No targets to show you. Just this.



I wish I could give a range report but on the way there I got pulled over.

My vehicle registration had expired. Totally my fault. However in Philadelphia when you are stopped and you do not have current insurance, up to date inspection sticker or as in my case expired registration police impound your car right there and then. It is the Law. Okay, it was my fault.

I could give a nice half hearted rant, "No mercy, no good..." and so on but I quickly got over that.

What I thought that some members might find amusing is what happen after I got stopped. I immediately revealed that I had a weapon in each front pocket and a bag with guns and ammo in the trunk. So the officer calls for back up. I don't blame her. Be safe. In a bit we have five officers there. No problem. They treated me very nice.

I got a lot more nervous when the sarge, who now knew that I am a collector, asked me how many guns I owned. I swallowed hard and said fifty. She kept a straight face but I wondered what she was thinking. "Yes, I have a safe, whole house alarm system, new steel doors, the windows are pinned but don't have cameras yet." Bless her, she was cool about it.

The rub began when they went into my range bag. None of them knew how to open a Dan Wesson Model 15. I holler back that I can tell them how it is opened with the release ahead of the cylinder instead....."No sir, regulations, when we can't clear a gun that is loaded we have to call Swat." Clear it? I start to tell her that they are snap caps and not bullets but I stifle myself. None of the young officers knew what a snap caps was or what it was for. A new class of officers just came out of the Police Academy this month. That was the big surprise that came out of this. I kept my mouth shut. "Okay." I had made up my mind to be 100% compliant.

Twenty five minutes later the tow truck arrived first. Then Swat arrived, driving down an 8 lane (that is just the NB lanes) highway in the wrong direction. Okay, they were careful and it was nothing like an Interstate or controlled access high way. I just thought it was amusing. I needed to keep my sense of humor here and not take my dear self too seriously.

The Swat officers were naturally a bit surprised and suspicious to see the bags of ammo and all my revolvers until an officer explained that I was in route to a nearby range where I am a member.

All the officers were professional and courteous. I did go home with all my gear once my brother arrived. In the end I got to admit that sometimes and with somethings I am my own worse enemy!

And my hat's off to the good guys(and gals).


I thought this might interest some of you. Some more than others. Me, I am on the cop's side. Seriously am. 'cause I also consider myself one of the good guys.

Being up front and courteous generally reaps better results than being the fundamental orifice. Glad you got out of there with your gear.

Good luck with your DMV. Daily impound rates down here are a bear.

Impound your car for expired tabs right on the spot?? That's outrageous. Sounds like the state is just looking to make some extra money from impound fees.

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It's Alive !!

If they didn't tow it and he got into an accident the officer's would be at fault for allowing a vehicle on the road that was prohibited . All he would have to say to the judge is, "the officer's let me drive without registration ". Those officers would be looking at some serious time suspended. They did their job, nothing less / nothing more.

That's quite the story there. Glad you got to make it home with all your guns - the car you can collect anytime. Then again, sounds like you have more "spare" guns than cars!

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Stay protected my friends.

Good lord, what a party.

You handled it all quite well, which is a huge reason why it went as well as it did...

State doesn't make money on impound fees. They call a private towing company.

You should have told the cop to blow it out her ### when she asked you show many guns you own. Not because she's a cop or because she stopped you or asked you questions. ....but because this is Philly! That's how we roll!! Stop giving us a soft image!!!

Ok all kidding aside I would most likely have done the same. At that point you choose to be or not to be your own worst enemy. When you said you own 50 guns she probably thought you ment a lot and used the number 50 as an expression of that.

I don't know if I sent you this or not but Philly has all new laws when it comes to gun ownership and they are in our benefit, not theirs.

One thing I forgot to mention. MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR CAR BACK IMMEDIATELY IF NOT SOONER. The reason is that the city WILL send you notice to come and pick your car up HOWEVER they have a tendency to wait a month before that and in the meantime you rack up storage fees. Roughly $25 a day. When you get your car MAKE SURE you keep the receipt in case they do send that letter weeks after you have picked it up. If you toss it and ignore the letter because you already have your car it might still be in the system as confiscated and will get towed if a cop randomly checks your plates. DO NOT MESS with the bureaucratic nightmare that is the city of Philadelphia. You won't win. Instead you'll hit your head against the wall as you try to explain to the untrained, no common sense, affirmative action desk jockey that you already paid and have your car for 3 months as he or she says "but the computer tells me. ......"

Keep your paperwork!

In your case read #11 & 12

1.Not to disclose LTCF applicant information either electronically or in-person;

2.Annual training of the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia License and Inspection Board of Review on the confidentiality of LTCF applicant information;

3.Customer service training for the Philadelphia Gun Permit Unit;

4.Posting a copy of the LTCF Application Notice on its website and where LTCF applications and appeals can be submitted or obtained, as well as, providing a copy to anyone who has his/her LTCF denied or revoked;

5.The City will not require references on the LTCF application and will not contact any references listed on the LTCF application;

6.The City will not require lawful immigrants or US Citizens with a US Passport to provide naturalization papers;

7..The City will not require any applicant to disclose whether he/she owns a firearm during the LTCF application process;

8.The City will not deny an application because the applicant answered “no” to any question regarding whether the applicant had been charged/convicted of any crime where the applicant received a pardon or expungement from the charge or conviction;

9.The City will process all LTCF applications within 45 calendar days;

10. The City will remit $15.00 to any applicant who is denied within 20 days;

11. The City will not require LTCF applicants or holders to disclose to law enforcement that they have an LTCF, that they are carrying a firearm or that they have a firearm in the vehicle; and

12. The City will not confiscate an LTCF or firearm, unless there is probable cause that the LTCF or firearm is evidence of a crime. In the event an LTCF or firearm is confiscated, the officer must immediately provide a property receipt, which shall include the pertinent information

On initially reading this I was imagining the final scene in The Blue's Brother movie.

That is a harsh law. Impounding your vehicle for a late registration. Think of everything you have to register, license, insure, etc. and imagine it getting impounded if you're late on paying a fee.

Assuming the police officer ran an unremarkable background check on you and your vehicle I do not see any liability in letting you go with a ticket or verbal warning for a low risk individual with up to date insurance and inspection sticker. Due diligence would have been exercised to make certain the driver, car, and paid up insurance were safe to drive on the road.

I would not be surprised if someone on the council that voted for this law has a relative or friend in the towing/impounding business?

When the officer was trying to stop you thank goodness you didn't keep driving and cross a state line. The FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security would have been involved.

That is a wacky story. And somewhat depressing because so many people think that's the way it should be. Good for the OP for not making it worse for himself.

Well SWAT team seems a little excessive. Also why did they have to go through your range bag in the first place ?

It's not really like that. This is a city of 1.5 million people. There have been a lot of people who never insure or register their cars. They get the initial insurance and temp tag to actually buy the car and that's it. There are too many thing in the city for cops to remember to go back and see if they guy got his registration. The registration renewal gets mailed to you WAAAAAY ahead of time. Like 2 months ahead. There are no conspiracies here. Too many people will simply say thank you and never bother to get the registration or insurance. So now there is a car on the road that is possibly not insured and when he hits you and takes off you'll be the one stuck paying for your car damage and crying why don't cops do something about it. Philly is not Mayberry, if you don't have proof of registration and or insurance then it's a 50/50 if you even have it.

If he crossed state lines he would have been in NJ which would have been even worse without having anything to do with the alphabet soup. I'm sure that 1/2 his firearms and ammo would have been illegal in NJ

I hate Philadelphia. Best excuse ever for thermonuclear weapons.

Don't hate. Despise.

I'm sorry but what would you have them do? And complaining about Philly from Colorado is kinda like the pot calling the kettle black. How are those new gun laws coming along?

Just for the fun of it, how many have checked their registration and inspection stickers ? I did and my car is due next month.

I got pulled over in Stroudsburg PA last year for having a out of date registration. I had my Range bag in open view on the back seat. The officer checked me out, came back to my car handed back my paper work and said when I get home, I should register it on line and print a copy to have until they mail me one. He even gave my PBA card back. No ticket or impounding.
MrTrolleyguy, that really sucks. Another reason I only go to Philadelphia when I have to.

I've rode to the range on my motorcycle with a small arsenal and a bunch of ammo on my back. I always wondered what would transpire should a traffic stop occur.

I've known and conversed with many LEO's in my time. Each one had a story or two as an example of one of their personal rules; never piss off the police! A minor problem can quickly get out of hand if you fail to see the need to cooperate. A routine traffic stop that could have ended with a warning will most likely end in a ticket if you don't keep your mouth shut and act politely.

Some folk here in Vegas got grumpy because Metro and the Constable's office started enforcing the "30 days" rule on registrations and licenses. Too many move here then get sticker shock over registration fees and insurance in this state. So they tend to "stretch things" when it comes to getting it sorted. That doesn't fly in a small state with a small tax base.

Add to that the fact many come from California that in the past has had a marked reluctance to refund those who move out of state before their registration is up. This has caused many to complain that they are getting dinged twice. Explain again why this is Nevada's problem?

Not blaming the cops at all. They're just following the law. I'm blaming the state law. In Mn the worst that could happen would be a ticket. To impound your car on the spot IS outrageous. It's been many years since I've forgotten lic tabs, but I have forgotten them or purchased them, threw them in my glove compartment and forgot to put them on. To impound someone's car on the spot is overkill.
BTW, I wonder if PA enforces these laws.....
You may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth.
A special cleaning ordinance bans housewives from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish.
You may not sing in the bathtub.
All according to dumb laws still on the books in PA. It's on the Internet so it must be true.

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The Blues Brothers (9/9) Movie CLIP - Paying the Price (1980) HD - YouTube

Quote:
Originally Posted by g8rb8 View Post
On initially reading this I was imagining the final scene in The Blue's Brother movie.

That is a harsh law. Impounding your vehicle for a late registration. Think of everything you have to register, license, insure, etc. and imagine it getting impounded if you're late on paying a fee.

Assuming the police officer ran an unremarkable background check on you and your vehicle I do not see any liability in letting you go with a ticket or verbal warning for a low risk individual with up to date insurance and inspection sticker. Due diligence would have been exercised to make certain the driver, car, and paid up insurance were safe to drive on the road.

I would not be surprised if someone on the council that voted for this law has a relative or friend in the towing/impounding business?

When the officer was trying to stop you thank goodness you didn't keep driving and cross a state line. The FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security would have been involved. Quote



Arik has got it right. He know what it use to be like here. Before they started tightening up the police would stop a car and the driver would say he forgot his license and ID. He would get a ticket in a phony name and that was the end of it. Crazy. Law abiding citizens hated what that crowd did. Yes.

Did this policy put a stop to it immediately? You bet it did. It put an end to the craziness and it started to make people obey the law or loose their car or the use of it. It got hundreds of thousands of unpaid tickets paid. You could not get your car back if you had unpaid tickets. Smart!

It was a good move.

And I never go over the bridge to NJ (which is 3 blocks from my house) with so much as a spent casing in the car. Pepper spray is all that I carry over there. Draconian gun laws in NJ.

Mr. Trolley Guy,
Sorry. Not to be argumentative but I've got to stand up for you on this matter. No offense, but common sense has completely evaporated. If you had up-to-date insurance information with you then the concern about being in an accident and you being a non-insured driver is for naught. I assume the police ran a background check on you and found no outstanding warrants or tickets so that part of your argument is for naught also. I understand the law as described in this thread but per your description it was intended to catch the less-than-ideal citizens who fail to insure their cars or fail to pay tickets or repeatedly fail to register their cars. The law should not be penalizing otherwise good tax-paying citizens except maybe with a ticket. Based on working with systems that perform similar functions it would seem a no-brainer to have a system that does not reconcile the ticket until the registration has been completed.

Sure. If you forgot your license and ID, if you were belligerent with the police with expired registration, if you had no proof of insurance, if you had outstanding warrants, if you had unpaid tickets ........ then ticketing or possibly impounding your car might make sense, but with the only infraction being an expired registration, and that being the sole reason leading to impounding your car, I would argue the intent of the law has been usurped. If you look at the logic of this slippery slope who is to say what can be impounded or taken away from you simply for being late on paying a fee, registration, or tax.

In the end the best solution is to be more careful about paying your registration next year.

John
Scoundrel and Ne'er-Do-Well in Training

g8rb8, Thank you for your last post. I appreciate it. Yes, my record is clean as a whistle. And I too would like to see the non-scofflaws get some level of forbearance from the officer on the scene. I could have perhaps been given a warning or a citation.

I'm surprised the government sanctioned thugs at the Philadelphia Parking Authority are not involved in the towing, impound and auctioning.

Calling in SWAT to unload a revolver? Around here, that would likely be a career altering event for the Mayor.

Oops, mine expires in two days ... happy birthday to me.

And thanks to Mrtrolleyguy for being so understanding that we have a job to do, whether we totally agree with every part of it or not. BTW, how expired WAS your registration?

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Don

You have a Dan Wesson?!!!!!!! Just kidding. Your attitude is very refreshing, Trolley. You ARE one of the good guys!

Wow, SWAT just to open a revolver!

You handled it very well, can't say I'd be that patient. (hope I would be.)

As Patrick Swayze said in Roadhouse"Be Nice".Really pays off with the police just trying to do their job.If you don't give 'em any grief it usually works out.If you run your mouth they're just gonna keep digging and drag it out 'cause they can.

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I'm just here for the guns.

In Minneapolis, at least, if your tabs are out of date by 60 (or is it 30?) days, your vehicle will ride the flatbed to the impound lot. The towing company that has the contract used to be a client of mine, and yes, it is a very lucrative business. Street sweeping, snow emergencies and general snow plowing, plus overtime parking in towaway zones. Out of date tabs is chicken feed by comparison.

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Not in jail.