ridgerunner98570
Regular Member
Saturday the 4th of Sept 2010, I was driving in my pickup and camper around the Olympic peninsula. By the time I had gone thru Port Angeles and stopped to see some of the sights there, I was pretty tired. Having an 10 1/2 foot camper on my back I figured would solve that problem so as I was driving south on 101 at Cresent Lake, I saw a large turn out on the side of the road. I thought this spot looks good as I swung into it. I parked well off the roadway in a gravel section got out and placed my .S&W .357 in the tool pocket on my right leg. I was wearing bib overalls so the hand grip of the firearm was clearly visible to any that looked. It was dark outside being around 11:30 pm. As I walked to the back of my camper, I open the door and got the steps out and fastened them. Just as I was bending back up, a patrol car pulled up next to me with his passenger door being closest to me. The officer got partway out of the cruiser and said, "you can't park here!". I asked why, he said because it's the law. I said okay, but just out of curiosity, what is the number of that law so I can look it up. He started to come around the front of his car towards me then, not aggressively, but like to hear me better, so I said "Just for your information, I have a hand gun "open carry" on my right leg". He paused for a second then went back to his drivers door and turned on his spot light to light up the area, but he didn't shine it on me directly. I could see him look at it for a moment, then his attention came back to me.
So I again asked him what the number of the law was, since there were no signs saying no parking or sleeping where I was. He then said well it's a Park Regulation. So I said well regulations have numbers too don't they? Then he said it is the Rangers rule that camping and parking to sleep are not permitted, that I have to use one of their pay sites.
His orders went from It's the law, to... It's a park regulation, to.... it's the Ranger's rules. I figured I wasn't going to argue the point with him, so I just moved on. After my letting him know I was OC'ing, he never mentioned it, and did the best thing to make himself, and me safe. And that was to turn on his spotlight.
When an officer tells me I can't do something, I usually challenge them on it if I know that he is mistaken. I don't like giving up my rights to people in authority who are mistaken in their application of the law. But he was great about the open carry, even at night in the park. (and he could very well have been correct about the sleeping rules, I just wanted to know where they are recorded so I could read them.)
So I again asked him what the number of the law was, since there were no signs saying no parking or sleeping where I was. He then said well it's a Park Regulation. So I said well regulations have numbers too don't they? Then he said it is the Rangers rule that camping and parking to sleep are not permitted, that I have to use one of their pay sites.
His orders went from It's the law, to... It's a park regulation, to.... it's the Ranger's rules. I figured I wasn't going to argue the point with him, so I just moved on. After my letting him know I was OC'ing, he never mentioned it, and did the best thing to make himself, and me safe. And that was to turn on his spotlight.
When an officer tells me I can't do something, I usually challenge them on it if I know that he is mistaken. I don't like giving up my rights to people in authority who are mistaken in their application of the law. But he was great about the open carry, even at night in the park. (and he could very well have been correct about the sleeping rules, I just wanted to know where they are recorded so I could read them.)
