Thread: Vehicle transport catch-22

unattended
adj
1 not looked after or cared for
2 unaccompanied or alone
3 not listened to

transitive verb

1 : to be present at : to go to attend a meeting attend law school
2 : to pay attention to attend the warning signs
3 : to look after : to take charge of
… campsites … attended by park rangers. —Jackson Rivers
4 a : to go or stay with as a companion, nurse, or servant ministers who attend the king
b : to visit professionally especially as a physician a doctor attending his patients
5 : to be present with : accompany
6 archaic
a : to wait for
b : to be in store for

intransitive verb
1 : to direct one's attention : see —used with to I'll attend to [=deal with] that myself.
2 : to apply oneself attend to your work
3 : to apply the mind or pay attention : heed attend to his advice
4 a : to be ready for service ministers who attend upon the king
b : to be present How many people attended?
5 obsolete : wait, stay
— attender noun

The law could have stated you could not leave firearm in an unaccompanied vehicle, but used the word unattended. Seems as long as your vehicle is in your field of view it is "attended".

The law definitely needs to get cleared up on this point. Let's all just face it that we are not in a position to always fully comply with that law. And guitar cases, carrying arround long guns not just covered but made to look like you are carrying something else, like in a gangster movie??? There is just something not quite right about that either. Lawmakers are really not keen on the idea of citizenry carrying concealed weapons. So when you do end up having to deliberately break the law when you leave your vehicle unattended --- take just the bolt with you.

In your honest defense:
1) you rendered the firearm non-firing by taking its essential working part with you (a mitigation defense)
2) genuine fear of facing threats of deadly force should you carry a gun case around (cf. OP's link to frightening AOS stupidity). (Potentially a total defense, as it involves you countering an unreasonable threat to your life and health, but let the lawyers argue that one). It is at least rational.