to charge you with? Ignoring a sign that has no legal basis?

 

[Pete85]

First of all, why the hell are you going to a movie theatre in the first place? You can buy a big screen TV, surround sound system and blueray player for the cost of 2 tickets and a popcorn. Wait for the movie to come out on DVD. Movie theatres are one of the most dangerous places IMO. Situational awareness goes out the window if you're actually trying to pay attention and enjoy the movie.

ETA: Randolph itself isn't bad. The fact that you get a lot of people from the surrounding cities coming to the public places like the movie theatre is where a lot of the problem comes from. I know a couple people who live there, and have met a lot of their neighbors at BBQs. THe residents there aren't bad, when you get people coming from Brockton or Braintree or Quincy all at the same time you start to have problems.

 

[Rcharnitsk]

I live in Randolph I go to the movies in Randolph but I also sit in the Lux section so I dont have to listen to the riff raff. I have never seen a sign prohibiting carrying. Randolph isnt a bad town, it has its issues at times like all towns, that said I wouldn't hang around in the center at night near the burger king (always problems there, 1 block from the PD)

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

I live in Randolph I go to the movies in Randolph but I also sit in the Lux section so I dont have to listen to the riff raff. I have never seen a sign prohibiting carrying. Randolph isnt a bad town, it has its issues at times like all towns, that said I wouldn't hang around in the center at night near the burger king (always problems there, 1 block from the PD)

It's not inside the actual theater where the problem exists. It is outside around the building, parking lot, and in the lobby.