Four times in my life I have come close to having a knife confiscated at a security checkpoint.
Once I forgot it in my pocket on my way through airport security. I was able to rush back to the airline check in and my bags were still there so the staff slipped it in my luggage. Close call. My mistake.
Second time I was called for jury duty. The main court house has metal detectors and procedures just like the airport. I had never been there before but I should have suspected something like that. I asked the guard on duty if he could keep it aside for me as I would be out in a couple of hours. He said he would have to take it and dispose of the knife. I looked at him and figured that meant put it in his lunch box and take it home. I left and went across the road to a large hotel and they kept it in a sealed envelope under the front desk for me until I was done. Very kind of them.
The third time was a visit to a local temporary tourist attraction and I had no idea that they would make us empty our pockets and go through a metal detector. I put my knife in the plastic bin and the guy passed it back to me once I went through the metal detectors. Not sure what the point of that was. This was not a planned event. My wife and I were just passing by, saw the line and decided to go.
The fourth time I went to a UFC match with my son. At the entrance to the arena security asked us to empty our pockets and hold our hands up with our cellphones and the like visible. I held my hands up with my pocket knife in hand and they passed us through. Again no idea what help that was to anybody. I should have thought that one was a possibility but it was not advertised even at the door.
Our local NHL arena widely advertised the use of metal detectors when they were installed recently. I had never heard of any knife problems at an Ottawa Senators game. Probably a league or an insurance rule imposed on them.
Just to clarify three of those occasions were in Canada and we have extremely strict gun laws and I have never encountered anyone anywhere who was not a police officer or Brinks guard who I would even expect to have a gun on them. No lawful concealed carry here. It just doesn’t happen here. I am not saying we don’t have gang members around who are packing but I doubt they go to tourist attractions on a nice Sunday afternoon much.
Now I have some expensive and hard to replace knives. Fremont Jack, Benchmade 940 etc. Rules are getting stricter all the time. I am sure I will make a mistake sometime and loose something special.
,,,Mike in Canada
