Attack Of The Sheeple!!! Pt 2

M

Manji

Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
1,205
well, i go to work today, the manager calls me in her office, and the next thing i know im fired! she says theres zero tolerance for knives at work. i was... ok whatevers.
 
Find the company policy, if there's no extra definition on weapons or knives, take them to court for it.
I wouldn't go back to work to those a$$holes, but I'd at least get a decent amount for them being as stupid as they're.
BTW tell us the stupid places name so I'll stay away from it if I go the the states.
 
Here's what I would do if I were in your situation.

I think you should contact the owner of the company, or if it's a big corporation, the president. In writing if possible, such as e-mail or letter, otherwise by phone.

Let him or her know that you're a good employee and that you carried a pocketknife as a tool. That you were fired for this, without any real thought as to whether there was any risk. Mention that if people on the airplanes on 9/11/01 had pocketknives, they might have been able to save the twin towers or the Pentagon. That the passengers on a fourth plane managed to overpower the highjackers. Who knows how useful a pocketknife could be, even if it's only carried as a tool. And finally, that concern over terrorism and protecting the workplace should not degenerate into hysteria.

Who knows...the owner could be a patriot, or at least someone with common sense and who might just care about his or her employees. What do you have to lose?

Good luck. I think it sucks that you were fired. :mad:

Johnny
 
Yep tell us what the company is so we dont so buisness with them, YEA.

BTW Manji what is your aviator from?
 
That SUCKS! :mad: I hate to read about stuff like this. It makes me very happy to be a self employed contractor who gets to carry any knife/tool to work that I feel like. I usually whip out a folder to pry up wallpaper on Mrs. Smith's walls when doing estimates and never even get a second glance.

But these corporations! They are a scourge in more ways than one. All the stupid rules.....makes you feel like you're a kid in school again. Speaking of which, I always had a knife in my pocket at school when I was growing up as did most every other kid in that farming community in the Shenandoah Valley of VA.

I worked maintenance in a hospital for a few years. I always had a knife on me and was never hassled about it. But I understand the mindset of these PC corporate types, just as often conservatives as liberals, btw. I'm sorry for any of you who have to endure this type of crap.

Please Manji, what is the name of the company? I don't ever want to do business with them. :barf:
 
:mad: Very sorry to hear that you lost your job. I just can't believe the way some people and companies view knives, SHEESH!

I carry knives to work everyday and have never been hassled. I've opened packages for people and used them countless times here. My co-workers know I'm a knut and have brought in their steak knives and camp knives for me to sharpen for them. I guess I'm lucky to be able to carry....

I hope you find something soon (at a place more knife friendy):)
 
How much do you want the job back? I'll bet it would be easy, but your manager would hate you forever and could make things difficult for you.

1. As said above, ask for company policy. If it is not spelled out, SPECIFICALLY, that pocket knives are not allowed, you have a case. Most corporations have grievance policies and procedures, and won't/can't fire people for capricious reasons, reasons that were not understood beforehand to be an immediate cause of dismissal. This will stand up in court. Even if they have a policy against "weapons" or "dangerous weapons", it all has to do with the definition. A pocket knife is not a "weapon" unless it is used as one (i.e., causing harm to another person). It just has too many useful, legal purposes to fall automatically under the category of a weapon.

2. Ask your manager how much she would like to appear in court to defend her actions. Explain why she had no basis to fire you.

3. At the very least you could get the back pay. Use the above to get that.

3. Write a letter to her boss and her boss's boss explaining that you were fired without cause, and that you will seek legal remedies. Let your manager know this.

4. Start looking for another job. The purpose of the above is to keep you solvent while you look, so you will not be rushed.

A couple of years ago I left a large company, in part because I was getting tired of the bureaucracy. I now work in a small company, where carrying a knife is not an issue, because several in the office carry a gun. One of the best moves I have ever made.

Good luck
 
First off, sorry about the job, but it is just a job.

But this really got me thinking of the article in the latest Blade Mag (Oct 2002) called “Your Knife Rights” on page 56 by Judge Lowell Bray. It’s a regular article about people getting in trouble with the law over a knife and usually they don’t impress me too much. It seems like a basic idiot that was doing something he/she wasn’t suppose to be doing in the first place and then the LEO found a knife and they got in trouble for it.

But this month’s article’s conclusion made me very distressed. It states and I’m doing a direct quote “….., several fairly safe predictions can be made about what actions will lead to a sustainable conviction for carrying a dangerous weapon in the D.C. area and likely elsewhere. It would seem that carrying virtually any cutlery item in a public place will support such a conviction.”. Make a big note of the words “and likely elsewhere” before thinking that it can’t happen to you. And no it hasn’t happened to me, but I am starting to feel like I should end with a “not yet any way”.

It then lists 5 contributing factors to a conviction as being (this is my paraphrasing no quotes) 1- not having a reason for carrying a knife and self-defense is not acceptable. 2- any other incident with the law and especially with a knife in the past. 3- Any admission from the defendant that the knife might be used as a weapon. 4- the knife not having a “friendly looking” appearance. And 5- the time of day this all took place.

And it finishes with and I quote “Since the D.C. Court of appeals has never found any cutlery item not to be a dangerous weapon, it’s impossible to say what – if any – cutlery item is legal to carry in the Washington D.C. area”

I for one and very concerned and want to know what can be done to help protect my knives (and I am an AKTI member, but I have little faith that this org can save me). Basically any knife that I have/carry other than maybe the SAK classic on the key chain could very conceivably get me in trouble, not only at work but walking down the street, eating lunch at McD’s or anywhere that I might run into someone not comfortable with me having what they consider a weapon and choosing to bring it upon themselves notify the proper authorities (LEO or my Boss) about their discomfort. And in today’s PC crazy world all you have to do is make someone uncomfortable and you are in trouble.
 
While it's lousy that he lost his job, and it's lousy that the company has such a stupid policy, it seems to me that it's a pretty clear cut thing. He says he remembers that knives weren't allowed; he carried them anyway.

It's not right, or just, or particularly nice, but as for me, I'd expect to get fired. I have a feeling Manji sees what I'm saying, too, since he seems a lot less upset about it than anyone else.

Whether the contraband is a gun or a knife or a bag of crack or a certain type of soft drink or a certain color of socks or something else dangerous or something else stupid, if you're working for them, you play by their rules.

HOWEVER, Manji -- if you don't want advice, feel free to disregard the rest of this message -- if you're misremembering the policy, and it said no weapons, or if this is all just one thoughtless supervisor trying to show how powerful she is, then I'd think you should dig in your heels and start fighting.

But if the policy really did say knives, just start looking for a new job, and if you need to get one where knives are disallowed, realize that you're going to get fired again, eventually, if you keep breaking the rules.
 
sup guys, thanks for the concerns but to tell you the truth i was going to quit soon anyways, i found the management to be idiots that go by the book too much, i mean a good management team has to be a dynamic person, someone who knows how to go with the current situation not just always go by the book. the stupid management knows we need workers but they are too cheap to hire more people and they are firing people and they just want to milk us for more effort and instead of rewarding us for our efforts they give us a friggin 18 cents raise, one of the workers does like double the work of others and she gets a friggin 18 cents raise while so other slacker gets a dollar raise. Man, so me and my friends were going to quit anyways. And the name of the company is M&B window fashions/ Hunter douglas. They manufacture blinds and is the one of the biggest blinds company in the states. If you ever go to home depot or sears you'll probably see their blinds. so oh well i'll just kick it at home for a while and get some free money from unemployment, i need to spend more time on school anyways. and NGK my avatar is from

http://www.rbeditions.com/

check out the gallery section they have some really NICE paintings.
 
M&B window fashions or Hunter Douglas...
Ok I'll try hard to remember that.
At least the blinds that we have at home ain't from them.. or I'll remove mine.
Oh forget the job... sue them for cash instead and maybe start knifemaking.
 
I see them all the time being in the home improvement business. Consider them on my shitlist. I will NOT recommend their products to homeowners and I'll try to talk anyone out of purchasing them.
 
I am in the process of remodeling my home. Needless to say I will NOT be purchasing anything from this company. It might not be much but they will not get my $$$.
 
I agree with most folks around here that this overzealous knee-jerk reaction to knives by much of the general public is ridiculous. No one should ever be fired just because of carrying a knife (it's how you use it, stupid!).

HOWEVER, one must not put 100% of the blame the company boss, manager, or supervisor for having an anti-knife ethic. Many of these people, if allowed to follow their own personal common sense, could care less whether or not an employee carried a knife or not. Many are worried about the LIABILITY the company or even themselves may have to shoulder should something happen. This liability issue is why companies and other entities have to get various forms of lawsuit insurance, retain consulting lawyers on staff, and institute so-called 'zero-tolerance' policies.

Lawyers (or more specifically, their lack of ethics) sue companies whenever, and whereever they can to fatten their own wallets, all the while ignoring the possible damage they may be doing to often honest companies. You could also blame the lazy-get-rich-quick mentality many people have these days. However, I still place most of the blame on the lawyers, for if they had any form moral standards, they wouldn't accept to take on all these frivolous lawsuits.

In the past I have worked in a profession that involved the government, companies, and lawyers and in the beginning thought that there could be such a thing as a lawyer with some redeeming values. However, from my own experience, unfortunately I have never encountered one who was not willing to manipulate, cheat, or out right lie to win a case regardless of who ended up getting hurt (or in some cases dying) to win cases.

While I'm sure there are some lawyers who read these forum who may disagree with what I am saying, this is my own personal opinion and I stand by them 100%. Next to the terrorists, I feel that lawyers are the biggest threat to honest businesses and the American dream. If you have thoughts about trying to sue me for slandering the law 'profession' you only prove my point further.

So basically if you were bored enough to read my pseudo-rant, many of these supposed anti-knife folks are just covering their asses from getting attacked with some frivolous lawsuit that may end up costing themselves and others their livelyhoods (and I can hardly blame them).
 
Doggy,

You have a right to your opinion. One thing I've learned, however, is that there are no absolutes. If you want a society where you're protected from being unfairly accused and sent to prison, guilty people will go free. In countries where there are few rights, police work is sloppy and people live in fear of the government. But our rights cost us something. There are two sides to every coin.

A friend who's a businessman and who's been sued numerous times hates our legal system. But every time he straps his precious son into the car seat, and drives off in his car, he has lawyers to thank for his son being so safe. For all the bullsh*t lawsuits out there, there are quite a number that have merit. And society is safer as a result. Again, two sides.

Are you willing to give up our legal system - for example, live in Iran or (formerly) Soviet Russia in order to be free of bad lawyers? Are you willing to give up the protections you enjoy from erroneous prosecution or dangerously-built buildings and consumer goods, like they have in other countries, in order to save $$$ and hassle?

Best regards,

Johnny
 
So how's about we start emailing this M&B Windows FASCIST place and tell them how ignorant they are and how they will never see a dime of our money? We could also CC Home Depot and Sears as well.

ps...I'm not talking death threat or profanity laced emails--ones that show them the error of their ways by articulating the practical uses of a blade and how their treatment of someone who had no malicious intent was unconstitutional and unwarranted. Show them that thugs and gangbangers are not the only type of people that carry knives and that they should not stereotype us as such just because we choose to carry one of man's oldest tools.
 
Maji..

When I see stuff like this I see $$$$

Over here in Canada we have a labout board..

I'd file a grievance with the labour board,,and possibly the union if you have one...

Once you settle,,get your money,, you need to buy a knife with that money...

You my boy are looking a gift horse in the face!!

Sieze the day Manji....
You've got phuck all to loose..

You at least owe it to your fellow knife brethren to stop the hysteria in its tracks.

ttyle

Eric....
 
Zenghost: I just wonder what do they use to cut their blind materials... is it some sort of *gasp* blade? :p
 
Originally posted by JamesA
While it's lousy that he lost his job, and it's lousy that the company has such a stupid policy, it seems to me that it's a pretty clear cut thing. He says he remembers that knives weren't allowed; he carried them anyway.

It's not right, or just, or particularly nice, but as for me, I'd expect to get fired. I have a feeling Manji sees what I'm saying, too, since he seems a lot less upset about it than anyone else.

Click to expand...

well, the thing is they show us the policy and stuff during orientation when we first got hired and hell i don't waste space in my brain memorizing that stuff. And being the knife knut that i am i didn't even think twice about bringing a knife to work, I mean to me it was 100% ok (i didn't think about whether or not i could bring a knife since in my mind there'd be no reason i couldn't and i didn't think about the policy) anyways i've been bringing knives to work for months now and my supervisor sees it all the time and doesn't say anything. Anyways, it doesn't really seem like im upset cause im not. I mean i'm a little upset but it's no big deal, it was a part time job and they were requiring mandatory overtime on saturday mornings which i didn't want to do and was probably going to quit soon anyways. But I do see this as how ignorant some people can be about things. But then i have a feeling it's not just the knife that got me fired cause right after i emailed the manager that i can't work on saturdays she calls me in her office and fires me. WTF maybe that pushed her over or something. Well, i'll just kick it at home for awhile not in a real rush to start working again anyways but i do feel kinda vulnerable without a job considering expenses don't just go away. thanks for all the responses! hell, no im thinking about joining the sheriff reserves! that way i can carry knives and get a discount on a glock!
 
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