[El Gato]

This is no longer the America where a boy could carry a .22 down the side of the road to go plinking and not raise an eyebrow.

.22? Several of my high school classmates and I road down a main arterial street, in the state's second largest city (then about 125,000, now more like 175,000, IIRC) , if a somewhat older part of it, with 12 and 20 gauge shotguns accross the handlebars of our bicycles. We were on our way to do a little pheasant hunting, just outside of town. No one even tooted their horn at us. :)

Some years earlier I was talked to by a police officer on foot patrol in our little business district. He wanted to know where I was going with that BB gun, and what I planned to do with it. I told him I was headed to my Great Uncle's place just accross the highway, which I was. He said, fine, be careful, and have fun.

[RedMonqey]

Some years earlier I was talked to by a police officer on foot patrol in our little business district...

When I was twelve, I took my grandfather's .22(with permisssion, of course) to the ponds on the family farm to shoot turtles. One pond was besides a road and having enough sense to know a bullet could skip like a rock I positioned myself on the side of the road shooting down at the pond(also gave a better view of the turtles)I pretended I was shooting German subs.

After using the last of my rounds, I slung the rifle and headed home. I was startled to see a deputy sheriff in a patrol car watching me. He motioned me towards him. Not knowing if I had broken some law or rule, I was petrified. He leaned over and said:

"Be more patient." "Wait till they climb back on the log" .

And drove off.

I doubt I would get the same response today.