I agree with you SargeK; openly carrying scares the sheep. Interesting how the Philly PD are acting more like wolves and less like sheep dogs.
I recently learned from a friend in Texas that drug cartel/gang members will loiter near gun stores and ranges, marking the vehicles of customers.
Later, if they see the same vehicle at a mall or similar location, they break in and toss the vehicle hoping steal a left behind firearm.
The example I saw was a small dot on the right front tire, but any inconspicuous marking method/location could be utilized.
If your have a CCW permit, make sure you have a good hidden void to place your weapon if you must leave it in your vehicle (e.g. going to court). If you don’t need leave it in your vehicle, keep the discipline and carry. I’m stunned at the number of police friends of mine who won’t carry while off duty because of the inconvenience.
The moral of the story, don’t drive your usual vehicle to the gun store.
The police where I live are useless, they are totally reactive, not pro-active. They don’t do anything to protect or prevent.
We recently had a car parked on our road that was full of bullet holes. My daughter saw it being dropped off about 3AM in the morning. It was reported early, the next morning by both my husband and a neighbor. The response from the police was that they weren’t going to do anything because it was a private road.
Four days later, after one of the neighbors opened the door of the car and found a telephone number of the owner, the car was removed to Bellingham, where the police identified it as the get-away car in a murder and drug deal gone bad. It was a real shoot-out.
That small “dot” you saw was most likely where the tire manufacture marked the lightest spot of the tire, so the installer could line it up with the valve stem when mounting. Look at most tires and you will find a small dot (blue, red, white, or yellow) next to the valve stem. Sometime it will be on the undercarriage side of the tire. Don’t take my word for it, ask an installer.
Wouldn't it be easier to enter the Make, model, color and tag number in a database? Don't hoods have laptops? ;)