I felt the risk of being pulled over and searched and going to jail for a number of years was greater..... /QUOTE]
I have read this kind of comment before and do not understand the fear>
Pulled over and searched??? Why? What would you be doing that a police officer or trooper would a) pull you over and b) search your car?
Pete
Do you know for sure that every light on your vehicle is working at any given moment?
Have you ever crossed a solid white or yellow line?
Have you ever weaved within you own lane or ever swerved to avoid something?
Have you ever driven faster or slower than general traffic?
Do you know whether or not your vehicle happens to match the description of one the police are looking for?
All these things, and many more, constitute valid reasons anybody could be pulled over. There are so many laws on the books that it's nearly impossible for an officer NOT to find a reason to pull anybody over at any given time.
As for searching...whether you consent or not, if an officer makes the determination that he has probable cause to search your vehicle, it's game over for you until you go to court because you won't be able to contest it roadside. Maybe it's valid, maybe not. And, like finding a reason to pull you over in the first place, I'm sure probable cause isn't too far fetched for an officer on a mission to "get" someone. All it takes is one person in the vehicle to say or do the wrong thing after being pulled over.
With so many states tying their CCW permit data to their DMV databases, it's not an unreasonable assumption that if an officer runs your plates for some reason that he will also find out whether or not many of us have such a permit. And from there, if he chooses to pull one of us over, it's also not an unreasonable assumption that some of his questions might be related to firearms.
It's not in the job description of LEOs to NOT look for violations...rather the opposite.
I don't think that there is much real "fear" involved here. Rather, I think there's a fair amount of "I'm not willing to risk it based on the virtually infinitesimal odds that I may actually need my gun" going on.
Personally, I don't think that the vast majority of officers are "out to get me". Indeed, that's not my experience at all. By the same token, it's in my best interest NOT to give them something they can hang me for when I know better in the first place.