My Knife Spooked My Co-worker

Sheeple, liberals (in Canada) and political correctness are things I can rant on forever and give me heart burn I get so mad.

Here is a sig that my friend has in his emails. Very fitting and oh so true.

"Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." (author unknown)

It's even worse here in Canada than down in the US. I teach elementary school and last year one of my kids (grade 3 boy) drew a picture of a dead deer that his dad shot and he got to go along on the hunt. Another student saw said picture when he proudly told his friends about his weekend and went home and told her parents. The next day I had a "crisis" meeting with the parents of the distressed student. Not going to go into details as I'm still so mad about the whole thing but "Johnny" wasn't allowed to draw any more pictures of hunting or rifles, nor talk about it in class.

Good times.
 
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Scott Neelan said:
Just a friendly reminder: being liberal doesn't automatically make someone anti-gun or anti-knife, thanks. Not sure why these sort of threads jump right into the unnecessary labels and insults, but...

On topic: unfortunately for you (for everyone, really), in a management position like that it's easier and "safer" to correct you for your action than to correct your coworker for hers. It royally sucks, since knives as tools should be readily useable in a workplace, especially since I'd trust any of my knives more than the cheapo snap-off utility blades.

The problem is that "can we get sued over this?" is the guiding factor in most HR decisions these days. If management had gone after her for butting in, as it very well should have in a perfect world, they'd (and you'd) potentially be up to their eyeballs in lawsuits over "unsafe working conditions". Stupid, but true. So they did what they had to do to cover themselves, and would be pretty likely to come down hard on you if anyone catches you using a knife instead of the blade. It's all to protect themselves from her and people like her.
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They could have fired her on the spot if they had balls for creating a hostile work environment.

If there aren't any Company policies against carrying knives to work no lawsuit would ever stick. As long as the workers knife was within legal limits and they aren't threatening anyone.

The laws work both ways.....
 
Ankerson said:
They could have fired her on the spot if they had balls for creating a hostile work environment.

If there aren't any Company policies against carrying knives to work no lawsuit would ever stick. As long as the workers knife was within legal limits and they aren't threatening anyone.

The laws work both ways.....
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I like your thinking, and would love to see a situation like this turn out that way, if for no other reason to see someone abusing stupid laws and loopholes like that have their own weapon turned against them. Besides, I'm not saying she would've filed the lawsuit, or that she would've won it if she had. I'm just saying that's the mindset in this situation.

It's BS, plain and simple, that legalities and political correctness have taken the place of logic. Too much black and white thinking and too much willingness to sue the pants off anyone and everyone are both big, common problems in this world.
 
Scott Neelan said:
I like your thinking, and would love to see a situation like this turn out that way, if for no other reason to see someone abusing stupid laws and loopholes like that have their own weapon turned against them. Besides, I'm not saying she would've filed the lawsuit, or that she would've won it if she had. I'm just saying that's the mindset in this situation.

It's BS, plain and simple, that legalities and political correctness have taken the place of logic. Too much black and white thinking and too much willingness to sue the pants off anyone and everyone are both big, common problems in this world.
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The problem is they keep people like that and get rid of the good workers, what happens is there tends to be more of them over time and they get promoted into Management.

Then once that happens they all are more worried about who to backstab next and nothing gets done work wise then things get bad.

Welcome to BS Corp Politics, who can they suck up to next while stabbing another in the back.
 
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where i work we show each other our knives all time. the boss actually encourages it. he showed me his the other day. we also look at guns, hundreds of them.

although.... i do work at a rather large gun shop
 
Henry44 said:
There are lots of people that know that they are weak and helpless. It makes them feel more powerful, when they can get away with talking down to a stronger person and get away with it. This is why i quit smoking. People felt entitled to be able to smart off to me about smoking, because it is not politically correct. Had i defended myself, and ended up in court, or a lawsuit, the court would definitely not sympathize with me. Smoking is not PC. Same goes for knives, guns, hunting,vulgar language, weapon or sexually orientated material. The whiners know when they can get away with mouthing off to someone who they would have normally feared.
So,i quit smoking. I am very careful to be discreet with my knives, firearms and speaking of my hunting, fishing,sexual adventures. My partners know that i am the "go to guy" when s$%t gets deep. In "POLITE" society, we don't even talk about it.
I steer away from these situations,give no-one else that power, then when they smart off, i give them that icy cold stare that assures them, that i could take their life in a heart-beat. They get it. They walk away. They get respectful. regards, Henry
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you can't compare people fussing over smoking to people fussing over knives. smoking provides no benefits for anyone. it stinks, hurts you, and anyone else breathing it in. with that said I personally don't care who smokes as long as you are courteous to take it somewhere not in the vicinity of other people.
 
Ankerson said:
The problem is they keep people like that and get rid of the good workers.
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Sad, but true. I don't see that changing anytime soon, though. That kind of thinking is too common in too many places. It doesn't matter how good you are, it doesn't matter how loyal you are. All that matters is that you can keep your head down and be a good little worker bee until they decide they don't need you anymore.

...but that's going off-topic.
 
Scott Neelan said:
Sad, but true. I don't see that changing anytime soon, though. That kind of thinking is too common in too many places. It doesn't matter how good you are, it doesn't matter how loyal you are. All that matters is that you can keep your head down and be a good little worker bee until they decide they don't need you anymore.

...but that's going off-topic.
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Oh yeah keep it up, you are 1 Million percent correct. :thumbup:

Been there, done that more times than I can count and I have a closet full of T-Shirts.
 
malicious said:
where i work we show each other our knives all time. the boss actually encourages it. he showed me his the other day. we also look at guns, hundreds of them.

although.... i do work at a rather large gun shop
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That helps. A lot.

I'm more and more glad I live where I do each time something like this comes up. About the only thing I could do to scare someone around here with one of my knives is if I waved out my CQC-8 in front of them, and even then I'd get more "whoa" and "that's bad-ass" than anything else.
 
Wolfjohn said:
So yesterday I was showing a co-worker my new Emerson Traveler (I love it) and another co-worker saw me showing it and went off on me stating that "There should be company rules about people bringing that sort of thing to work." She said she felt it presented a threat. I told her put a little more effort into minding her own business. Needless to say, I went on the carpet over that comment and was politely asked to not display it again and if possibly, use one of the snap off blades from the tool crib that the company provides. Now, my blade is within legal limits in my state, this person had to make an effort to actually see me showing it to another co-worker. Granted my comment may not have been appropriate but, are we to that point where people are that concerned over a person in their midst carrying a pocket knife? I won't substitute it for a snap off slide blade and I will continue to carry it (without displaying it in such a manner I guess). My question is, am I wrong to feel this way or should I bend and leave it at home in order to pacify a Chicken Little co-worker who peels her organic grown apple with a banana while singing Kumbaya? One thing I might add is in no way is my job at risk over this issue since my blade does fall within the company's appropriate length/style for a pocket knife- I was told it was a "Harmony In The Work Place Issue". Sorry for the rant, I was a little ticked off over it...no I wasn't, damitt... I was flat pissed off...what do you guys think?:mad:
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Being that I am older, wise-ish and an incredibly attractive man (when the lights are turned off). I find when dealing with people like this, you know, the ones that hate knives, guns, the very fact you have male genitalia.....
Your attitude makes a big difference. Hell, I went to a college (to pick up an order) with my Spyderco Hossom Woodlander attached to my waist. I got plenty of looks, but because I expected them and wasn't the least bit aggressive about it, no one really cared that I could kill them all, if I really wanted to.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, how you present yourself is important when carrying and or displaying controversial things like knives, guns, geni...well maybe not those.

Now had you approached that woman with a more friendlier attitude. Her cause for concern would have been disarmed somewhat, she'd be rethinking her attitude. Maybe these so called knife wielding, testical possessing meat grinders aren't so bad afterall. Hell, you might have even became friends with her afterward. Before you know it, you're bringing bazooka's to work to show people. Then, when she's feeling comfortable enough around you to make some sexual innuendo comment inspired by the bazook, you can go to the boss and get her nosy ass fired for sexual harassment!

Just a thought.
 
Dude, if you want the job, lie low.
You & they don't need the aggravation.
Make a stand somewhere it matters.
I work in an office environment. Carry a knife everyday.
Stay discreet. Why expose yourself?
 
I believe that you should expect that attitude.
You were aggravated by the fact that your co-worker has expressed her opinion, instead of just going away thinking you are nuts and dangerous? But she believed you are a sane person and could be reasoned with... While the co-worker you were showing your knife holds an opposite view - that you are a violent type he should not argue with, safer to show some interest and go along... So who of them were right? ;)
I carry a knife every day. Usually some Griptilian or Endura. But I never advertise this. People who do not know me have the right to be concerned seeng a complete stranger with open knife just in a close vicinity. I would be concerned myself. Nothing wrong with knifes - I simply do not trust strangers. I would be equaly concerned seeing somebody in the street or in the office wielding an axe, a metal rod or a baseball bat with no justified purpose - though they are all legal and absolutely peaseful objects... I do not even trust people here on BF. And I certainly do not trust some teen-age self-defense types here, asking what would be the best blade to stab people with... Sorry guys! :)
 
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I carry a knife at work, knifes don't bother me.
Some one who tells me that they could kill me with a book/umbrella/chopsticks and/or their bare hands, do in fact bother me a lot, I find they put to much of their time in to thinking about killing people in their immediate vicinity, which happens to include me.
 
G'day all. Have had similar experiences here in west Australia.
Some of my colleagues were interested in the work I do sheaths rehafting.
But one came to me one day and asked me on the quiet not to bring them in as it frightens some of the others.
 
True story - I once got turned in by some anonymous office do-gooder (read: busy body) who was 'offended' at the copies of knife magazines I had on my desk. I think I had one or two copies of Blade sitting half-covered by papers. I got called in to the bosses office and told of the situation. At the same time my wife was working for the NRA. Needless to say we had VERY different office experiences. She usually came home with a new knife for me to try out or a story of what gun they just shot at the HQ indoor range.
 
JLBauer said:
The only thing I am sure of is I specifically wrote I am not so sure.

If you were at work and saw a man hit a woman once and walk away would you say nothing?
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Wait, what?

Although I have to admit, if I saw someone hit this woman, I probably wouldn't say anything.
 
I've carried my Bark River Canadian Special in my laptop case for the past couple of years now.

Once at work one of the bosses asked if anyone had a knife she could borrow to cut up some food. When I handed it to her, she looked at me and asked what kind of knife it was. I replied its called a Canadian Special and I use it to cut up cheese and other food items for my lunches.

She was in no way upset or offended by my knife, and my other collegues now refer to it as my Canadian cheese knife.

I learnt that sometimes it's better to carry a non-offensive looking knife capable of much more at work in order to make the sheeple around you more comfortable.

It's a shame, I know, but that the way things are now. Too many are brainwashed into believing that because it can be used as a weapon, that makes it a weapon and not a tool.
 
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