Poll: Road trip and vacation to California….. no CCW, no loaded open carry. How do you travel?

[eustace_stelio]

Unless you have warrants or a bad record I doubt you'll have any issues with being pulled over and the officer wanting to search your vehicle. We'll as long as you're not high or drunk...

The real risk is if you actually are forced to use your firearm in California, being from out of state.

 

[boattail]

Even where that's legal, that doesn't sound like good advice. Police are particularly sensitive to furtive movements when they're pulling people over.

True, but I can lock a case without anyone knowing I even moved. Also, I only have pickups with single cabs so the whole gun outside of the passenger compartment thing is out for me.

It does not work for everyone in every situation but it has worked for me many times albeit I have never been pulled over while doing it. I CCW in my home state so I have only used that method when out of state. I work in law enforcement and often do ride alongs and get to see exactly what people do when pulled over....and yes, the officer and myself are always watching hands.

 

[Flopsweat]

True, but I can lock a case without anyone knowing I even moved. Also, I only have pickups with single cabs so the whole gun outside of the passenger compartment thing is out for me.

It does not work for everyone in every situation but it has worked for me many times albeit I have never been pulled over while doing it. I CCW in my home state so I have only used that method when out of state. I work in law enforcement and often do ride alongs and get to see exactly what people do when pulled over....and yes, the officer and myself are always watching hands.

You may think your hand is the only thing moving, but it's not. More than likely your shoulder or head will give you away, even if you think you're not moving them. You are constantly moving, even if only a little. You move differently when you reach down. You move differently when you are trying to mask your movements. Sounds silly but ask a patrol officer. Also, please don't interpret this to mean that I'm LEO; I'm not.

 

[terdog]

Don't forget to ask yourself if you're willing to accept an officer in a bad mood taking you in for CCW without a permit and turning your life upside down and possibly losing your gun rights.

 

[Member 53328]

Don't forget to ask yourself if you're willing to accept an officer in a bad mood taking you in for CCW without a permit and turning your life upside down and possibly losing your gun rights.

How do they find out you are carrying?

 

[terdog]

They can always find a reason to pull you out of your vehicle if they want to.
It's downhill from there.

 

[Member 53328]

They can always find a reason to pull you out of your vehicle if they want to.
It's downhill from there.

Need a warrant to search my car or my person.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Need a warrant to search my car or my person.

Nope, not true! That's actually being litigated as we speak! Right now, they have a couple tricks, one is probable cause, the one they almost always use is "I smelt Something funny, like Pot" the other rarely used is, Public concern/welfare check. Your castle is the only place you own that requires a warrant to search, and that's what is being litigated right now, your car isn't covered yet, but if we win, it can be treated as a "Refuge" same as the home, and that's a good thing!

 

[terdog]

Need a warrant to search my car or my person.

ALL kind of ways around that.

I HATE CA as much as anyone. But I'm gunna play it smart.

 

[Member 53328]

Nope, not true! That's actually being litigated as we speak! Right now, they have a couple tricks, one is probable cause, the one they almost always use is "I smelt Something funny, like Pot" the other rarely used is, Public concern/welfare check. Your castle is the only place you own that requires a warrant to search, and that's what is being litigated right now, your car isn't covered yet, but if we win, it can be treated as a "Refuge" same as the home, and that's a good thing!

So you're telling me the 4th amendment is void in Cali? Cause when I was in LE down there that was not the case. You still had to get a warrant. Probable cause isn't enough. It just gets you enough to request a warrant or allows you to initiate a traffic stop. It's been a few years since I've been down there though.

And weed is legal in cali. So unless you are impaired and driving. But a smell doesn't get you into a vehicle. I may be wrong though.

Dash cams are smart to invest in if LE is actively stepping on your rights. Either way I'll still carry in Cali.

 

[Member 53328]

Any case law on that? I'm genuinely curious.

 

[solv3nt]

Why are y'all getting pulled over?

 

[Member 53328]

Why are y'all getting pulled over?

No joke. I haven't been pulled since 2008.

 

[solv3nt]

No joke. I haven't been pulled since 2008.

I think it's been about the same time for me. I was pulled over driving through Coburg. At the time, they annexed i5 and gave everybody tickets. They got in trouble for that one.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

For me in OR I almost never see a state patrol car. In WA I see them all the time. Don't know if it's different funding levels or what. I've been pulled over in WA for going 3 mph over limit one time (no ticket). I think that was in an area where they train new guys (guessing based on age of the ones I've seen). Seems like a different world there are far as traffic law enforcement. No clue about CA.

One time on highway 14 in WA patrolman standing in middle of road and pointed 4 cars in a row to pull over. I was 5th car doing the limit and quite a ways behind that group. Stater stared at me but did not waive me over. He did not move from middle of the road, I drove in other lane slowly around him.

 

[Jay Walk]

Looks like your lockbox scheme is acceptable in California.

Pursuant to California Penal Code section 25610, a United States citizen over 18 years of age who is not prohibited from firearm possession, and who resides or is temporarily in California, may transport by motor vehicle any handgun provided it is unloaded and locked in the vehicle's trunk or in a locked container. Furthermore, the handgun must be carried directly to or from any motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and, while being carried must be contained within a locked container.

 

[Barefootdog]

I think it's been about the same time for me. I was pulled over driving through Coburg. At the time, they annexed i5 and gave everybody tickets. They got in trouble for that one.

Those snooty SOBs did that for years. Co-oped a federal highway into a cash machine. The other non highway approaching town speed limit transitions from 55mph to 40mph to 20mph were used as speed traps as well. Funny stuff really.

Oakridge used HWY58 as a speed trap to finance local government for years. Then one of the local officers collided with and killed that woman and that ended that. Fact is the old woman may have made a mistake but the high speed pursuits to catch up with traffic doing 45 or 55 in the 35mph area through town to issue speeding tickets had set the situation up for years prior to the accident. Bush league stuff. A cash cow for sure. Not so funny in this case, somebody died.

 

[Flopsweat]

No joke. I haven't been pulled since 2008.

Anything can happen. Car accident. Identical car wanted for violent crime. Nut breaks into your car. These are just off the cuff. There are probably dozens of ways it could happen. Or you could just get a bent cop and he'll go through your stuff while you cite case law and Constitution to him. Are any of these likely? Most of them no, and some of them neither you nor I can say with certainty.

At the end of the day, you be you and I'll be me.

 

[Member 53328]

Anything can happen. Car accident. Identical car wanted for violent crime. Nut breaks into your car. These are just off the cuff. There are probably dozens of ways it could happen. Or you could just get a bent cop and he'll go through your stuff while you cite case law and Constitution to him. Are any of these likely? Most of them no, and some of them neither you nor I can say with certainty.

At the end of the day, you be you and I'll be me.

Spot on. I'll do what I deem is the best choice for me and my family.

Car accident is the only thing I would be worried about. Personally. Everything else not so much.

 

[Member 53328]

Anything can happen. Car accident. Identical car wanted for violent crime. Nut breaks into your car. These are just off the cuff. There are probably dozens of ways it could happen. Or you could just get a bent cop and he'll go through your stuff while you cite case law and Constitution to him. Are any of these likely? Most of them no, and some of them neither you nor I can say with certainty.

At the end of the day, you be you and I'll be me.

I just did some research on what is required to search a vehicle in California. You're going to be completely fine unless you're an idiot.

Like @Ura-Ki said though they can search your vehicle without a warrant if they have probable cause that you have contraband in the vehicle or it pertains to a crime (talk about a vague area that gives LE a lot of leeway to lie and manipulate the scenario).

As long as you don't have stupid stickers, keep your mouth shut and are polite and respectful you would be fine. It goes without saying don't drink or smoke blunts in your vehicle. In fact I would avoid having any contraband in your vehicle if you plan on carrying a gun. Also take into consideration plain view doctrine.

At the end of the day though like you said we all get to access risk vs. reward and select our choices and actions at that point.