TexasCHLforum.com

smoothoperator wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:This is but another reason to not submit to searches.

"What do you have to hide?"

It is not that you have anything to hide. YOu do not know what is there, especially in rentals and used vehicles.

Don't forget valet parking.

I'm too cheap to valet park.

Yesterday's phone call sparked a round today. All the people Jennifer called yesterday started calling me to do the "guess what I just found out". Apparently she called a few others. After hearing from them today, I think she is really sincere on her attempts to make ammends. The boss that gave her the ultimatum called me too per her request. I have always stayed in touch with him. Unbeknownst to me he kept in touch with her the whole time and she apparently has made some real changes in her life. He didn't tell me everything but he did tell me she has a well of secrets. I guess I'll find out what they are when I talk to her next. I will be cautious until the trust is rebuilt but the more I think about it, it took some courage to tell me when there would have been no possible way for me to find out.

We had a team building event today which meant we needed to leave the site and several people had to drive. I don't get to interact with all my team members often so when it came time to see who would drive I kept my mouth shut. I'm usually the first to offer so I think more than a few people were surprised. I realize I can still be tricked or manipulated but I think going forward I will be cautious with who gets in my car. Especially if I haven't been engaged in any real interaction with them. I certainly won't loan my car to anyone except immediate family, I know they have good insurance.

I would never permit a search without a warrant. Chances are refusing a search of a vehicle will only delay it. I'm sure the officer will call a canine backup unit to the scene to detect drugs without performing a search. If an illegal substance is detected, I'm sure that would probably be enough for a warrant or probable cause. With an illegal weapon it wouldn't be as easy I wouldn't think. I'm sure a good lawyer and judge would dismiss the charge but by that time it seems that the damage would have already been done. There would still be a record of the arrest which I see happens often judging by the many eligibility questions posted on this forum.

I still haven't figured it all out yet but its definitely something I'm going to put some thought into. Right now I guess I wouldn't voluntarily tell others that I'm carrying in their car but if I were asked I think I will. I guess I'll call this thing a work in progress. I'm sure in a week or two I'll forget all about this car thing and go back to my regular scheduled program.

TAM, I replied and thanks!

I have probably loaned my car to 3 people; 2 are family and she was the only other person. I did only because I thought she had a real emergency. I learned when I borrowed a friends car and nearly crashed it in college that it wouldn't be smart to let someone else drive mine .

I don't want to be a jerk by asking someone whether they are carrying or not. I'm also thinking about the people whose car I climb into that don't know I'm carrying. Should I tell them. I've always held the position that only certain people have the right to know I'm carrying but I may have to rethink it or maybe I'm overthinking it.

An interesting thing happened to me today. An old friend and former co-worker contacted me out of the blue. I hadn't spoken to her for about 3 years. Turns out she was calling me to complete a step in the 12 step program. Asking forgiveness from others that were harmed by her addiction. I wasn't aware I had been harmed nor was I aware of her use of drugs. I thought we had a pretty good friendship so I was surprised to hear she was a cocaine addict and had been for the 7 years I knew her . Long story short, I used to drive us to lunch and on few occasions I had let her borrow my car which is something I rarely ever do. Apparently she had been carrying drugs on her most days and she used my car to pick them up. She even stashed some in my car incase of emergency. I really had no idea! How could I have been so oblivious?! I had been at her house several times saw no signs and her appearance was always professional. Her departure seemed rather sudden and the fact she wouldn't return my calls was odd. I learned today she was caught with drugs by her boss and she was given an ultimatum to seek treatment or be terminated. She took the treatment option but she was so embarassed that everyone knew why she left she never came back. She has been clean for 28 months.

This brings me to a question, does anyone on the forum ask friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances if they are carrying an illegal substance or a weapon before they get in your car? If I understand the law correctly, the owner of the vehicle is responsible for anything that might be in their car, legally and otherwise. A few years ago I didn't have a CHL but it certainly made me think how much trouble I could have been in and how much worse it would be today. What if I had been stopped with my CHL then and they found drugs on her. She wants to reconnect which I'm fine with but I told her each and every time I would ask if she is carrying anything until I'm comfortable again. She is fine with me asking. I did not tell her I have a CHL. I can't imagine asking everyone who gets in my car these type of questions but can I afford not too.

Anyone with experience with this?