my trip report (semi-CHL related)

[mr.72]

I recently went on a 3500 mile driving trip. We drove from Austin NE eventually to Philadelphia and took the train to NYC. Along the way we passed through Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Washington, DC.

Figuring out the mishmash of gun laws going on a trip like this is a royal pain. Complying with the various laws, or attempting to, is difficult to say the least. The only thing that is assuredly legal is to not bring any guns. Many of the states we passed through have reciprocity agreements with TX for CHL holders so I was not too worried about driving through Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. However, we ended up staying in Maryland for a couple of days and this was iffy, since my guns were illegal in MD and the transporting exclusion may not apply if I am stopping in MD for lodging particularly for more than one day (we were there two nights).

I gave up trying to figure out what the "traveling" laws were with regard to a gun in the car on the way there. We changed up drivers. Most of the time driving up, my wife was driving our car, and she does not have her CHL. So the jury is out on whether she was legal to have a loaded gun in the glove box in any of the states we went through other than TX. I checked a few of them but their laws were not exactly clear or succinct. We locked up then guns once we got to MD and kept them in a person's home while we were staying there, and didn't take them into DC. Then we left them locked in the hotel in Philadelphia when we went to NYC by way of Delaware and New Jersey, both of which states do not have reciprocity agreements with TX and of course NYC is legendary for anti-gun laws much like Washington, DC.

I was startled to find a sign when going into a restaurant in Memphis that stated that it was a misdemeanor in TN to bring a weapon into any establishment where any alcohol is served. This is kind of like the TX 51% only it is >0%. I had to walk back to the car and put the gun in the car. While I was on my way back, I was accosted by a dude asking for a cigarette, who seemed suspicious enough to me but it turns out he was looking for me to give him money willfully and I managed to turn him away. We did see someone in the early stages of getting robbed across the street while returning to the car in Memphis on our way back to the car from that restaurant, of course we were unarmed and just left as fast as possible. I also walked through a drug deal in Baltimore, unarmed by law, and we were forced to endure a horrendous assault of grossly offensive conduct during an entire 45 minute DC Metro train ride back to our car courtesy of a thug and his girlfriend, which we didn't bother to dissuade in effort to avoid any kind of conflict, while of course we were disarmed, by law. Had I been armed, I might have politely asked the crude couple to lay off while on the train. While on fuel stops and in rest areas we were glad to be armed a couple of times, once in who knows what state on the DC beltway (maybe MD or VA) where I absolutely was not getting out of the car unarmed (it was about 1:30 am, thugs on site).

One thing I found is that my Smartcarry is tolerable, but not comfortable on these long driving trips even with the little Kahr in it. The FIST kydex holster was more comfortable at 4:30 but still not fully comfortable for over a couple of hours of driving so I ended up wearing the FIST holster and putting the gun in the console while on the move. I didn't like having to take the gun out of the console and put it back in the holster and vice versa at stops, but I did it anyway because otherwise I am sure I would have gone nuts from the discomfort of carrying in the car. The other family who was traveling with us never noticed I was carrying, and neither did my wife, until I made it clear that I was going to be carrying no matter what, wherever it was legal. So I guess for concealment, I was golden.

In the end, I think it is probably extremely worthwhile to get out of state licenses that allow for reciprocity in the entire country as much as possible if you intend to go on these driving trips. I am not keen on going back to Baltimore, DC or NYC unarmed, ever again. My wife wants to go back to NYC so I am seriously on the lookout for how to legally carry in NYC. I understand it might not be possible or feasible. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears. Same for DC, although I think the odds of us going back are slim.

Somewhere there must be a web site with comprehensive info on car carry laws in all 50 states. It would be nice to know since we go on frequent driving vacations. I was not concerned with being searched but if you get in a car accident you may not be able to avoid being discovered that you had guns in the car.

[KBCraig]

What stopped you from carrying pepper spray the whole trip? IANAL, but it is my understanding that most states allow for pepper spray carry without the need of having any sort of license.

In DC, all pepper spray must be serial numbered and registered with police. In Massachusetts, you must have a Firearms Identification Card to purchase or possess pepper spray.

Other states, including NY and Maryland, restrict quantities and strength of the spray.

[mr.72]

We did White House and Pentagon tours in DC that precluded the carrying of pepper spray, or even a pocket knife. Unfortunately they don't provide storage for items while you are on the tours so you have to either check them in the bag storage area of the main Amtrak station or leave them in your car, which in our case was about 1 hr worth of train rides away so it was not exactly reasonable to go back and get it.

Obviously in DC and NY they don't like to let regular people defend themselves with force equal to that of the criminals.

[mr.72]

Seems in my quest for knowledge, I have found it will be impossible for me to get any kind of permit to carry (or even transport) a gun in New York without moving there first. This factoid does not exactly make me excited to return there for a vacation.

[anygunanywhere]

Reasonable restrictions and common sense gun laws will get you every time.

Anygunanywhere