Knives

[U.Toadifact]

Just curious, but has anyone had a problem with the boys in blue having an issue with the kitchen knives we all carry in our chosen motorised homes?

Anyone heard of anyone else having a problem?

 

[Oldrat]

No doubt at the time female police officers were referred to as WPC instead of PC? I never understood why there was a need to differentiate.

Plenty of duties that a male officer can’t do that a female can. Searching is one.

When planning operations it can be quite useful to know which of the number of officers is whatever gender. It’s embarrassing to have to call the local nick to see if a female is on duty and can be spared the time to search…


But the way things are going they’ll be no squads or covert teams left so it matters less and less.

 

[Oldrat]

FWIW
“Boys in Blue” - Blue refers to the blue serge material that made up the jackets and trews , or used to.

Now it’s all hi-viz and blooming’ scruffiness seems to be the order of the day

 

[ChrisSue]

I was talking to a stall holder at the October NEC who said that they, and others, had experienced problems with the knives that they supplied as they had holes in the blade. Apparently this made them into a" Zombie knife"


Can I ask whether I'm allowed to be offended if someone calls "guy"? I could take offence at being compared to an ultra religious terrorist

 

[BillyBear]

I was chatting with a caravaner sometime back who told me that he had a visit from the Police after being reported by his neighbour for sharpening his kitchen knife on the front doorstep. Back in the day everybody used to do that.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Oldrat]

A friend of a friend had an uncle who’s dog used to go in a garden where the family did ……
(Fill the blanks.)

Sorry, very unfair of me, but I couldn’t resist as it seems to crop up all the time when folks ask for advice.

 

[jerryz]

I was talking to a stall holder at the October NEC who said that they, and others, had experienced problems with the knives that they supplied as they had holes in the blade. Apparently this made them into a" Zombie knife"


Can I ask whether I'm allowed to be offended if someone calls "guy"? I could take offence at being compared to an ultra religious terrorist

Problem is that Wiltshire Police are not following the letter of the law,,, anything with a curve in the blade is considered illegal by them.. which is not what the 1998 and 2021 ammendments to knife laws actually states ,They are also classing antiques pre 1954 as Illegal and they are even classing Folding pocket knives and Swiss army knives as Flick Knives and switch blades which again in not true , some magistrates are throwing out some prosecutions but a few ;local magistrates also getting the law wrong or going with police errors its alottery that is causing misscarriages of the law ........neighbouring Gloucester and Somerset police have a different interpretation which is in line with the actual law..... ,,

 

[dna]

If however you are male and black, you are guilty, as any young black male can confirm.

As a Scout Leader, we have to ensure all Black Scouts do not have even the smallest of penknives on camp, as they will be 'randomly' selected.
(40 teenage Scouts (All middle class English, mostly white European, some with Indian, Oriental, Mid-East background, plus three black kids) going through scanners at the airport, guess which three kids were "randomly" selected for a full search)

This American judge is known for challenging prosecutions for being "walking while black"

 

[cyberyacht]

I have an old breadknife that I use for weeding the block pave drive that I would originally been wielding a 10" blade. Over the years it has worn down so now is only about 5". I don't know if I'm now less of a threat to the public although I also have a S/S multitool knife from my sailing days which lives on a lanyard on a coathook adjacent to the hab door. I did have a tiny penknife with a 2" blade confiscated at security once on boarding a cruise. I had to reclaim it later from the pursers office.

 

[DDJC]

You could be right, except I had been sitting monthly in that group for two or more years. Someone (not the chair) said something blindingly obvious aimed at me, and that was my instinctive response. Yes I should have realised and the event is burned into my mind yet must have been 23 or more years ago, Who really knows how the brain works? I was fortunate that my apology for thoughtlessness was accepted at the time, but if anyone at that meeting is reading this, I unconditionally apologise again.

I'm gonna say it. Something you said twenty three years ago, still makes you feel you need to apologise again?

Why?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[L' Hobo]

Deleted

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

About 6 years ago I was going through Newcastle airport security on route to Portugal when my hand luggage rucksack was pulled up. I was asked to open it in a certain area and remove the object.....it was a leatherman type knive with cork screw etc and a few cod hooks that were snagged in the lining. The guy produced a brown envelope and put the knife in and suggested I buy some stamps for it. When we got back 8 days later the envelope was in my porch. I'd used the bag a few weekends before for a fishing trip, he was cool and non judgemental. It was a bit embarrassing like.

A few years ago I was flying home having been at a 4x4 show in my cabin bag was one of these. Apparently the x-ray image caused some consternation.


Fortunately the Security Supervisor was a fellow Land Rover enthusiast.

Now about my sgian dubh?

 

[Brains]

As a group leader, did you not object?

That was the practice some years ago for individuals BUT, as members of a group of 40 today, the person in charge of the searching officers, would have to show why these 3 from the group were chosen or face a damn great compensation bill for discrimination!

I've crossed more than enough borders is dodgy places to know if you object to Customs offices, you can guarantee you will be 'found' with something. At best you will miss your flight.

Instead, all the other teenagers, knowing that the discrimination would happen in advance, as it always does, did the catcalling, telling the officers the black kids always carry the contraband etc.
It had the desired effect, the Customs officers were embarrassed in front of a lot of people.

... and the same thing happened on the way back.

As Leaders we tell all the kids, that the Black kids will be stopped and searched, and you can all watch blatant racism in operation, and treat it as part of your education.

 

[iandsm]

Not at all. But as the contents of a vehicle on a public highway are regarded in law as being in a public place, an over- enthusiastic copper may take a dim view.

That, is as remote a scenario as Rachel from accounts having a brain implant.

 

[iandsm]

Well there was a case a couple of years ago where a telephone engineer working in a roadside cabinet was arrested for possession of a Stanley knife. What better "reasonable excuse" could one need?

Needless to say it didn't get to court.

Really, can you point to the evidence that this actually happened or how and where you found out about it, I would be interested to know.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[iandsm]

If however you are male and black, you are guilty, as any young black male can confirm.

As a Scout Leader, we have to ensure all Black Scouts do not have even the smallest of penknives on camp, as they will be 'randomly' selected.
(40 teenage Scouts (All middle class English, mostly white European, some with Indian, Oriental, Mid-East background, plus three black kids) going through scanners at the airport, guess which three kids were "randomly" selected for a full search)

Probably the most ridiculous statement I have seen on here. I would like to think a Scout Leader would or should know better.

 

[Puddleduck]

I was helping put up a display in a museum. One of the possible exhibits was for uniforms for the Women's Land Army where the colour was described as N***** Brown. We had a lot of discussion about if this advert should be included or not. Eventually, after consultation with many colleagues, we did include it as part of the historic record but with an explainer that the now offensive terminology would not have been regarded as that at the time - and most British working class people would never have seen a non-white person.

Back to knives in kitchen drawers, my really sharp knives have covers over the blades both to keep the knife sharp but also to protect fingers.

 

[PaulW2]

Jobsworth in Portsmouth was quite anxious about my Swiss Army knife in case I was about to run around puncturing passengers on the Brittany Ferries trip to Santander.

She accepted it being put in the cutlery drawer as long as it stayed there.

Such utterly moronic regulations and moral panics about this in the UK.

 

[Brains]

Probably the most ridiculous statement I have seen on here. I would like to think a Scout Leader would or should know better.

'Know better' how ?
I've 'only' been a Scout leader for 35 years.
I'm simply stating a fact.

If you are a young black male your chances of coming to the attention of the local Police, Customs, and other people put in positions of authority are, even on paper, around 4 x more prevalent when compared the young white males.
In reality the actual figure is probably at least double that.

 

[L' Hobo]

I've crossed more than enough borders is dodgy places to know if you object to Customs offices, you can guarantee you will be 'found' with something. At best you will miss your flight.

Instead, all the other teenagers, knowing that the discrimination would happen in advance, as it always does, did the catcalling, telling the officers the black kids always carry the contraband etc.
It had the desired effect, the Customs officers were embarrassed in front of a lot of people.

... and the same thing happened on the way back.

As Leaders we tell all the kids, that the Black kids will be stopped and searched, and you can all watch blatant racism in operation, and treat it as part of your education.

I deleted what I had written early so I would not get drawn into an argument BUT,

It's nice to know that you are teaching and encouraging teenages to have respect for people in authority and not teaching them to catcall or grow up with a bias education against ALL the Police and Border guards!


Sometimes, getting an opportunity to show that not everyone in authority holds the same views and prejudices is worth a delay?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Sewdhull]

It's in the dictionary...

the boys in blue

1. a humorous name for the police 2. a humorous name for the police

dictionary.cambridge.org

It's a sexist term... It's not like there aren't others to choose from.

 

[PaulW2]

I’m not sure what the stats are for black youngsters being stopped.

I was in a presentation some years ago where some professor of politics or sociology said that the stats were skewed as they were expressed in relation to demographics.

If they were instead expressed in relation to time spent on the street (where a subset of black youngsters spend a lot of time) then the difference effectively disappeared.

As a lot of the people who spent a lot of time on the streets were involved in gangs, stopping them was often quite productive.

I’m sure there is some racism and there is some profiling, but I suspect it can be quite difficult to get a proper handle on the extent of it.

 

[iandsm]

'Know better' how ?
I've 'only' been a Scout leader for 35 years.
I'm simply stating a fact.

If you are a young black male your chances of coming to the attention of the local Police, Customs, and other people put in positions of authority are, even on paper, around 4 x more prevalent when compared the young white males.
In reality the actual figure is probably at least double that.

If you have been a Scout leader for that amount of time it’s regrettable that in your post I referred to you labelled the police service and the judiciary as a whole as racists who pick on black people which is unwarranted and highly inaccurate. You speak of facts but the fact that young black people are more likely to have interactions with the authorities and the reasons for that appear to have escaped you. I hope you do not share your biased view with the kids you lead.

 

[Sewdhull]

As far as knives are concerned, anywhere you are in a public place you will need to be able to justify possession of a knife. Except the 'folding pocket knife' of course.

 

[Oldrat]

Hmm

Who gets stabbed.

Stats about race are often skewed as they usually use population ratios, or local population ratios.

They tend not to use ‘visible street population’ available to be stopped at the time.


The difference is marked, especially when you then introduce the night time economy.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Brains]

If you have been a Scout leader for that amount of time it’s regrettable that in your post I referred to you labelled the police service and the judiciary as a whole as racists who pick on black people which is unwarranted and highly inaccurate. You speak of facts but the fact that young black people are more likely to have interactions with the authorities and the reasons for that appear to have escaped you. I hope you do not share your biased view with the kids you lead.

These are inner London, middle class teenagers, mostly well educated, with a lot going to Grammar schools. Most will go onto higher education.

About half are British/White the other half are British/All other backgrounds, Indian, Chinese, middle east, Hispanic, West African, Caribbean, and others. We have Nepali, Burmese, Japanese and South Africans as well.

They see racism, of all types on a daily basis, they can all switch accents between the cultures as required. They all have friends from other cultures, all very normal around here.

The fact we warn the Black kids they will be stopped.
They then see exactly what we predicted happening.
Not one, but twice. On a single trip.
And the reason we warn the black kids is because we have seen it happen before.

You tell the kids that authorities are not racist, they will laugh at you. They see it every day.

At least the Metropolitan Police have admitted they are "intuitionally racist" and are starting to weed it out.
But it will take years to remove it.

As an FYI - Stephen Lawrence, killed, 200m from our Scout Hut, because he was black.

 

[iandsm]

Yes I’m well aware of the tragic case of Stephen Lawrence and yes he was killed because he was black, by white moronic youths not the police or Judiciary.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Why have you got those

You should have said The other day I murdered, chopped up, and ate a cucumber.

 

[fat haggis]

My collection of knives

 

[Ray-Vic]

I've been pulled up twice with a 12 gauge shotgun and 250 cartridges in my boot with absolutely no problems (after the obvious initial "oh, really?" when asking what's in the boot and me telling them). Showed my licence, confirmed I was on my way home from shooting and on my merry way.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Barriesimpson]

Not at all. But as the contents of a vehicle on a public highway are regarded in law as being in a public place, an over- enthusiastic copper may take a dim view.

It may well be in a public place, but it is a private home. The boys in blue would need a warrant to come inside.