The woman said the problem was sitting in her car, and she did not want it there. According to the Reddit post, her ex-boyfriend had left a gun in the vehicle, and she did not know what to do with it.
The original Reddit post can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/gmov8k/exbf_left_a_gun_in_my_car_and_i_dont_know_what_to/
That kind of situation is uncomfortable even before the legal questions begin. A firearm left behind by an ex is not something most people want to casually handle, store, or transport. If she did not know whether it was loaded, whether it was legally owned, or whether her ex was even allowed to possess it, every option probably felt risky.
Leaving it in the car was not a great answer either. Vehicles get broken into. Cars get towed. Other people may ride in them. A gun sitting in a car can quickly become a stolen firearm report, a safety risk, or a problem during a traffic stop.
The woman seemed to want the safest and cleanest way to remove it from her life. That is a different question from simply “can I throw it away?” A firearm has to be handled carefully. If it belongs to someone else, there may be property issues. If it is illegal or stolen, there may be law enforcement concerns. If she tries to return it directly to an ex she does not trust, that could create a confrontation.
The safest practical step in many cases is to call the non-emergency police line, explain that someone left a firearm in the vehicle, and ask how they want her to handle it. That avoids unnecessary handling and creates a record that she was trying to deal with it responsibly.
The emotional side matters too. An ex leaving a gun behind can feel careless at best and intimidating at worst, depending on the relationship. Even if he simply forgot it, she was now stuck with the responsibility of making sure it did not end up stolen, mishandled, or tied to her later.
The post did not read like someone trying to keep the gun, sell it, or cause trouble. It read like someone trying to get an unwanted firearm out of her car without making a dangerous mistake.
Commenters generally told her not to drive around with the gun if she could avoid it. Several suggested calling police through a non-emergency number and asking for instructions. That way, officers could either collect it or explain the safest legal way to surrender it.
Others warned her not to bring it into a police station without calling first. Walking into a public building with a firearm, even with good intentions, can create confusion if it is not handled properly. Calling ahead gives everyone a safer plan.
Some commenters said she should not try to return it to the ex in person unless police told her to or unless the situation was clearly safe. If the relationship was tense, meeting over a firearm could go badly.
A few people also said she should document how she found it and when she reported it. If the ex later accused her of stealing it or if the gun was connected to some other issue, a clear timeline would help.
The post ended with a basic but serious problem. She had a gun she did not want, left by someone she no longer wanted involved in her life. The right move was not panic, and it was not ignoring it. It was making a safe report and letting the people trained to handle unwanted firearms take it from there.
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