OC'ing While Doing Yardwork --- Cops Show Up...

[Fairfield_Glock]

While I havent read all the replys to this thread as there are a ton of them, Ill chime in with this bit. "Youll catch more flies with sugar than vinegar".

True, your not "required" to produce your LTCF for OC under most circumstances, and all things considered I would have done the same.... actually did and posted the encounter here a while back. Sounds like the LEO knew the OP was legal but "asked". He could have said no, but then again, why be a dick?

Good post. It pretty much sums up my feelings.

I do believe that a person who doesn't show their LTCF isn't always being a dick. It is certainly within one's legal right to refuse in an OC situation. And many people do have a good reason to refuse. HOWEVER, I think the OP handled the situation well.

Think about it this way: the Trooper had already demonstrated support for the OP by the way he addressed the crazy neighbor. To top it off, he was being polite and respectful to the OP.

[brewguy]

Good post. It pretty much sums up my feelings.

I do believe that a person who doesn't show their LTCF isn't always being a dick. It is certainly within one's legal right to refuse in an OC situation. And many people do have a good reason to refuse. HOWEVER, I think the OP handled the situation well.

Think about it this way: the Trooper had already demonstrated support for the OP by the way he addressed the crazy neighbor. To top it off, he was being polite and respectful to the OP.

The question always in my mind is what would have happened had he said no? We all know he could have and the cop was nice so we assume it would have been no big deal. The cop wouldn't have "asked" for it if he didn't expect to see it. To me any time a cop asks for something it really is a demand with the implied threat of "or else"

I'd just as soon have no interaction with them, all this ask, demand, detain, arrest, permit and license stuff is crazy. To me cops are force, they are the force of the state. Any time they talk to you or ask you something there is implied force behind the request.

[Elmar]

asserting your rights isn't giving anyone a hard time. the cop admitted he knew the laws and just didn't care about it..

They are his rights to defend or relinquish as he sees fit. We don't have to answer any questions posed to us by our friends either - its our right not to - but we do because we are civil.

[ThomasJ]

They are his rights to defend or relinquish as he sees fit. We don't have to answer any questions posed to us by our friends either - its our right not to - but we do because we are civil.

Our friends are not agents of government. The police are.

[Elmar]

Our friends are not agents of government. The police are.

Which doesn't prevent us from acting in a civil manner. They are his rights he can do whatever he wants with them - thats rather the purpose of rights.

I normally don't carry my LTCF if I am just outside my house because I don't carry my wallet with me (I've got too much crap in it).

[Yentl Marmelstein]

I simply dont understand the IMMEDIATE refusal some of you have when it comes to interacting with law enforcement.

Real simple.

I deal with government entities in one shape or another, in NY, NJ, PA, & DE every day of the week.

Because of this extensive experience with governmental arrogance, ineptitude and ambivalence, I choose to keep my distance whenever interaction is not absolutely necessary.

Besides garbage collection (and unless you live in a city, this doesn't even apply), the existence of government is more a nuisance than a help.

[Yentl Marmelstein]

Like this?

Know what's REALLY sad?

Imagine the poor schmuck who married her!

[ThomasJ]

Which doesn't prevent us from acting in a civil manner.

No one has ever suggested acting otherwise.

[Exbiker]

Real simple.

I deal with government entities in one shape or another, in NY, NJ, PA, & DE every day of the week.

So did I for 30years and in general in an adversarial role yet I found that using my discretion as to whether it would benefit me to interact has saved me a ton of grief. I have carried from California to Maine and so it behooved me to not make waves and wind up being searched.

[Fairfield_Glock]

The question always in my mind is what would have happened had he said no? We all know he could have and the cop was nice so we assume it would have been no big deal. The cop wouldn't have "asked" for it if he didn't expect to see it. To me any time a cop asks for something it really is a demand with the implied threat of "or else"

I'd just as soon have no interaction with them, all this ask, demand, detain, arrest, permit and license stuff is crazy. To me cops are force, they are the force of the state. Any time they talk to you or ask you something there is implied force behind the request.

You do have a point about implied force. It's sort of like those cases where the police ask to search a vehicle, the driver refuses, and they search it anyway.

I guess it's more of a sugar-coating move to display your LTCF to the police when they ask for it. If a neighbor portrays you as a gun-toting maniac, at least the LEO can say you have a valid LTCF and he/she actually saw it.