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I was under a mile away from commiting a felony!

4K views 38 replies 33 participants last post by  BIG E 
#1 ·
I hate that my folks live up here in Northern Virgina.

I was trying to go visit my sister and her husband, and I was gonna pick her up from the Crystal City metro stop. Traffic was crazy (and I don't really know where I was going) and I missed my exit...then I was stuck on 395N heading into Washington D.C :gah:

Luckily there was an exit ( I think the last one) before I crossed the river and I found a way back south.

In a situation like that: What would you do?


My thinking was (if I crossed into DC): take the gun out of the holster, unload it, and lock it in the glove box while driving (cuz I can't get into the trunk). Now I know this may not be perfectly ideal but it would be better than nothing and temporary until I could get it into the trunk and or get out of DC.

I hate feeling like I have to jump through hoops for my right to bear arms. :hand1:
 
#2 ·
Yeah, it's quite an annoying situation. Best you can probably do is get turned around asap and bug out fast and hope you don't get stopped before you get back across the bridge. And yes that exit just before the bridge is it. Once you cross the bridge you're in enemy territory.:blink:
 
#11 ·
Same here I can carry in 30 out of the 50 states
 
#6 ·
If you find yourself in DC {mistakenly}--do not stop.

Get off the next exit (Potomac Park)--follow the road until you get to a stop sign. Stop. Signal Left. Turn Left. Go to the end of the road (T-intersection). Stop. Signal Left. Turn Left. Follow the road about 1/4 mile (going under I-395), bear to the left and follow the signs to I-395 South...Welcome back to VA.

Key points here:
- Once you cross the river leaving VA, you are screwed.
- Do not stop.
- Do not handle your gun--you won't be in compliance with the law (D.C.) and you risk an N.D. (doubly screwed)
- Follow the traffic laws
- Do not panic
- Get back to friendly territory

This is my plan if I find myself in a similiar situation--but I plan on not getting that far.

Edited to add: If you stop along the road anywhere along I-395, there is plenty of federal LE willing to stop and see if you need any "help"--after they've checked your car. PLEASE do not stop. As good as your intentions are, you risk being caught. Whether the gun is in your glovebox, trunk, or in a box under the seat, in Wash D.C. you may as well have a GAU-8 mounted on your car and have bullets pouring out of your pockets...because you will go to jail.
 
#7 ·
Isn't this whole thread just nuts? Can anyone find a state legislator that will read this and try to do something?

I'm protected. I live in FL. I also have my CWP. But...to many live with these idiotic rules.

I wish I knew the answer because I know we could have election in FL that could turn things.

I hope everyone that votes Democratic understands what they are voting for -- control over every aspect of your life. Including control over your gun (or...more accurately... the gun you thought was yours).
 
#8 ·
Every time I go to, or pass thru, Oregon I have to stop in Washington,or Idaho, and remove pistol, put it in a hardcase in back of the vehicle, and place the ammo in a seperate container. Then when I leave Oregon I stop and reload for travel in Washington or Idaho. It is a bother, but since I don't go to oregon as much it isn't worth getting an out of state License for Oregon.
 
#12 ·
Every time I go to, or pass thru, Oregon I have to stop in Washington,or Idaho, and remove pistol, put it in a hardcase in back of the vehicle, and place the ammo in a seperate container.
Living in Oregon, the OR & UT CHL's cover everything west of MT/WY/CO/TX, except for CA.

Yes, the cross-border silliness is criminal, in that it should be required at all.
 
#10 ·
I took the UT course at a sportsmen's club in Easton PA. The instructor gave me directions to get off at the last exit on I 78 East before crossing to NJ. He told me if I missed the exit, to make an illegal U-turn in the median - better a traffic ticket in PA than a felony weapons arrest in NJ!
 
#14 ·
I don't think I agree with all the panicky emergency hand brake turns, etc. to get out of dodge. You risk getting pulled over and searched. Better I think to calmy take the next turn/exit possible and proceed to get out like nothing happened.

Just like carrying concealed into a store that's posted (as long as it's legal) concealed means concealed. You don't turn around and run to your car while unholstering, screaming "I've got a gun, and I can't go in!"
 
#15 ·
Just like carrying concealed into a store that's posted (as long as it's legal) concealed means concealed. You don't turn around and run to your car while unholstering, screaming "I've got a gun, and I can't go in!"
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

I think its stupid that we even have to worry about stupid thing like this. Just remember everyone, elections are coming up. Lets let them know how we feel & please if your not an NRA member JOIN!! The bigger we are the better, we must protect are 2nd amendment rights :yup:
 
#17 ·
Sometimes I wonder if there is some kind of detector at the state lines that flash red lights when someone crosses with a gun in their car. In that kind of situation I would place in in the glove compartment, lock it and do my best to obey the traffic laws. I realize that DC is a lot different than down here in SC but there isn't a reason to panic as long as you behave yourself.
 
#22 ·
FOPA Should Cover This

Okay, this is not a legal answer, of course, but here's my two cents worth...

If you are going from VA to VA, and just happen to pass through DC, then it seems to me that the interstate transport clause of FOPA kicks in. This means that you may legally transport the firearm through 'enemy territory' if it is unloaded and locked. Get to the shoulder before you cross the river, get out, and lock the gun away in the trunk (separate from the magazines). Since VA is open carry, you are even protected when you take the gun out of your holster to stick it in the trunk. (FWIW, I live in MD so am not likely to see a CCW license anytime soon, but I think the moment I had one I would invest in a small lockable case to keep in the trunk at all times.)

Now, if you don't like this idea, you get to choose between a possible misdemeanor in VA (illegal U-turn) or a possible felony in DC (weapons possession). That's a no-brainer to me, since misdemeanors don't get your guns taken away. In fact, if an officer does pull you over, he may react favorably to your explanation: "Officer, I was lost and realized I was about to enter the district with my CCW on my person." Heck, even if he still gives you the ticket, you go to court and tell the judge you would like the charges dismissed based on your balance of competing harms. You may still eat the ticket and fine, but better than a District lockup. :smile:
 
#32 ·
If you live in Northern Virginia you have to push the "limits". There is no getting around it. I have to remain constantly vigilant of exactly where I am when I am driving up here.

It really sucks knowing that if you make a wrong turn you could get arrested (for exercising a constitutional right and something thats completely legal just over that imaginary line)
 
#24 ·
Remember, it's not a crime if you don't get caught!

Just kidding, but as SIGguy229 said (and probably most importanly), don't panic. Yes, you have broken the law, but if you are smart you can get away without anyone being the wiser. Just obey the traffic laws and get back into VA as quickly as possible.

I used to have the same problem when driving from Texas to Florida, Alabama didn't have reciprocity with Texas so I couldn't carry in the 50 miles or so of I-10 across the state. I would stop before entering the state, unload and lock the gun in the back of the vehicle, then reverse it all once I got in Florida. Was a real pain, and I am still an advocate of a federal CHL that permits carrying in any state. And hopefully the Supreme Court will overrule the DC gun laws in the near future.

Cheers! M2
 
#29 ·
I use to visit my In-laws' in Falls Church, VA before they moved to Florida a few years ago. It's literally a stone's throw from DC and I have found myself in a similar situation more than once. Bottom line is don't panic! Unless there is an obvious reason, like a taffic accident or you commit some traffic violation, there is no reason for you to be stopped and chances are 99.99% you won't be. Simply find the nearest exit, go back the way you came and try your best not to be involved in an accident or to commit some act that would draw attention to you and give the police a reason to stop you. :gah:

If you are pulled over for some reason, say NOTHING about having a weapon unless you are asked. You may get by with nothing other than a talk with the local LEO's and a few grey hairs to show for your encounter. OTOH, if you are asked about a weapon don't lie. Tell the police the EXACT truth; you had not intended to enter DC, got lost and you were trying to return to VA. If you have a carry permit, show it to the officer since it will indicate you are a person of good character (only law abiding citizens get a license, right?) and simply have the gun for personal protection vs. less legal reasons. If you are lucky (it happend to me once... too long a story for here), the LEO will be pro gun and - especially now the the Supreme Court's about to hear the DC gun ban issue - he'll tell you to lock the unloaded gun in your trunk until you are out of Washington. :theyareontome:

Like I just said, the U.S Supreme Court is about to take up the issue of gun ownership in DC. Hopefully they will make the correct the decision, carrying in DC will no longer be a violation of DC law and you - and everyone else who must travel in the war zone areas of Washinton - can carry a weapon to defend themselves without fear of being arrested if you're forced to us it. :yup:
 
#30 ·
Perhaps the laws are a "little" crazy. Same thing happened to me when I was a passenger and my wife was driving from Michigan back to Indiana. We were about two miles short of entering Illinois! I told her to stop. Let me out. I will be more than glad to walk over to the other side and she can pick me up once were were turned around. Crazy? Yes. Legal, well short of j-walking, yes. I don't want to loose my license or gun rights due to crazy laws. Just be in the know about what is legal and what is not. IF any of us carry in an unlawful place we do know the consequences. They can be serious! Just don't get caught does not cut it! Crazy perhaps, but that is the way it is.
 
#33 ·
This is the EXACT kind of 'crap' I hope the (hopefully) correct Supreme Court ruiling would begin to eliminate...hopefully, this Spring!
 
#34 ·
I was under a mile away from commiting a felony!
Correction: You were under a mile away from the State claiming you a criminal, due to simple circumstance and without any evil or intent.

What would I have done? Found the first place to turn around and then have done so, never to return.
 
#38 ·
The only way to become an "ex" felon is to receive a Presidential or Gubernatorial pardon.

Absent a pardon, once a felon, always a felon.
 
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