I will admit that every time I walked up to a driver's window, whether it was day or night and couldn't see into the car, I unsnapped my gun holster, kept my hand on the butt of the gun and was ready to draw if necessary. You may think I was over-reacting, but I had every intention of going home after my shift ended. As soon as the driver rolled down the window and I was able to see into the car and felt reasonably safe, I snapped the holster and went back to business. If the traffic stop was at night, my officer safety was heightened. If the stop was at night and I was able to see several figures or shadows in the car, it went up even higher.

Without a doubt, I agree with the tint law. To reiterate, the law is not there for the common folk. It's there for the dope dealing, gang-bangin' pieces of dog crap that are loose on the streets. So, if you are ever pulled over day or night, roll down your window and casually put your hands on the steering wheel. It will make the officer feel safer. Don't tightly grab the wheel or the officer may feel you're trying to hide something. You get the point.

If you have a gun in the car, there's no reason to tell him. If he asks, then be honest. The reason you don't want to volunteer that information is because he/she will take it from you and run the serial number, examine it to see if the serial number has been altered, etc. He will keep you there longer than if you had just kept your mouth shut. Your gun will be returned empty; gun in one hand and bullets or the magazine in the other. You'll need to stay wherever you are even longer when he's done with you, so you can reload it. That's why you don't volunteer the info., unless of course you want to. If you feel better about telling the officer that you have a gun in the car or on your person, then tell him. Each state has its own weapon and concealed weapon laws. You need to know what they are if you intend to own or carry a gun. And most importantly, if you think you cannot use it, then you have no business carrying it. Sorry for the off-topic, but this topic kind of transformed from the tint discussion.