I got pulled over today as I was driving my kid around. I was demonstrating how the clutch works to one of my boys. I guess to police officer I was driving erratic in my truck. Anyhoo I was showing son how a clutch behaves and rolling back and forth on a hill, letting him observe my feet work and guess policeman saw me. He slowed down as he drove by my yard and I got out out of my truck and we had a good ole conversation. I had my gun in plain sight, but he wasn't worried at all. We were soon talking about family and teaching his kids to drive a shift drive. I love the south, and I love freedom.
@Sighlass I was at a friends commercial garage one day shortly after the HP switched from S&W 59's to Beretta 92's,and a Sgt from the Highway Patrol came in to get something on his cruiser checked. I noticed the Beretta and asked him about it,and he took it out of the holster and handed it to be to check it out.
There were a couple of yankee tourists in there whose car had broken down and they were waiting for it to be fixed,and I thought they were going to stroke out. I should mention I had a long beard,long hair,and was wearing a flannel shirt with jeans and a baseball cap. I fit pretty much every movie/bad tv show stereotype they held for "crazy redneck",and they just couldn't believe a Highway Patrolman would hand his gun to someone like me unless I was pointing a gun at him.
When I went to get my CCW permit when they first became legal,I did it because the sheriff called me on the phone after the law passed,and pretty much ordered me to be standing in front of his desk the first day so he could personally process my paperwork. Part of that was due to him being against CCW permits at first,and when I found out about it I went into his office and asked him "WTF is your problem?" When he told me "I don't want people running around carrying concealed weapons because it is a danger to me and my officers". My reply to him was "HorseHillary! You have known me for at least 30 years and you HAD to have known I have been carrying a gun this whole time,and it never seemed to bother you. Hell,I have one in my pocket now! Want to see it? You have a rural county with only a couple of deputies on patrol at night that patrol by themselves,who the hell do you think it going to be around to come to their aid at night if they get into trouble,a deputy that isn't within 20 miles and is off work,or a local driving by that has a gun?" I then reminded him of one time when I stepped up behind a deputy that was having problems with some drunks,and backed him up.
He told me right then I had just changed his mind. This was important because the Governor had already said he would not sign the CCW bill unless the majority of the Sheriffs approved.
So,when the day before it first became legal to issue permits,he called me and told me to be in his office at 9 the next morning and he would personally process and send my application forward.
He also asked me if I wanted a permit to get a machine gun,as long as he was issuing permits. I told him the truth,I have zero interest in machine guns and am not about to pay what it costs to buy one and get the federal permit,but I do appreciate the offer. When it comes to shoulder arms,I'm more interested in ones that will put 3 bullets into holes that touch at 100 yards. You don't have to carry so much ammo with them.