Two important questions!

imported post

What is the absolute best way for checking for schools withing an area? I use yahoo map but i dont trust it 100%.

Can you recomend a decent and inexpensive digital voice recorder?

imported post

To check for schools in my area I use google earth. In the Layers area just expand the primary database, then expand Places of Interest, then deselect everything except schools. Now just zoom in on your area and look for schools. When you find one that you want to check the distance on, you can use the ruler at the top of the screen. Change the units of measurement to feet, then click on the edge of the school and drag out for 1,000 ft. in the direction you want.

As for recorders, I would recommend this one: http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/product.aspx?product=393
It's the one We used in our encounter with the Redlands PD and it worked very well.

Hope this was helpful to you.

imported post

thx that was excellent!

imported post

Also, remember that you only require a reasonable knowledge of any school in an area. If you do not live in that area, or have never been to that area, you cannot have known of any school zones.

If you are inquiring about your immediate or local area, by all means investigate school zones.

I know where every K-12 school is in my town, and have planned routes around them. This has also forced me to go to a supermarket that is further from my house, but worth it as it is a much better store, and they so far have no problem with me being armed inside. I do know where a couple of schools are in other towns that I frequent, and avoid those. But I would not have a reasonable knowledge of all schools in towns that I drive to/through, and the law says I am not expected to.

Should you be pulled over for a MWAG call in a school zone, and you have a map showing that zone area that you are inside of, the court will easily prove that you had a reasonable knowledge of the fact.

If I don't know, the law does not require me to.

imported post

Army wrote:

I know where every K-12 school is in my town, and have planned routes around them. This has also forced me to go to a supermarket that is further from my house, but worth it as it is a much better store, and they so far have no problem with me being armed inside. I do know where a couple of schools are in other towns that I frequent, and avoid those. But I would not have a reasonable knowledge of all schools in towns that I drive to/through, and the law says I am not expected to.

Click to expand...

A great example of this:

On Hwy 99, you pass within about 750-900' of Ceres High School (depending on which side of the freeway you are on. The school is not visible from the freeway, even if you know exactly where it is, and are looking for it.

If you are from out of town, you probably don't know where the school is, and it would not be reasonable to expect you to know. Even if you could see the school, you're flying by at 65 mph - you would be out of the school zone faster than you could possibly lock up your gun.

I have lived in the area for 20 years, went to an elementary school down the street from the high school, and have just posted here that I know exactly where the school is. I, therefore, would not be exempt from 626.9 in this case. (One reason I keep my lock box on the passenger seat when driving the 200' stretch of freeway that falls within the 'school zone.')

imported post

CA_Libertarian wrote:

Army wrote:

I know where every K-12 school is in my town, and have planned routes around them. This has also forced me to go to a supermarket that is further from my house, but worth it as it is a much better store, and they so far have no problem with me being armed inside. I do know where a couple of schools are in other towns that I frequent, and avoid those. But I would not have a reasonable knowledge of all schools in towns that I drive to/through, and the law says I am not expected to.

Click to expand...

A great example of this:

On Hwy 99, you pass within about 750-900' of Ceres High School (depending on which side of the freeway you are on. The school is not visible from the freeway, even if you know exactly where it is, and are looking for it.

If you are from out of town, you probably don't know where the school is, and it would not be reasonable to expect you to know. Even if you could see the school, you're flying by at 65 mph - you would be out of the school zone faster than you could possibly lock up your gun.

I have lived in the area for 20 years, went to an elementary school down the street from the high school, and have just posted here that I know exactly where the school is. I, therefore, would not be exempt from 626.9 in this case. (One reason I keep my lock box on the passenger seat when driving the 200' stretch of freeway that falls within the 'school zone.')

Click to expand...

Exactly, if you don't know exactly where the schools are in your own neighborhood, you could reasonably be expected to. So ignorance of your own area probably won't get you out of a 626.9 violation close to home.

Anywhere that you don't live, and are just passing through, you reasonably can't be expected to know where the schools are, so keep it that way.