DC Laws ??

[MNH]

I am making a short trip to Washington DC at the end of next week. I am taking my 15 year old daughter and two friends to a pop music concert (Pray for me!). We are driving down so commercial travel is not a problem.

I am going to have to edit the current contents of the jeep pretty heavily as it is. I don't think the Chief Special airweight that normally lives there would go over big.

At this point I am planning to carry my Serrated Spyderco Native lightweight, and a plain edge Benchmade 705.

Can I get away with something a little bigger?

We are going to the Hanson concert at the Werner Theatre. (OH BOY!!) Is there apt to be metal detector at the door? Maybe I better I better include a pair of ear plugs from my shooting bag.

I know these things are well policed, and safety should not be an issue, however I am a country boy, and big cities make me nervous.


Help!

Mike

 

[MNH]

I got less than 24 hours before I'm off to DC so I going to pop this back up to the top to see if I get anything.

Mike

 

[anthony cheeseboro]

This is not official, but I have heard from several posts that D.C. has a 3" limit so the Native is technically 1/8" too long if you count the choil.

 

[FullerH]

For the record, DC has a 3" limit, measurefrom the end of the hilt. Forget any fancy measurements like cutting edge or from the choil. Interestingly enough, my BF Native measures in at just 3 1/32" while my Delica is 3" even. I woould not count on the published blade lengths to hold for any individual knife, but would measure my own knife. Also, I would not try to take any such things into the Warner Theater, I hear that they have a very effective detection system.

DC is very serious about its no guns laws, unless you are a congressman, of course. DO NOT GET CAUGHT WITH A HANDGUN OR AN "ASSAULT WEAPON" (sic) IN DC. There is the story of two Marylanders who were driving through DC with Springfield Arsenal M1As locked in the trunk of their car on the way to a target match in Virginia. They were stopped for speeding and the cop searched their car, found the M1As and busted them for illegal weapons. It took them forever to get out of it and I don't think that they ever got their rifles back. Of course, the streets are alive with all kinds of guns for the punks, but legal folks don't have them.

------------------
Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller

 

[MNH]

Believe it or not, I survived my trip to DC.

The Werner Theatre is beautiful. Not the kind of place you would expect to see a Pop concert, and from the worried look on the faces of the theater staff, I'm not sure there will be another one soon. The noise inside that place was incredible! Worse than shooting without hearing protection. (A lot worse.)

I really felt sorry for the six bar tenders who looked at me longingly as an endless flow of teenage girls streamed past. I bought a beer, and headed into the theater. I was stopped at the entrance to the balcony by an usher who advised me to finish the beer, and go and get at least one more. (I wonder if he had heard this group before) I had no trouble getting to the bar, I think I was about the only business they had all night.

I don't remember what I had in my pocket, either the Native or the BM 705, There was no security check of which I was aware, except anyone with a bag got checked for cameras or recorders.

I was even able to leave the theater and reenter without being asked to show my ticket. I guess I didn't look like someone who would be there if I didn't have to.

The worst scare the girls had was the ride home in the taxi. (I have been in New York cabs enough that this seemed pretty tame to me.)

Friday and Saturday we spent on the Mall. In and out of Museums and art galleries and a few nearby shops. After my experience at the Werner, my confidence was up, and I carried both the Native and the BM. Again, no security anywhere.

I kept a pretty close eye on the girls, (just out of habit) but there seemed no need. This part of Washington was pretty tame, at least under the broad light of day.

All in all, we had a wonderful time, give or take about three and half hours Thursday night. Washington is an easy city to get around in, and it was no harder to find a parking place than it is in Montpelier.

I think I will try to organize another trip down in the spring, so we can take the Smithsonian apart stone by stone.


Mike
Safe at home, In the Great North Woods.


P.S. It was with great misgivings that I left the Chief Special Airweight at home in my desk.

MNH


[This message has been edited by MNH (edited 09-22-2000).]

 

[Korby]

Hey Mike, About your next trip to D.C. you might want to check out the federal laws as well as the Distric's. I know that the FBI builing and the U.S. Mint have you walk through metal detectors. I've heard of some people having trouble but haven't checked into whats leagal for entering a federal building.

 

[FullerH]

I have walked into both the U.S. Archives and the Holocaust Museum and been passed through the gates with a Spydie Delica plain edge. Just show it to them up front. Better yet, do as I have begun to do when I go to such places and leave anything bigger than my SOG Cross Cut key chain tool in the car or in my desk at work (which is in a government building, BTW. They haven't started check employees at my agency as they have at Phantom4's.

WARNING: Do not try to take anything that could be interpreted as a weapon into the White House or any part of the U. S. Capitol or its office buildings, The easons for the White House should be obvious, but they are also very nervous about the CApitol. Aboout 2 years ago, some nutcase burst into a line of touroists at one of the doors and openned fire. He took out two Capitol police before they took him out. He is too crazy to stand trial, as I understand it, but the incident has made the U.S. Capitol Police very, very nervoous about the public and weapons.

[This message has been edited by FullerH (edited 09-26-2000).]