Where to keep vehicle registration in a VW Golf?

Mid '96 they wiggled a glove box in under the dash.

Whether you are carrying a gun or not, or it is in the glove box, make sure you can lay your hands on the reg without hunting for it (mine is usually on the visor, held by elastic). Have your window down, and license and reg in one hand, and have both hands resting on the wheel in plain sight by the time the cop gets to your window. Leave your hands on the wheel until he asks for your papers, hand him the papers and put your hand back on the wheel. Never make any sudden moves.

If you -can't- get your sh*t together before he gets to the window, make sure you make any movements very, very slowly. Don't make him nervous. Explain what movements you are going to make -before- you make them.

Aside from that-

1) What good is having a gun if it is in the glove box?

2) In some states, keeping a gun in the glove box may be considered improper storage (especially if you park the vehicle and leave the gun in it) and may cause your license to be suspended or revoked. (BTDT, lost my lic. for a year.)

3) I used to tell the cops I was armed, not anymore. Sometimes they freak. (Not that I get pulled over very often.) I make sure my DL and reg are handy and have them ready as I described. I will no longer tell them I am armed unless the situation escalates to something beyond an ordinary traffic stop.

I've had cops freak on me twice (which is actually a relatively high percentage of the times I've been stopped) after informing them that I was carrying. Both times the cops insisted on taking my gun. On the second occaision, the cop drew on me, pointed his weapon at my head and cocked it. I handed over my gun at his request and he fumbled, dropping my custom S&W

629 snubbie onto the pavement and damaging it. While I am slightly p*ssed about _that_, what I am ever so thankful for is that it was not _his_ gun that he fumbled and that my brain remained comfortably tucked inside my skull rather than being sprayed over the interior of my car. No more, I won't tell them unless I have to. My bunghole tightened up so much I don't think I crapped for a week afterward.

In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled Rich Wales wrote: : Where should you keep the registration form in an '04 Golf?

Do you have to carry it still in your state? In Illinois you no longer need to keep the card with you unless your van/truck can carry 10 or more passengers or is commercial.

We just have to keep proof of insurance in the car.

California requires the registration form (or a copy thereof) to be carried in the vehicle. (Vehicle Code sec. 4454.)

Rich Wales snipped-for-privacy@richw.org

snipped-for-privacy@richw.org (Rich Wales) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@whodunit.richw.org:

What the hell kind of a scary-ass country do you live in, where a police officer might freak out if you reached for the glove compartment???

The YSM.

The only time I've ever actually had to get at it was to put my updated insurance information in so not really a terrible unconvinced. No wrecks. Not even a traffic stop in 5 years. Anyhow, the map pockets are basically just open bins on the doors... even if it WASN'T a convertible, I wouldn't keep something that significant in there.

--S. John

They're always thinking of me. I feel the German love. Actually the knee bolster would be really useful if I could take it out of the car and use it elsewhere.

Ewwwww. Did I type that out loud? LOL.

--S. John

That's so the thief that steals your car has all the paperwork, LOL. And probably knows where you live. In N.C. they actually advice keeping it "on you". And also, don't actually stick Q-Tips IN your ear.

--S. John

Right here in the USA, you need to be pretty careful. There was an article in the Houston Chronicle in recent months detailing some 60-70 odd shootings of unarmed individuals by the police. Several teenagers have been killed. Police got spooked, they say.

If a policeman pulls you over here, you are to stay in the car, keep your hands up and clearly visible. No quick moves.

If you carry a concealed firearm, you hand the policeman the license along with your drivers license.

I guess our registration documentation is the window sticker. We do not have paper registrations any more, as far as I know.

I would not keep the title in the car, for sure.

Why, that would have to be the good ole US of A, where the Founding Fathers believed that it was the right and duty of all free citizens to keep and bear arms in defense of life and liberty, against not only common criminals but tyrannical government as well.

Guns are freely available (and in many cases, more easily obtained by criminals than the citizens who try to be law-abiding, which basically sucks*).

It is good for those who claim power and authority to be concerned that the citizens could resort to the ultimate defense should their rule become unjust. It is one of the most important components in the checks and balances of power in government.

*{ Despite the arguments of those in favor of restricting law-abiding citizens from carrying weapons, criminals have no more compunctions against breaking the "gun-control" laws than they do any other, and such laws do nothing to reduce crime. It can, in fact, be shown that regions/countries with tougher gun restrictions suffer from a higher crime rate than those where fewer restrictions are imposed. }

While the police have little to fear from the generally law-abiding public who happen to be armed, it is (and will be for the foreseeable future) impossible to prevent criminals from obtaining weapons, and they will always have to be concerned for their safety. A cop, whether in the USA or any other country, cannot tell just from looking at you if you are a criminal or not. Any cop, in any country, should be concerned for his/her safety when a subject of inquiry makes a sudden movement or reaches into an area that he/she cannot see into. It is only common sense, and any cop who becomes careless in this regard may eventually meet an early demise.

No modern government in any country has been successful in eliminating weapons from the possession of the criminal element. If you look at England and Australia, for example, who have in recent years practically barred nearly the entire body of the law-abiding public from possessing/obtaining weapons, a significant industry in black-market weapons has arisen. Weapons are obtained both by smuggling and by the theft of weapons owned by the police themselves.

While such plans sound good in theory, in practical application they fail miserably.

And, as this thread is becoming considerably off-topic, we should move it to another group if you wish to discuss it further. I'm sure there must be a rec.guns or similar group.

At least where I live, it is a violation of law to not have registration and proof of insurance paperwork with you while driving. If a thief doesn't have them it increases the odds of them not convincing the police that they borrowed the car. They might well get arrested quicker without the appropriate paperwork.

Ken (MI)

You are right, and even those who live in states not requiring those papers (I thought all states did) should carry them unless they never travel beyond their own borders - because we are all subject to the laws for wherever we are.

:> What the hell kind of a scary-ass country do you live in, where a police :> officer might freak out if you reached for the glove compartment???

: Right here in the USA, you need to be pretty careful. There was an article : in the Houston : Chronicle in recent months detailing some 60-70 odd shootings of unarmed : individuals by : the police. Several teenagers have been killed. Police got spooked, they : say.

: If a policeman pulls you over here, you are to stay in the car, keep your : hands up and clearly visible. No quick moves.

: If you carry a concealed firearm, you hand the policeman the license along : with your drivers : license.

: I guess our registration documentation is the window sticker. We do not : have paper registrations : any more, as far as I know.

: I would not keep the title in the car, for sure.

Yep, similar situation here in Chicago... A officer friend of mine advises...

1) If your on the phone, end the call and place phone on the dash 2) Turn car off 3) Remove keys and place on dash in plain view 4) Turn on interior light if dark outside 5) Stay in the car unless asked to get out 6) Don't rustle around for DL or insurance card (wait until asked) 7) Put hands on steering wheel at 10 and 2 position 8) Sit relatively still while waiting for officer. 9) Lastly, be polite

A friend of mine said he fell asleep while the officer was writing his speeding ticket... he claimed the officer was really mad when he had to wake him up... so, stay awake, no matter how long they take to write your ticket ;-)

Yes, no matter how demeaning it is you must remain compliant and do everything the officer wants you to do in exactly the way that makes everything convenient for him. Because he is a police officer, he is much more important than you are.

compartment???

Maybe not more important, but he is the one with the gun, club, mace, taser, etc., and the power and authority to use them, besides the power and authority to arrest and detain you. If you can't respect the person, respect his position and make your life easier.

Ken (MI)