First and foremost.. The Police are NOT your friend! They don't want to be your friend, they don't want you to be their friend.
Depending upon the circumstances, the Police can (and in a number of cases will), LIE to you and NOT be accountable for it.. whereas if you lie to them.. it can be used against you.
You get pulled over and the cop asks you.. "Do you mind if I look in your vehicle?" That is a very straightforward question. If you say "yes" you're saying "yes, I mind".. and if you say "no" you're saying "no, I do mind".
But watch out and listen for the "negative connotation" asked question. Same scenario as above but the Cop asks..
"You don't mind if I look in your vehicle do you?"
Think about the question that was just asked.
If you say "yes".. you are now saying "yes, I don't mind"! and if you say "no" you are also saying "no, I don't mind"!
Either way you've just given permission to do so to the Cop.
FireStar M40
REMEMBER! The police are NOT your friends despite being raised to go to the nearest police officer if in trouble, etc. THEY have a job to do. Simple as that.
Use full sentence answers to any questions asked. "Mind if we search your vehicle?" - response is not "yes" or "no" but a statement, such as "I definitely mind if you search my vehicle and do not give permission for such a search". Period. Questions being asked? Answer nothing except what you are legally obliged to provide; if you are transporting firearms I would surely not state that, but I WOULD state that I am on my way from POINT X to POINT Y - AM I FREE TO GO NOW? WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THERE BEFORE DARK OR WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ON OUR WAY.
We drive a Ford Flex, a crossover that looks like an SUV and has not trunk. In the rear are located TWO combination safes. One safe is used for the storage of handgun(s) and the other safe is used for the storage of unloaded magazines (10 rounders) and ammunition. In NYS we would now be transporting our Glock 36's with 7 rounders until the SAFE Act gets squared away. The safes are relatively small and are generally covered with some luggage, laptops, tools, whatever. If asked, we would NOT provide the combination to open them without a warrant. We have nothing to hide and would simply state that we are getting an uneasy feeling about this, ask what is being looked for and then ask again if we are under arrest or if we are free to carry on and leave. NEVER consent to a search. NEVER provide more information than required to by law.
We carry a binder with copies of all of our permits, registrations, state and federal laws,a list of various IPSC/IDPA and GSSF competitions on our route (we just might drop in on a few enroute).
Our issues are multiplied.... we also have the issue of living in Canada. So when we cross into the USA it is almost always at Niagara Falls, NY or Fort Erie/Buffalo, NY. You MUST declare that your are transporting handguns and ammo when crossing and we always do, handing over our carry permits (not NYS) with our Passports. My Passport is a US Passport. We also have been vetted through the Nexus system and interviewed by border folks to get same. AND THE GUNS ARE LOCKED UP SEPERATELY FROM THE AMMO. We have only ever been stopped for inspection one time and when we opened the rear gate and the border folks saw the safes, the handgun permits were good enough and we were waved through. Have never been stopped in NYS excepting at the border crossing every time we cross, of course, and in either direction.
MY PERSONAL intentions are to continue what I have been doing, continue to carry all my documentation and copies of FOPA and related court information, etc., along with information on any matches that might be going on in PA for instance. I have even taken to obtaining a cheap hunting license on line (now expired) for about $20 and carrying that as well. And I keep TWO copies of those binders with me in case a LEO should want one for reference.
Last but not least, we ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS keep the voice recorder in our cellphone going during any 'critical' situations. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, we keep the cellphone locked!!! If the cellphone is not locked it is easy enough for LEO or anyone to extract everything from voice recordings to phone number lists (which always includes a top notch firearms attorney available 24/7).
If you do run into trouble with regards to FOPA you need to know that there are states that simply consider FOPA as affirmative defense material; your charges will get tossed but not before your trip is delay, ruined and so on. And the legal bills are huge. Don't speed and make sure that all of your lights are working. We choose to drive a vehicle with an automatic sensor system that tells us if anything has gone wrong.
Having had an attempted carjacking in Orlando, Florida as well as an attempted home invasion in Toronto, Ontario - I can tell you that I will not stop in ANY state which does not afford me the right to protect myself and my family when stateside. In Canada we have no concealed carry - and safe storage laws are strict in our home, but we use common sense, adhere to the law and maintain the highest level of protection we are able. I can see no reason that I would want to stop for ANY reason in a state which does not permit me to protect myself and my loved ones. Period.
I would love to see or get a copy of that letter being talked about from one of the NYSP barracks.