Are Gun Check-in Centers Coming to Ball Parks Near You?

I guess it was a sign of the times. Were you aware that law-abiding gun owners last year were given the opportunity while attending a Cardinal Baseball game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to drop off their firearms at a specially outfitted armored truck before they entered the stadium instead of leaving them in their unattended vehicles in the parking lot?

The mobile gun locker was located at Paddy O’s Bar next to Busch Stadium, a facility that prohibits guns inside its facility. The thought of checking in your gun came from Justin Hulsey, a National Guard veteran. Hulsey outfitted a 22-foot-long armored van with security cameras and hired security guards to protect it during the Cardinal game.

Due to legalities, the concept apparently lasted but one game before it was shut down last year.

Before you think this is crazy, think about the firearms and other items being stolen from vehicles while the game was going on. Apparently, that was a problem. The Mobile gun locker had the endorsement of St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch in that it kept the guns out of the bad guy's hands.

Gun owners who checked in a gun needed to sign a waiver including the right to refuse to return that firearm to anyone who appears intoxicated. In case you were wondering, the cost was $10 per gun, or $15 if paying by credit card.

In a world of body scanners and body wanding, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.