NJScott

Even if the voters were to all of sudden sprout brains and balls, it is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who call the shots around here, transportation-wise. It is a such a powerful, autonomous agency that even the respective governors of the two states are loathe to piss them off by fighting them. It is also one of the most lucrative patronage mills in this country, benefiting political hacks from both parties, so again it's hands off when it comes to bringing them to account. If you really want to get sick, try looking at the listing of salary and overtime PANY&NJ workers roll up in a typical year (I believe it may be on the nj.com website somewhere...Star-Ledger archives those stories); from the lowliest maintenance worker to the highest-paid, one-meeting-per-month but gets an office, staff and car executive. It is OBSCENE how they have continually gotten away with their financial shenanigans, all at the expense of the working stiffs who sometimes have no choice but to use their bridges and tunnels. Please don't get me started on how they recently fleeced--or were allowed to fleece us, thanks to our feckless mayor--the city of Bayonne for a huge tract of waterfront that the U.S. Army had given us for free. Yup, for as long as I've been alive and living here the P.A. has called the shots, and it ain't changing anytime soon. Regards, Scott

I call bullcrap on that one, Ray. It's become apparent that a couple of the detectives there are no fans of the 2A; absolutely HATE giving out permits, and have lied to more than a few applicants about losing paperwork, missing references, etc. It may be time for Chief Kubert to hear from a lawyer on this subject... Regards, Scott Y

I like shootin', but you could buy a damned fine new vehicle for the prices of some of their long guns. It's sort of like looking at the insane items and prices in the annual Nieman-Marcus catalog.

Definitely, Ray....between Hobart and Isabella.

Yeah, I'm quite the model of civility when I politely inquire about the delay in getting my PP's from the Bayonne P.D. too. There's a couple of nice, helpful detectives in there, but also one or two real pr*cks who take sadistic pleasure in both putting roadblocks up on you ("refs aren't back", which was BS, as both of mine told me they turned theirs' around the same day; "your work didn't respond to employment verification", which was another lie, as they did--and on the same day requested), and in lying to you. When I finally had enough and gave them one more call four months after submitting paperwork, they told me "We tried calling you two weeks ago to come pick them up". Nice try, but I've got voice mail, Caller I.D., and an answering machine, and no one ever called. Then they compounded that lie by saying they mailed a letter advising the permits were ready to be picked up. Another rash of bulls*it. In this town contacting the mayor's office (he's the former C.O.P., by the way) would only exacerbate any existing issues I have with a couple of the cops in that office, so...

Don't know if that means I'm screwed, or if I'll be okay...I'm on Evergreen Street, a block and a half away from the Kill Van Kull ;-(

I'd follow some of the previous advice given: Pack up your goodies in a suitcase and have a suitable story for any LEO's you encounter. I think it would be nuts to leave firearms behind in a situation such as the one about to hit NJ. I had no such issues back in the late 80's/early 90's when I had to bug out because of imminent hurricane (and wildfire once, too). But I DID live in Florida, not the USSNJ. Good luck to all NJGF'ers down the shore; hope you and your families make it through this thing safe and sound. Scott

A trip to Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, PA could be fun: lots of stuff there for a child that age, plus free parking, no admission fee (pay as you go rides), arcades, great food and tremendous water park.

I waited just shy of four months to get my permits from the Bayonne P.D., and I was not happy. Aside from the usual two references, they "urged" me to supply two more--ideally, neighbors--so they could "expedite" the process. There was also a hold-up on getting work verification, or so they claimed. They also lied and said they had both sent a letter and left a message on my home phone that the permits were waiting to be picked up...almost TWO WEEKS before the date I finally called them again to check on the status. IMO, Bayonne has turned very anti-gun ownership; I've no experience with the JCPD in that, or any other regard (although my cousin is on the job there). Ray-Ray: how/why would you put in with them for PP's if you also live here in Bayonne? Regards, Scott

And the fat slob Chief of Police piously declares: "The reality of it is, we may have our personal feelings about it, as long as they meet all of the legal standards we have no option other than to hope that they have the best of intentions and are cautious about who they do business with," said Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey. This, coming from a guy who has let portions of his city, especially Greenville, deteriorate into something resembling Beirut in the early 80's. As usual, it's a lot easier to go after legal gun owners and suppliers rather than start calling 'em like you see 'em, and go after the real source of mayhem. I wish them well, but I wouldn't patronize the place due to its location. Oh, the lack of parking sucks too.

Here are a couple of updates: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/08/boys_injured_by_bear_at_campgr.html http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/bear_attack_update_nj_official.html What a pathetic mash-up of facts and fiction. End result: We have a bear shot and wounded for no good reason, and a bunch of camp counselors who make Marty from "Meatballs" look like Mark Trail.

I'm (I should say "we" because I actually bought it as a first gun for my nephew) very happy with my Ruger 10/22. Picked up an entry-level Bushnell scope on eBAY for $40 and we've had a ball with it so far. Like you, I'm eventually going to move up a few notches, and even have started pricing out a Ruger SR-556. Good luck! Scott

Welcome from a fellow noob. Great site and you're going to gain a wealth of information on a variety of subjects. Scott

My local P.D. not only required employer information, but also asked me to provide two ADDITIONAL references from among my neighbors on the block. Said it would "expedite the process", which was utter horse sh*t of course. Because I work for the federal government and our local office is staffed largely by bureaucratic nitwits, they took over two months to confirm my employment, according to the detective. It's easy to SAY that applicants should challenge the cops doing the paperwork, but I have a pretty fair idea--based on my experiences and those of a couple of other guys in town--that the squeaky wheel doesn't get the grease here, just more scrutiny and delay in approvals.

Just picked up my new SA XD M40 from Paul at A n' A today. Looks great, feels better, and in about an hour I'll be putting some rounds through her at the Bayonne PBA Range. Paul's a great guy; very patient and understanding, as witnessed by the fact that he didn't throw me out of his nicely-stocked shop after I arrived late for our appointed visit;-) Regards, Scott

I had recently posted that when I lived in Palm Coast, FL over two decades ago, there were many transplanted northerners (from Long Island, Michigan, Ohio, etc.) who made up a large part of the population, and--judging from the lack of a crowd at the local range--didn't seem like big fans of firearms. I posted a link to a story about a tragic murder-suicide that took place there, that had the potential to be much worse, had a homeowner not wielded his weapon at the murderer when he approached his door. The story below shows that perhaps the tide is turning re: gun owership, and as Palm Coast becomes more congested and filled with big city refugees, perhaps the good, law-abiding folks there are deciding to make home-defense a priority. http://flaglerlive.com/25839/glock-27-burglary Scott

Man, would that NOT work with the P.D. here in Bayonne! They got upset when I started calling two MONTHS after finalizing paperwork. Ultimately, my approved permits sat for two weeks before they admitted they were there. Total of almost four months to get approved. Good luck!

Yeah, one of my favorite artists, as well as being a gun collector/shooter himself. It's from "Excitable Boy".

Hiya Tom! Thanks....picking up good info every day on the forum, and really looking forward to getting out and meeting and shooting with these guys. Nice avatar! "Kelly's Heroes" was just on TV a week or so ago. Sutherland was a riot, as was Rickles. Scott

Just an update: Newark Mayor Cory Booker has vetoed this proposed ordinance, but the city council is mulling an override of it. This over-reaching by the clueless Newark politicians is just the culmination of many years of feckless liberal politics and policies that has pretty much doomed a once-great city. Had they allowed law-abiding citizens and business owners to exercise their Second Amendment rights all these years instead of making it almost impossible to purchase and carry handguns, they wouldn't find themselves neck and neck with Camden as New Jersey's most violent city. This may be a simplistic and dogmatic perception on my account, but it's the only way I've got to go with, and I go to work there everyday. Scott

Even though the neighbor in this story could not save a woman's life, I would hope I'd have the poise and cool-headedness to react the way he did: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/crime/2009-09-16/story/flagler_deputies_investigating_apparent_murder_suicide This one hits home as we lived in Palm Coast for a couple of years in the early 90's. It had a surprising amount of violent crime for a "small" town back then, and seems like things haven't changed much for the better. I guest-shot at a range on the outskirts of town a few times back then and mostly saw old time locals there. Since many of the new arrivals to PC were transplants from the northeast (mostly Long Island, where ITT had a real estate sales office), gun ownership and range shooting were not big attractions in general for them, apparently. But God Bless Carl Martin for arming himself and defending his family and home, or they could have become victims in this sad case. Regards, Scott

No biggie: keyboards don't allow for nuances, unfortunately. Hope to meet up with you at a Pennsy range one of these days. Just waiting on my SA XD M 40 to ship in, and then we're taking a trip west. Regards, Scott

Nice of you to take this so personal. Didn't take me long to make friends on this board I see, LOL. Listen, pal...I never claimed to be an "expert" on Pennsy real estate: I gave my honest, first-hand OPINIONS on what I've seen over the last few years. I gave specific locations and details that I'VE accumulated. You, on the other hand, pretty much crap on everywhere but wherever you've landed, and quote NORTH OF 22 as the place to be. Where NORTH OF 22? It's a big state. CENTRALIA is NORTH OF 22, but I have no desire to do my bbq'ing over a crack in my driveway. Cripes, make some constructive suggestions rather than try to belittle me, okay? Man, you sound like just the sort of former New Jerseyean that these Pennsylvanians LOVE having shlep across the Delaware.

mipafox: No offense meant by sharing our experiences in looking in PA, but I could see now how generalizing about a relatively-small sampling could paint an entire region in a bad way. I've been to areas north of 22, coming into PA through Belvidere, NJ. Saw a bit of Bangor, E. Bangor, Pen Argyl, Mt. Bethel, etc., and it was very pretty country. Commute would be a bear for me, though, as Rt. 78 is the straightest shot west for me to and from work. Having dealt with the now-infamous Rt. 33 a few times, that is not a road I'd want to rely on for a daily commute. But there ARE some very nice areas up that way, I agree. Best, Scott

Thanks all! Ray-Ray: I've only just started going back to the PBA range in Bayonne. Last time I was a regular there, Irv Johnson was the RO. Yes, I'm old, LOL. In any event, I hope to run into you and the other locals (and not so local NJGF members) soon. Scott