Agent 47
Regular Member
imported post
So I was taking a motorcycle trip out around Whidby island today and started out by taking the Mukilteo ferry to get to the island. I boarded the ferry and road right past the captain who was standing on the car deck along with two other crewmen. Although I cannot be sure any of them noticed my gun I think one of the crewmen did give me kind of a sideways glance but made no indication that anything was wrong. I spent the majority of the ride wandering around the passenger cabin and after hearing the captain announce that a pair of grey whales were spouting just off the starboard bow I headed in that direction to have a look. It was then that I noticed a female member of the crew accompanied by a man in a shirt marked security walking in my direction. They both passed me on my strong side but tried to pretend they didn't notice me. After leaving the front observation deck I went back into the cabin and wandered over to the vending machines, I saw the security guy and his female associate about halfway down the leingth of the ship facing my general direction trying hard not to look like they were watching me having a "casual" conversation. We were nearing the dock so I decided to head back down to the car deck and get ready to depart. As I walked toward the two "super-spies" and turned down the stairwell I heard a radio crackle with "He is heading down to the car deck". I reached my bike and climbed aboard waiting for the boat to be secured to the dock. In my mirror I saw a crewman approaching me from behind-strongside but as he reached the back of my bike he turned and came up to me on my left side.
Crewman: Is that a firearm !?
Me: Yes, it's a handgun
Crewman: You can't just go walking around like that!
Me: ( with a confused look ) Why not?
Crewman: Do you have a licence?
Me: what, A licence to own it?
Crewman: No! a concealed pistol licence.
Me: why would I need one of those I am not concealing it.
Crewman: you need to have a licence to carry a gun.
Me: No, you need to have a licence to conceal a gun.
Crewman: I find that hard to believe with all the homeland security stuff that you can just walk around with a gun on you hip like that. It is posted at the terminal, no guns allowed on the ferry.
Me: No it says no illegal guns allowed on the ferry mine is perfectly legal so that rule doesn't apply.
Crewman: The law says you cannot carry a gun on the ferry.
Me: The ferry is an extension of the Washington state highway system and the law says nothing of the sort.
Crewman: I am talking about maritime law, You cannot carry a gun here.
Me: That law would be repealed under RCW 9.41.290 state preemption
Crewman: So you think you can just walk around with a gun on you hip wherever you want do you.
Me: within the parameters of the law, yes.
Crewman: ( In a patronizing tone ) thats what you think?
Me: Thats what I know.
The crewman took a step back and spoke into his radio.
Crewman: Hey captain, what are the rules about people carrying dangerous guns on the boat.
Captain (over the radio) There is nothing we can do, I mean it is his constitution right under the second amendment.
As soon as the crewman realized the captain wasn't going to back him and I was in earshot he quickly covered the speaker on his radio and moved several paces away. He said a few more things into the radio before putting it away as he was approached by another crewman who had come forward to remove the safety nets from the front of the deck. I could see the first crewman talking animatedly to the second one raising his arm to point back at me. The second crewman pushed his arm back down to his side and appeared to be giving him a lecture. As the disembarking ramp was lowered into place the first crewman came back over to me.
Crewman: I wasn't trying to give you a hard time or nothing.
Me: But of course you were, what you were doing is the very definition of giving someone a hard time.
Crewman: Well, I am sorry you see it that way, you can go ahead. ( indicating that I should disembark ) I drove off the ferry and got a smile and a wave from the second crewman.
I got the idea that the ferry crew ( Specifically the security people ) had been instructed to keep an eye on me but not to make contact and the one crewman took it upon himself to set me strait and was appropriately reprimanded for doing so.
So in the end he learned about open carry and everyone else who already knew got to see someone exercising their second amendment rights.
So I was taking a motorcycle trip out around Whidby island today and started out by taking the Mukilteo ferry to get to the island. I boarded the ferry and road right past the captain who was standing on the car deck along with two other crewmen. Although I cannot be sure any of them noticed my gun I think one of the crewmen did give me kind of a sideways glance but made no indication that anything was wrong. I spent the majority of the ride wandering around the passenger cabin and after hearing the captain announce that a pair of grey whales were spouting just off the starboard bow I headed in that direction to have a look. It was then that I noticed a female member of the crew accompanied by a man in a shirt marked security walking in my direction. They both passed me on my strong side but tried to pretend they didn't notice me. After leaving the front observation deck I went back into the cabin and wandered over to the vending machines, I saw the security guy and his female associate about halfway down the leingth of the ship facing my general direction trying hard not to look like they were watching me having a "casual" conversation. We were nearing the dock so I decided to head back down to the car deck and get ready to depart. As I walked toward the two "super-spies" and turned down the stairwell I heard a radio crackle with "He is heading down to the car deck". I reached my bike and climbed aboard waiting for the boat to be secured to the dock. In my mirror I saw a crewman approaching me from behind-strongside but as he reached the back of my bike he turned and came up to me on my left side.
Crewman: Is that a firearm !?
Me: Yes, it's a handgun
Crewman: You can't just go walking around like that!
Me: ( with a confused look ) Why not?
Crewman: Do you have a licence?
Me: what, A licence to own it?
Crewman: No! a concealed pistol licence.
Me: why would I need one of those I am not concealing it.
Crewman: you need to have a licence to carry a gun.
Me: No, you need to have a licence to conceal a gun.
Crewman: I find that hard to believe with all the homeland security stuff that you can just walk around with a gun on you hip like that. It is posted at the terminal, no guns allowed on the ferry.
Me: No it says no illegal guns allowed on the ferry mine is perfectly legal so that rule doesn't apply.
Crewman: The law says you cannot carry a gun on the ferry.
Me: The ferry is an extension of the Washington state highway system and the law says nothing of the sort.
Crewman: I am talking about maritime law, You cannot carry a gun here.
Me: That law would be repealed under RCW 9.41.290 state preemption
Crewman: So you think you can just walk around with a gun on you hip wherever you want do you.
Me: within the parameters of the law, yes.
Crewman: ( In a patronizing tone ) thats what you think?
Me: Thats what I know.
The crewman took a step back and spoke into his radio.
Crewman: Hey captain, what are the rules about people carrying dangerous guns on the boat.
Captain (over the radio) There is nothing we can do, I mean it is his constitution right under the second amendment.
As soon as the crewman realized the captain wasn't going to back him and I was in earshot he quickly covered the speaker on his radio and moved several paces away. He said a few more things into the radio before putting it away as he was approached by another crewman who had come forward to remove the safety nets from the front of the deck. I could see the first crewman talking animatedly to the second one raising his arm to point back at me. The second crewman pushed his arm back down to his side and appeared to be giving him a lecture. As the disembarking ramp was lowered into place the first crewman came back over to me.
Crewman: I wasn't trying to give you a hard time or nothing.
Me: But of course you were, what you were doing is the very definition of giving someone a hard time.
Crewman: Well, I am sorry you see it that way, you can go ahead. ( indicating that I should disembark ) I drove off the ferry and got a smile and a wave from the second crewman.
I got the idea that the ferry crew ( Specifically the security people ) had been instructed to keep an eye on me but not to make contact and the one crewman took it upon himself to set me strait and was appropriately reprimanded for doing so.
So in the end he learned about open carry and everyone else who already knew got to see someone exercising their second amendment rights.