Reddit’s “JustRolledIntoTheShop” forum is a place for mechanics and dealership professionals to post photos of cars with ridiculous problems, or in absurd condition. Most posts are good for a laugh. But one recent photo has Reddit doing a double-take.

Elhefe83 admits he’s not a mechanic, but on the sales side. The dealer posted a single photo of the door pocket of a vehicle with a single, snarky title. “Yea I cleaned out my car before trading it in.” The picture clearly shows the handgrip of a handgun sticking out of the trade-in vehicle’s door storage pocket. But that’s not all.

In front of the handgun is the thin edge of another item. The top-voted comment put it succinctly: “Gun AND badge?”

13,000 upvotes and 669 commenters were flabbergasted that someone had managed to forget both their gun and their badge in a trade-in. Not just while parking or having it washed. But while trading it in at the dealership. This police officer must have been keen to get into their new vehicle.

When a civilian without a permit to carry a firearm must transport a firearm, tucking it into the door pocket is a big “no no.” It must be unloaded and locked in a sealed compartment as far from the driver as possible. So the trunk is OK, the glove box is not. A person with a carry or concealed carry permit has a bit more leeway. But I doubt this police officer’s superiors would be thrilled with t heir forgetting a loaded gun in a trade-in at a dealership. On commenter suggested a wild way to exact some karma.

“Pro comeuppance” idea for gun in a trade-in door

“Pro comeuppance: Return the gun and badge to the police if it’s a sheriff badge, and to the sheriff if it’s a police badge. That way, the local PD or Sheriff can harass their counterparts ENDLESSLY. The officer still has to get reamed out, but it’ll likely be worse because their command got embarrassed.”

That seems a bit extreme. And upsetting a local police officer, and potential future customer, is not great for business. But something tells me the OP has a very awkward phone call with the vehicle’s original owner in their future.

Yea I cleaned out my car before trading it in.
byu/elhefe83 inJustrolledintotheshop