Had my first encounter with LEO

[BigBlueDodge]

September 1st marked the opening of dove season. We have a group of people in the family that make an annual trek out to the dove fields each year. This year was no different. This year, I was towing 2 ATV's to the dove lease, along with some personal effects (change of clothes, guns, etc). I had stopped off at a gas station in Graham to get some ice, fuel, and something to drink. As I pull in I notice that a State Trooper was pulling away from a gas pump. I passed by him, and parked the truck/trailer on the side of the building so as not to take up too many parking spots. Well, Mr. State trooper pulls in right behind me, which I thought was odd. Long story, short I get a ticket because I was pulling my ATV's with a trailer registered as a farm trailer.

Now, being that I got my license at the first of August, I was carrying my firearm IWB at 3:30. I get of my truck and talk to the state trooper. He stands right next to me as he tells me about the violation I committed. He asks for my insurance and drivers license. I told him I had to go get the insurance from the truck. He watches me walk back to the truck and then he proceeds to go back to his car to start running the plates (I assume). The truck I was in happened to be my father-in-laws, and I couldn't find his insurance card. After 5 minutes of looking, and not finding it, I walk back to the state trooper (who is sitting in his car) and tell him that I can't find the insurance card and will need to call my father in law. I did however hand him my driver's license and CHL license. Upon seeing the license he says "Do you have your weapon in the truck?". I thought this was odd, but responded to him "No sir, I have it on me". At this point he got a surprised look on his face, and immediately his eyes shot to my waist. He tells me "well, go call him and find the insurance card". I start walking back to the truck, just feeling his eyes scanning my entire body trying to find where my weapon was. Ultimately, I did find the insurance card and return back to the state trooper. To my surprise he tells me to get in the car with him (not in the back seat, but the front seat). I would have thought that he would have felt uncomfortable with me being in such close proximity to him with a weapon. Well, when I get into the car, he starts asking what I'm carrying where it's at, but not in an aggressive mode. He seemed very comfortable while I was in there. We did some small talk about this/that. The way it was going, I thought I might be getting off with a warning. However, in the end he does hand me a ticket. After I got out of the car I then walked inside the gas station (while still carrying), and he watched me the whole way. Once I got in, he drove off.

So, in the end my first experience with a LEO while carrying went pretty smooth. I can't believe I got a ticket for what I did, but will own up to it and pay my fines.

[Wildscar]

Am I missing something cause I thought ATVs can be used on a farm. Heck you get a farm discount on them if you live on enough acreage?

[bryang]

Congratulations, on the good conduct of your LEO encounter...however, I'm sorry about the ticket.

I hope it didn't ruin you hunting trip, maybe your father-in-law will pitch in and help you out with the fine. Did ya'll get your limit on your hunt?

-geo

[txflyer]

Am I missing something cause I thought ATVs can be used on a farm. Heck you get a farm discount on them if you live on enough acreage?

From the DPS website:

"FARM TRAILER" license plates may only be used on farm trailers and farm semitrailers used exclusively to transport:

seasonally harvested agricultural products or livestock from the place of production to the place of processing, market, storage: or
farm supplies from the place of loading to the farm.

[Wildscar]

Am I missing something cause I thought ATVs can be used on a farm. Heck you get a farm discount on them if you live on enough acreage?

From the DPS website:

"FARM TRAILER" license plates may only be used on farm trailers and farm semitrailers used exclusively to transport:

seasonally harvested agricultural products or livestock from the place of production to the place of processing, market, storage: or
farm supplies from the place of loading to the farm.

Well I guess that answers that.

[BigBlueDodge]

Am I missing something cause I thought ATVs can be used on a farm. Heck you get a farm discount on them if you live on enough acreage?

Well, the answer to that is potentially yes. The trooper told me that if I had any sort of attachments (spreader, plow) for the ATV, it could be considered "farm implements" and be okay. Heck I probably would have been fine if I had some bags of feed on the trailer. But the trooper was tricky. When I got out of my truck, the first thing he asked me was "Are ya going to your lease", knowing that dove season opened the next day. I told him yes, and at that point he had me and knew that I wasn't using the trailer for farming purposes.

However, I'm not one to look to cheat the law. I bought the trailer from a guy that had it registered with farm tags. When I went to the DOT place to get it registered in my name, the lady asked if I had any farm land (which I do) so she re-registered it to me under the farm trailer tags. I wasn't trying to cheat the system at all. I will admit that I should have been more knowledgable on the constraints placed on a farm trailer, and will own up to my mistake and pay the fees. I'm going to re-register the trailer with regular tags so that I can use it for other purposes in the future, aside from farming related purposes (which I do use it for).

One thing this experience taught me is that we (as CHL holders) get too worked up the issue of printing. A state trooper watched me get out of a vehicle, stood right next to me to talk, watched me go to/from my vehicle several times and never once knew that I was carrying a gun until I gave him my chl license. If a trained law enforcement officer couldnt' detect that, then 99.9% of the public will never know. My weapon is not small either. I was carrying a Kimber CDP Pro in a cheap Don Hum IWB holster. The gun has a full size 1911 grip on it, and I was carrying it at 3:30 in a pair of shorts, with a plain t-shirt over it.

[DoubleJ]

ain't like GTA:3 where there's a little icon that floats above your head when you have yer heater.

[Charles L. Cotton]

When I was a COP, we had a term for that kind of ticket, but I can't use it here.

Chas.

[KBCraig]

To my surprise he tells me to get in the car with him (not in the back seat, but the front seat). I would have thought that he would have felt uncomfortable with me being in such close proximity to him with a weapon.

I'm guessing you haven't tried drawing from IWB/3:30 while seated in a passenger car with half a lapful of MDT.

When I was a COP, we had a term for that kind of ticket, but I can't use it here.

"Poultry-based fertilizer"?

[ericsu19]

had my plastic 3 days when I was stoped in Kaufman It was 9:30pm comming back from getting ice cream with my son. Yhe young officer showed up to the window I had my lights on hands on the wheel with DL CHL and Ins. In hand I handed him the information he asked if I was armed I said yes. He asked me if I new why he pulled me over I said it could be the headlight that is out and it was. He said he would be right back and was going to right me a warning, When he came back he asked what I was carring and I told him Para 1911 He smiled handed me my information and said have a safe evening no warning at all. I have alot of repect for the men and women who try to protect us and I think his smile showed a little respect for the CHL God bless them all.

[BigBlueDodge]

When I was a COP, we had a term for that kind of ticket, but I can't use it here.

Chas.

Well, personally I do feel that my violation was harmless, and probably should have warranted a warning (I haven't gotten a ticket in over 10 years. My record is practically clean). But I'll own up to it and settle the fine. In the whole group of guys I was camping with (several of them own farm land, or have family that owns farm land), not one of them ever heard anyone of ever getting a ticket for improperly using a farm trailer. Guess that day was my lucky day.

[ezypikns]

I've been stopped four times since I got my CHL (in 2004). Two of those times I got (and deserved) a ticket. Each encounter was a non event because I treated the officers with courtesy and respect and I was given the same. I know there are exceptions to everything, but all of my experiences have been positive......at least as far as carrying was concerned.

[srothstein]

When I was a COP, we had a term for that kind of ticket, but I can't use it here.

Chas.

The term we always used for it was feathery.

But DPS (under pressure from TXDOT) is trying to quietly crack down on registration violations. The reason is, of course, the money. As with the TXDOT "love your state" campaign to get people to renew on time, the state loses a lot of money when people improperly use the farm registration. It is done at a discount over normal registration to help real agriculture develop and pay.

One of the most misused farm registrations is on horse trailers. Most dealers will automatically put the farm registration on them, even if you are using the horse for purely recreational purposes. They assume a horse is an agricultural animal in this state (and in most cases it is).

One of the little known things you can do to be legal with farm registration is buy a 72 or 144 hour permit. You can get short term permits from the county tax assessor to act as a regular trailer for that time.

And, Russell, DPS almost always has the violators sit in the front seat of the car while they write the ticket. It is a departmental culture thing that overrides the officer safety aspect. Part of it comes from having to transport prisoners the same way when they do make an arrest, so I guess they get "trained" that it is not that bad. Our officers also transport that way, but we usually ride two to a car if they think there will be arrests. We also have no problem calling for a local unit to transport if the prisoner is giving us any trouble at all.

[lws380]

It is comforting to know that a state trooper is spending his time writing tickets for a farm license, and protecting the citizens of Texas from the likes of these criminals.

Is it considered a moving violation? Is defensive driving an option?