Don't bring knives to museums in DC

L

lreed

Joined
Dec 7, 2001
Messages
538
I got stopped and asked to leave at the gate of the natural history museum yesterday, for a spyderco ti-salsa.

The security guard first noticed my vodka flask, and insisted me to leave unless I empty it. So I emptied the flask (into myself, of course). Then she found the ti-salsa in my hand bag and told me it's not permitted. Quite suprised cause it's a really cute small knife, but I still politely asked her whether she could keep it for me during the visit. The answer is whether I leave right now or she confiscate it.

I am telling this story here to warn yall that DC's museums are currently at almost the same security level as the airports. They even got metal detectors installed.
 
Oh, god, that's sickening news. The last time I was in a D.C. museum, was in '95 or '96. There was no security when we went into the National Air & Space Museum. In fact, I have it on good authority that there was no system in place to detect a concealed Walther PPK...

But I feel so much safer now, knowing that the government thugs are making sure you can't bring in a pocketknife. In fact, I know we're all safer now.

---Jeffrey
 
good grief...

now that's just ridiculous... :(

i can understand the need for security, but a little pocketknife?
there used to be a time when everyone carried a pocketknife, now if you carry one you're either a paranoid freak or a terrorist...
 
Originally posted by lreed
I got stopped and asked to leave at the gate of the natural history museum yesterday, for a spyderco ti-salsa.

The security guard first noticed my vodka flask, and insisted me to leave unless I empty it. So I emptied the flask (into myself, of course). Then she found the ti-salsa in my hand bag and told me it's not permitted. Quite suprised cause it's a really cute small knife, but I still politely asked her whether she could keep it for me during the visit. The answer is whether I leave right now or she confiscate it.

I am telling this story here to warn yall that DC's museums are currently at almost the same security level as the airports. They even got metal detectors installed.
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Well, lets see...

First, it has been discussed on these forums many times that, since 9-11, carrying knives into public buildings, especially in DC and NYC, is a very bad idea. A little reading here might have saved you from that problem. Or what, you thought that because the national threat level was at ORANGE right now meant security would be more lax?

Second, carrying alcoholic beverages into public buildings has, to my knowledge been a no-no far longer than that.

Third, doing both at the same time, then drinking the booze when challenged, bet that made a very favorable impression. Then again, maybe it did serve to alleviate any possible thought they might have had that your flask contained explosives.

Finally... Cute little knife? In my younger days I owned an Intercontinental Derringer in .44 mag, it was a cute little gun. Doubt if its cuteness would have gotten me cut any slack if I'd been caught in the wrong place with it.

IMHO, you should thank your lucky stars they did not arrest you on the spot. What the hell were you thinking?
 
I'm not sure about the danger of that salsa to fellow men, but I can understand if the reason they don't want you to bring sharp things is to avoid any incident where someone destroys / uses the "tools" to ruin, deface, destroy the museum's artifacts-art-objects-displays.

I remember being scanned at the British Museum, Museum of Natural History in London, the Louvre in Paris and the Vatican Museum in Vatican City.
 
Is there a metal detector at the Natural History museum now?

The last time I was there (summer '02) they only checked bags (not pockets). The Art museum was the same. The Air & Space museum had a metal detector, but it does not pick up everything (depending on the knife).

The only one that really made sense to me was the art museum. Irreparable damage could be done to the paintings, even with all the security folks inside watching them. Who knows, there may be people out there nuts enough to do that (remember when the guy took a sledge hammer to the Michelangelo sculpture?), so security checks there would be warranted.
 
Yeah a couple years ago I had to go back outside because they found my TNT in my fanny pack at the Smthsonian Instute. It was a bummer because we walked over a mile from our hotel to get to the museum. Anyway I hid the knife in a tree planter and covered it with leaves. When I got out it was still there. After that I clipped it to the inside of my underwear and had no further problems. I have a pacemaker so I don't go through metal detectors but they pat me down pretty good. Lucky for me they didn't pat my weanie! :eek: :cool: ;) :p
 
First, it has been discussed on these forums many times that, since 9-11, carrying knives into public buildings, especially in DC and NYC, is a very bad idea. A little reading here might have saved you from that problem. Or what, you thought that because the national threat level was at ORANGE right now meant security would be more lax?
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Really...

I'm surprised you guys even brought this up. Figured it was a known fact that those museums had security like they do.

I live a matter of miles away from all those museums and have been to all of them...any more questions, you can ask me.

I forgot I had my SOG X-Ray with me once when I went to visit the museums and so I clandestinely hid it by a tree under a few leaves on The Mall whilst I was inside:p

Warthog
 
Originally posted by lreed
I got stopped and asked to leave at the gate of the natural history museum yesterday, for a spyderco ti-salsa.

The security guard first noticed my vodka flask, and insisted me to leave unless I empty it. So I emptied the flask (into myself, of course). Then she found the ti-salsa in my hand bag and told me it's not permitted. Quite suprised cause it's a really cute small knife, but I still politely asked her whether she could keep it for me during the visit. The answer is whether I leave right now or she confiscate it.

I am telling this story here to warn yall that DC's museums are currently at almost the same security level as the airports. They even got metal detectors installed.
Click to expand...
now i know why museum goers are sooooo relaxed :cool:
 
it was the same when I went to New York last year, the Empire state had metal detectors and X-Ray machines for coats/ bags etc...

I had to go back to the hotel to leave my Microtech LCC, fortunately I noticed the sign on the wall and the detectors before I went through them and left before I was challenged...
 
Originally posted by Scott Dog
Yeah a couple years ago I had to go back outside because they found my TNT in my fanny pack at the Smthsonian Instute. It was a bummer because we walked over a mile from our hotel to get to the museum. Anyway I hid the knife in a tree planter and covered it with leaves. When I got out it was still there. After that I clipped it to the inside of my underwear and had no further problems. I have a pacemaker so I don't go through metal detectors but they pat me down pretty good. Lucky for me they didn't pat my weanie! :eek: :cool: ;) :p
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Scott Dog,
You have just been added to the list of people I will NEVER borrow a knife from to cut food.:D
 
Originally posted by mete
After all we don't want anyone highjacking the museum do we ?
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Don't you know about the Al-Qaida plot to ram several museums into government buildings? :rolleyes: My brother had a CRKT M-16 and they wouldn't let him into some museums but I think he got into others, including the Pope's museum. He even got a picture with his M-16 in the hand of a Pope statue. :D
 
These museums, and places like the Empire State Bldg in NYC, have metal detectors. They are really state-run amusement parks, if you will, and they would probably be sued if some nutjob stabbed someone in their building.
I've walked back to the hotel to leave a pocketknife. It sucks, and I agree that small personal knives should definitely be permitted on one's person, but those are the rules.
Walking around with an open container of booze (unless you're on Bourbon St. in New Orleans, one of the places I know it is legal) is generally frowned upon. It gets you profiled as a probably drunken problem. Security doesn't like drunken problem people. :)
 
last time the museums were free down this way (SD, CA), i frequented quite a few of them wearing a Leek, an Endura, and a Mini Grip, all in plain sight, clipped to my Dickies. i even turned to my wife at one point in an art museum, and whispered, "look at all these 13th century paintings. good thing for these folks i'm a well-behaved, and respectful kinda guy. if i was a jerk i would poke a few of these with my Spyderco. wouldn't that be awful?"

one of the guards appeared to have overheard me, and didn't do anything! he didn't even move in closer.

moral of the story? come on down to San Diego, and bring yer knives!! our museums don't give a crap what you do! :D


abe m.
 
Originally posted by Warthog
Really...I forgot I had my SOG X-Ray with me once when I went to visit the museums and so I clandestinely hid it by a tree under a few leaves on The Mall whilst I was inside:p

Warthog
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Man, it looks like I'm going to have to start rooting-around in the vegetation near Federal buildings (like an easter-egg hunter) to see what knives or guns I can find hidden there.:D.:D.
 
What's ironic is that a lot of the people in classic museum paintings have swords on.
 
Originally posted by allyourblood
moral of the story? come on down to San Diego, and bring yer knives!! our museums don't give a crap what you do!
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I was worried about the Leatherman Squirt on my keyring when I went to the Wild Animal Park in October. Then I noticed that a lot of the employees had knives or multitools.
 
Very strange indeed. I was in the Natural History museam with a knife in my pocket and had no problems. The Space museam was locked down with security, but the others were pretty open. Security was only searching handbags. Basic rule of thumb should be to leave that stuff in your car or at home. I feel pretty safe in the Smith now that security is carrying firearms now.
 
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