Lawmaker wants guns on Missouri buses, trains

BY ELIZABETH CRISP

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

JEFFERSON CITY -- If a proposal at the Missouri Capitol gains traction, public transportation riders could be allowed to bring guns with them.

 

State lawmakers are reviewing legislation that would block cities such as Kansas City and St. Louis from using local restrictions to ban concealed handguns on city buses and trains.

 

The House General Laws Committee did not vote on the bill after a hearing last week, but the committee is scheduled to meet today and could take up the legislation.

 

...Opponents say regular riders will forgo the buses and trains because they won’t feel safe knowing firearms could be on board.

 

“I know this an emotional issue for people,” said Rep. Ed Schieffer, a Democrat from Troy who is sponsoring the legislation. “This is about making people feel safer about riding.”

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/10/3546237/lawmaker-wants-guns-on-missouri.html

“I know this an emotional issue for people,” said Rep. Ed Schieffer, a Democrat from Troy who is sponsoring the legislation. “This is about making people feel safer about riding.”

 

I feel safer already!

(Sarcasm, of course.)

States that allow conceal and carry permits should absolutely allow those in possession of them to carry their properly licensed firearm on public transit.  There's no logic behind this; in this case, what makes a bus any different than any other crowded place?  What's the point of allowing concealed carry if you can't carry a weapon anywhere? How would one take their weapon to a gun range?

I saw a man wearing a gun holster under his jacket on the streetcar line as we passed through downtown Houston. I couldn't see if there was a gun in the holster, thought. A ticket checker came by and checked his ticket as he did everyone esle's in the car. Must be legal in Texas.

^^they can transport them like you would w/o a conceal/carry - locked up in a secure box designed for transporting weapons.

In the old days, it wasn't illegal to smoke on public transit, or eat, or drink. Today, it is illegal to smoke, eat, drink, or play a radio without headphones on most public transit lines. While it may not be the main factor, I'm sure that there are people who would rather drive themselves in private automobiles rather than take public transit just for the freedom to smoke, eat, drink, and play the radio.

 

Are these rules really for public safety, or just to keep operating costs down? Airlines have no problem letting people eat and drink. Good businesses cater to their customers and don't burden them with unnecessary rules.

^ You can't be arguing for radios on public transit. The other day I was on a train when someone decided they were going to be the DJ for the car. It was one of the rudest things ever.

 

I do admit it sucks having to wear headphones, though. One of the things I miss most with my car-lite lifestyle is music without headphones, and music you can listen to with others and have a conversation simultaneously.

Rudeness isnt' limited to transit.

 

I find the contrast between different bus routes in the same city interesting. I can think of one that serves mostly suburban commuters. The riders are typically dressed very nice, they stand in an orderly line to board the bus, they are friendly, and clean. About 70% are women who work downtown. Another bus I know has more than a few people dressed like gangsters, they crowd around the door to board, they are loud and obnoxious, and they bring food on the bus and throw the waste on the floor. About half the riders are high school kids.

 

The first bus needs no rules, because the people are polite. The second bus might as well not have any rules, because the people are disorderly and the rules are not enforced.

In the old days, it wasn't illegal to smoke on public transit, or eat, or drink. Today, it is illegal to smoke, eat, drink, or play a radio without headphones on most public transit lines.

Pretty sure you have that backwards on food & drink.

States that allow conceal and carry permits should absolutely allow those in possession of them to carry their properly licensed firearm on public transit.  There's no logic behind this; in this case, what makes a bus any different than any other crowded place?  What's the point of allowing concealed carry if you can't carry a weapon anywhere? How would one take their weapon to a gun range?

 

THere's a bus line that goes to the gun range?  WHERE?

 

  ....Today, it is illegal to smoke, eat, drink, or play a radio without headphones on most public transit lines. While it may not be the main factor, I'm sure that there are people who would rather drive themselves in private automobiles rather than take public transit just for the freedom to smoke, eat, drink, and play the radio.

 

Are these rules really for public safety, or just to keep operating costs down? Airlines have no problem letting people eat and drink. Good businesses cater to their customers and don't burden them with unnecessary rules.

No, the rules are for passenger/driver comfort and peace-of-mind.  Queen City Metro buses are not airplanes; no explanation is needed to detail the differences between these two modes of travel.  No passenger should have to endure another's music, their cell-phone chatter, or their eating.  One wouldn't think that's the case on many a metro; half the passengers are so uncouth that they board the bus with a drink in one hand and a cell-phone in the other.  It doesn't even occur to these individuals (as they fumble around for their change) how ill-mannered they are.  Then many of them sit down and put all their biz out there as they continue to shout into their phone--at least until the bus driver tells them to cool it.  These people are pathetic.

States that allow conceal and carry permits should absolutely allow those in possession of them to carry their properly licensed firearm on public transit.  There's no logic behind this; in this case, what makes a bus any different than any other crowded place?  What's the point of allowing concealed carry if you can't carry a weapon anywhere? How would one take their weapon to a gun range?

 

THere's a bus line that goes to the gun range?  WHERE?

 

 

The 67 and 23X run right by the only range I've ever been to in Cincy.  That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are a few others. I don't own a gun though, so I don't really frequent them.