As many of you know, Beaverton has a city ordinance in place to discourage the use of replica firearms in public places within city limits. Last Monday, Mayor Sam Adams posted this poll on Facebook to ask if we should consider a similar ordinance in the City of Portland. No formal plans or proposals have been made, right now they are simply researching the possibility.
For those who don't know about the Beaverton ordinance, follow this link. It boils down to this; it's unlawful to display/brandish a replica firearm in a public place, penalties increase if the replica has had it's orange muzzle removed or painted over. Keep in mind, this ordinance really changes nothing for those who follow Airsoft Pacific's rules. You should already be safely and responsibly transporting your AEG in a case, box or carry bag to and from games especially if you live within city limits.
The only possible hassle I could see this being to any of us would be if we could get fined or penalized for test firing our replicas in the privacy of our own back yard. But the back yard does not fit my definition of "public" and I would hope there would be no loopholes around that.
I'll be on OPB's Think Out Loud public radio on Tuesday morning at around 9:30am talking about the hobbyist perspective of this topic. You can stream live from their website or tune to 91.5fm (full list of frequencies). Our rules already pretty much enforce what this ordinance is making punishable by law, and I think that's a great testament to our community's stance on safety and safe replica handling.
What do you guys think of it? Do those of you from Beaverton have any perspective to give? Has the ordinance hindered your ability to enjoy Airsoft? I'd like to hear your experience with it, as there may be drawbacks or related fallout that I'm not aware of.