Newbie here....ForbidInjustice wrote:Only reading the first few posts of this thread, here's how I respond to the original issue.
I'm torn. I carry just about all the time, but if I go out to a restaurant, even if I leave my firearm in the car, technically, I cannot go inside and have a beer. It is illegal to carry while intoxicated, and one beer constitutes intoxication. Even with my firearm separated from the ammunition in the car, I am still considered carrying in Texas, granted I am not 'traveling'.
Would I get pulled over? Probably not. Would I consent to the officer's search of my vehicle? No, I wouldn't [and he wouldn't have probable cause]. The only legal fix is going out with a person who was also a CHL holder, and they remain sober while I drink. But .. does that make sense? Not really.
I'm not sure where I got this from and I can't find reference to it in the code, but I thought putting it out of reach would mean that you are no longer carrying? Sometimes, going home from work, the wife will meet me somewhere for dinner, or someone will call me for a couple of drinks, especially on Friday afternoons. These events are unplanned, hence I'm carrying. When I get to my new, unplanned destination, I put my business case where I keep my handgun in the trunk of my car. It's not on my person or within reach while drinking or driving (if I even drive). I felt that at this point, I wasn't carrying while having a couple of drinks go through my system.
Am I wrong here?