Posted on 07/03/2011 10:14:55 PM PDT by West Texas Chuck
Interesting weekend.
I drove up to a little place called Bismarck, Arkansas. I go up there a lot, buddy of mine is camp host at a Boy Scout camp there. We camp right on Lake Degray, it is a beautiful area just south of Hot Springs. My buddy is sort of a joker, here is my story …
We get there Friday afternoon, talk to my bud, drive down to our camp spot and start making camp. Haven’t been there 10 minutes when a Hot Springs county deputy sheriff comes rolling up. I’ve seen LEOs out there maybe once before so this is weird. He asks if we have a camping permit, I tell him “No I know the guy who runs this place and we don’t fill out any paperwork.” The Scouts aren’t there on holidays, the camp is normally empty except for the occasional Ouachita Council administrator or some of my bud’s family or church members. Deputy gets sorta grim and then asks the three of us for some ID. I have to get into my truck and into my CHL bag and pull out my licenses, both of them. Before I can hand them over the deputy is laughing and tells me my buddy put him up to coming into our camp and challenging us. He was told we are from Texas and figured it would be fun to mess with us. I normally have my Lone Star flying within a few minutes of staking my claim but I was distracted unloading the truck and getting ready to pitch my tent.
OK, I know my buddy is up at the HQ laughing his silly buttocks off. We make peace with the deputy and he goes on his way. They recently started patrolling that camp and he was into the joke, we all had a laugh and he has to leave to finish his rounds. A minute or two later we hear a siren, I figured the deputy got a call or something but wasn’t sure if he had stopped to talk to my pal on his way out, so I call my bud and tell him “You richardhead, that cop hauled Tim off on a warrant he didn’t know he had, where is the jail in Malvern?” Didn’t work, but we all had another laugh, and proceeded to set our camp.
Next day we are at the swimming beach and here comes the same deputy. He says “I told you to go back to Texas, boy, why are you still here?” We all have another good belly laugh, and sit around and shoot the breeze with said deputy. He teaches me something about his Glock I did not know, how the trigger resets, and tells us all about his military and SWAT training, the guy is awesome. After a while I tell him “you know, I responded poorly yesterday when you asked for my ID, I should have raised my hands in the surrender position and told you I am a Texas CHL licensee and asked if you would prefer to get my IDs on your own or let me do it.” He says “No, if you had said that I would have had you on your knees with your hands on your head because you are on Corps of Engineers land with a loaded firearm.”
I can’t win with this guy, they have another big laugh on the Texan. We all chuckled and the deputy got a call and had to go. I like that guy, he has a poker face. As far as I know I was fully legal, but in Arkansas they can’t help but jack with a Texan.
The rest of the campout was uneventful, had a great time, then drove home today. I’m going to figure out a way to throw some payback on my buddy at the camp, it may take me 20 years, but I will top that little stunt. He is such a jackass sometimes.
Opinions, comments, snotty remarks, true legal observations?
The law is whatever the local LEO who has pulled you over decides it is. Try invoking your rights and he’ll magically find an eight-ball of cocaine under your seat. Why do you think they are all paranoid about civilians filming their arrest stops?
No, it appears I was breaking the law and didn’t even know it:
http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/employees/cecwon/memos-drill.cfm?Id=789
Bummer. Won’t make that mistake again. I’m just glad the local LEO was cool.
“No, it appears I was breaking the law and didn’t even know it:”
I’m fairly certain we’re all breaking the law and don’t know it. There’s too many laws to keep up with. :)
I understand your point, but mine is simply that as Americans we shouldn’t have to be dependent on whether or not the LEO is cool (and on how desperate for money the jurisdication that he works for is). You lucked out. The next guy (who maybe wasn’t as charming) may not have gotten out so lucky.
What the hell is a CHL?
I have to presume you are pulling my leg.
Concealed Handgun License.
That could have been ugly, the Feds would have confiscated all my gear and my truck and I’d be signing in once a month from the slammer.
I didn’t know that, they didn’t teach us that in class.
concealed handgun license I suppose.
Concealed Handgun License would be my guess.
Looks like you picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue dude.
That’s one, dalereed.
Wow...overreact much?
Whoa pardner...
Who stepped on your tail?
Can’t disagree with a word you wrote there. Problem is handcuffs are a very personal issue, and I don’t want them.
They hurt my wrists ;)
The 2nd Amendment is what it is, or was. You can’t win a battle with someone who has the badge. I’m not charming, but I my name is Chuck and that rhymes with luck, apparently it did yesterday anyway.
I thought it was a good story. And I don’t expect to have to talk down to my audience around here, most of the FReepers have a lick of sense, so I take a few liberties.
Most people around here have a pretty good mood, but you don’t always know when you step on a fireant mound.
Stay safe FReepers. And don’t use complexicated abbreviations on dalereed.
But I did ask for snotty remarks ;)
In defense of dalereed’s initial question, I see CCW used as an abbreviation a lot more often than CHL. I’m not going to try to defend his response to your answer, though, haha...
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