Firearms on public transport

I quite often used to take a shotgun from London to Wales. Only got asked to see a certificate once at Euston. British Transport Police asked to see cert, I showed it, got politely thanked and that was the end of it.

I think people worry too much. I walked to my car the other day carrying a slip and one of my neighbours asked me what instrument I played. Wasn't even a disguised gun slip... It was big and green and had a 9.3x62 in it...
 
I understand that it is illegal to travel on a train with a
What makes you feel it's illegal?
Illegal means you are breaking a defined law, not someone's opinion.

I travelled by train to a dealer, to buy a rife.
And not wanting to upset snowflakes the way home, I put my rifle slip inside my snowboard bag.
All went smoothly.
M.
 
Thanks for the replies folks, as I thought many varied opinions on the subject. I do tend to lean towards the opinion that the less people know what I have with me whilst travelling the better so any unnecessary informing of conductors/drivers should be avoided. However if that's the policy then I'd rather do that than risk being booted off at the next available stop and end up stranded or late so it seems further research would be required before undertaking any journey.
Tell a Public transport driver you have a gun ?
On a ship yes on a plane yes .
On a train or bus no why would you wish to tell some chap that your have a gun ! whatever you say after that is not going to be heard but I know your be hearing bells and seeing blue lights and hrs of stupid rubbish none of which be be within the Firearms act on traveling with a firearm .
 
What makes you feel it's illegal?
Illegal means you are breaking a defined law, not someone's opinion.

I travelled by train to a dealer, to buy a rife.
And not wanting to upset snowflakes the way home, I put my rifle slip inside my snowboard bag.
All went smoothly.
M.
I just remember reading that it was when I looked a few years ago.
 
Not strictly relevant, but I was once denied entry to a bus in Edinburgh because I was carrying a pair of boltcutters.

I'm not really sure what the driver thought I would be able to do with them! It was a busy bus, and I didn't feel like ****ing off the queue of people behind me, so I meekly accepted my ban and walked.
 
Right, so I said I'd answer this from first hand experience, here goes. I've only had a car for the past three years. So previous to that, pretty much all my shooting involved trains, the Underground, bicycles and taxis. The short version is that in about 20 years of that, I was asked one single time by a Rastafarian gentleman "what's in the bag, man?". "It's my kit, man". "Cool". That's my full experience of anyone caring. But I have also made a point of being discrete by not carrying around cases that are obviously guns, or dressing in my full wildfowling finery for example. I'm just a bloke on the Tube with a rucksack. I did look into all the various conditions of carriage but they're a mess of unworkable fudge, except for ScotRail who are at least clear. Some say you have to ask for permission 24 hours in advance but you can't because no-one at the other end is aware of this or wants to engage with it as there's no possible benefit to them of doing so. They're rather not know and them it's your problem. So be discrete, if you can have the gun attached to yourself with a rucksack or certainly always within your sight. If you sit at the end of carriages, no one can walk by without you noticing. And if you share a carriage with drunken football supporters, you become completely invisible. But much as it pains me to say it, I suspect this has worked fine for me because I'm a white middle-class chap. There is no way I would try it if I wasn't. It does make you realise you have this built-in privilege of an expectation of not being viewed with suspicion and the freedom to act that comes with it.
 
Right, so I said I'd answer this from first hand experience, here goes. I've only had a car for the past three years. So previous to that, pretty much all my shooting involved trains, the Underground, bicycles and taxis. The short version is that in about 20 years of that, I was asked one single time by a Rastafarian gentleman "what's in the bag, man?". "It's my kit, man". "Cool". That's my full experience of anyone caring. But I have also made a point of being discrete by not carrying around cases that are obviously guns, or dressing in my full wildfowling finery for example. I'm just a bloke on the Tube with a rucksack. I did look into all the various conditions of carriage but they're a mess of unworkable fudge, except for ScotRail who are at least clear. Some say you have to ask for permission 24 hours in advance but you can't because no-one at the other end is aware of this or wants to engage with it as there's no possible benefit to them of doing so. They're rather not know and them it's your problem. So be discrete, if you can have the gun attached to yourself with a rucksack or certainly always within your sight. If you sit at the end of carriages, no one can walk by without you noticing. And if you share a carriage with drunken football supporters, you become completely invisible. But much as it pains me to say it, I suspect this has worked fine for me because I'm a white middle-class chap. There is no way I would try it if I wasn't. It does make you realise you have this built-in privilege of an expectation of not being viewed with suspicion and the freedom to act that comes with it.
I’m genuinely puzzled by the last sentence of your post.
Are you saying that non white, non middle class people are somehow “less privileged “
A genuine question as to how you come to that conclusion
 
I’m genuinely puzzled by the last sentence of your post.
Are you saying that non white, non middle class people are somehow “less privileged “
A genuine question as to how you come to that conclusion
I mean in this context specifically. Real-life example: I used to go to Uxbridge station regularly. I'd have a rucksack with a broken down shotgun in it and waltz through. Meanwhile, local students of South Asian or Carribean heritage were being made by the local police to go through a portable metal detecting arch and having their book bags searched, for goodness sake. Obvious and blatant racial profiling. So I can do that, but there's no way they could. So in that sense, it's a privilege I have. And it isn't fair because the law should be the law. But the law actually contains a lot of fudge and what one could kindly call "interpretation".
 
I mean in this context specifically. Real-life example: I used to go to Uxbridge station regularly. I'd have a rucksack with a broken down shotgun in it and waltz through. Meanwhile, local students of South Asian or Carribean heritage were being made by the local police to go through a portable metal detecting arch and having their book bags searched, for goodness sake. Obvious and blatant racial profiling. So I can do that, but there's no way they could. So in that sense, it's a privilege I have. And it isn't fair because the law should be the law. But the law actually contains a lot of fudge and what one could kindly call "interpretation".
I agree the law should be the law, but seeing that an awful lot of knife crime is black on black, and I doubt you would disagree with me that it must be tackled, a certain amount of profiling has to take place or the police are wasting time and money. I was about to say that stopping men only if you are looking for a rapist is logical use of police time even though it is profiling, but I am likely to get cancelled or something for suggesting it.

David.
 
Statement on Scotrail’s site.

So if you happen to be caught out up here, expect to be met at the next station by BTPolice.
What effect that has on your SGC/FAC is anyones guess
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