My problem is I do that often because I'm absentminded. I have to focus "off-scene," as it were, to collect my wits and answer questions. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

-- Craig

Exactly. If I'm attending an evening event in Center City, Philadelphia, I dress up for it. I may not wear a tie, but I will wear a sportcoat, decent shoes, etc. I try to "Dress For Success," as it were.

I could dress like a bum, but I'd increase my chances of being treated like a bum. I try to dress slightly better than most, carry myself in a classy way, and not act like an idiot.

On my side, I'm a tall, thin, geeky, nerd who's very nearsighted. I tip the scales at a whopping 130 pounds, so I don't look threatening. In fact, I've been told more than once I look like a somewhat undernourished FBI Agent. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I make no apologies for what I carry. If someone spots my eyegoggles or particulate mask and questions them, I'd reply I thought it would be prudent to carry them after the bombings in London.

I also carry Wave or SwissTool, a small Swiss Army MiniChamp, and a Blade-Tech Mouse Light. Nothing that should get anyone overly excited.

-- Craig

One other thought here. Since 911, Madrid, London, more police are patrolling with explosive-trained dogs. If you've worn your clothes to the firing range, or if you reload ammo, you will smell, to Rover, like eau de gunpowder, and he will find you intoxicating. His human partner will want to get to know you better.

You know this for sure or are you speculating? It would really stink if going to the range is going to make you a target.

-john

That's easy enough to handle. I would ask for a receipt at the range. Keep it on my person for a while. If questioned, I'd pull out the receipt and give the name of the range and perhaps who saw me there.

-- Craig

It's a phosphate compound, which is one of the things they are trained for.

I depends upon how the dogs are trained. If you reload and were the same clothes to the airport, you are more likely to draw a false positive on their swabs, which is a real pain. When you tell them, 'yes, I hae been handling smokless gunpowder', it just makes it worse. Most of the TSA folks are not real bright, and have NO imagination.

What is a phosphate compound? When I go to the range, I am shooting either smokeless powder (nitrogen based) or blackpowder (sulfer/pottasium based). If someone is using a phosphate based propellant, I have to think a lot of people downwind are going to be getting sick from the exhaust in short order.

I did get my vehicle searched once after I had hauled a bunch of spent brass cases back from the range loose in my trunk. I removed them all, but the residual powder and ash that was left in the trunk was enough the dog reacted to it and I had to wait while they parted out the back end. I told them what happened, but they still had to search, and in the end we were both glad that the dog did his job. It was a good test, albeit a little inconvenient.

That one made me blink, too. I googled it w/o hits.

I stand corrected. It's a nitrate, not a phosphate.