Many years ago, back before licenses were even being handed out, 1975 it actually was, I was stopped in Ennis, Texas by a Texas DPS Trooper. I was a truckdriver and ran from Dallas to Houston and back six times a week. I had previously gotten a speeding ticket in Ennis and gave it to my attorney to take care of for me, he talked to the Justice of the Peace and sent him a check for the fine.
It turns out the JP didn't take checks and issued a warrant for my arrest! So, here I come driving along carrying my Smith & Wesson Model 36 in an ankle holster and get stopped. The DPS officer tells me I have a warrant and he's going to have to take me in. Of course I'm stunned because I think all has already been taken care of and I'd not had a ticket in many years.
I was told to get what I needed out of the truck and lock it up and give him the keys, which I did. He went through my little overnight bag I carried and looked through everything, then patted me down to the waist. I kept thinking.. I'm really up the creek now, but he didn't find the .38 Next we go to the Ennis City Jail, this place was like it was out of the cowboy days, probably from the 1800's, the jail part was in the cellar. The jailer asked the DPS officer if I'd been patted down and he responded, "yep he's clean" .. so off to the basement I go with a loaded .38 on my ankle.
A couple of hours later two deputy sheriff's arrive to transport me to the county seat in Waxahachie, Texas. They ask me if I'd been patted down already and I said "yep", and they did a quick check again stopping at the waist! So here we go all the way over to Waxahachie with me riding unhandcuffed in the backseat of their patrol car with a loaded .38 on my ankle. Sheeesh... I was really getting paranoid about it, but knew how much worse it'd be for me if they found it.
Waxahachie was only about 15 miles away, but the jail was much nicer and new at least. The same thing happened there, they asked the deputies if I'd been patted down and they said, "yes he has" .. so they walk me to the cells and told me to go to the last one on the right. These all have solid metal walls that you can't see in, so they open the door electronically and as I step into the cell there's two women inside. Of course I got a big grin on my face, so did the ladies, well maybe they weren't really ladies, but what the heck ... but in less than 5 seconds the deputy was yelling at me to get back out of there and go to this other cell, that he'd forgotten about the women in there! I called him a "spoilsport" as I walked into the other cell!
Anyway, finally after about four hours my wife found Waxahachie, she'd never heard of it before, and got me out of jail. Her first question was, "did they take your gun" .. I said, "no, they never found it" .. omg I was so relieved. I've carried all my life I guess, I've had my weapon save my life for sure and certain two times, and one other time got me out of a bad situation. I truly believe in the CCW laws, and I also realize that had my weapon been discovered back then I may not have that right today, but then I might not have been here today had I not had it on me at other times back then also!
I don't know what makes people go ape and start shooting everyone around them, I don't think I'll ever be one who does such a thing. I guess it's something in your mind that snaps and you lose control of your thinking or something, but I truly value my right to carry, and I value my record being clean enough to be allowed to carry also. In 1975 when the above happened I was 23, I'm about two weeks away from 56 now. I do all I can to not dirty this right by misusing or mishandling my weapon in a manner that would upset others and make the anti-gun crybabies start screaming!
Anyway, I just thought I'd share this story since it's a true one. In all honesty I desperately wanted to let those two police agencies know the mistake they'd made back then, but I was just too afraid to do so at the time. I guess 32 years down the road it doesn't matter anymore, but still I imagine they'd all have messed themselves had they known I had that on my ankle!
Regards,
SnowCajun
It turns out the JP didn't take checks and issued a warrant for my arrest! So, here I come driving along carrying my Smith & Wesson Model 36 in an ankle holster and get stopped. The DPS officer tells me I have a warrant and he's going to have to take me in. Of course I'm stunned because I think all has already been taken care of and I'd not had a ticket in many years.
I was told to get what I needed out of the truck and lock it up and give him the keys, which I did. He went through my little overnight bag I carried and looked through everything, then patted me down to the waist. I kept thinking.. I'm really up the creek now, but he didn't find the .38 Next we go to the Ennis City Jail, this place was like it was out of the cowboy days, probably from the 1800's, the jail part was in the cellar. The jailer asked the DPS officer if I'd been patted down and he responded, "yep he's clean" .. so off to the basement I go with a loaded .38 on my ankle.
A couple of hours later two deputy sheriff's arrive to transport me to the county seat in Waxahachie, Texas. They ask me if I'd been patted down already and I said "yep", and they did a quick check again stopping at the waist! So here we go all the way over to Waxahachie with me riding unhandcuffed in the backseat of their patrol car with a loaded .38 on my ankle. Sheeesh... I was really getting paranoid about it, but knew how much worse it'd be for me if they found it.
Waxahachie was only about 15 miles away, but the jail was much nicer and new at least. The same thing happened there, they asked the deputies if I'd been patted down and they said, "yes he has" .. so they walk me to the cells and told me to go to the last one on the right. These all have solid metal walls that you can't see in, so they open the door electronically and as I step into the cell there's two women inside. Of course I got a big grin on my face, so did the ladies, well maybe they weren't really ladies, but what the heck ... but in less than 5 seconds the deputy was yelling at me to get back out of there and go to this other cell, that he'd forgotten about the women in there! I called him a "spoilsport" as I walked into the other cell!
Anyway, finally after about four hours my wife found Waxahachie, she'd never heard of it before, and got me out of jail. Her first question was, "did they take your gun" .. I said, "no, they never found it" .. omg I was so relieved. I've carried all my life I guess, I've had my weapon save my life for sure and certain two times, and one other time got me out of a bad situation. I truly believe in the CCW laws, and I also realize that had my weapon been discovered back then I may not have that right today, but then I might not have been here today had I not had it on me at other times back then also!
I don't know what makes people go ape and start shooting everyone around them, I don't think I'll ever be one who does such a thing. I guess it's something in your mind that snaps and you lose control of your thinking or something, but I truly value my right to carry, and I value my record being clean enough to be allowed to carry also. In 1975 when the above happened I was 23, I'm about two weeks away from 56 now. I do all I can to not dirty this right by misusing or mishandling my weapon in a manner that would upset others and make the anti-gun crybabies start screaming!
Anyway, I just thought I'd share this story since it's a true one. In all honesty I desperately wanted to let those two police agencies know the mistake they'd made back then, but I was just too afraid to do so at the time. I guess 32 years down the road it doesn't matter anymore, but still I imagine they'd all have messed themselves had they known I had that on my ankle!
Regards,
SnowCajun
