Bermuda? can't find anything

J

JackBauer24

Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
850
Google helped me none. I'm going to bermuda in June. I figured I'd better decide what to pack now, instead of getting something confiscated there.

any links or help is appreciated.
 
DON'T BRING ANYTHING! Their weapons laws are very strict. Several years ago, an American received a 3-year sentence for having a single .22 rimfire cartridge in his luggage. Apparently, this unfortunate gentleman was a smallbore rifle team competitor and one of his pieces of luggage doubled as his range bag. A Bermuda customs agent happened to find it during a search. Certainly, any reasonable person would see that it was completely unintentional on his part, but he paid the price for it big time. Bermuda has a "zero tolerance" policy that completely overrides the concept of common sense!
 
TOM1960 said:
DON'T BRING ANYTHING! Their weapons laws are very strict. Several years ago, an American received a 3-year sentence for having a single .22 rimfire cartridge in his luggage. Apparently, this unfortunate gentleman was a smallbore rifle team competitor and one of his pieces of luggage doubled as his range bag. A Bermuda customs agent happened to find it during a search. Certainly, any reasonable person would see that it was completely unintentional on his part, but he paid the price for it big time. Bermuda has a "zero tolerance" policy that completely overrides the concept of common sense!
Click to expand...

holy crap you just scared me to death. I seriously don't know if I can go a week with out a knife.
 
I just don't get places like that. I mean, are you ok on your property with a kitchen knife? just dont' step on the side walk. What if you bought a new one? lock it in the trunk like it's a firearm?

I emailed a tourist center about it. I'm sure they're having a laugh at the silly American right now.

the .22 thing is scary. I busted a 500 round brick a few years ago in our back storage room. Everytime I think they're all cleaned up, another one pops up. The last one happened to be in some luggage. awesome.
 
Jack, what parrish are you staying in? The south side of the island (Southampton) is a lot safer than the north end (St. George's). Areas of Pembroke and the city of Hamilton can be rough, too. Hamilton's a hoot on Wednesday nights when the cruise ships come in...just watch your wallet, pick-pockets abound, as do the local police. I've been there many times, and Tom is 100% correct. Don't bring a knife with you.
 
SPXTrader said:
Jack, what parrish are you staying in? The south side of the island (Southampton) is a lot safer than the north end (St. George's). Areas of Pembroke and the city of Hamilton can be rough, too. Hamilton's a hoot on Wednesday nights when the cruise ships come in...just watch your wallet, pick-pockets abound, as do the local police. I've been there many times, and Tom is 100% correct. Don't bring a knife with you.
Click to expand...

well...... lol We're staying at the st. george's club. http://www.stgeorgesclub.bm/ShowPage.aspx?page=TheClub - Map
ah well. I'm excited about it, but it really bothers me that I can't even take a slipjoint.
 
Hey Jack, don't worry (as long as you don't take a knife with you)! Don't even think about buying a cheapie when you're there. I'm not real familiar with the St. George's Club, but it appears to be one of the upscale resorts. You should be fine there. There are some really neat bars in the town square, and some very interesting places to see, but I wouldn't be walking around that area after closing time. I don't know if you've been there before, but you can't rent a car. The taxis are plentiful, the drivers friendly, and they won't rip you off. Think Jamaica, but with a British atmosphere. There's also an excellent bus line that runs around the island. Inexpensive, clean, and we've never had any problems with using them before. The absolute best way to get around is to rent a scooter. They're everywhere! A few good places to visit are the Battery, the aquarium, and the botanical gardens. Run across the causeway to the Swagger Inn and have a few shots of their famous dark rum, a few Dark and Stormy's, and enjoy a scooter ride. We spent an entire day barhopping, and had a blast!

Enjoy your trip!
 
SPXTrader said:
Hey Jack, don't worry (as long as you don't take a knife with you)! Don't even think about buying a cheapie when you're there. I'm not real familiar with the St. George's Club, but it appears to be one of the upscale resorts. You should be fine there. There are some really neat bars in the town square, and some very interesting places to see, but I wouldn't be walking around that area after closing time. I don't know if you've been there before, but you can't rent a car. The taxis are plentiful, the drivers friendly, and they won't rip you off. Think Jamaica, but with a British atmosphere. There's also an excellent bus line that runs around the island. Inexpensive, clean, and we've never had any problems with using them before. The absolute best way to get around is to rent a scooter. They're everywhere! A few good places to visit are the Battery, the aquarium, and the botanical gardens. Run across the causeway to the Swagger Inn and have a few shots of their famous dark rum, a few Dark and Stormy's, and enjoy a scooter ride. We spent an entire day barhopping, and had a blast!

Enjoy your trip!
Click to expand...
so you wouldn't pick up a junker while I'm there? thanks for the info by the way. Now I need to find out about what kinda trouble can be had from drinking too much and riding a scooter. And if they have insurance for when I park it in the ocean. I'm kidding obviously.
 
JackBauer24 said:
so you wouldn't pick up a junker while I'm there? thanks for the info by the way. Now I need to find out about what kinda trouble can be had from drinking too much and riding a scooter. And if they have insurance for when I park it in the ocean. I'm kidding obviously.
Click to expand...

Just don't run it into the coral walls lining many of the roads. Talk about death by a thousand cuts! :eek:
 
mycroftt, speaking of coral, Ross Perot lives there (dual citizenship), and about 15 years ago built a beautiful home (non-Bermuda citizens are not allowed to buy land there. You can however purchase some of the condos that are going up in Warwick and Southampton). One problem tho...his yacht couldn't clear the reefs and he couldn't bring it into dock. He went to the MP and offered to donate $ 10 million to be able to cut out a chunk, and they said no. Well, lo and behold, a few months later, some of it mysteriously blew up and created an opening big enough for his boat! Wonder how that happened, and who would have contacts with underwater demolition professionals?

Jack, don't worry about the scooters, they're insured! I've put a few into the ditch before from one too many Dark and Stormys! Man that stuff is good! And while you're there, enjoy a fresh cuban cigar. Believe me, when they're fresh, there is a difference! Cuban Macanundos and Black Seal rum...man I can't wait! We're going in late July or early August!

And once you get out on the pink sand beaches and see the crystal clear water, ice cold bottle of Black Seal in one hand and a cuban in the other, you'll forget about not having a knife...well at least I did........for about 15 minutes........then I realized I needed something to cut the end off my cigar.....
 
St. George's Club looks amazing!:thumbup: Most likely any knife would just rust there anyway.
 
So when you say "no knife" would that apply even to something like a tiny Victorinox Classic SAK keychain knife that could not reasonably be mistaken for a weapon? If so, then Bermuda is kind of like an Airliner or a courtroom.
 
We go there a lot, are friends with people that own a resort, and no knife to me really means no knife. The little Vic SAK keychain may not give you any trouble, but when I last went thru customs, the looked at my NRA commemorative .45 long Colt bullet attached to my keychain that had Charlton Heston's signature and Silver Bullet Brigade etched in it AND had a hole drilled in it! It was obviously a fake, but it still brought scrutiny.

BTW, they have a world class pistol range, and their Olympic team is very good, so go figure...
 
SPXTrader said:
BTW, they have a world class pistol range, and their Olympic team is very good, so go figure...
Click to expand...

LOL that's freakish.

leave 1 week from tomorrow. I'm very excited besides having a gigantic hole in my arm. I really hope I can buy a cheapo there. it will be like a project, get some sand paper and a beer bottle and make it actually usable.
 
Hey, I don't know if you've left yet, but I think that you can carry a knife, albeit a small one.

First let me say that I'm not a lawyer. Second, I don't even have the tiniest bit of education in Bermuda's legal system. Third, I am an American law student, and while what I'm offering here should not be construed as legal advice, I'm not entirely ignorant either.

Okay, if you take a look at Bermuda Statutory Instrument BR 3/1981, Criminal Code (Prohibited Weapons) Order of 1980, you'll see a fairly common prohibition on flick knives and automatics. It also prohibits sword canes and "constant companions," but those are the only knife laws mentioned there.

However, annual laws represent later changes in legislation. The most recent that I could find was the Criminal Code Amendment (No. 2) Act of 2005, amending section 315 of what appears to be the foundational Criminal Code Act of 1907. This 2005 Act of Parliament addresses bladed or sharply pointed instruments, but has an exception at 315(C)(2) for a folding pocketknife, that exception not including a folding pocket knife with a blade exceeding three inches (315(C)(3)).

So it sounds like a folding pocketknife with a blade three inches or less in length is okay (subject to any further restrictions laid out in the law). Some courts in the UK have interpreted the statutory phrase "folding knife" to mean a non-locking folder, so bear that in mind.

I suggest that you read the law yourself and make your own decision. I found this information at this website.

Also, before I went to Bermuda last year, I seem to recall reading a published legal opinion in which a Bermuda legal official (a judge or magistrate) found a defendant who was charged with carrying a weapon not guilty because the knife (which was a small folder) did not meet the statutory definition of a weapon. I'm afraid I cannot find that opinion now, but you might with some effort.

Enjoy your trip, and drink a Dark 'n' Stormy for me!
 
SpyderNoir, thanks for that info. Your findings are accurate, I'm certain. However, I would apply this law and it's interpretation to the citizens of Bermuda, not tourists.

There's a big difference in the scrutiny us Yanks gets from the Bermudian Customs Agents compared to the local parish's police. Customs treats you like a convicted criminal compared to the local police. Each parish has applies the rules differently. What you can get by with in the Parish of Southampton, Smith's or Hamilton won't fly in the City of Hamilton or Town of St. George's.

Once safely thru Customs, the place is fairly laid back. There are, just like any city here, places you don't want to be after dark, and being a foreigner, you will undergo additional scrutiny wherever you go.

And a big +1 on the Dark and Stormy's! Ya can't beat a cold bottle of Black Seal on a hot day!
 
I just got back from a Bermuda cruise and DO NOT carry a knife. One of the locals told me that the island is not knife friendly.

But do stop a Swaggers for rum and fish & chips!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top