Poll: Should workers be allowed to keep guns in their cars? (FReep this poll!)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | 4-10-8 | nonelisted

[Redbob]

"The Legislature has passed a bill allowing people to keep guns in their cars at work, even if their employers don't want them to. Should Gov. Charlie Crist sign the bill into law?"

[DBrow]

I think they should carry them in concealment holsters while on the job.

[Graycliff]

I don’t allow firearms on my place. I have 3 sections in West TX, where i raise cattle and have a hunting operation. there are about 35 oil wells on my place with people coming in, day and night. On each of my gates theres a sign that says “ No Firearms, drugs or alcohol allowed beyond this point. All vehicles subject to search. Failure to consent to search, results in permanent banning from property.” I have some really big Whitetail bucks on my place and have had several poached over the years. At 5000 to 7500 per, that gets into my pocket pretty quick. All were poached by oil field hands. All but one got caught. I think property rights should be enforced, not taken away. My property, My rules.

[NYFriend]

I think the rate of break ins depends on the perception of would be thieves. I came across an invite to a law enforcement conference the other day that mentioned that weapons were to be locked in the hosts armory during the day, and that they were not to be left in the residence hall or in the officers’ cars. Criminals might be more likely to break into cars they thought belonged to police officers, because those cars might have guns, badges, uniform pieces, etc. Criminals might think that 25% or 50% of the cars in a North Florida parking lot have guns in them, I don't know.

But even putting aside the rate, what happens when someone does break in to a car. I've known people whose cars were broken into while they were at work. What happens then? I can't see leaving a handgun (or rifle for that matter) unattended in a car unless it was positively secured, and most cars aren't equipped for that. The only time I was ever with someone who was able to do so, was out hunting with a guy who had a locking toolbox inside his truck, bolted to the floor. I just don't think it's responsible to leave firearms unsecured, and I don't think they are secure in a locked car, or even in a locked house. You need a safe or a secure locker. A someone once told me that a colleague of ours had a handgun safe built into his trunk to secure a handgun. Maybe so, but I bet most people don't do that.

[Gorzaloon]

Oh NO!!!! Blood in the streets. Every fender-bender will turn into the OK Corral. What about the children? I feel that women and minorities will be hurt the worst.

In the decades since I got my LTC, I find I am a much more polite driver.

1) I can soothingly think "I can BREAK your big vehicle with one finger", chuckle, and forget being cut off.

2) I hate paperwork.

[TommyDale]

I certainly hope there are no car breakins of any kind. However, this is Southern Florida we are talking about. Time will tell.

[stevio]

Boom!

[mountn man]

A lot of my projects take an extensive amount of time, mostly due to sitting around and procrastinating. The key is not getting caught by the wife.

A lot of my projects take an extensive amount of time, mostly due to sitting around and procrastinating an extensive amount of planning.
The key is not getting caught by explaining it to the wife.

[driftdiver]

They don’t typically break into cars unless they are left unlocked. They are more likely to steal the entire car than just break into it.

Regardless it doesn’t matter. Prohibiting this means you are infringing on my rights because someone else may commit a crime. That is not a reasonable regulation on a constitutional right.

[driftdiver]

Much better explanation of the time required to properly complete a project.

[Joe Brower]

It's 12 x 24. What's turned out is that the initial damage revealed some big problems underneath with the original construction, which we have now completely ripped out and replaced, so we can finally get to square one. In fact, the wind and rain damage that occurred would not have if the original construction had been done properly.

[driftdiver]

“I think property rights should be enforced, not taken away. My property, My rules.”

I think property rights should be enforced as well. However there is a conflict between property rights and individual rights. You already prohibit guns on your property and yet this happens anyway. Perhaps you should try restricting hunting?

Oh yeah, criminals don’t obey the law. Only law abiding do that.

[MtnClimber]

I can see the arguments on both sides. It is the employer’s property, but they have set things up where you are sometimes forced to park your vehicle (considered extension of your dwelling) on their property. It seems their property ends where the parking lot touches your tires. If you keep the firearm secured in your vehicle I think it has remained on your property.

Yes 9,698, 77.7% of responses

[CodeToad]

“My property, My rules.”

Except you are forgetting that a car is someone else’s property and if you allow their property onto your property you are accepting that it is their property and their rules, too. They don’t give up private property rights to themselves or to their property when on your property. You are not free to kill them, beat them, rob them, or strip them naked just because they are on your property; they maintain their private property rights. If you can’t tolerate people excercising their private property rights, well, welcome to liberalism whereby you don’t trust anyone but yourself and want totalitarian control to feel safe all the while forgetting about the rights of others. Having private property means accepting the reponsibility and risks involved with using that property to include having other private property on your property.

[Graycliff]

(Perhaps you should try restricting hunting?)

It’s as restricted as it can be now! All my cattle guards have locks on them, but i have to allow oil/gas related companies free access, since i don’t own the minerals.

[Graycliff]

Once they drive through that gate, it’s my rules and they have agreed to them by coming in. If it were up to me, nobody but those of my choosing would be allowed in. But since i have to give them access, my rules stand. If they don’t like it, don’t come through that gate.

[mbynack]

In the decades since I got my LTC, I find I am a much more polite driver.

I've found the same thing. I tend to put up with a lot more because I don't want things to escalate.

Last year I was in a traffic jam and the woman beside me decided that she was going to come into my lane. I didn't leave her any room and she got mad and rammed my truck with her minivan. She tried to drive away, but couldn't make any progress in the heavy traffic, so she pulled over after about five minutes.

I showed the police officer my CCW permit when I presented my license and she cracked up. She said that the other driver was yelling about how she was going to kick my butt and would probably have to change her drawers when she found out that I was 6'2", 280 lbs, and heavily armed.

[CodeToad]

So, you don’t believe in private property rights of others, just yours.

[blackie]

The Legislature has passed a bill allowing people to keep guns in their cars at work, even if their employers don’t want them to. Should Gov. Charlie Crist sign the bill into law?

Yes. (10140 responses)

77.9%

No. (2870 responses)

22.1%

13010 total responses (Results not scientific)

[ryan71]

78 Yes
22 No

[mbynack]

A someone once told me that a colleague of ours had a handgun safe built into his trunk to secure a handgun. Maybe so, but I bet most people don't do that.

I have a safe in my truck. They're about $50 and easy to install.

How would you feel if someone told you that you couldn't own a car because it might be stolen and used in a crime?