I just got scolded at the Post Office...

R

rmc85

Joined
Nov 27, 2008
Messages
1,619
This is the first time I've ever had anyone say something about me carrying a knife.

For work I'm in and out of our downtown Post Office every few days. The Post Office is also the local Federal Courthouse so there are tons of US Marshals around. The Federal Courthouse is on the 2nd and 3rd floors and you have to take the elevator if you are going there. If you are just going into the Post Office part the Marshals X-ray boxes, bags, letter, and other stuff, but you don't have to go through a metal detector.

Since I'm in there so much almost all of the Marshals know me and we shoot the breeze if I have some extra time. I always make small talk with them on the way in and every one of them are very nice guys.

Today when I was exiting the Post office one of the Marshals I really don't see there often said "Sir, please don't have your knife clipped on your pocket". I replied with "Oh I'm sorry. Next time I wont even bring..." and he cut me off and said "Your alright, just keep it down in your pocket".:confused:

I looked at the other two Marshals I knew that were standing there and they both had a "I don't know what he's talking about-don't listen to him-you are good" look on their faces. I complied and put my knife in my pocket and said my "have a nice day(s)" to everyone and left.

Tell me this...

Why would he not care if I have a knife, but just not want me to have it clipped on my pocket?

I'll just start leaving my knife in my truck from now on. I guess I probably shouldn't carry it because of the Courthouse anyways...anyone know if its against the law?

FYI I had my s60v Blur.
 
You could have created a panic and caused innocent soccer moms to get trampled. :p

I guess he could have pressed his authority and tried to claim it, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Is the courthouse posted at all?
 
Because when a LEO sees a law being broken, they are sworn to act on it. He really did you a favor, and was saying in his own way he did not want to be forced to address the issue with you in a formal manner.
Discretion. He used it. You benefited greatly!
 
rmc85 said:
Tell me this...

Why would he not care if I have a knife, but just not want me to have it clipped on my pocket?
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Just a guess, but he may have just thought he doing you a favor.

Technically, federal law prohibits you from bringing a knife longer than 2.5 inches onto federal property (which a post office is). He probably realizes that average, law abiding people are probably carrying knives in and out of the post office all day long and its not a real problems. If the knife is showing (clipped to your pocket) he probably feels he has to take official notice of it, however.
 
mdauben said:
Technically, federal law prohibits you from bringing a knife longer than 2.5 inches onto federal property (which a post office is). He probably realizes that average, law abiding people are probably carrying knives in and out of the post office all day long and its not a real problems. If the knife is showing (clipped to your pocket) he probably feels he has to take official notice of it, however.
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Ah, I read too quickly and missed the fact that it is a federal building. I was just thinking county courthouse.

Yeah, the guy was just doing you a favor.
 
Ok so it looks like a boo boo on my part. I guess I just never realized it because all the other Marshals are cool with it.

I wasnt going to press the issue because I know what they say goes.
 
I always drop my knife down into my pocket whenever I go into a post office- for this very reason. It is technically illegal to bring a knife in, but nobody seems to really care. A busybody cop or postal worker could really give you a hard time if they were bored and saw that you had a knife on you. Better safe than sorry.

That said, I have taken my knife out to cut open boxes while in line at the PO before, and nobody has ever batted an eye.
 
rmc85 said:
This is the first time I've ever had anyone say something about me carrying a knife.

For work I'm in and out of our downtown Post Office every few days. The Post Office is also the local Federal Courthouse so there are tons of US Marshals around. The Federal Courthouse is on the 2nd and 3rd floors and you have to take the elevator if you are going there. If you are just going into the Post Office part the Marshals X-ray boxes, bags, letter, and other stuff, but you don't have to go through a metal detector.

Since I'm in there so much almost all of the Marshals know me and we shoot the breeze if I have some extra time. I always make small talk with them on the way in and every one of them are very nice guys.

Today when I was exiting the Post office one of the Marshals I really don't see there often said "Sir, please don't have your knife clipped on your pocket". I replied with "Oh I'm sorry. Next time I wont even bring..." and he cut me off and said "Your alright, just keep it down in your pocket".:confused:

I looked at the other two Marshals I knew that were standing there and they both had a "I don't know what he's talking about-don't listen to him-you are good" look on their faces. I complied and put my knife in my pocket and said my "have a nice day(s)" to everyone and left.

Tell me this...

Why would he not care if I have a knife, but just not want me to have it clipped on my pocket?

I'll just start leaving my knife in my truck from now on. I guess I probably shouldn't carry it because of the Courthouse anyways...anyone know if its against the law?

FYI I had my s60v Blur.
Click to expand...
Was it clipped on the outside of your pocket? I'm not sure on Federal law but if the rule is 2 1/2 in. then he just was asking you not to flaunt it. If clipped to the inside they won't know how long it is if they even notice it and probably wouldn't say anything. Now in a courthouse you can't bring any knife in. I do know that. You would never get past the metal detector.
 
mmarkh said:
Was it clipped on the outside of your pocket? I'm not sure on Federal law but if the rule is 2 1/2 in. then he just was asking you not to flaunt it. If clipped to the inside they won't know how long it is if they even notice it and probably wouldn't say anything. Now in a courthouse you can't bring any knife in. I do know that. You would never get past the metal detector.
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It was clipped with the body of the knife inside my pocket...Guess that doesn't matter because I was over the 2 1/2 limit anyways.
 
moonwilson said:
That said, I have taken my knife out to cut open boxes while in line at the PO before, and nobody has ever batted an eye.
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Hell, I used my Emerson Comrade to cut the bubble wrap for a package at the Post Office not even a week ago.
No freaked out people, no commotion, no raised eyebrows.
Don't think we have any laws about that stuff here, at least not for the PO.
 
moonwilson said:
That said, I have taken my knife out to cut open boxes while in line at the PO before, and nobody has ever batted an eye.
Click to expand...

Same here. I used an SAK the other day to open a box with a Busse in it. I was out in the lobby with the PO boxes, and one lady did raise an eyebrow. Fortunately, she did not scream KNIFE and begin to serpentine run.

mmarkh said:
Now in a courthouse you can't bring any knife in. I do know that. You would never get past the metal detector.
Click to expand...

Is that true of all courthouses? Or just federal ones? Last time I was in my home county's courthouse (very rural), I don't recall seeing metal detectors at the front entrance. In fact, I'm guessing most everyone in there was packing a knife, ladies included.
 
stabman said:
Don't think we have any laws about that stuff here, at least not for the PO.
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Opps! Just noticed you are in Canada. Not sure what the knife laws are up there, although given the strict gun laws I'm supprised the knife laws are not at least as strict as the US.
 
Guyon said:
Same here. I used an SAK the other day to open a box with a Busse in it. I was out in the lobby with the PO boxes, and one lady did raise an eyebrow. Fortunately, she did not scream KNIFE and begin to serpentine run.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid you've missed a wonderful opportunity.:(

If you can get them to exhibit the serpentine run, they make wonderful targets for an underhand throw. Two or three of those and your skills will be solid.

Maybe try again tomorrow.:o
 
OldPhysics said:
I'm afraid you've missed a wonderful opportunity.:(

If you can get them to exhibit the serpentine run, they make wonderful targets for an underhand throw. Two or three of those and your skills will be solid.

Maybe try again tomorrow.:o
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I'm on it. You think the Siegle will be good enough to scare a soccer mom into a sprint?

JK8.jpg
 
Northern Virginia should be firebombed off of the map, and rebuilt from scratch, IMO. I lived there most of my life, and good heavens, has it gone downhill. I had to get the hell out of there. I couldn't take it anymore.

Maybe next time, they can build more than one road that goes north/south.
 
It's actually pretty interesting that the knife laws here are a little laxer and a littler stricter in some cases than the US. No where in Canada can you own an auto or a balisong, but a ten inch bowie is legal to own. Up here I think you can also carry a sword cane as long as the blade inside is under 26" which I think is hilarious since autos are illegal.
 
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