Trooper contact east of commerce on sh 11

[powerboatr]

Let me start by stating this stop blew me away.
I was going over the 60 mph limit (of which i learned the speed limit during the stop) I thought it was 65 but ooops, I may have been going faster?

This trooper was the epitome of PROFESSIONAL and Courteous.

He told me i was stopped because of the fact i was going a bit over the posted limits, he even smiled.

asked for my dl and insurance, he took the dl back to his car and stated he was writing up a warning...i thought wow what a great guy, and lucky me
now i have my chl right behind my dl in my wallet but never mentioned it as i was not carrying. we were returning from the bonham va hospital and firearms are a serious NO NO on the reservation.

so he returns and asks about my service and how long i was in and all the war stories, mind you we are on the side of the road and i kept wanting to ask him to move to the passenger side for safety. He extends his big hand and shakes mine and spoke an HONEST thank you for your service, i was shocked, not for the thanks, but just because he was so polite and sincere.
lately when someone thanks me for my service it feels canned,
I never feel like i should be thanked, after all i got play with some real killer toys at the behest of our great country. its me that thanks them for the opportunity.

then he asks if my chl is still valid and i stated it was, but i didnt mention it as i was not carrying today as our previous destination its a big no no that packs a serious felony. he smiled and asked next time just hand the chl with the dl . then we talk pistols for another long few minutes, incredible.
i understand his concern as it does let each party know who has what.
but in my mind i know if we are not carrying, then the need to produce a chl is not warranted, right?

he was a breath of fresh air today.

[gemini]

You're right. It's not required to present the CHL if not carrying, but, as a courtesy I think it's wise too.
He must have been an ol' east Texas boy. Manners. Professional. Good stop.
I know some of the small town Barney's in east Texas can blow things out of proportion. Glad it was DPS.

[aggie67]

I have a gun on me or beside me in the truck 98% of the time, but still think you should hand both to officer making stop. I have lots of friends and family who are LEOs in Texas and it is a courtesy. I had not been stopped in 10 or so years when recently I was caught over the speed limit and at fault by a Sulphur Springs PD officer. I was doing 20 over on the East Loop and pulling a large trailer about 5 in the AM--guilty and my fault. I was really thinking about the electrical job I was on the way to Oklahoma to do for a good friend and knew the speed limit was 45 there.

He asked for license and insurance and I handed him both pieces of plastic and my insurance. He immediately handed back the CHL and walked back and ran 28 and 29 on me and the truck. Came back and said he was writing me a citation for 10 over as it was cheaper than 20 but asked that I slow down henseforth in SS. Then he asked me what I was carrying and how long had I been licensed. Asked about how much time I had to shoot and where we shot at home. Nice guy, but he still wrote me up on one I deserved. I did learn that he was a 1911 guy and did not really cotton to Glocks.

[Abraham]

I have mixed feelings regarding handing over your CHL if unarmed. Yeah, maybe it's a courtesy to do so, but...

You're NOT by law required to and I'm cantankerous enough to think it's a bit submissive to do so when you don't have to. That doesn't mean I'd be impolite to the officer, just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen.

Obviously, though, there are many LEO's not up on their required knowledge of how CHLs work and so with the abundance of LEO/CHL misinformation out there, it's probably in one's favor to hand over the CHL even when unarmed...but it annoys the heck out of me.

[LDB415]

If I am ever stopped I plan to give both plus insurance id whether I'm carrying or not. I plan to hold all three out the window, holding them between my fingers with my hands open and palms up to clearly show there is nothing in my hands. I figure it can't hurt to do it that way.

[VMI77]

At all levels of law enforcement I've had only one unprofessional stop in Texas, and that was over 30 years ago in the RGV. While in the military in the NE, again over 30 years ago, I had a couple of seriously unprofessional stops. I can't think of any bad stops in Oklahoma either. I've had better luck in the "south" than up North.

[mojo84]

I have mixed feelings regarding handing over your CHL if unarmed. Yeah, maybe it's a courtesy to do so, but...

You're NOT by law required to and I'm cantankerous enough to think it's a bit submissive to do so when you don't have to. That doesn't mean I'd be impolite to the officer, just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen.

Obviously, though, there are many LEO's not up on their required knowledge of how CHLs work and so with the abundance of LEO/CHL misinformation out there, it's probably in one's favor to hand over the CHL even when unarmed...but it annoys the heck out of me.

We never "have to" be courteous. It all depends on how we want to be treated. Kind of that, treat others as we would like to be treated concept.

There are plenty of youtube videos full of people showing they don't have to comply with a request and be courteous. To each his own though.

[Abraham]

mojo84,

I posted: That doesn't mean I'd be impolite to the officer, just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen."

HHHmmm, that was an ill-defined sentence.

My fault.

" ...just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen."

What I should have said was: "Just don't feel like I should have to show my "CHL" to the officer, when it's not required of me because I'm not armed."

It's really that simple.

I don't consider such action (or non-action, if you will) as a discourtesy by not automatically doing what the law states I don't have to.

I hope that clears it up.

P.S. I would never be disrespectful to law enforcement.

[mojo84]

mojo84,

I posted: That doesn't mean I'd be impolite to the officer, just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen."

HHHmmm, that was an ill-defined sentence.

My fault.

" ...just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen."

What I should have said was: "Just don't feel like I should have to show my "CHL" to the officer, when it's not required of me because I'm not armed."

It's really that simple.

I don't consider such action (or non-action, if you will) as a discourtesy by not automatically doing what the law states I don't have to.

I hope that clears it up.

P.S. I would never be disrespectful to law enforcement.

Ok

[nocents]

My son is a Trooper in Hunt County. The OP stated that he was stopped East of Commerce. Since Commerce is in Hunt County (barely) I was wondering if it might have been him? I won't call his name but he is new to DPS and drives a Crown Vic. Regardless, he better be nice!! He's a great son and I am very proud of the profession he has chosen. Actually, I'm proud of ALL my kids!

CORRECTION::::: I went back and re read the OP and realized COMMERCE was never mentioned. I must be goofy. I read somewhere this morning, "The older I get, the smarter I was." I guess I can add "Blind" to that quote. Sorry for the mistake but I'm Still PROUD of my kids!

[The Annoyed Man]

I did learn that he was a 1911 guy and did not really cotton to Glocks.

Maybe he wrote you up for carrying a Glock?

[The Annoyed Man]

mojo84,

I posted: That doesn't mean I'd be impolite to the officer, just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen."

HHHmmm, that was an ill-defined sentence.

My fault.

" ...just don't feel like I should have to as a law abiding, free citizen."

What I should have said was: "Just don't feel like I should have to show my "CHL" to the officer, when it's not required of me because I'm not armed."

It's really that simple.

I don't consider such action (or non-action, if you will) as a discourtesy by not automatically doing what the law states I don't have to.

I hope that clears it up.

P.S. I would never be disrespectful to law enforcement.

Abraham, I get where you're coming from, but I show both IDs as a courtesy. I know I'm not required to, but I also try to put myself in the other's shoes. Showing the CHL for me isn't so much a submission thing, as it is a "hey, I'm one of the good guys, you can relax a little bit" thing.

[LDB415]

My son is a Trooper in Hunt County. The OP stated that he was stopped East of Commerce. Since Commerce is in Hunt County (barely) I was wondering if it might have been him? I won't call his name but he is new to DPS and drives a Crown Vic. Regardless, he better be nice!! He's a great son and I am very proud of the profession he has chosen. Actually, I'm proud of ALL my kids!

CORRECTION::::: I went back and re read the OP and realized COMMERCE was never mentioned. I must be goofy. I read somewhere this morning, "The older I get, the smarter I was." I guess I can add "Blind" to that quote. Sorry for the mistake but I'm Still PROUD of my kids!

You're still smart. Commerce is in the title.

[nocents]

Yep, You Are Correct. I logged out and back in just now and I saw it in the heading. I was really starting to worry.....but I forgot too..

[aggie67]

I do own Glocks, but usually not my daily companion. I think the discussion was when I told the officer I was carrying a commander length 1911. I think his beef with the Glock was that it was department mandated and he liked something else. He really was a nice guy and I really was caught 20 over.