Firearm safety/ not freaking out the sheeple/ "my car my rules" question

[SirBrass]

Something just occured to me as I was hearing something on the West Coast Gun Rights News Podcast (hint, hint, this part of the news would probably fit best in the GunDudes' Misfire Awards section).

Anyway, a while ago I am going out to the desert to shoot some various and sundry metal objects that go "PING" when shot.  I'm driving, it's my car, and I have 2 passengers.  My range bag with my pistols and ammo is sitting in the back seat.

So, I'm driving on I-10, and my front seat passenger pulls out his Sig 226, puts it into safe condition (mag out, no round in chamber, etc.) takes it apart and begins cleaning it in my car!

I'm sorry but this just bugs me.  Handling vaporous chemicals in MY car while I'm driving 60+ down a freeway in the middle of the afternoon with untinted windows (note to self:  get windows tinted before it gets really hot again) with other motorists around me.  THEN, my backseat passenger after reaching for MY can of breakfree for him to use, pulls out my Px4 SC, field strips it and then begins wiping it out complaining that I've put too much oil in it.

1) I didn't know he did this till I hear "Dude, you used too much oil."  B/c, I'm driving, but now I've got to pay attention to these two yahoos who are actually friends.

2) I didn't give him permission to touch my guns.

I chew my BSP (backseat passenger) out for this, and tell my front seat passenger to put the gun away (once he's finished cleaning it).

Well, my FSP now starts dry-firing his pistol in my car.  Yes I know he had it in a safe condition and no ammo is within reach to load it with.  Still..... there are PEOPLE around in other cars who can see IN.  These kinds of people can still freak OUT.  It's my car, registered to ME, so guess who is going to get most of the pistols in the face if the cops are called..... yeah.  Me.

Anyway, yes, most of this is a rant but I want to know y'all's opinions safety wise on this kind of behavior.

My opinion is that if they do this again, I'll get off at the nearest exit, turn the car around take them back (I'm not a big enough jerk to pull over to the shoulder and order them out of my car, leaving them 20 mi. from FSP's house on a busy freeway).

My concerns were:

1) Safety.  It is a very closed environment.  With windows down I now can have loose papers flying around.

2) Safety:  Police duty weapons in my face is a safety hazard.  I think that's what will happen if a sheeple driving past sees these guys handling firearms openly in my car, and then calls the cops.

3) It's my car, dammit!  Good grief.  Even if items 1 & 2 were just paranoid concerns, shouldn't the fact that they are passengers in MY car which I am driving mean anything?

So, was I having a bit of a tin-hat moment, or what?

Oh, and what should I do if there is a next time, or should I even allow for a next time?

[Christopher Burg]

There is one universal rule of transportation, the person driving is in charge.  This goes for any form of transportation.  For instance when you're aboard a Navy vessel the man in charge of the ship has absolute authority.  In my vehicle I have absolute authority.  If somebody doesn't like my rules they have to options:

1)  Shut up and deal with it or

2)  Get out and walk.

If I were in your shoes there wouldn't be a next time because none of them would ever ride in my vehicle again.  But I've been told I overreact sometimes so your mileage may vary.

[Aaron L]

What Christopher said! They were both completely out of line. It's your vehicle, your firearm, and your cleaner. They are your guests. They don't even have the right to change the radio station (unless you allow them that is, I don't). You have every right to be concerned. I would make sure they know they were out of line and you won't tolerate that behavior in your vehicle. Perhaps next time (if there is a next time) you might want to put all firearms in the trunk for the trip to the range. That's just disrespect on their part that could land you in a lot of trouble.

That reminds me, here are a few simple rules of conduct in a vehicle.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/uj0mtxXEGE8&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/uj0mtxXEGE8&rel=0</a>

[SirBrass]

Well, the long guns were in the trunk.  Well, except on the way back.  My BSP was cleaning his AR on the way back.  That I didn't mind, as a field stripped AR for field cleaning the army way doesn't look like an AR, and the level of the windows and the casting of the shadow allowed him to do this without much visibility.

And yeah, it seems I get alot of grief when I pull the "my car, my rules."  Doing that too often, and I'm being a jerk, so I try and be fair-handed.  However, when it comes to seatbelt-wearing, I'm a tyrannt.  I didn't think I'd have to be on firearms, as I thought that was kind of obvious.  Don't handle your gun in the car where all other motorists and their blue-haired, sun city living, liberal as all getout grandmas can see and freakout.

I was more wondering if I was being a little paranoid on the safety concerns.

And something else to throw in.  I was invited to go shooting with them.  It just turned out that my car was the better option for getting there.  So, while I'm the driver, I'm the trip guest as well.

[Hk940]

Did I read that right?
Someone sprayed BreakFree CLP in your car?
in my car you are walking just for that!

But yea, your car your rules.  End of story.
Why would it ever be otherwise.

[SirBrass]

No, just breakfree gun scrubber.  My breakfree CLP was running low.  I said, "Don't touch the CLP."

[Embershot]

I don't care who invited who. If we are using my car then we follow my rules. My car, like my house, is not a democracy. If they want to spray chemicals and dry fire then they can take their own car.

[Christopher Burg]

And yeah, it seems I get alot of grief when I pull the "my car, my rules."  Doing that too often, and I'm being a jerk, so I try and be fair-handed.  However, when it comes to seatbelt-wearing, I'm a tyrannt. 

You know what happens under tyranny?  The tyrant is happen and crap gets done.

Seriously though if they don't like how you run your ship tell them to jump on a different ship.  I've had friends who gave me grief when I enforce my stringent vehicle rules (I run a clean ship, a very clean ship).  My remark is always, "If you don't like the rules you're more than welcome to find another ride."  That usually shuts them up.  If it doesn't then they get to find another ride.

Honestly the whole fact that I don't care what people think about me probably doesn't help in vehicle related situations.  But much like your home you get to make all the rules you want in your car.  If you want everybody to wear a read baseball cap sideways while singing Yankee Doodle all the way to your destination then by God you get to make your passengers do it.

[Embershot]

If you want everybody to wear a read baseball cap sideways while singing Yankee Doodle all the way to your destination then by God you get to make your passengers do it.

I must try this.

[zombiehater]

I agree completely, pull the car over and give both of them a good talking to. Having some Joe Citizen casually look over into your car and see people with firearms out is not going to curry you any favor with the powers-that-be. Just because you know it isnt loaded, doesnt mean the outside world knows that. All it would take is one panic phone call saying you or one of your passangers is "waving a gun around", and you can kiss both your freedom and your firearms good-bye.

[SirBrass]

Exactly why I said it was a safety issue:  b/c having an officer's gun in my face is not conducive to my safety.

[Zeus]

I think cleaning any firearm in a moving vehicle, unless under combat conditions, is stupid. If an accident occurs all those metal parts become projectiles and frag. Anything that is a distraction to the driver is a bad idea.