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Yep,

It was inevitable...62 in a 45...

My Dad's advice when I told him about it..."Don't speed!" (thanks Dad, yer a champion of the obvious! )

It was on the feeder road going north into I-45, just north of the Beltway...

Got me dead to rights...So I'm ok with it I suppose...No signs in that area where he clocked me, but whatever...

Pulled over into a parking lot to get out of the Right of Way to make for a safer stop for everyone involved...

I got out the appropriate paperwork and cards and all that...He already started the citation, so there's no turning back once that ball gets rolling...

The only thing that bothered me was that he ask where "it" was...I told him, and he said this...

"Good thing I didn't ask you to step out of the truck."

I was a bit taken back by that, and decided to ignore the jab, if it was one...

I'm classifying this as a negative stop...

#1 Because I got a *$&%# ticket...

#2 I think he believes people with guns are dangerous and can't be trusted.

#3 I was heading downtown to meet with COH public works and engineering to get signoffs on our new project...They are just a joy to deal with...[/sarcasm]

Y'all be careful out there nah...

I like what your Dad said, the same thing I tell my four Adult ? Kids, short, sweet, and to the point.

Tomcat

Dad actually called me as I was about to sign the thing...

He must have known...

stevie_d_64 wrote: The only thing that bothered me was that he ask where "it" was...I told him, and he said this...

"Good thing I didn't ask you to step out of the truck."

I was a bit taken back by that, and decided to ignore the jab, if it was one...

Like you I'm unclear about that statement from him. What difference would it have made if he had asked you to step out?

Can any resident LEO here try to decipher what was the motivation or possible purpose for the statement?

I'm just trying to understand in case I ever get pulled over for speeding.
Like it or not we ALL speed from time to time so there is always the possibility.

"Don't speed." Yep, that's one from the Dad's Book of Knowledge - I've used it myself.

I have to get to Church, but I'll post about first ticket I'm had in 15 years when I get back. It was a DPS training stop (I'm sure of it) in a speed trap in Milam County.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:"Don't speed." Yep, that's one from the Dad's Book of Knowledge - I've used it myself.

I have to get to Church, but I'll post about first ticket I'm had in 15 years when I get back. It was a DPS training stop (I'm sure of it) in a speed trap in Milam County.

Chas.

I am dying to know whay they used to lure you into the trap. ;)

Okay, confession time. This is not a complaint against the DPS trooper, but it’s a mild complaint against the city of Milano.

My niece got married in Belton, Texas on Oct. 8th of this year. On the way back to Friendswood on Friday night to get my tuxedo (I grabbed a suit instead of my tux), I got stopped on Hwy. 79 for doing 70 in a 50 MPH zone in the town of Milano. I was on Hwy. 79 for only 1.2 miles at a point where Hwy 36 makes a short dog-leg, before heading north again. Hwy 36 is posted at 70 MPH all the way. Hwy 79 is a four lane excellent road that, as I recall, is even a divided highway for at least a short distance on my 1.2 miles stretch.

Back to the story. About a mile after I turned back on Hwy 36 heading south, the DPS unit hit the lights. I pulled over thinking “wow, stopping someone for 5 over?� (It was night and the cruise control was set on 70.) I turned on the interior lights and kept my hands on the wheel. A very young DPS trooper come up on the passenger side and asked to see my TDL and proof of insurance. I handed him both along with my CHL and told him I had a pistol in a belt holster on my right side. He said thanks and walked back to his unit. A short time later, he came back on the driver’s side and asked me to step to the back of the car so he could take my pistol. He stood in front of the door watching the traffic to make sure I didn’t get hit. (More on that later.)

I got to the rear of the car and he looked at the Sparks IQM holster and asked if it had a “catch� on it. I told him no and said, “I know this sounds strange under the circumstances, but how about me taking it out and clearing it.� He smiled and said his partner would clear it. He got the pistol out (1911, cocked and locked) and handed it to his partner. It had to be an FTO, as I think all DPS units are solo units except for training, but I could be wrong.

He wrote a citation then his partner put my 1911, magazine and one round in the floorboard of the car. The partner asked me not to load it, until after they left. At this point, I had to laugh. When the Trooper approached from the right side at least 5 feet from the right door, I could have shot him easily. When he was getting me out of the car and focusing not on me, but on the traffic, I could have shot him. Then again at the back of the car the Trooper turned his back on me. I told both of them I’d feel better of they would stay here and protect me while I rearm on the side of this dark, deserted county road. Both laughed, we said goodnight and we each went on our way.

This is not a bad LEO encounter at all. I am convinced the only reason the trooper took my pistol is because I happened to offer a good learning opportunity for his FTO. He didn’t take the gun initially, so I believe the FTO told him to do so. In my opinion, it does point out the absurdity of disarming someone when you don’t really have a good reason to believe they pose a threat. His casual attitude toward me proved he didn’t think I was a threat; otherwise he would never have given me two of the three opportunities to shoot. However, to disarm me, he had to put both of us in danger of being hit by traffic at night in a 70 MPH zone. That’s why he was careful to watch traffic while opening the door for me. It also provided an opportunity for two fellows who were clearly unfamiliar with 1911's to have a AD. Both troopers held the pistol like it was a snake about to bit them! I have no way of knowing, but I don’t think the young trooper would have disarmed me, had he been alone. I haven’t been stopped very often since 1995, but this is the first time any officer has ever even taken notice of the CHL, much less taken my pistol. They were nice guys following a poor policy. (BTW, I doubt the policy stuff. I’ve heard of too may DPS stops where the driver wasn’t disarmed.)

Oh yeah, as to the speed trap. Hwy 79, at least for this 1.2 mile section, is a far better road than Hwy. 36. It is a divided highway that’s also wider than Hwy 36 and there were no buildings or other structures requiring a lower speed limit. In short, there was no safety reason to lower the speed limit by 20 MPH. When the trooper stopped me, he said he stopped me for speeding and I commented I’ve never heard of a stop for 5 MPH over. I laughed and said, “sorry, it’s 50 on Hwy. 79.� I said this must be quite a revenue generator for Milam County and he responded, “yes it is!� Oh well, I missed the sign so Internet defensive driving courses come in handy.

Regards,
Chas.

I have been disarmed once by DPS. Felt a little odd standing by the side of the road with my hands on my head in broad daylight while he disarmed me. Man some of the looks I got :) I just stood there chuckling a little. He said it was for mine and his protection. He never cleared the weapon and just sat it on the roof of his car while he ran a check on me. Issued me a warming and placed the pistol on the bumper of my truck and told me to pick it up after he left. Man I got even more looks standing there on the side of the road putting the pistol back in the holster. Never understood why he did it.


Stacey

You really should listen to your dad more, stevie.

It really does seem as if most LEO do support the right to carry. Unfortunately there will always be those that feel that us serfs should be helpless.

<insert generic "you know better than to speed" post here>


I knew someone woudl put it up...who better than a felllow "slight" speeder.

"Don't pick it up or load it till we leave..."

Lordy...

"Why, oh why, didn't I take the BLUE pill!"

BTW,

Charles, don't speed! That comes from my Dad...

Warhorse545 wrote:He said it was for mine and his protection. He never cleared the weapon and just sat it on the roof of his car while he ran a check on me.

This really annoys me. If removing your weapon was for yours as well as his safety he should have removed his too.

This mindset that some, not all LEO have just shows that they believe just because they have the badge, they are sprinkled with some magic pixie dust that makes them have super powers that make them safer and more competent to handle firearms.

Just the act of removing the firearm INCREASES the risk of negligent discharge.

/rant

anygunanywhere wrote:

Warhorse545 wrote:He said it was for mine and his protection.

This really annoys me. If removing your weapon was for yours as well as his safety he should have removed his too.
/rant

It would be fun to argue the logic in this often used statement with the offending officer, but I'm sure they would just get angry that you are being a smart-aleck.

What could their reason be? "I sir am going to remove your firearm so in case it "goes off" you don't get hurt" or "I'm the only one of us professional enough to carry a pistol"

Kinda like when certain people meet, and they know each is armed...They un-holster their weapons and put them on the table in front of each other...

So that they feel everything is one the table, so to speak...

I always understood that gesture to be a sign of respect, or at least establishing neutral ground in a way...

Interesting concept...If I am disarmed, why don't they disarm...Seems only fair...

Y'all be nice its Monday morning...I'm allowed one of these types of posts a day...