Encounter with LEO's while carrying concealed..

[RVSinOK]

Edward, I have to tip my hat to you. When I first posted my response to your description of your experience with getting pulled over and getting out of the car to approach the LEO, I wasn't quite sure what to expect in return. In some ways, I thought I might get an indignant "I was right and she was wrong" response, but your reaction was far from that. You have valid arguments for why you did what you did, and I applaud your staying rational and keeping to "The High Road." I may not agree with what you did, but I appreciate your calm, rational responses to what everyone here has to say!

 

[4thHorseman]

I can see the officer's side. He/She has a family , maybe kids or whatever. They are concerned about their life also.
I tell them here in VA that I'm carrying, even though there is no requirement. They already know though because it comes up on their computer on a license plate check.
Here, they remove all the bullets out of the gun if the gun is in the car and not on the person.
When they leave, I just put the bullets back in. They know that. It's something they have to do.
One thing I haven't seen anyone mention though is, I have to jump through all kinds of back ground checks to have a CCW. Basically a cop might consider a CCW person a tad bit safer on a stop than a NON CCW.
JMHO

 

[Edward429451]

Well thank you very much. I appreciate your validation of my thought process.

Some of the greater minds and mods on this board have been a most excellant example for me to choose my wording more carefully and to emotionalize less. I've learned that good points in a debate can be easily invalidated by nothing more than a poor choice of words on the poster's part. I used to get a lot of threads closed by making that mistake.

I'm not always right but I continue to learn and to refine my debating skills, while the greater minds can continue to sip their lemonade instead of having to come extinguish the fires that I started!

 

[Billmanweh]

You obviously have a SERIOUS problem with authority. I never said not to question authority, but it's unreasonable to be unwilling to ever accept authority.

There are people who demand authority in order to be able to do their jobs. School kid and teacher, law enforcement and motorist, defendant/plaintiff and judge, these are some examples of relationships that demand some form of authority and submission (for lack of a better word). And at the same time they all exist very well inside the framework of our society. You can be hard nosed about your rights and still show the appropriate respect for the position of a law enforcement officer (or judge or college professor, etc). But you are somehow equating this to being a "slave". You keep using words like "surrender", "fear" and "threat" when all the original situation called for was simple cooperation.

There really is no paradox. While keeping all of your constitutional rights, you will still lawfully submit to authority on occasion. If your ticket goes to court, the officer who wrote you up will submit to the authority of the judge.

I would just keep in mind that on the side of the road at night is not the safest part of the work day for law enforcement. When you are pulled over for speeding, you're not on equal footing with the officer. He/she is in control and HAS to be to do their job safely. If you can't be controlled verbally, you're just begging for the situation to be escalated.

Just something to think about I guess...

 

[P95Carry]

I'm ''getting on in years'' .... (damn, that's a tame way to put it!!) ...... and so reckon I probably do not seem too threatening. Eccentric? Most probably!

However ... whilst here there is no statutary requirement to declare carry ... ..... my approach is simply that, it is better to be up front.

So - I don't need to .... agreed but I reckon that putting myself in a cop's shoes doin a traffic stop ... I'd sure as hell like to KNOW if the guy I am hoping to make peaceful and safe conversation with is armed. Immediately reduces pressures considerably I'd imagine.

I am assuming of course I am stopped for some minor infringement .. and am not fleeing from the biggest heist in my County's history!!

 

[*8*]

Pendragon, I'll check it out.

DaveP, I would venture to say, he is between 30-35.

ScottsGT, I have more then 2 but yeah, I really need more handguns.

Norman74, mines the poor mans hummer, the H2.

Thanks ya'all.