Did I do the right thing?

[trentwhite778]

This happened on Thursday and I thought about it some more this evening. I inadvertently got myself in a bit of a catch-22 with my firearm and thought it would be interesting to see what others would have done in my exact position. Thursday morning my wife went to her doctor after dropping my son off at school because she had been experiencing some abdominal pain. We have one car and she drove herself while I stayed home to work. She called saying the Doctor was sending her to the ER to get x-rays and a CT scan to make sure it wasn't her appendix, and she was worried so she asked if I could go up there to be with her. I was already dressed and (as is my habit) was wearing my firearm. I called a neighbor who gladly drove me to the hospital and dropped me off at the main entrance to the ER. As I was walking up to the door, I saw a nice big fat 30.06 sign. So now I'm stranded outside in the cold, the neighbor drove off, my wife didn't answer her phone, and I couldn't go in. I could see our car as she parked close to the entrance. I just decided that I would go in, quietly get the car keys from my wife, and go back out to the car to disarm. Of course nothing happened. I went to her room where the nurse was running her I.V. and I stood patiently to the side until I could get to her keys. I was cringing inside hoping my wife either wouldn't pick up on why I needed to go back to the car, or would realize and know that she needed to keep her mouth shut. A couple of minutes later, I snuck out, disarmed and came back in, no one the wiser.

Looking back, I don't know what else I could have done other than call the front desk and have them retrieve the keys from my wife, but I really didn't want to explain myself or raise any eyebrows.

And regarding the 30.06 sign, it wasn't there last time we went to that hospital and I was in a bit of a rush to get to my wife so I didn't think to disarm before hand or check the 30.06 site first.

So, did I do the right thing? What would you have done?

[MadMonkey]

Concealed is concealed. I try not to go past 30.06 signs or other restricted areas with a gun, but there have been cases where doing a 180 would have gotten me questioned at the very minimum ( ).

I most likely would have done exactly what you did.

[Dave2]

This happened on Thursday and I thought about it some more this evening. I inadvertently got myself in a bit of a catch-22 with my firearm and thought it would be interesting to see what others would have done in my exact position. Thursday morning my wife went to her doctor after dropping my son off at school because she had been experiencing some abdominal pain. We have one car and she drove herself while I stayed home to work. She called saying the Doctor was sending her to the ER to get x-rays and a CT scan to make sure it wasn't her appendix, and she was worried so she asked if I could go up there to be with her. I was already dressed and (as is my habit) was wearing my firearm. I called a neighbor who gladly drove me to the hospital and dropped me off at the main entrance to the ER. As I was walking up to the door, I saw a nice big fat 30.06 sign. So now I'm stranded outside in the cold, the neighbor drove off, my wife didn't answer her phone, and I couldn't go in. I could see our car as she parked close to the entrance. I just decided that I would go in, quietly get the car keys from my wife, and go back out to the car to disarm. Of course nothing happened. I went to her room where the nurse was running her I.V. and I stood patiently to the side until I could get to her keys. I was cringing inside hoping my wife either wouldn't pick up on why I needed to go back to the car, or would realize and know that she needed to keep her mouth shut. A couple of minutes later, I snuck out, disarmed and came back in, no one the wiser.

Looking back, I don't know what else I could have done other than call the front desk and have them retrieve the keys from my wife, but I really didn't want to explain myself or raise any eyebrows.

And regarding the 30.06 sign, it wasn't there last time we went to that hospital and I was in a bit of a rush to get to my wife so I didn't think to disarm before hand or check the 30.06 site first.

So, did I do the right thing? What would you have done?

If I were the DA, I'd be disinclined to prosecute (of course, I'm biased, so that might not count for much... also, I'm not the DA).

[jmra]

When we played basketball at the local courts we had a saying, "No blood no foul". I'd apply the same concept here. You did what you needed to do, nothing more nothing less. You obviously committed a foul by the "rules" of the game, but as noted earlier concealed is concealed. And of course, there was no blood.

[texanjoker]

So you are confessing online to committing a crime? I think you meant to add to the post this was a hypothetical scenario

[RoyGBiv]

I would have done the same as the OP...maybe 9.22(2) applies??

Sec. 9.22. NECESSITY. Conduct is justified if:

(1) the actor reasonably believes the conduct is immediately necessary to avoid imminent harm;

(2) the desirability and urgency of avoiding the harm clearly outweigh, according to ordinary standards of reasonableness, the harm sought to be prevented by the law proscribing the conduct; and

(3) a legislative purpose to exclude the justification claimed for the conduct does not otherwise plainly appear.

[SlowDave]

You did the right thing under the circumstances, except maybe for posting it here. But I agree with the other guy... I think you meant this happened to a friend, right?

[suthdj]

Spare set of keys always on you

[tomtexan]

Spare set of keys always on you

And / or another car.

[howdy]

Or drive a Ford with coded entry.

[howdy]

I had a friend that was taken to the ER by ambulance. After everything settled down, he asked his wife to check his pants to see if his LCP was still in the pocket holster in front pocket. Yep, it was there and this hospital was posted 30.06. I (I mean he) asked his Daughter who has a CHL to take it out to her car.

At that point in your life you had very little choice. You did fine. Yea, you broke the law but sometimes you got to do what you got to do.

[Oldgringo]

When we played basketball at the local courts we had a saying, "No blood no foul". I'd apply the same concept here. You did what you needed to do, nothing more nothing less. You obviously committed a foul by the "rules" of the game, but as noted earlier concealed is concealed. And of course, there was no blood.

and would add....DADT.

[SewTexas]

I think you did fine....

and BTW.....how is your wife?

[remington79]

You did what you had to do, you had no other option. You just had to CANT (carry always never tell) in a nonpermissive environment. Besides parking garages aren't the safest of places.

[03Lightningrocks]

You did the right thing under the circumstances, except maybe for posting it here. But I agree with the other guy... I think you meant this happened to a friend, right?

On the druggy forums they always use the acronym swim when confessing to crime. I suppose that is like saying, "no disrespect" right before taking a cheap shot at a person.