Corrections Officers and the Parking Lot Law/Exemption

[Roadie]

The "Escaped convicted could steal it" argument seems specious at best. What's he more likely to do, smash out and search car after car after car until he finds a gun? Or, run like hell to get as fast away as possible?

 

[actaeon277]

As has been mentioned, casinos have lock boxes for people. Why not at the prison?

 

[45fan]

The "Escaped convicted could steal it" argument seems specious at best. What's he more likely to do, smash out and search car after car after car until he finds a gun? Or, run like hell to get as fast away as possible?

Sounds like a plausible idea at first, but you have to understand the mentality of an offender. The only thing they have is time. Time to study, time to plan, time to think things through. When the only people you have to study are either other offenders, or the COs, there is a lot of information that they tend to gather, and share between themselves about the COs. Information is power, and that is just about the only power that they have inside. Any little thing that they learn might be the difference between a week in the shoe, or preferential treatment for informing on a CO or other offender.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Don't **** off other drivers by flashing your lights. You acknowledge you don't have any way to "defend" yourself, why did you instigate the situation in the first place?

All I can assume, is that you didn't read the post. I flashed him because he pulled out in front of me while I was driving thru a green light.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I fail to see how any of this has anything to do with you being a CO.

Driving home from work, disarmed because I was at work and we can't have guns in our vehicles at work due to the law.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

He was probably wearing the uniform on the way home.

OP- Don't draw attention to yourself in ANY way especially if you're unarmed. Maybe change before leaving work if you're unwilling to keep a weapon in the car and risk getting fired.

Bob

We don't have locker rooms and can't keep civies inside the prison to change into. Great Idea, not doing anything if I'm unarmed. I should probably never leave the confines of my vehicle if I need gas either...

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Does the Prison have the "right" to search your vehicle while in the lot? With or without you present?

Yes

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

1) why can't the OP use the OC spray issued by his employer? (asking because I don't know)

2) is it possible to park off the property but close enough for a short walk (that way you wouldn't be breaking the law by having a gun in your car?

No business within the vicinity would be willing to accept liability for my vehicle for twelve to sixteen hours. I have asked the question. I have asked why we can't store our weapons in the facility like the LEO's that come in and lock them in a box, but we can't.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Is TRUE the word you're looking for? He instigated the encounter just as if he had flipped the guy off. If he had done NOTHING, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. Someone pisses YOU off, you retaliate by flashing your lights, then you whine when there is a confrontation and you don't have a way to defend yourself.

Same story as that lady in Las Vegas that got her head blown off. If her daughter hadn't honked their horn at that guy, he wouldn't have stopped and the whole situation wouldn't have evolved as it did.

I flashed my lights, because the guy pulled out in front of me like he never saw me going thru the intersection. I flashed my lights because it was dark and I didn't want to hit the guys car. I guess you might be one of those drivers that thinks anybody else driving on the road doesn't have the same freedom of movement that you do...

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

You know what I can't seem to wrap my head around in the OP's story? Once they other guy got out and started pounding on the OP's car, why on earth would you stick around to see what happens? HIT THE FRIGGIN GAS DUDE!!! Leave the moron in a cloud of dust. Confrontation over.

as I said in my op, i was in a parking spot, getting ready to go into the store for my son's cupcakes.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

So, because the State can't ensure that they fulfill their responsibility to keep prisoners inside the prison, the people who work at the facility have to endure a denial of their natural rights, even outside the prison?



Maybe that would be reason to consider not using the shiny gold "CO" license plate?
I have a Disabled Veteran License Plate, the gold one with the handicap Icon. Nothing CO about it...

 

[Bill of Rights]

as I said in my op, i was in a parking spot, getting ready to go into the store for my son's cupcakes.

Mickey, don't think I'm cracking on you, because I'm not. I read his question to be, "Why not put the car in reverse (since he was parked next to, not behind you) and high-tail it out of there, cupcakes be da*ned? That is, better your son has his daddy there for his birthday, than in the hospital or dead because some stupid law made him be unarmed.

I think (sitting here in the comfort of my home, not in the middle of the situation) that that would have been my action on seeing the guy tailgating me into the lot. 20/20 hindsight and all.

I'm saddened that the law has put you in this situation.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Thegeek]

The whole "inmate could quickly become armed" is a valid concern. But I'll play. Why a steel mill? Or, in my case, a title 10 nuclear facility? Better still, if your company has a "security" office and you have to badge through a gate to enter the parking lot, then it falls under "privately secured facility".

What really grinds my gears about the whole thing is what if I'm not going home after work?

 

[chipbennett]

I have a Disabled Veteran License Plate, the gold one with the handicap Icon. Nothing CO about it...

Ah, my mistake. I don't think I've seen that one before - or if I did, I don't remember it.

I thought that might have been how the guy made you as a CO and caused him to go all road-rage on you.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I hope that nobody thinks that these late responses are snipping at anyone. I had 3 days in a row, with 16 hour days. I spent most of monday sleeping and catching up with familial responsibilities. I love my family. I consider shopping after work to be the simple solution to my wife having to do all the shopping. I usually don't run into anyone that was incarcerated that early in the morning. Most convicts sleep well into the day, because they stay up late. At least that's what I notice at work.

Freedom of movement. It's plain and simple. Whatever I am doing, it is not breaking the LAW. I have been a LAW abiding citizen, and a Disabled Veteran, and don't like my freedom impinged because someone might see my moving from one place to another as offensive. Yes, I am unarmed to and from work. That is the way it is, working as a CO. Lock boxes would cost money, and as far as the state or the state reps are concerned, that isn't how you provide.

I have been trained on knives, I saw that mentioned in a clip. I have alot of training. I can do anything except dodge a bullet. I have since this encounter bought OC and a stun device. I have a bullet proof vest on also, when driving to and from. It's cold out in the AM and the vest has to stay in my vehicle. I do my best.

I know that the flashing lights thing seems to be offensive to a few, like the gang bangers that go out and make their bones with civilians that flash them when they drive around with their brights on. Seems like a natural response to me, that I at least let someone know that I exist and they almost hit me.

I wanted to bring some public discussion to something I have been dealing with for many years. Thanks for all the input. I have given much discussion to all the proper representatives and even shot something off to the ACLU since this is more of a citizen's rights issue than anything else. Governing the parking lot, is akin to governing my life when I am home, and that is invasive. Even the denial of my rights because of a job.

I hope everybody here has a good day. I hope the convicts trolling this site and making absurd statements have their day at the end of a barrel, with IC 35-41-3.

Good to know that the majority think self preservation is an inalienable right.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Ah, my mistake. I don't think I've seen that one before - or if I did, I don't remember it.

I thought that might have been how the guy made you as a CO and caused him to go all road-rage on you.

The guy Made me, because I have to wear state approved hats, and coats and most of those are issued to us and have the DOC patch on them. If I remove the patch, and in this weather, that would constitute wearing a very cold one, to swap out for the warm one, then I am out of uniform. Some things are just not situationally expedient. Thanks for Chipping in chip.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

The whole "inmate could quickly become armed" is a valid concern. But I'll play. Why a steel mill? Or, in my case, a title 10 nuclear facility? Better still, if your company has a "security" office and you have to badge through a gate to enter the parking lot, then it falls under "privately secured facility".

What really grinds my gears about the whole thing is what if I'm not going home after work?

Then, you are effectively disarmed. The state flew the bird to the federal government with the gun free zone in the school parking lots, because having a law abiding citizen to become a felon because they got out to sign their kid out is silly. The state recognized that parents may not just be going out to pick up their kids, and disarming them to and from picking them up leaves them disarmed. I just wanted to shed some light on the subject, because it has to with carrying a weapon and natural rights. I know that I posted this in the right section. I am amazed at the cross reference of different opinions on a subject that happened and how the law applies to me and this situation.

 

[Thegeek]

I'm glad you brought it up, because it is a hot button for me as well. I posed to our security director that if they're going to mandate that I be disarmed on site, then they need to provide me and other gun owners a check station where we can lock our defense up. Lock boxes up front would be sufficient. I was told that my ability to carry to and from work wasn't their concern. It's just wrong.....

 

[Big Guy]

Society as a whole is falling apart, very few people respect the rights of one another. In your particular case, I would suggest to ignore what people do while driving and just keep to yourself and stay away from idiots looking for trouble. You never know how someone is going to react to a simple gesture, like flashing your lights or honking your horn. I'm a retired semi driver, and have been in that same situation as you hundreds of times. But we were always trained to drive defensively and stay away from possible problems, or we would face disciplinary action, even if we were right. My boss would always take the other motorists views as right, and would never back me. I do however believe you should be able to have the availability of weapon to defend yourself, if need be. You probably should start a petition with the other guards to have the rules changed or find other options for your own personal safety.

 

[flatlander]

Big Guy- You might want to change the color of your text as it can't be easily read.
Thanks

Bob