I'm looking at having to fly to New York real soon, maybe next week. My mother and father are splitting, she's had enough of his drunken bullshit. She will be moving in with me until she can find an apartment locally. The time is now, there's no putting this off.

We're talking a drive from the Northern tip of New York, all the way to Seattle. Legitimately cross-country. I have a carry permit in Washington. The problem is, I cannot fly into New York with a handgun because NY laws. The idea of driving her car and travel trailer from there to here unarmed makes me beyond uncomfortable. I don't go anywhere unarmed, let alone nearly three thousand miles of unknown-to-me.

I have family in Florida, and I was considering flying to Florida (Jacksonville) with my carry rig, leaving it with family, flying to NY, packing up everything and driving from NY to FL to recover it, see some people, then drive out here. Obviously, that's a horrible plan, and my wife about shit a brick when I told her. Problem is, that's about the only way I can see arming myself for this trip. Between reciprocity and open carry laws, it's a fairly straight shot from there to here where I can carry without worry (in Florida, I'd have to have it in a case in the glove box or somesuch, but it's better than nothing). Once into Alabama, I've got a route that's solid all the way back.

I'll be getting quotes from movers tomorrow, all she has is boxes of clothes and her kitchen stuff, the rest is staying. The vehicle is only a few years old, so that's coming with. There's not great options here, I'm just trying to find the least crappy ones and not spend a fortune.

The idea of traveling that far unarmed does not give me the warm fuzzies. I really don't want to, to the point of greatly inconveniencing myself and adding time and costs to the trip and royally pissing off the wife unit. I don't know. What would you do?

Can you fly to Vermont? Drive through upper NY to PA/OH?

Why not fly into Philadelphia or perhaps New Hampshire? Of course that means renting a car at least one way, and you'll still be traveling into New York with a handgun. Hmmm, too bad you don't have someone in a place like PA to hold your gun for you. Or just chance it and keep the gun locked away in the trunk until you're out of the commie run state.

I agree, traveling cross-country unarmed would make me very uncomfortable.

Probably not. I don’t look good in a Speedo anymore

Simply put, no.

Maybe a close forum member (on the way-close to your mothers) could look after it for a few days?

This is America, not Afghanistan. Yes, I would drive across country without a firearm.

Keep your head on a swivel, stay out of obviously bad neighborhoods, don't flash your wealth, and don't be a loudmouth. The odds that you will be gunned down in the middle of the street by a complete stranger for no reason is near zero.

Your biggest risk is having stuff stolen out of your trailer. Or even having the trailer completely stolen. In both cases, it's likely cheaper to just let them take stuff or the trailer than it is to engage in a gunfight.

Oh hell no!

But I'm from Chicago and have a slightly different, skewed view of the world.

I know many, many travel all over this Country without incident, but thru my experiences, I'm paranoid, and don't take out the garbage without a gun.

Alternatively, can you ship your carry rig to an FFL outside of New York, and just pick it up on the way home?

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
This is America, not Afghanistan. Yes, I would drive across country without a firearm.

Keep your head on a swivel, stay out of obviously bad neighborhoods, don't flash your wealth, and don't be a loudmouth. The odds that you will be gunned down in middle of the street by a complete stranger for no reason is near zero.

This.

Would I rather have a firearm on me? Of course.

Is it NECESSARY? No. As Aeteocles said, this is America, not Afghanistan. Stick to the interstates, plan out the trip so you're doing legs between the suburbs of major American cities, pick your hotels in advance.

Or hell, go between major tourist destinations and have some fun with it.

Abide by Aeteocles's suggestions and you will be just fine. I have driven very long distances in GSA vehicles, through very remote and backcountry parts of the United States (and hell, even a few times through some BAD neighborhoods in Chicago). Army Regulations prohibits the possession of Privately Owned Weapons in GSAs, period. Never had a problem.

The lightning strike chance of you being victimized by a criminal while following the above advice is not worth the (very real) risk of being stopped, arrested, charged, and convicted for having a loaded handgun somewhere your Washington permit doesn't cover.

And for the record, I don't like that advice any more than you do. If I had my druthers, uniform or no uniform, state line or no state line, I would strap my sidearm on every morning before I walked out the door and take it off every evening when I got home. We haven't gotten there yet...so do an honest risk assessment of what risks you're willing to accept and drive on.

FWIW there are a number of useful Don't Carjack Me Bro objects that are New York (and Illinois) legal. Legally, even with FOPA 86, I can't think of a way for you to possess a handgun in New York State for anything other than passing through, so that option is out.

I personally would not under any circumstances execute the "We're gonna go from New York to Florida to Seattle" course of action. That is a piss-ton of extra driving. You're already looking at (point to point) one hell of a road trip going from upstate NY to Seattle. That's more or less straight Westward Bound with some southern detours around the Great Lakes. NY-Florida-Seattle, you're signing up to drive ALL the way down the eastern seaboard, then DIAGONALLY from the far southeastern United States to as far Northwest as you can get.

Granted, it would be one hell of a road trip, but that's a LOT of miles, man.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

in Florida, I'd have to have it in a case in the glove box or somesuch

No sir, it does not need to be in a case in the glove box. One or the other is sufficient. Case (a gun rug is fine) or the glove box, or center console. The only requirement is "securely encased."

quote:

Here is the relevant section of the law, applicable if you do not have a concealed weapon permit that is recognized in Florida:

Possession in Private Conveyance.--Notwithstanding subsection (2), it is lawful and is not a violation of s. 790.01 for a person 18 years of age or older to possess a concealed firearm or other weapon for self- defense or other lawful purpose within the interior of a private conveyance, without a license, if the firearm or other weapon is securely encased or is otherwise not readily accessible for immediate use. Nothing herein contained prohibits the carrying of a legal firearm other than a handgun anywhere in a private conveyance when such firearm is being carried for a lawful use. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the carrying of a concealed firearm or other weapon on the person. This subsection shall be liberally construed in favor of the lawful use, ownership, and possession of firearms and other weapons, including lawful self-defense as provided in s. 776.012. History - s. 2, ch. 2006-103; s. 1, ch. 2019-77.

790.001 Definitions.-- As Used in This Chapter, Except Where the Context Otherwise Requires:

(17) "Securely encased" means in a glove compartment, whether or not locked; snapped in a holster; in a gun case, whether or not locked; in a zippered gun case; or in a closed box or container which requires a lid or cover to be opened for access.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:

Would I rather have a firearm on me? Of course.

Is it NECESSARY? No. As Aeteocles said, this is America, not Afghanistan. Stick to the interstates

I am really uncomfortable at the notion of being unarmed at a rest stop on the interstate.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:

Would I rather have a firearm on me? Of course.

Is it NECESSARY? No. As Aeteocles said, this is America, not Afghanistan. Stick to the interstates

I am really uncomfortable at the notion of being unarmed at a rest stop on the interstate.

While I can understand this concern in concept, in practice (and I have a LOT of practice), this is not really a problem.

For reference: I've been in the Army for a little over 11 years. For the first seven years I made a point to get back home to Ohio via car on any long holiday I could get away for, from Florida and Georgia. For the past four years I've been an Observer Coach/Trainer with a couple of traveling roadshow organizations, which means I've logged God only knows how many hours on the road to every sleepy little National Guard post you can imagine. I've done Indiana to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and central Texas by road. And all points in between. A few themes emerge.

-Interstate rest stops are not crime hotspots. The escape routes are obvious...so they have cameras. State Patrol stops in frequently. Most are very well lit and chock full of people who just want gas and road food and to get where they're going.
-Small towns are small towns and they come in all kinds of flavors. Some places are idyllic, some are decent, and some places, the locals give you looks that remind you of that dude you almost shot in Afghanistan.

I've never been overly concerned at a big interstate rest stop, especially the sort on toll roads with lights and gas pumps and a little mini food court. Your biggest risk at those places, IMHO, is some over-hyper toddler, freshly released from a car seat, sprinting in front of your bumper while you're pulling out because mom and dad are fried from ten hours on the interstate.

So rest stops don't bother me. If you draw a line north from Philadelphia to Fort Drum, southwest to Cleveland, west to Denver, southeast around Oklahoma to Fort Hood, Texas, east from there to Fort Polk, Louisiana, then head east to Savannah, and complete the box by drawing a line back to Philadelphia...odds are I've either been there, or driven past it.

Rest stop generally beats the hell out of "exit for gas, hang a right, hope it's open when you drive the five miles."

quote:

the sort on toll roads with lights and gas pumps and a little mini food court.

That type does not make me as nervous as the rest stops on toll-free interstates. These do to have the mini food court, they are frequently unattended, basically a place to stop and pee and maybe shove some quarters into a vending machine. This is the type place that I do not like to be unarmed.

quote:

This is America, not Afghanistan

Yeah, cause crimes never happen in the good ole USA.

Have you guys had your eyes closed, especially in the last couple years?

I hope you can work out getting her to your home safely.
If it was me, I would tell her to get on a plane and fly to you. To hell with the car, the trailer and all the rest. It can all be replaced.
Its been my experience that when one half of a couple in a bad relationship decides to end things permanently, things can get really ugly.

What about an "alternative" weapon, say, a bludgeon/edged weapon camping shovel, a billy club 4D MagLite, a tomahawk camping ax?

According to this web site https://www.usconcealedcarry.c...ity_map/wa-gun-laws/ there is no route leaving from New York state where Washington CCW is recognized all the way. Both New York and Pennsylvania do not recognize WA CCW, nor does Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska. If you could pick up your gun somewhere in Ohio, a path through participating states could be made from Ohio into Michigan, crossing Lake Michigan on the ferry from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI, through Iowa into South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and into Washingto. A more southern route is out because NE, CO, and NM don't recognize the WA permit. That route is remarkably straightforward, but you'd need to find someone in Ohio to hold your gun for you (like Cleveland, maybe). The route:
New York to Washingto CCW by David Casteel, on Flickr
I planned the route using the S.S. Badger ferry across Lake Michigan. There is another ferry that crosses south of there, but I've not used it. It crosses from Muskegon, MI to Milwaukee, WI, which is still far enough from Chicago to be OK. That ferry is shown in red on the lake.

It's 3117 miles and would take about 6 days.


flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
This is America, not Afghanistan. Yes, I would drive across country without a firearm.

Keep your head on a swivel, stay out of obviously bad neighborhoods, don't flash your wealth, and don't be a loudmouth. The odds that you will be gunned down in the middle of the street by a complete stranger for no reason is near zero.

Your biggest risk is having stuff stolen out of your trailer. Or even having the trailer completely stolen. In both cases, it's likely cheaper to just let them take stuff or the trailer than it is to engage in a gunfight.

In a heartbeat. I agree. In fact, I would not want the hassle and complexity of dealing with a gun and the BS legalities on a trip like that. But then again, I wouldn't be staying in campgrounds, so that might be a sketchier zone than I'm used to.

I'm flying back to Florida before taking a 14 hours trip out west to pick up my kids. Two reasons for that:

1. The vehicle I'll be borrowing from family is in Florida.
2. Allows me to drop off all my non-essential sea bags and be more comfortable on our month long road trip.

BUT, it also affords me the opportunity to grab a pistol and rifle for the trip.

All that said, I do agree with Rogue and Aeteocles, my main concern for wanting to carry something with me is due to the fact that we'll be camping in the Rocky Mountain area and the 4 legged problems scare me more than the 2 legged ones.

Like you. I would prefer to be armed with a firearm, but in your situation I would pack a nice knife and flashlight, fly to NY, pick up your Mom, and enjoy the opportunity to do an old-fashioned road trip with some really beautiful parts of the country to see along the way.