Glen Burnie State Police Barracks Handgun Transfer Experience - Blue versus Black Ink

[vfr750f]

A friend and I started a regulated firearm transfer at the Glen Burnie barracks a few weeks ago. I brought a pen (blue ink) with me from my car in accordance with the Boy Scout motto of prepardeness, and insured my friend had his safety card and check in the amount of $10. We went inside and approached the closed sliding glass that separates serfs from the ruling class and observed no one in sight. There's no bell to ring, or any other apparent method to summon the annointed ones, so we waited patiently. I guess I could have knocked on the glass, but that behavior seemed a bit serf-like. Someone did appear (not a trooper), asked if we were here to do a regulated firearm transfer (guess we fit the profile), and handed us the forms no further instructions provided. The waiting area has 2 desks - great, but no chairs (chairs are completely overrated). They also have a few plushy sofa-like chairs, but they're not the best for completing forms (no clipboards provided). So we hunched over our desk and started completing our forms. By that point 2 other gentlemen arrived and started completing their forms hunched over the other chairless desk. When we went to turn in our carefully completed blue ink filled forms, not one but two troopers are now behind the glass. As soon as we push the forms through the window to the trooper, he immediately says that we have to do the forms over again because we used blue ink instead of black ink. My friend and I exchanged a great joke trooper look, but he was serious. So we resumed our desk hunch, and filled out the forms again with the pen (black ink) provided by the trooper. Originally I had completed the section concerning the revolver we were trasnfering. When he gave us the new forms to complete, he informed me that he would complete that section. He also informed me that they had high-tech codes for some of the fields (I had the gall to write "Blued" for the finish, when I should have used the code of - wait for it, "B".) I was kinda curious to see what he would put for the model as the model is not on the gun. When I checked the paperwork in the car, he wrote .38 special for the model. He could have asked me what the model was, or even used the blue ink forms I had completed earlier. So I'll probably get the forms back 200 days from now asking me to resubmit as the model is invalid. My friend is a designated collector, and strangely the trooper asked if he has his letter with him. I've always been told that checking the designated collector box is sufficient with no need to actually produce the letter.
So, in summary:
1) has anyone ever heard of the black ink requirement?
2) Giving somone a heads up to use black ink would have been nice, especially since the form doesn't say anything about prefered ink color.

 

[MikeTF]

A friend and I started a regulated firearm transfer at the Glen Burnie barracks a few weeks ago. I brought a pen (blue ink) with me from my car in accordance with the Boy Scout motto of prepardeness, and insured my friend had his safety card and check in the amount of $10. We went inside and approached the closed sliding glass that separates serfs from the ruling class and observed no one in sight. There's no bell to ring, or any other apparent method to summon the annointed ones, so we waited patiently. I guess I could have knocked on the glass, but that behavior seemed a bit serf-like. Someone did appear (not a trooper), asked if we were here to do a regulated firearm transfer (guess we fit the profile), and handed us the forms no further instructions provided. The waiting area has 2 desks - great, but no chairs (chairs are completely overrated). They also have a few plushy sofa-like chairs, but they're not the best for completing forms (no clipboards provided). So we hunched over our desk and started completing our forms. By that point 2 other gentlemen arrived and started completing their forms hunched over the other chairless desk. When we went to turn in our carefully completed blue ink filled forms, not one but two troopers are now behind the glass. As soon as we push the forms through the window to the trooper, he immediately says that we have to do the forms over again because we used blue ink instead of black ink. My friend and I exchanged a great joke trooper look, but he was serious. So we resumed our desk hunch, and filled out the forms again with the pen (black ink) provided by the trooper. Originally I had completed the section concerning the revolver we were trasnfering. When he gave us the new forms to complete, he informed me that he would complete that section. He also informed me that they had high-tech codes for some of the fields (I had the gall to write "Blued" for the finish, when I should have used the code of - wait for it, "B".) I was kinda curious to see what he would put for the model as the model is not on the gun. When I checked the paperwork in the car, he wrote .38 special for the model. He could have asked me what the model was, or even used the blue ink forms I had completed earlier. So I'll probably get the forms back 200 days from now asking me to resubmit as the model is invalid. My friend is a designated collector, and strangely the trooper asked if he has his letter with him. I've always been told that checking the designated collector box is sufficient with no need to actually produce the letter.
So, in summary:
1) has anyone ever heard of the black ink requirement?
2) Giving somone a heads up to use black ink would have been nice, especially since the form doesn't say anything about prefered ink color.

Black ink was the standard color for signing documents before color copiers some 30 years ago. I'm guessing that the tradition continues.

 

[StantonCree]

I've done a few recently and always use black ink, pretty much standard for all departments and any official paperwork.

Sorry you didn't like the accommodations at the police station, you should email the chief and expect lazy boys with side desks.

And as far as model, who cares it won't get returned for that.


This community likes to whine a crap ton over little stuff. I'm not saying this as police, I'm saying this as a man. At least you didn't get your skirt caught in the door on your way in and out

 

[BigCity]

Maryland requires paperwork to be done in black ink.

 

[johnnyb2]

Yea, BLACK INK is pretty much standard for any official paperwork and as far as I know it is universally requested on ALL government forms, state, local or federal.

As far as his non helpful attitude, well...that is SOP (standard operating procedure ) for MOST government employee's! :-) well, not really, but...more times yes than no!! hahahahaha DIDN'T YOU REALIZE....YOU SHOULD "KNOW all this stuff! :-)

 

[Goateggs]

Maryland requires paperwork to be done in black ink.

Except for Peter Franchot; he's allowed to use all the red ink he wants.

 

[johnnyb2]

And any government employee's...don't start giving me any CRAP!! Hahahaha you KNOW what I am talking about. I was a gov. employee for 8 yrs, so...I saw it all the time. :-)

 

[Name Taken]

With all the real issues in the world I'm glad you live in such a perfect world that any of this blips on your "problem radar".

My lord.

 

[shooting again]

There is a real issue here and the blue-black choice is only a symptom. The underlying problem is the same one behind much of the traffic on this site while the General Assembly was in session. That is the problem of a government that is too big, with officials who think they deserve their positions, and that we deserve only to do what they say. I suspect the blue-black "rule" was really only a whim of the ruler (government official of the moment) and nothing else. If someone has the citation where "it is universally requested on ALL government forms, state, local or federal" please post it.

Here's my guess where the "rule" came from. Back when I was in college (dark ages - early 60s) the copy technology of the time was the thermo fax, a process that involved a first pass of each page through the machine with a transfer sheet, then a second pass with the transfer sheet and the copy paper. Blue ink didn't work well because it didn't have iron in the formula like black ink did, and the process was sensitive to iron, so the image was faint. So requiring black ink became a standard practice and the Army (my career) did put it in a regulation. Later, as xerographic copying became the norm and the blue-black situation didn't matter, the requirement for black ink was dropped.

That may have been more than you wanted to know, but the problem is the size and attitude of government not the color of ink. So you really were treated like a serf.

 

[Inigoes]

There is no requirement for black ink.

I've done a few recently and always use black ink, pretty much standard for all departments and any official paperwork.

Where in the MD law, does it state a form has to be filled in using black ink?

Using blue ink, is the easiest technique to identify an original from a copy.

 

[StantonCree]

There is no requirement for black ink.



Where in the MD law, does it state a form has to be filled in using black ink?

Using blue ink, is the easiest technique to identify an orginal from a copy.

Not everything has to be a law, that's why places have internal rules.

Don't you think t would be a little silly for someone to get arrested for using blue ink? I'm sure you worked at places that had internal policy that if violated wouldn't result in arrest correct?

It's also become pretty much a societal norm, much like people holding in farts at a public dinner. There is no LAW against ripping one in a restaurant, but society as a whole deems it not preferred.

Lets please use common sense sir. Unless you can show me a law where farting in public is preferred.

 

[Blaster229]

That is the longest paragraph ever. Lol

sent from somewhere in the world.

 

[Inigoes]

Not everything has to be a law, that's why places have internal rules.

Don't you think t would be a little silly for someone to get arrested for using blue ink? I'm sure you worked at places that had internal policy that if violated wouldn't result in arrest correct?

It's also become pretty much a societal norm, much like people holding in farts at a public dinner. There is no LAW against ripping one in a restaurant, but society as a whole deems it not preferred.

Lets lease use common sense sir.

Exactly, exercising some common sense is not making someone waste another 30-45 minutes to refill out a form in another colored ink is ludicrous.

I have used blue ink for regulated transfers, and they were approved. There was no reason for a trooper to kick the application back because of that minor of a detail.

Internal policies affect employees, when it comes to a public service. This is a complaint worthy of going up the chain.

 

[StantonCree]

File away my friend, file away.

 

[Inigoes]

File away my friend, file away.

What you do not realize, eventhough this is deemed such a minor infraction by most.

Is it okay for somone else to waste 30-45 minutes of your life, because what you did displeased them?

 

[StantonCree]

What you do not realize, eventhough this is deemed such a minor infraction by most.

Is it okay for somone else to waste 30-45 minutes of your life, because what you did displeased them?

People waste my time and your tax dollars all the time boss, it is what it is.

I just wasted an hour of my own personal time returning an IPAD I found, to its owner.

I dated a girl for 5 years and only learned one thing from here, "pick and choose your battles" Some of you guys need to put on your big boy pants.

In fact I'm wasting my time responding to this....

 

[Trbo6gn]

It's been that way as far as i can remember it. All fingerprint cards must also be done in black or else they will reject them.

 

[mdjohn]

in the old days...........

some places wanted blue ink to show copies from original in blue.
some places wanted black for copies and faxes -
back then copiers were made not to like blue or green ink due to people copying money

from a legal point, it doesn't matter.

at my gun transfer, the tropper and us were BS,ing about sidearms, carry weapon etc. and we just brought the gun in. I asked the seller to put the gun in a box - don't want to carry an exposed gun into a police station. Overall - no problem

 

[Inigoes]

People waste my time and your tax dollars all the time boss, it is what it is.

I just wasted an hour of my own personal time returning an IPAD I found, to its owner.

I dated a girl for 5 years and only learned one thing from here, "pick and choose your battles" Some of you guys need to put on your big boy pants.

In fact I'm wasting my time responding to this....

Most of the above is your choice. No-one is coercing you to get back and redo it in another colored ink (except maybe that girl you dated for 5 years).

 

[ke3gk]

Maryland requires paperwork to be done in black ink.

Strange - I thought it was human blood.