The last time I went into to Canada, from Glacier National Park, I was asked whether I had any citrus fruit (?) and bear repellent (?). That made no sense to me. I don’t recall them asking about firearms, although it wouldn’t have mattered.
It is legal in my state to carry a loaded side arm clearly visible with no permit at all. This is a relatively new development, as it was found that the old law had never actually been removed from the books. Frankly I think it’s nuts for someone to do it, but I’ve seen a few. One has applied to become a police officer. I think that might lower his chances if they knew he was doing it.
I haven’t had it happen to me, but two friends who got pulled over for speeding produced their driver’s licenses and CCPs at the same time. In fact the instructors who taught the CCP class I took said it was a good idea, but not required. It’s also a good idea to let an officer know whether or not one is carrying. Both instructors were sworn officers. My friends were told “thank you for getting your CCP” by the officers involved, and got off with warnings.
Oklahoma passed a CCP law not many years ago.
It was claimed that this law was going to lead to a Dodge City scenario, countless deaths due to road rage incidents, and so on. Did not happen.
Two years ago an open carry law was passed; again with the Dodge City wild, wild west scenario which did not happen. Most gun owners are sensible and prefer to be discrete about it.
Then again, when the state motor vehicle safety inspection program was scrapped it was claimed there would be “carnage on the highways”. Did not happen.
When the 55 MPH speed limit was shelved it was claimed (again) that “carnage on the highways” would occur. Did not happen.
When the motorcycle helmet law was repealed; yet again more Armageddon claims. Did not happen unless one wants to juggle numbers to fit the claim.
As insightful mentioned, at one time many teens ferried firearms around in their cars; often on a gunrack in the back window of a pickup.
By the time I was 12 I owned (as most of my friends) a firearm and went hunting or plinking without adult supervision. No road rage incidents from my bicycle…
Oregon is open carry with no restrictions by state law. Six municipalities have been granted ordinances restricting loaded open carry but there are no outright bans. I am a native who in my 62+ years have never seen anyone open carrying except law enforcement and hunters. I could easily obtain a CCW but have never felt the need. With the exception of Portland Metro Area which has a few bad places violent crime is practically non-existent. Returning to automotive. State law allows loaded open carry in a vehicle if it is in plain sight with no permit.
In 1964 at the ripe old age of 12 I could throw my unloaded .22 rifle across my bikes handlebars and ride through the main intersection of my small town (which actually had stop signs and a flashing red light). Past the elementary school and no one including law enforcement batted an eye. I rode about 3 blocks and stopped at a corner market where I would purchase a couple 50 round boxes of .22 shorts for $.35 each and continue to the end of the road to county property which was a popular shooting area and do some safe target shooting. How things have changed.
Our local state senator was responsible for pushing the “shall issue” law in Minnesota. Her and her husband were both hunters and had their kid in scouts. She took a lot of flak for it but there has been nary a problem except one guy that went off the deep end. The permit carriers are not the problem for sure. I don’t know why but the police chiefs and sheriffs seemed to be the ones that were against it.
. A tractor trailer rig was literally harassing my wife and I in our small SUV in a situation I could not let him pass. He was feet from my bumper going 60 mph on a two lane undivided high way with cars whizzing by in to opposite directions. That is one of the few times I wish I had gun rack with two shotguns hanging from a rear window. The other thing it made me want to do is what a detective friend who was driving an unmarked police car when he was tailgated. Flip on the blue lights in the rear window. He said the car behind slammed on his brakes and left skid marks. So, it’s easier in our state just to hang a rack. IMHO, there is an a valid reason for open carry at times.
In our state, police are official supporters of gun permit owners. They just want people who have easy access to guns to all have background checks and training and this is a solid way of doing it.
Having traveled a number of times down south and back on I-75 to move to my present state of Florida, I researched the legal way to transport firearms in a car through those states. Northern states (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee) mostly adhere to the “separate guns and ammo” laws while the southern states (Georgia, Florida) allowed loaded carry in the car.
CCP’s vary quite a bit but most permits are accepted in most states BUT there always is the exception and you need to know that exception so you can re-position you equipment BEFORE you enter that state! The interactive site below is pretty useful for reciprocity questions.
Open carry is a strange mish mash across the US. A majority of states allow open carry. Oddly enough, Ohio allows open carry while Florida Does not (unless on your way hunting or to a range??). Surprisingly, Texas does not allow open carry while New Mexico and Arizona do. A majority of states allow open carry.
I once sat in on a trial of a guy who carried an unloaded rifle in his truck from NH where that was legal, into MA where it wasn’t because he didn’t have a permit. He plead ignorance of the law, but ignorance is no defence. I don’t remember what the sentence was.
In Texas, one can carry a loaded hand gun in the car without a permit, while traveling.
When the law was passed, the cops arrested a man who was only going to the grocery store. I read the court ruling. The judge ruled one travels to go to the grocery store. Not guilty.
Zimmerman of the Martin case was stopped in Texas with a loaded hand gun in the car. The cops did ask him to put it in the glove compartment, and he complied, but I am not clear he was obliged to do so.
As far as I know most classes preparing people for Concealed carry instruct them to immediately when stopped by police to identify themselves as having a legal hand gun with them and show the permit with the d/l. Every person I know who has tone that was treated with much greater respect than one expects during a traffic stop.
Firearms are like other things. Rational competent people must make their own decision on what to do and when to do it. I respect that many here do not want a firearm, and that is good they know themselves that well. I have never carried and here in Mexico, it is impossible. I do not need firearms to kill people who try to harm me, so it is not a tremendous sacrifice.
But, please do not project your own decision on others who are emotionally and technically able to carry one responsibly.
Of course, in NYC, any possession of any firearm in any vehicle in any state or preparation is good for prison time.
I’ll have to say I was driving the lonely Hyway 2 in northern Minnesota going from my Bemidji office to my Duluth office, minding my own business going about 60. For about ten miles a car load would tail gate me, then pass and slow to about 30. I would pass them and then they would pass me and slow down again. No one else around in that neck of the woods. I had absolutely no weapon due to my job. Don’t remember how I lost them but would have been nice to have some means of defense.
Thing is its that old bell shaped curve again with most sane and reasonable people in the middle, but then the fringe wackos on either end. You have to be very careful what is protested and covered on the news so that you don’t put these wackos into action killing people and burning neighborhoods.
Then look at what NJ is doing to that poor girl who traveled from PA I believe with a CCP and a handgun over state lines. She was looking at a felony and prison time. Had been attacked several times before and decided to carry to protect herself. Some of our prosecuting attorneys are part of that wacko fringe.
The only times I exercised my legal open carry in a vehicle rights was in a similar situation. Traveling from Western Oregon to Boise Idaho involves about 250 miles of nearly deserted 2 lane blacktop. There is an old saying “when seconds count, the cops are only minutes away”. In this situation the cops are only hours away! A flat tire or other breakdown puts you at the mercy of any miscreants who happen by. I considered it the same as paying insurance premiums. If you never have to use it. You’re a winner. I you have to use it and it works. You’re a winner.
Those who are quick to loudly profess their rights and qualifications to carry a firearm worry me. They appear to be hoping for the opportunity to prove how proficient they are. Friendly fire isn’t very friendly to innocent bystanders.
“They appear to be hoping for the opportunity to prove how proficient they are.”
I didn’t get that impression at all. Perhaps you’re looking for something that isn’t there. My home is “well armed” since I live alone. The last thing I want to do is use my weapons for self defense.
There is a lot of misderected anger here. Sure I am a black belt, and sure a bullet would hurt, but aggresive action is not a response to misdirected anger.
“The DAs are stuck. Their job is to uphold the law, whether they agree with it or not.”
Oh contrar. The DAs determine what charge to level and then go about trying to prosecute it. They can choose not to prosecute, or choose criminal homicide, criminal manslaughter, careless driving, etc. All they have to do is pull some tricks out of their bag to get a grand jury to recommend prosecution, and as it has been said, a grand jury can indict anyone for anything.
The one cop in NJ chose to arrest the girl carrying. Another cop on the same force said he would have simply sent her back to PA to get rid of the gun. The DA decided to choose a felony charge for bringing a gun across state lines instead of a simple misdemeanor or no charge. Same thing has happened in Minnesota on the two examples I cited before. Simple accident turns into a felony. As far as the guy that shot the dog, it is legal to shoot a dog that is chasing deer so it is not totally out of the realm of what is allowed but the DA chose felony animal abuse.
I don’t mind differences of opinion but blindness to the facts is dangerous.
I have a friend who owns several handguns and shotguns who recently bought a Tech(?) that is a knock off of an M16. He bought it for home protection. When I visit I call from the street and don’t get out of my truck until I make eye conctact with him at his door. A weapon like that seems outrageous to me. He also has an automatic pistol that fires .357 magnums. Again, that’s outrageous. There are too many high powered firearms on the streets and a great many are in the hands of people who are not mentally and emotionally able to safely deal with them. And when the trend begins to fade a great many high powered firearms will be in the pawn shops and on tables at flea markets with cheap prices for sale to anyone.
Everyone must consider their own situations and their own personal values on the issue of firearms. We need some regulation though. We need some sane limits.
He’s a good man. Honest, hard working, dependable. He just seems to be making up for not having a Fanner 50 when he was young.
Quite a few 30 to 50 year olds that I know have become gun collectors. One has a room with a gun safe door. There are dozens of collectable weapons along with several of the latest fad models. An old friend closed his repair shop business but restores classic Chevies there and rents a corner to a local collector who has an old bread truck parked there filled with Thompsons, BARs, Grease guns, etc., still in the original packing and some in crates. It doesn’t make sense to me.
adding to insightful’s story,
my dad took the public bus to school with his 22 rifle. After school he and the rest of the guys in the school rifle club would go to the school attic and shoot.
After their shooting session he caught the public bus, with his rifle, and went home.
This was 1950’s in St Louis.
