Went To Spring Guns & Ammo Today.... Good and Not So Good.

[Scotsman]

Nice place, decent selection of rifles and pistols.
8 lane 25 yard indoor range and looks like they're building an additional 8 lanes.
You can run rifles up to 7.62 so that's nice in inclement weather.
They charge by the hour, not the gun so that's a plus as well.

Downside? When I came in they asked for my drivers license and wanted me to write the number down for their files. I told them I preferred not to and while the girl that was helping me seemed hesitant, the older guy behind the counter (I'm assuming the owner?) said it was o.k..

Here's the sticking point; When I got done shooting and went to pay my bill (cash by the way) the guy behind the counter, Ryan, swiped my Driver License and downloaded the data to his computer.
I immediately asked him to delete it, which he did, but he seemed to not understand my unwillingness to have all of my info on file. He said they collect the data from anyone that shoots there as well.

Upon returning home I did some research and found out that unless you're a Gov't authority or a financial institution you cannot collect data electronically from a Texas Drivers License per SB 1445.

I called them and told them as much and was told they were "unaware of that".
I for one will not be returning there as long as that policy exists. It's a shame too as it seems to be a nice place.

 

[40Arpent]

Patrick, did they say they would stop that as a practice?

 

[Scotsman]

Not in so many words.
Ryan, the manager I spoke to on the phone about it said he would "pass it on to the boss".
I also e-mailed them a link the SB1445 as well, but no reply as of yet.
I had considered getting a membership, but the whole swiping my license without even asking thing bugged me. We'll see.

 

[jdh]

"HB1445 (Bonnen), relating to the authority of certain political subdivisions to erect or maintain shore protection structures and the location of the line of vegetation in relation to those structures."

This has what to do with reading a DL?

Maybe it was this one "HB1445 An exemption from tuition and mandatory fees for certain members of the Texas National Guard"

 

[Scotsman]

Sorry, SB1445:


Texas Legislature Online - 78(R) Text for SB 1445

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/BillSummary.aspx?LegSess=78R&Bill=SB1445

Summary:

Legislative Session: 78(R)

SENATE BILL 1445
SENATE AUTHOR: Averitt
EFFECTIVE: 9-1-03
HOUSE SPONSOR: Solomons
Senate Bill 1445 amends the Transportation Code to specify that a person commits a Class A misdemeanor if the person accesses or uses electronically readable information derived from a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate or compiles or maintains a database of such information. The bill provides an exception for certain law enforcement personnel when using the information for law enforcement or government purposes and removes the requirement that the Texas Department of Transportation take necessary steps to ensure that the information is used only for these purposes. A financial institution may access and use the information only to identify an individual and must have the written consent of the individual before it may include such information in a compilation or database. The bill further prohibits a person from using electronically readable information derived from a driver's license for telephone solicitation purposes.

 

[BG1960]

Weird, I dunno how many times I have seen people at check outs swipe licenses.

 

[Scotsman]

Weird, I dunno how many times I have seen people at check outs swipe licenses.

Check outs? You sure you don't mean debit / credit cards?

I've never seen someone swipe a drivers license at a check out, but then again, I may not get out much......

 

[BG1960]

I'm real sure it's not debit cards. See, debit cards generally require one to enter what's called a PIN ( personal information number ) into a terminal. But I have seen several persons write checks and be required to hand over an ID which is normally a DL. Checker will go SWIPE on the card reader on her keyboard and the check will be accepted. I don't know where exactly because other people's business is not my business, but it did strike me as odd. Maybe Kroger. But I have seen it done. In the future I will make note of it and inquire.

 

[Scotsman]

Ah, makes sense in that light:

From SB1445:

A financial institution may access and use the information only to identify an individual.

I'm assuming they're verifying the i.d. is legitimate, not using it to build a data base / store the info. Spring Guns used it to upload my info to their data base and store it there, even though I paid cash.

 

[Texas42]

Where is this place, if you don't mind my asking?

Thanks for the update

 

[Scotsman]

Spring Guns and Ammo Spring TX | Spring TX Gun Store | Houston TX Gun Store

On Spring Cypress, about a 1/2 mile east of Kuykendahl in Spring.

 

[jordanmills]

Weird, I dunno how many times I have seen people at check outs swipe licenses.

I have. Some gas stations claim TABC requires this as proof of age to let them sell alcohol. I called them out on it. It became a moot point when they realized that my license wouldn't scan any way.

 

[Scotsman]

I have. Some gas stations claim TABC requires this as proof of age to let them sell alcohol. I called them out on it. It became a moot point when they realized that my license wouldn't scan any way.

Which is allowed by law.
An establishment that serves alcohol can swipe the license to verify it's legitimacy, (same thing as a store when processing a check) however THEY CAN NOT download / store / compile the information for any purpose, which is what Spring Guns did.

 

[jdh]

I have. Some gas stations claim TABC requires this as proof of age to let them sell alcohol. I called them out on it. It became a moot point when they realized that my license wouldn't scan any way.

How big of a magnet did it take?

 

[Scotsman]

Lol, now that's a thought.

 

[jordanmills]

How big of a magnet did it take?

A rare earth magnet from a hard drive and a soldering iron can wreak havoc on a magstripe... Good thing I work around that kind of stuff all day - wouldn't want someone thinking I did it intentionally.

 

[mtaylor]

Sorry, SB1445:


Texas Legislature Online - 78(R) Text for SB 1445

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/BillSummary.aspx?LegSess=78R&Bill=SB1445

Summary:

Legislative Session: 78(R)

SENATE BILL 1445
SENATE AUTHOR: Averitt
EFFECTIVE: 9-1-03
HOUSE SPONSOR: Solomons
Senate Bill 1445 amends the Transportation Code to specify that a person commits a Class A misdemeanor if the person accesses or uses electronically readable information derived from a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate or compiles or maintains a database of such information. The bill provides an exception for certain law enforcement personnel when using the information for law enforcement or government purposes and removes the requirement that the Texas Department of Transportation take necessary steps to ensure that the information is used only for these purposes. A financial institution may access and use the information only to identify an individual and must have the written consent of the individual before it may include such information in a compilation or database. The bill further prohibits a person from using electronically readable information derived from a driver's license for telephone solicitation purposes.

Bills are not laws. If SENATE BILL 1445 (2003) has passed then where is the codified law?

 

[Texas1911]

Bills are not laws.

+1

 

[mtaylor]

But in this case, although his cite was incorrect, it was passed into law and codified as Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 521.126

The law attempts to prevent someone from maintaining a database, but does not prevent them from scanning the DL and holding the information for the duration of the customers stay on the premises.

 

[txinvestigator]

NM

To properly cite a bill, one needs to include the session in which the bill was passed.