Heading to New Mexico Today

[MrDrummy]

Anything I should be aware of before carrying there? Anyone have any advice?

[KBCraig]

Anything I should be aware of before carrying there? Anyone have any advice?

The big difference is that any place that sells alcohol in any form, including for off-premises consumption, is off limits. That means convenience stores and most Wal Marts, too.

They keep trying to change it, and get shot down by the "gunfights in bars!" crowd.

Kevin

[ShootingStar]

My advice is to get on Packing.org as well as the New Mexico DPS website. I was surprised to see that you can't carry more than one gun with your CHL in that state, here in TX you can. You'd expect states in the good ole South to have fewer laws, but don't assume anything. Print out the laws and go over them if you have some spare time.

You got some good advice on being careful Not to carry in any place that Sells Alcohol. That's another example of, when you're travelling, don't assume anything is legal, just because it's legal in Texas.

SS

[Thane]

I'm in El Paso, and often have cause to go into Las Cruces, New Mexico (relatives in the area). When in NM, I'll carry one gun, but two extra magazines. If a "New York reload" is denied me, there's always the "regular" kind.
As far as alcohol goes, the big thing is concealment. Don't go into any place that obviously serves booze (bars, liquor stores, etc.). It's just about guaranteed that you WILL end up somewhere they sell the stuff, even accidentally, so make darn sure your gun is thoroughly concealed. I'm not saying you should break the law deliberately, but that you should take precautions just in case you accidentally wind up in a "verboten" area (restaurants, etc., where you can't always tell from the outside whether they do or don't sell booze). I'm still gonna recommend that, should you find yourself in a "verboten" area, you go back out to the car and disarm; however, I know that's not always possible.
Frankly, their liquor/CHL policy is stupid, but you gotta deal with it anyway; it is the law there.

Just be careful and use common sense.

[MrDrummy]

Well, I didn't have a whole lot of problems. I came across the "Nowhere alcohol is sold" law, and then of course, had to wait in the van while the boys went in and grabbed a few things at Wal Mart (I have a major aversion to leaving my pistol in the car.) I still think its weird seeing the liquor in convenience stores, AND for sale on a Sunday!

Luckily, I left my BUG at home. Oh wait, I don't have a BUG yet ;)

[KBCraig]

I still think its weird seeing the liquor in convenience stores, AND for sale on a Sunday!

It's the same at the other end of the state, in Louisiana. Liquor is sold in convenience stores. I think Louisiana also allows sales 24 hours a day, except not on Sunday before noon.

Blue laws are silly to me. If something is wrong on a Sunday, then it's wrong the rest of the time.

Kevin

[MrDrummy]

I agree with you there!

I live in a (hopefully not for long) dry county. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big drinker, but a cold beer every once in awhile is nice. Too bad I have to drive 20 minutes just to have one!

[seamusTX]

Blue laws are silly to me. If something is wrong on a Sunday, then it's wrong the rest of the time.

I'll bet if we knew the inside story, these laws are backed by a combination of preachers, liquor store owners, and bootleggers.

The preachers' motivation is obvious.

The liquor store owners have little competition and they get short working hours. Everyone who buys liquor knows when the stores are open and buys what they want then.

I don't know, but I've heard that in dry counties, bootleggers offer home delivery. They don't want competition from legal stores.

- Jim

[KBCraig]

Blue laws are silly to me. If something is wrong on a Sunday, then it's wrong the rest of the time.

I'll bet if we knew the inside story, these laws are backed by a combination of preachers, liquor store owners, and bootleggers.

Texarkana had two wet/dry issues on the general ballot this year. One, which passed, allows sales by the drink in restaurants, without having to be private clubs. The other, which failed, would have allowed beer and wine sales (no liquor) in grocery and convenience stores.

You should have seen the coalition of Texas-side Baptist preachers, and Arkansas-side alcohol distributors. The funny thing was the name of their coaltion: "OneTexarkana".

I'm sorry, if you want one Texarkana, then things should be the same on both sides of State Line Avenue, shouldn't they?

One of the big arguments was how the distributing companies on the Arkansas side (which can't do business in Texas) would have to lay people off if the Texas side went went and the Longview distributors got all the business. Immediately after the election, one of the Arkansas distributors opened a new branch on the Texas side, to service the restaurants.

Gee, you mean your arguments were disingenous and dishonest?

Kevin

[MrDrummy]

Now THAT'S a mess.

I'm from Corpus Christi originally, and had very little contact with dry counties-- as a matter of fact, I had had ZERO contact with them til I moved up here and went to go grab a beer at a convenience store, and had to ask where they kept the beer.

Welcome to Lubbock, moron!

[KBCraig]

Humorous anecdote that I witnessed today:

I went over to State Line to pick up a case. The fellow checking out in front of me had a heavy New Orleans accent, and was griping and laughing about how "it ain't dis way in Loozanna".

The clerks were laughing, and as I checked out, I got the story: he had come in asking for a lottery ticket. They told him he had to go across the street to Texas. He went across, asked for a lottery ticket, and asked where the beer was. They told him the beer was across the street in Arkansas.

Three trips into two convenience stores a hundred yards apart, just to buy a quart of beer and a lottery ticket.

Good thing he didn't want a pint of whiskey too; then he'd have had to go a quarter mile down the street to a liquor store.

Kevin

[MrDrummy]

That's hilarious!