I tend to find it rather curious myself how the police are considered the ultimate experts in firearms. Majority of officers have never even fired a gun before they got their job. Most CHL holders on the other hand tend to be gun people. While they have less "formal" training, chances are they've had the rules of gun safety pounded into their heads over the years. I know I sure as hell have, and I was not part of a pro-gun household growing up. The first "gun" in the house was my pellet gun at age 16. The first real firearm in the house when I was 18 my mother bought me a .22 rifle 3 days after my birthday. Then I moved to Washington for a 6 month snit, and returned with the first handgun of the house when I was 23 or so. While in Washington my grandfather whom I was taking care of (also who incidently I attended his funeral a couple weeks ago, honor guard and all) had a stack of over 300 gun mags. I read each and every one. Especially articles on firearm safety. Firearm safety is instinctive anymore, but I still make a point of not making it routine instinct. That way I am always thinking about it and cannot get complacent with it, that is how accidents happen.
I personally on the rare occasion I am having to leave behind a load of manure at a public place, either put my sidearm on the dispenser if I can safely do so, or I put it in my pants where it's impossible to forget it and people won't notice it. Leaving it in the holster could be considered brandishing. Considering the rather anti-gun liberal attitudes of the average citizen the last thing I want to do is get dragged from my little bit of "personal" time in the stall at gun point by many an officer with stuff hanging from my @$$, only for them to find out they have just wasted a bunch of time and humiliated myself and themselves. Which is gonna tick them off, and they are going to be looking for some excuses to write me some citations or other things.
I once had a rookie officer take my sidearm from me, and take it into "protective custody." I had done nothing wrong, it was just a routine little stop, he was under the impression that all firearms must be taken when encounted. That a CHL made not one iota of difference. I had to jump through about 300 hoops at the property room and 3 hours of BS before I got it back. Only to find out that they were keeping the 60 bucks in ammo, and that they had damaged my firearm, and I was told they would not be repairing it as it was not their policy to pay for the repair of a potential criminals firearm. I asked about the potential criminal part and was told if you are not a police officer and you have a gun then you are criminally inclined, and that more questions would result in removal of my CHL, confiscation of my firearm permanantly and my arrest pending charges. I made many phone calls after that, but thats another story. Needless to say I got nowhere. My firearm is still damaged but I've had it checked and it is still safe to shoot, and accurate enough for a defensive pistol. Although now it does shoot 4-6 inches too low.
Anyway point is, this officer was a bonehead. How he could go 190 miles before realizing it was not there is beyond me. In my day to day goings on I tend to forget it's on my side, as I no longer feel it there. However if I'm a couple of pounds lighter on my hip I notice it. I feel naked. Something just don't feel right. I've almost left my sidearm before. I buttoned up and all that and was trying to figure out why I felt so funny then I realized, ah there we go gun not on hip. Strap it down, there we go MUCH better. 6-10 weeks of training with zero experience with firearms or carrying does not an expert in carrying or safety of firearms make. Especially since that entire time is not focused on firearms only a small portion of it.
Rev. Michael