Open Carry America: Report from a Cross Country Road Trip [View all]

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

Open Carry America: Report from a Cross Country Road Trip

Not the classic 'cross country' from (east) coast to (west) coast, these two trips (six months apart) were from New York to Maine and New York to Georgia.

Besides New York (our home state) my wife and I drove to or through ten American states. It was a rural trip, so we avoided Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York City, Maryland and DC.

Now I like to treat my wife to these trips form time to time, and part of the fun of preparing the trip is for me to do due diligence on all things important, such as car rental, hotels, places to stop, scenic locations, etc.

I put everything in a binder, leave the binder in the trunk, and make the trip 'seem like' we are just getting in the car and heading down the road.

I also research the firearms laws of each state, I have a wallet full of non-resident licenses. Once in the car, my sidearm is casually on my hip, and not much is said of that issue from there on.

But in my mind (and in the binder) I know the law by heart, state to state.

By having a NY license, and avoiding the states as listed above, I was able to casually carry my sidearm on a cross country trip. Granted, I make a distinction between three types of carry: Open, lightly-concealed, and deep-concealed.

Sure, there were times when I would throw my shirt-tail over the butt of the gun (open carry to lightly-concealed) as not to gather too much attention (especially when I saw license plates from non-gun states outside the location I was entering) but for the most part my wife and I just came and went without anyone saying (or noticing) anything unusual, strange, odd, etc.

The map (courtesy of Opencarry.org) should be slightly amended as such:

- New Jersey should be red
- Maryland should be red
- Massachusetts should be red

- New York is a patchwork of local laws, but I don't have to worry about open carry in New York on this trip, because my first breaks were in neighboring states.



Now you may respond with 'why do you have to be so paranoid' or 'I drive all across the nation without a gun' or 'what are you afraid of.....' The answers are: I am not, good for you, and nothing at all.

I responded to a post recently about someone with a $35,000 truck. Well, the Blue Book on my vehicle is $3,500 if I have just had it washed, less if it's dirty. He does not need a truck ten times what mine is worth unless it has some very fancy attachments such as an overhead line bucket or outriggers.

He just has one. Say what you will, but it is still his right to drive a big truck. No, I don't like the smell of big trucks, the same way you may not like the sight of my legally carried, licensed handgun.



I carried 'cross country,' some open, some lightly concealed, without incident, without objection, without any problems whatsoever.

I did it because I am an American and I love freedom.

Link to Part Two: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172191775