SUE ROVR,
Generally, I keep the glock out (on the black leather seat where you really can't see unless you are right next to the car) but I am open to other suggestions.
For me, my car is both my primary means of escape and my first choice for a weapon if I cannot escape. I consider my handgun a weak backup weapon.
Having the gun on the seat raises two issues in my mind. First, I would worry that the weapon will slide off the passenger seat when performing evasive driving maneuvers (hard cornering and braking, etc.), or if my vehicle is hit by another vehicle, or I have to ram another vehicle, etc. If you aren't successful in evading and/or using the vehicle as a weapon and/or need to exit the vehicle in a hurry, and need to go to your gun, you don't want to have to search for it, possibly in the dark, under attack, on the floor of your car.
In fact, if I recall correctly, two of the FBI agents involved in the infamous Miami shootout against Platt and Mattix, had exactly this problem. During the chase, one FBI agent took out his handgun and placed it on the seat beside him (he was driving). When his vehicle collides and comes to a (violent) stop, his gun went flying. He was under fire and couldn't locate it, so he had to use his backup gun for the fight (you carry a backup, right?
) Another FBI agent took his gun out and placed it in his lap. When he rammed the suspect vehicle in front, his gun similarly went flying, out of reach.
Second, in the event you're pulled over by the local constabulary, having a gun on the seat when the officer(s) comes to your window will likely allow you to get an up-close look at that department's choice of duty pistol, at least from the muzzle end.
By the way, you probably don't want to be fiddling around trying to conceal the gun when you're pulled over, either, as the officer will see you moving around, which may put the officer on even higher alert, and he/she might decide to give you that close-up of his/her gun's muzzle even sooner (remember, you noted this was a "bad" neighborhood).
Suggestions: If you carry on your person, practice drawing while seated in your vehicle (practice with a red/blue "non-gun" or with the gun
unloaded, obviously). Practice good muzzle discipline as you train. Think about how you would continue to operate the vehicle, if necessary, while drawing. I personally don't have any difficulty drawing from a canted strong side holster, although I've heard (and can believe) that drawing from shoulder holsters, ankle holsters, and crossdraw holsters is even easier while seated in a vehicle wearing your seatbelt. By the way, you should think about how you would disengage the seatbelt and get it out of the way if you had to exit the vehicle in a hurry.
Another option to solve the first (though not the second) problem of the gun sliding off the seat might be to mount a holster in the car. See, e.g., Sidearmor (
http://www.sidearmor.com/cart/catalog/product_26_Glock_Modular_OWB.html, According to their website: "An optional accessory, the hard-point attachment, allows the holster to be mounted to any hard surface such as under a desk or in a vehicle.") Of course, such a mount, if easily visible, won't solve the potential police traffic-stop ("so
that's what the muzzle of a cop's loaded gun looks like") problem.
Finally, if your vehicle has an easily accessible center console compartment, perhaps you might consider placing your holstered gun there. Keeps the gun from scooting around during evasive maneuvers, and out of sight.
My $0.02. Hope this helps.
:banghead: 
