sv_libertarian
State Researcher
imported post
Long story short, I was taking the 120 bus from Bothell to Lynnwood and was CCing my CZ 82 and had a .22 in a soft case. I sat down, and then realizing there had been a fare increase since my last ride (I paid $1.25 and the driver never said anything) got up and paid the extra quarter. The driver then asked me "Is that a firearm?" (refering to the .22) I said yes and he tried to tell me it was illegal to have on the bus. I tried to cite RCW 9.91.025 which specifically allows for the lawful carry of guns on busses but he cut me off claiming he "didn't know anything about that." I suggested he call his supervisor.
He stopped the bus and turned the engine off and waited for a supervisor who also came with a Snohomish County Sheriff's Deputy. The deputy was very professional and polite. He never bothered with taking my handgun, or the rifle, and asked for my CPL and ID. He verified the CPL, his Seargent shook my hand and apologized for the inconvience and I got back on the bus, after verifying the rifle was unloaded. Once the driver started realizing that he had made an error he kept trying to apologize and I just told him to save it for my lawyer.
I'm keeping this short, I've told this story more times today than I want. After I got to Lynnwood Transit Center, I wrote up a brief complaint and took steps to steps to secure a copy of the video from onboard the bus.
The deputy who did the stop was at the transit center, and we wound up talking with a supervisor and explained the legality of carry of guns on the bus, and I introduced the supervisor to RCW 9.91.025. The deputy was also very well versed on open carry and told the supervisor a person can openly wear a gun in public without a CPL, or in a vehicle with one.
I also spoke with the Assistant Transportation Manager who was also apologetic, and tried to tell me how cautious people are, and I should understand the reaction, etc... I said I didn't understand the reaction as the operators should be well versed on 9.91.025, especially if they had been driving for 18 years, as the driver who tried to kick me off the bus has been. In the end I thanked everyone for their time, and made it plain to CT that I would be consulting with a lawyer about this.
Big waste of my time for something that should have been a non issue.
The nice thing about the whole experience was the attitude and professional behavior of the deputies. They were very nice about the whole thing, never wanted to take my (loaded) handgun, and treated the whole thing like the non issue it was.
One thing I found amusing, the CT supervisor never spoke to me, but made a point of removing some passengers from the bus (minors from what I saw) and putting them into his van.
Further discussion later with CT supervisors showed an incredible lack of procedure or instruction to their operators on matters such as this. One deputy told me he knew nothing about what to expect when he arrived, only that there was a "man with a gun on the bus" to which he was assuming the worst. The driver didn't communicate well to his dispatcher, who in turn failed to probe for more information, and add to the whole mess, none of them were familiar with the state law that governs bus conduct!
Long story short, I was taking the 120 bus from Bothell to Lynnwood and was CCing my CZ 82 and had a .22 in a soft case. I sat down, and then realizing there had been a fare increase since my last ride (I paid $1.25 and the driver never said anything) got up and paid the extra quarter. The driver then asked me "Is that a firearm?" (refering to the .22) I said yes and he tried to tell me it was illegal to have on the bus. I tried to cite RCW 9.91.025 which specifically allows for the lawful carry of guns on busses but he cut me off claiming he "didn't know anything about that." I suggested he call his supervisor.
He stopped the bus and turned the engine off and waited for a supervisor who also came with a Snohomish County Sheriff's Deputy. The deputy was very professional and polite. He never bothered with taking my handgun, or the rifle, and asked for my CPL and ID. He verified the CPL, his Seargent shook my hand and apologized for the inconvience and I got back on the bus, after verifying the rifle was unloaded. Once the driver started realizing that he had made an error he kept trying to apologize and I just told him to save it for my lawyer.
I'm keeping this short, I've told this story more times today than I want. After I got to Lynnwood Transit Center, I wrote up a brief complaint and took steps to steps to secure a copy of the video from onboard the bus.
The deputy who did the stop was at the transit center, and we wound up talking with a supervisor and explained the legality of carry of guns on the bus, and I introduced the supervisor to RCW 9.91.025. The deputy was also very well versed on open carry and told the supervisor a person can openly wear a gun in public without a CPL, or in a vehicle with one.
I also spoke with the Assistant Transportation Manager who was also apologetic, and tried to tell me how cautious people are, and I should understand the reaction, etc... I said I didn't understand the reaction as the operators should be well versed on 9.91.025, especially if they had been driving for 18 years, as the driver who tried to kick me off the bus has been. In the end I thanked everyone for their time, and made it plain to CT that I would be consulting with a lawyer about this.
Big waste of my time for something that should have been a non issue.
The nice thing about the whole experience was the attitude and professional behavior of the deputies. They were very nice about the whole thing, never wanted to take my (loaded) handgun, and treated the whole thing like the non issue it was.
One thing I found amusing, the CT supervisor never spoke to me, but made a point of removing some passengers from the bus (minors from what I saw) and putting them into his van.
Further discussion later with CT supervisors showed an incredible lack of procedure or instruction to their operators on matters such as this. One deputy told me he knew nothing about what to expect when he arrived, only that there was a "man with a gun on the bus" to which he was assuming the worst. The driver didn't communicate well to his dispatcher, who in turn failed to probe for more information, and add to the whole mess, none of them were familiar with the state law that governs bus conduct!
:shock:
