I have only been carrying for 3 1/2 weeks and I am coming up on an anniversary of sorts that has got me to thinking. Sorry if this turns out a little long.
Almost 3 years ago I was traveling from Tulsa to Guthrie for the Wildlife Expo. When I got to Stroud, a Highway Patrolman got in behind me and lit me up, so I pulled over. He immediately got out, drew his weapon and took up a position behind his door. He demanded to see my hands out the window. Now I'm thinking that I'm driving a similar car to some criminal. He had me get out and walk backwards to the car and kneel down. He placed cuffs on me and wanted to know where the weapon was. I told him I had a pocket knife, but he wanted to know where the gun was. I told him that I didn't have a gun and that he must have the wrong vehicle. He said no, these were the right tags and wanted me to tell him where the gun was. Now I was totally confused.
Another officer arrived and the first searched my car. At this point I was told that some young men had called in saying that I had waved a gun at them. At this point I remembered the incident from 25 miles up the turnpike. Three teenagers in a pickup had ran up real close to me. I tapped my brakes to get them to back off. After I finished passing a semi I got over to the right. I was expecting these kids to drive pass me and give me the finger. When they got to my left rear bumper, they unexpectantly slowed and got in behind me. This surprised me but I soon forgot about it as 1/2 mile further on they took the Bristow exit.
Obviously, these kids are smarter than most and decided that making a report of me waving a gun would cause me more trouble than giving me the finger. They were right. Luckily I had nothing remotely looking like a gun in the car and the officers let me go eventually. If I had been in my truck that I normally drive, I would have had a old piece of crap Arminius 22mag pistol behind the seat. It was never loaded, but it would have given them something to confirm the boys claim.
Nowadays, I am always armed, besides not tapping my brakes for tailgaters to avoid this, what would I have to do to prove my innocence on a false report like this? Would I lose my ccl or have it suspended on a shot in the dark claim by another driver?
Two funny things happened along with this. The first officer was shocked and momentarily very alarmed when he opened the tub that I had in the trunk and saw the face and mustard colored buck teeth of one of the 5 frozen beavers it contained which were to be used for skinning demos at the Expo. The look on his face when he stepped back and grasped the grip of his pistol was priceless. I think that he beilieved that he had caught Jeffery Dharma and Charles Manson all rolled up in one. And 2nd, the cuffs that he used on me failed to unlock and 3 sets of keys wouldn't unlock them. After 25 minutes, a trip into Stroud and multiple color changes to my hands, he was able to grind down a key that would work on the cuffs.
Almost 3 years ago I was traveling from Tulsa to Guthrie for the Wildlife Expo. When I got to Stroud, a Highway Patrolman got in behind me and lit me up, so I pulled over. He immediately got out, drew his weapon and took up a position behind his door. He demanded to see my hands out the window. Now I'm thinking that I'm driving a similar car to some criminal. He had me get out and walk backwards to the car and kneel down. He placed cuffs on me and wanted to know where the weapon was. I told him I had a pocket knife, but he wanted to know where the gun was. I told him that I didn't have a gun and that he must have the wrong vehicle. He said no, these were the right tags and wanted me to tell him where the gun was. Now I was totally confused.
Another officer arrived and the first searched my car. At this point I was told that some young men had called in saying that I had waved a gun at them. At this point I remembered the incident from 25 miles up the turnpike. Three teenagers in a pickup had ran up real close to me. I tapped my brakes to get them to back off. After I finished passing a semi I got over to the right. I was expecting these kids to drive pass me and give me the finger. When they got to my left rear bumper, they unexpectantly slowed and got in behind me. This surprised me but I soon forgot about it as 1/2 mile further on they took the Bristow exit.
Obviously, these kids are smarter than most and decided that making a report of me waving a gun would cause me more trouble than giving me the finger. They were right. Luckily I had nothing remotely looking like a gun in the car and the officers let me go eventually. If I had been in my truck that I normally drive, I would have had a old piece of crap Arminius 22mag pistol behind the seat. It was never loaded, but it would have given them something to confirm the boys claim.
Nowadays, I am always armed, besides not tapping my brakes for tailgaters to avoid this, what would I have to do to prove my innocence on a false report like this? Would I lose my ccl or have it suspended on a shot in the dark claim by another driver?
Two funny things happened along with this. The first officer was shocked and momentarily very alarmed when he opened the tub that I had in the trunk and saw the face and mustard colored buck teeth of one of the 5 frozen beavers it contained which were to be used for skinning demos at the Expo. The look on his face when he stepped back and grasped the grip of his pistol was priceless. I think that he beilieved that he had caught Jeffery Dharma and Charles Manson all rolled up in one. And 2nd, the cuffs that he used on me failed to unlock and 3 sets of keys wouldn't unlock them. After 25 minutes, a trip into Stroud and multiple color changes to my hands, he was able to grind down a key that would work on the cuffs.
