Any advice on how to go to a US POST OFFICE?

[Pecos]

My resolve for this issue is to park off the Post office property & leave my gum in the car. It's just a short walk for me. I dont go to the post office that often. My wife does that during the day.

[TXRuger]

My resolve for this issue is to park off the Post office property & leave my gum in the car. It's just a short walk for me. I dont go to the post office that often. My wife does that during the day.

I agree. The USPS I often visited is surrounded by some fast food stores. I just parked my car there, left my gun in the car then made a short walk to the Post Office.

[RottenApple]

My resolve for this issue is to park off the Post office property & leave my gum in the car. It's just a short walk for me. I dont go to the post office that often. My wife does that during the day.

In TX heat? Doesn't it melt?

[cb1000rider]

If you dig through all the federal laws then Im sure you could find out you are committing a felony everyday. I personally do not worry about it, just keep it in my car locked up and go about my business. Im not driving back home just to disarm just to go to the post office, not worth the time or gas.

Although I don't disagree with you, since my license shows up when LEOs run my license plate, it's not a very big reach for them to wonder if a firearm is in the vehicle. Basically, it'd be pretty easy to be "detected" - so why risk it?

[Keith B]

If you dig through all the federal laws then Im sure you could find out you are committing a felony everyday. I personally do not worry about it, just keep it in my car locked up and go about my business. Im not driving back home just to disarm just to go to the post office, not worth the time or gas.

Although I don't disagree with you, since my license shows up when LEOs run my license plate, it's not a very big reach for them to wonder if a firearm is in the vehicle. Basically, it'd be pretty easy to be "detected" - so why risk it?

Actually, your CHL does not show up on a plate run. They have to run your drivers license or name through the system. However, I have known officers to run the plate, then run the name of the registered owner before they approach, so they MAY suspicion you are the driver and know you have a CHL if it is you.

[ATDM]

My resolve for this issue is to park off the Post office property & leave my gum in the car. It's just a short walk for me. I dont go to the post office that often. My wife does that during the day.

This is exactly what I do, but it is a real hassle, because my post office is isolated with woods across the street (fenced) and the nearest other parking lot is about 500 feet away. It would also be illegal to park on the street itself in that area. If it wasn't near 100°F 6 months out of the year, it would be fine, but...

Thanks.

[ATDM]

Actually, your CHL does not show up on a plate run. They have to run your drivers license or name through the system. However, I have known officers to run the plate, then run the name of the registered owner before they approach, so they MAY suspicion you are the driver and know you have a CHL if it is you.

I didn't even know about that aspect of police work, however, my goal is to follow the law FULLY. Someone here said that "we all break the law every day", and I have to disagree. To the best of my knowledge, I don't break the law. A couple of times I learned later that I UNKNOWINGLY failed to follow the law in a nuance aspect, but it happened literally only a couple of times, and I immediately course correct to avoid it in the future.

This is the main reason I am a member of this forum: to learn nuances and share experiences. If I was OK with breaking the law every day, I wouldn't have bothered to join.

And I am not doing it simply to avoid getting punished. I am doing it, because it's the right thing to do, and I want to teach my kids the importance of doing the right thing even in small aspects and tiny nuances, when it may seem that it doesn't matter. Because it always matters... At least, in someone's eyes.

[chasfm11]

Actually, your CHL does not show up on a plate run. They have to run your drivers license or name through the system. However, I have known officers to run the plate, then run the name of the registered owner before they approach, so they MAY suspicion you are the driver and know you have a CHL if it is you.

I didn't even know about that aspect of police work, however, my goal is to follow the law FULLY. Someone here said that "we all break the law every day", and I have to disagree. To the best of my knowledge, I don't break the law. A couple of times I learned later that I UNKNOWINGLY failed to follow the law in a nuance aspect, but it happened literally only a couple of times, and I immediately course correct to avoid it in the future.

This is the main reason I am a member of this forum: to learn nuances and share experiences. If I was OK with breaking the law every day, I wouldn't have bothered to join.

And I am not doing it simply to avoid getting punished. I am doing it, because it's the right thing to do, and I want to teach my kids the importance of doing the right thing even in small aspects and tiny nuances, when it may seem that it doesn't matter. Because it always matters... At least, in someone's eyes.

I think your sentiments are shared by many here. The problem that we have collectively is that the laws seem to be written in ways where it is difficult - and at some times near impossible - to go through our lives without breaking some of them.

With the exception of some areas like speeding, I think most people don't have any intention of breaking laws on a daily basis. I suspect the comment from the other poster was based on the expectation that we'll never know.

For me, a great case in point is the thread about the rifle open carry in San Antonio and those involved being charged with disorderly conduct. They broke the law, according to the arresting officer. Whether they will ultimately pay for their "mistake" is a different matter. My point is that if someone wanted to charge me with something and they looked hard enough, they would find it. While I consider myself to be very legally conscious and perhaps more knowledgeable than many who don't read forums like this one, there is no way that I can remember all of them. The sheer volume of laws has been used a a reason that LEOs don't know them all either.

I'm an RVer. The patchwork of laws in the 50 States that cover towed vehicles is so bizarre that I doubt anyone can understand and comply with them. Even DPS offices do not all understand the classes of driver's license that apply to RVs of various weights. As many as half of Texas RVers with some of those special vehicles probably don't have the proper license. I find myself in a similar situation with the laws that cover concealed handguns in just the States which have reciprocity with Texas. Even trying as hard as I do to understand and comply with them as we move around the country, I'm sure that I've had several cases where I broke laws, even ones that I had carefully studied, because I forgot about one of the nuances that was peculiar to a given State. I can tell you that it pains be greatly to go through all of the steps to secure my handgun according the the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) before we drive the roughly 12 miles through Maryland on I-81 between West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It would be very easy to overlook those preparations some day if some sort of travel issues developed and suddenly we were in MD before we realized it. We usually plan a fuel stop before we leave Virgina to give me time to unload and lock up but traffic and weather easily can alter those plans.

My goal is like yours. I don't set out to deliberately break the law. I could probably resume camping in COE campgrounds on trips and never be challenged about my firearm onboard but I'm not going to do it. It is a shame and I miss them. But the law is the law.

[b322da]

I'll bet you cannot find one case were someone has been charged with a gun in the post office parking lot.

Mike Lochabay

I suspect that if this BG is caught he will be charged.
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci ... arking-lot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

[Pecos]

The small (I mean one Mom & Pop convienence store SMALL) town post office we use is usually closed when we go there to get mail. Were usually the only ones there. My wife checkes the mail during the day usually. Sometime (Rarely) we stop to check mail in the evening on the way to do shopping, I stay in the car.
But from now on Ill have my wife stop along the hiway & run it.
This is a really crazy law.

[Pecos]

At lease the Parking lot should have a "With out a Permit" sign. Whats sad about this USPS parking lot law is it wont stop the BGs.

[ATDM]

At lease the Parking lot should have a "With out a Permit" sign. Whats sad about this USPS parking lot law is it wont stop the BGs.

I agree. The CHL holders I know are law abiding citizens and can be fully trusted to have their firearms in the parking lots of the Post Offices and every other parking lot, where it's forbidden.

Has there been a case with a CHL holder misusing his/her gun in a parking lot somewhere? Or any crime wave perpetrated by CHL holders?

Yet, we here all the time about lowlifes with guns in "GUN FREE ZONES". That's an absolute scumbaggery on the part of the lawmakers.

[sjfcontrol]

I'll bet you cannot find one case were someone has been charged with a gun in the post office parking lot.

Mike Lochabay

I suspect that if this BG is caught he will be charged.
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci ... arking-lot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

Must have been some kind of misunderstanding. The second gentleman was wearing a hoodie, so we know they couldn't have been bad-guys.

[mikeloc]

I'll bet you cannot find one case were someone has been charged with a gun in the post office parking lot.

Mike Lochabay

I suspect that if this BG is caught he will be charged.
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci ... arking-lot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

Must have been some kind of misunderstanding. The second gentleman was wearing a hoodie, so we know they couldn't have been bad-guys.

I guess we had better not ever go to the post office again.

[Keith B]

I guess we had better not ever go to the post office again.

Actually, tat would be fine with me if I never have to go again. All i seem to get is bills or junk mail.