Just got home from being pulled over...

[Steelharp]

Man, what a night. I just got pulled over, and it was interesting. My tags were expired, that's what started it. I pulled into McDonald's, because that's where he lit me up. Parked, he came up behind me, and I opened my door. He said, "Stay in your car, sir." I said absolutely. He asked to see my license, I opened my wallet, showing it and my permit. Before I could say, "I do have a permit, and I am carrying," he asks, "Do you have a gun in the car, sir?" I say, "Yes, I have two of them, right there." "Step out of the car, sir, for my protection." "Of course." He says to his buddy, "He has two guns in the car!" His buddy holds me against the patrol car, and the officer at my car starts unloading my guns and throwing them on my roof. "Why do you have two guns?" he hollers. "Because if I'm in a position where I can't wear a holstered gun, I have one I can slip in my pocket." Fair enough. He says to the guy holding me, "He has a permit," and the guy relaxes a bit. Then we start talking, I tell him I used to work at a gunshop, and then things are all friendly and ok.

I've been stopped before, but never have I had my guns unloaded and tossed on my car roof before. Was that a little over the top, or have I just been lucky?

 

[pax]

Not surprising -- you jacked them up in at least two (and probably more) ways.

1) You opened your car door. While a guy who sits quietly in his car might be plotting mayhem when the officer comes up, most guys who are going to do something horrid are going to get out of the car to do it. So your opening the door scared him and gave him a good adrenalin dump.

2) When he asked if you had a gun in the car, you did not reply, "Concealed carry permit is in my wallet, and yes." Instead, you only said there were two. The previous adrenalin dump just got jacked up a little further. (Good grief! the officer was thinking, this guy could've jumped out of the car and killed me.) No wonder he was Not Pleased with you.

The most dangerous part of any cop's job is the part where he walks up to the window of a car he just pulled over. Scared people scare people, but scared cops shoot people (or at least, yank them out of the car and throw their stuff around).

To avoid scaring the officer who pulled you over, turn your overhead light as soon as you pull over. Roll the window down before he gets there, and keep your hands in plain sight on the wheel as he walks up. If you have to dig in the glove box for something, or reach into your back pocket for a wallet, tell him plainly what you are going to do before you do it: "Officer, my registration and proof of insurance is in the glove box. Do you want me to reach in and get it?" Move slowly, keep your hands where he can see them.

Avoid giving them adrenalin dumps and you avoid oh-so-many possible reasons for the police to do stuff you'd rather they'd not.

pax

 

[cbsbyte]

Another issue is that your tags where expired. He probably was already on high alert before he got to your car door. Next time you will know what Not to do in this kind of situation.

 

[Frog48]

Another issue is that your tags where expired. He probaby was already on high alert before he got to your car door

I agree. When he saw expired tags, I wouldnt be surprised if he immediately became suspicious that the car might be stolen.

When you say he was "throwing" your guns, do you mean that he was handling them in a disrespectful way? If a cop was "throwing" around one of my guns and they got scratched up or dinged, I wouldnt be very happy.

 

[carpettbaggerr]

When you say you pulled into the McDonalds and parked, do you mean you were already in the lot and the cop was following you? Or did you keep driving for some distance before pulling off the road, into a parking lot and parking?

 

[Kim]

I would not like the cop putting the guns on the top of my car. Maybe I am picky but I do not treat my car or guns like that.

 

[Standing Wolf]

you jacked them up in at least two (and probably more) ways.
1) You opened your car door...
2) When he asked if you had a gun in the car, you did not reply, "Concealed carry permit is in my wallet, and yes." Instead, you only said there were two...
To avoid scaring the officer who pulled you over, turn your overhead light as soon as you pull over. Roll the window down before he gets there, and keep your hands in plain sight on the wheel as he walks up...Move slowly, keep your hands where he can see them...
Avoid giving them adrenalin dumps and you avoid oh-so-many possible reasons for the police to do stuff you'd rather they'd not.

China's subjects might have to live in perpetual fear of their government; American citizens, however, should never feel obliged to placate our public servants.

Frankly, I've never been entirely persuaded it makes sense to grant government the authority to demand that we pay annually for the "privilege" of driving cars we've paid for. If car license tags were a matter of public safety, I could see it; unfortunately, they're all about raking in more money for government.

 

[crazed_ss]

About car registration.. the roads we drive on have to be paid for somehow.

Anyway, yea.. unless you're trying to committ suicide by cop, NEVER get out of the car before instructed to.

 

[stillamarine]

Even if your driver's side window does not roll down, wait til the officer gets to the window and then let him know what you are doing. That way he doesn't freak out.

 

[Steelharp]

Points of clarification: he lit me just before the driveway of the McD's, so I pulled in there. He did ask why I didn't pull over immediately (less than 100'), and I said I pulled into the lighted area. I did not get out of the car, I just opened the door. I understand the stupidity of that move, though. He did kinda "plop" my guns up on the roof; there was definitely a landing sound.

 

[Father Knows Best]

To avoid scaring the officer who pulled you over, turn your overhead light as soon as you pull over. Roll the window down before he gets there, and keep your hands in plain sight on the wheel as he walks up. If you have to dig in the glove box for something, or reach into your back pocket for a wallet, tell him plainly what you are going to do before you do it: "Officer, my registration and proof of insurance is in the glove box. Do you want me to reach in and get it?" Move slowly, keep your hands where he can see them.

That's exactly my practice, and exactly what I advise others to do. I have power windows on my vehicles, and I hit the buttons to lower all four (even in winter) before the officer is even out of his car. I also turn the engine off and turn on the dome light. I keep the seatbelt on, and leave both hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2. I'm polite and address him/her as "officer." When the request comes for the DL, I reply, "It's in my right rear pocket; may I unbuckle and reach for it?" When the officers says yes, I leave my left hand in sight and retrieve it with my right. I hand over my HCP with my DL. As I hand them over, I say "Here's my DL and carry permit, and I have it on me my right now" or "...I am not carrying right now."

By this time, the officer is VERY aware that I am going out of my way to put him/her at ease. Typically, I am asked whether I am an LEO around this point. I answer (truthfully) that I am not, but my brother is and my father was, so I'm aware of what they deal with and I try to help out.

That technique has worked for the 10 years I've been using it. I've been stopped a half dozen times (generally for speeding in the range of 10-15 over posted) in three states, and have yet to get ticketed.

 

[HankB]

I'd stay in the car, and inform the officer that I had a CHL before I mentioned that I had a firearm.

. . . the officer at my car starts unloading my guns and throwing them on my roof.

If my guns or my car roof were scratched as a result of this, I'd file a formal complaint with the department's Internal Affairs division. I wouldn't expect any compensation - in fact, I'd expect a whitewash - but from what I've heard, all complaints do go into the officer's file, and eventually, if/when he steps over the line, they can come back to haunt him.