I just want to take this opportunity to send a 'thanks' to the Arms Room in Dickinson, TX (SE of Houston in I-45). I live on the west side of Houston, and I was headed down today to NASA with the family. I didn't want to spend the full day unarmed, but I also know the risks of driving onto federal property (2nd Amendment-free zone) with my Sig locked in the car.
I called the Arms Room this morning and spoke to a young man named Matt. I explained that I was a CHL holder traveling in to see NASA, and asked if I could store my gun with them for a few hours while I headed over to the Dark Side. This was clearly not something they do on a regular basis, as he had to put me on hold for a few moments to check on the answer for me. Shortly he returned, and his answer was, "Yes they'd do it, and they'd do so for no charge".
I'd never been into the Arms Room, but I was very pleased with what I saw when I got there. The facility is large, there are lots of folks to help out, and it looked like a really well-run place. To be honest, it looked like it could have been a big-box store, but it had a small store customer service feel to it. The indoor range looked very nicely maintained as well, and they had what appeared to be some sort of 'control room' behind it that seems to have been inspired by the 'mission control' room we saw at NASA a few hours later.
It took a few minutes to work out the fine details of how it would work, but within a short time, I had locked my Sig + two mags in the NanoVault, handed it over to the guys, and was walking out with a claim check. A few hours later, when I came to pick it up, they had it ready for me in seconds.
Like I said, this was not one of their normal activities, but they didn't have to jump through hoops to get the OK to do it. I appreciate that in a business - professional enough to have predictable performance, but flexible enough to help out a customer who needs their help. They didn't make a single $$ off of me today, and I live far enough away that I likely won't be a return customer (and they knew this all along, yet they still gave me a great deal). The least I can do is offer my commentary on here, as they do deserve this recommendation. If you live on the Galveston side of Houston, I'd suggest a stop by the Arms Room to check them out. I know I will if I'm back on that side of town again.
