The Block E retailtainment complex in downtown Minneapolis is illegally posted. I'm sure one of you will correct me if wrong, but I'm pretty sure only individual tenants in a multi-tenant building can post and the public area doors (for sure in the underground parking lot and probably on the street level entrances) are posted.

I would not go down to block E without being armed!

We normally would go to the Southdale theater because it's just closer, but last winter we went to the Block E theater because I'd heard it was nice and parking was real easy. It was all that, and it was pretty empty to boot -- we figured it was another City Council screwup, but at least they were keeping out the bad element.

But last Saturday it was really bad -- the E complex was busy, and there were a lot of unruly teens -- riding the escalator down to the street level, three young men barged between pretty roughly as they ran down the escalator, and the two MPDs at the bottom of the escalator who saw didn't even seem to care.

Am I fantasizing, or was there a time in history when pulling a stunt like got you hauled up against the wall and told to behave or you'd get a trip to the JV detention center? I'm sure the self-styled community leaders from the more northern lattitudes of our fair city would claim that this is just more run-of-the-mill police brutality instead of calling it what it is, just enforcing civil behavior.

Anyway, the street level scene was like walking a maximum security tier at San Quentin, and that was the from the street entrance to Chevy's. I'm glad I was carrying, but to be pefectly honest it didn't do much for my sense of safety, especially after hearing about my sister's friend getting beaten to death downtown. (http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5710546.html)

I sometimes wonder if maybe a pair of brass knuckles might be a more effective weapon; I can certainly see the value of Joel's pocket snubby, I may have to give that some thought.

Check out the Kubaton at Kocielski's Last Gun Shop in Minneapolis

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's friend. A small pistol or snubby in a pocket holster you could keep your hand on it for quick action with no one the wiser!

I meant to post about Block E -- I saw a movie there a couple of weeks ago and noticed their signage. Thanks for mentioning it.

I don't know enough about the law to comment on whether the entire structure can post (versus individual businesses inside posting), but I do know that they are not posted in accordance with the law...

The notice I spotted was on a glass pane in between a pair of double doors on street level. Instead of being a sign conforming with the law, it was basically white lettering stenciled onto the glass (or maybe it was some kind of white tape/a static-cling label). Of course, that doesn't match the part of 624.714 that says, "(3) "Conspicuous" means lettering in black arial typeface at least 1-1/2 inches in height against a bright contrasting background that is at least 187 square inches in area."

Anyway, I agree that I wouldn't go anywhere near Block E unless I was carrying. And since the sign is not valid, that gives one an out to go ahead and carry concealed in there. I went to that theater because I was catching a flick with a friend who currently attends the U and doesn't have a car, so once I was at the campus to pick him up, only traveling to that theater made the most sense -- from a mileage standpoint at least, but perhaps not from a personal safety aspect now that I look back on it. Although I should take this moment to remind myself that crime can happen anywhere.

Anecdote: activities on the street walking to Block E were pretty rough. Not even halfway there my friend turned to me and made a comment to the effect of, 'Geez, man, I hope you're packing tonight.' He should have given me some credit; knowing I'd be downtown, there was no way I would leave home unarmed! But him saying that also made me realize just how much I appreciate the right to defend my life with a firearm, instead of doing what he had to: hoping some other guy is able to protect me, or worse yet, the two of us just cowering together all the way down the street, knowing we're both defenseless.

For future reference, St. Anthony Main and Roseville are both awfully close to the "U" and are a bit safer.

I thought I would drop a note in here, since it seems appropriate. Gameworks is also posted on all of their entrances.

Too bad they're banned in MN, I'm about to head to bed and don't want to grab the law but its definately there.

Unlike the story, this added something for the forum

I personally was not in the market, but also did not know they were illegal.

The law:


http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/data ... 09/66.html

Would every gun dealer who sells them at their shows (which seems to be every one I attend), be selling them illegally then?

Nah. There's an exemption, at least for automatic knives, for collectors.

And metal knuckles? I've never seen them at gun shows. See quite a few brass paperweights, though, many of them with five ergonomic grip holes.

I've seen brass knuckles at a couple of gun shops for sale. I've read the state law a few times, wondering how they could get away with it??

Get away with what?