When I was policing, someone being honest was like a breath of fresh air-everyone lies….

As to the separation from the weapon, some schools teach it,in NC it’s not illegal if the gun is plainly visible-on the dash, we used to reach in and place them on the roof while doing the stop and leave it there and leave before the citizen. Then I began not caring so much as I realized that those with a CCW or following the law, were the ones least likely to hurt me with it.

When I was FTO with a new cop I always tried to beat some sense into them about weapons. Saying if you were stopped would you want the cop to be finger fucking your gun in his car or anything else.

A lot of academy’s harp on “officer safety” about separation of the gun and the person. But in real life it’s a different story.

I’ve always rolled both windows down, turned on my interior light at night and have my CCL, license, registration and insurance ready before the officer makes it to my car. All have told me to just keep it holstered.

quote:

Originally posted by Lucnik:
...turned on my interior light at night

No need to do that around here. The 857 billion candle power spotlight that they light you up with prevents being able to see anything anyway. It's great the way it reflects off all five mirrors and directly sears a hole right through your retinas.

I was once pulled over by a NV State Trooper for making a rolling stop, when making a right turn.

When I stopped (daytime), I rolled down all of my windows, both hands on the steering wheel. I was polite. Greeted the officer good morning. I informed him I have a CCW permit and that I have a pistol on my right hip. I asked him "how would you like to proceed sir"? He said, "How about I show you mine, but don't show me yours"? I said Yes Sir.

He then asked why I did not do a Full Stop at the sign. I apologized and said "I thought I did Sir". I then straight out asked him "Can you just give me a warning officer? I just finished doing my Christmas shopping for the family (pointed out the bags). If I get a ticket today, I'm gonna have to return some of those so i can pay the ticket". He walked back to his car with my DL and insurance information. He came back and just gave me a warning.

I think being polite and honest goes a long way with the LEO. Just my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by Lucnik:
...turned on my interior light at night

No need to do that around here. The 857 billion candle power spotlight that they light you up with prevents being able to see anything anyway. It's great the way it reflects off all five mirrors and directly sears a hole right through your retinas.

It's supposed to do that. I need to be able to see what's going on in the car, and I don't want the driver seeing me. There's not much cover on a traffic stop, but the lights at least give me a little concealment.

With the freaking window tint that people put in cars, you still can't see inside a lot of them even in broad daylight. And yeah, it's technically illegal to have that amount of tint, but the lawyers have made it almost impossible to enforce, so we have to deal with it in other ways...the spotlights being one of them. I always appreciate it when somebody rolls the windows down and turns on the dome light.

When I'm working nights at the end of my stop I always tell people to wait until I got back to my car and shut the front-facing lights off so they could safely see to pull out.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Are you legally required in your state to disclose that you are carrying? Because I’m pretty sure here in Pennsylvania we aren’t.

In NC we are.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
It's supposed to do that. I need to be able to see what's going on in the car, and I don't want the driver seeing me. There's not much cover on a traffic stop, but the lights at least give me a little concealment.

Oh I understand why it's done, but potentially permanent damage to vision is no less important than your safety.

Last spring on a late Saturday afternoon I was driving home from a jobsite that is 90 miles from home. A NYS Trooper pulled me over and asked if I knew why he stopped me. I answered that I was speeding. He told me what he clocked me at and I told him I wasn't going to argue. He asked me where I'd been and I explained to him that I was on a job site all day, was tired and wanted to get home, and I apologized for speeding. After checking my license and registration he wrote me a ticket for a dirty license plate (no points on the record, just a fine) and thanked me for my honesty. I thanked him for his service and told him I appreciated the discretion and appreciated the thankless jobs LE people do. He told me to slow down and I was on my way.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
It's supposed to do that. I need to be able to see what's going on in the car, and I don't want the driver seeing me. There's not much cover on a traffic stop, but the lights at least give me a little concealment.

Oh I understand why it's done, but potentially permanent damage to vision is no less important than your safety.

Unless you're making a habit of getting stopped on a really regular basis I've been on the receiving end of that spotlight a lot more times than you have (probably thousands of iterations playing the bad guy in stops training over the years), and I can still see just fine. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but it doesn't cause permanent damage, and you always have the option to avert your eyes and look away. That's kind of the point.

I’m calling “Bullshit”.
Everything I’ve learned the past few years, the cops beat and shot you for no reason.

As far as the gun / getting out of the car thing-
It pretty much depends on the individual cop and the situation.

Me? Depending on who I pulled over it’s:
“Concealed Carry? Cool! Thanks for exercising your 2nd Amendment right! Now here’s an important question; do you know how to use it and do you practice?”

I try to tell people to get out to a local range and get some practice in, I let them know that there’s a few good instructors in the area. If they’re really into it, I try to recommend them to a good 2 or 3 day course somewhere.

I’ve had a few people that ran into me later on and remembered me and either asked me about an instructor or class again, or thanked me because they went to one. I had one guy and his wife while I was grabbing a coffee, and she’s jokingly angry at me “Oh THAAAANNNKKKSSS! Now he golfs AND SHOOTS! He’s looking at a $2000 shotgun because of you.”

“Ma’am, it’s still cheaper than a boat!”


As far as me writing a ticket? Last one I wrote was 1997 or so.

A few years ago got pulled over by Anchorage PD on the Glenn Highway. Both hands on the wheel, officer launches into a tirade before even asking for my DL, registration and insurance. As soon as he did I informed him hat I did have a pistol in a shoulder holster on my left side. He then launches into another tirade yelling at me about how I am supposed to immediately inform him. I replied with this was the first time I had the opportunity to speak. Alaska is a Constitutional carry state, no permit required, but there is a duty to inform law enforcement.

He went back to his cruiser then returned to my vehicle, lectured me again about notifying law enforcement as soon as contact is made then presented me with a ticket for 68mph in a 65mph zone. Really?

Went to court and the judge told the officer to quit wasting his time and the ticket was dismissed.

About 1.5 years ago, I took a very early morning conference call from home and then afterward drove into the office. Even on drives I've done a thousand times, I always drive with my GPS app (e.g. Waze) on to avoid accidents and traffic jams. My GPS informs me that the middle school drop off mob decided to play crash up derby so it recommended a different route past the elementary school.

As I near the elementary school, I look at my phone and it's 3 minutes past the time for reduced school zone speed so I proceed at current speed. Next thing I know a police SUV flips on its lights and I get pulled over. Then, I realize my mistake which was the time on my phone was the GPS arrival time not the current time.

I pull out my driver's license and LTC, and when the officer approaches I hand him both. I inform him of the location of my carry gun and he said leave it there. I'm polite and I didn't make any excuses for speeding.

The officer goes back to his cruiser and I assume runs my plates and license. He returns to my truck, gives back the DL and LTC, and says "it's the last day of school and it won't be a school speed zone tomorrow so I'm just giving you a verbal warning."

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Yes, it's uncomfortable, but it doesn't cause permanent damage, and you always have the option to avert your eyes and look away. That's kind of the point.

Well, we'll have to disagree. Solar retinopathy is a real thing and as bright as those things are, it is entirely possible. Also, looking away is pretty difficult to do when it's coming at you from five different directions and you are trying to see to find your license, which piece of paper is actually your registration and not a receipt from work done at the dealer, and which is your current insurance and not one from last year. You walking back to your car and temporarily averting your eyes isn't the same thing as being on the receiving end of it and having to look while it is nuking your retinas. Not even close. I'll leave it at that.

quote:

You walking back to your car and temporarily averting your eyes isn't the same thing as being on the receiving end of it and having to look while it is nuking your retinas

I'm not just talking about me making stops. I've played "bad guy" in hundreds if not thousands of nighttime stops training scenarios and been subjected to that spotlight every one of those times. I sit in the driver's seat of the stopped vehicle while the trainee makes the stop and the approach. If they don't use the light correctly and I can see them it's part of my role to call them out on that, so I don't even have the option of looking away.

I get a retina scan every year now that I'm diabetic...doc says they look great.

There was no "saving" you since you ran the red light and the officer was there to see it.

Ever since gas prices started to trend up in the last 4 years again, I switched my driving priority to increasing my overall gas mileage. So I drive to keep the gas usage in the economy range that shows up on my dash. The effect is I accelerate slowly and often staying in the economy range, I go over the speed limit.

For that, I still have my Valentine One that has saved me from plenty of tickets. It has paid for itself many times over.

I’m a fast but safe driver and gone through driving courses. I get pulled over a couple times a year. I always have windows open and hands on wheel with license and carry permit in hand. I frequently get asked where my firearm is but have never been asked to remove it. I am polite and respectful and honest. I rarely if ever get a ticket. Most of the time it’s a verbal, sometimes a written warning. 99% of the PO’s I know or have met were good guys. During my dirt bike racing days they would pull us over to check out the bikes

Back before NC had concealed carry, I got stopped one night on the way home from work about 2 am. Officer approached my truck and before he said a word I told him there was a 357 on the dash. He asked if he could pick it up, told him yes. After the chit chat about the stop (burned out tail light) he gave me a warning and handed back the revolver unloaded. Then the rounds. He asked me why I was carrying a loaded pistol and I asked him what good an unloaded one was? He grinned and told me to stay safe, and I said likewise. No drama. No fuss.

I was pulled over today for rolling a stop sign in a 55+ community. I informed the deputy that I was carrying. He wanted to know where the gun was. Right next to my wallet. He asked me to step out of the car for his safety and mine. I thought he was going to disarm me. Nope. I just handed him my dl slowly. He was cool and asked me to keep my hands in front of my chest.

He just gave me a written warning and told me to stay safe.

He did mention the stickers on my back window. He was an older deputy who knew something about 1911’s!

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I don’t mention it and it avoids the whole situation.