Oops, vacation knife got caught in security

7

7k7k99

Joined
Jun 22, 2005
Messages
258
I followed proper procedure by putting my Ka-Bar Dozier folder in my checked luggage when I went to Vegas last month. Didn't want to be without an edc while on vacation. But I went to the Stratosphere Tower and wanted to go up into the tower to watch the fools on the new thrill rides. Oops, never thought I would have to go through a metal detector, but I guess heightened security still prevails. The security guard asked me if I had any knives on me, and I replied yes and handed it to him. He was very understanding and gave me a claim check to retrieve the knife when I came back down from the tower. Whew! An inexpensive knife to be sure, but I did not want to lose my vacation edc. I guess being calm and matter-of-fact about it helped. An attitude would surely have gotten me more trouble than I wanted. The unexpected metal detector -- the new way of life in America I guess.:o
 
Uh-oh. Everybody knows about airports, of course, but this could be the subject of a bad nightmare: losing a favorite or valuable knife in some unforeseen security stop! :thumbdn: I wonder how many other recent stories there are like yours?
 
I don't carry a knife to places where I expect there will be extensive security searches. My knives stay at home or in the car if I'm going to the airport, government buildings, night clubs, or sports arenas. When I'm in Vegas I'll carry a knife unless I'm going to a show or club. I wouldn't expect a no knife policy at the Stratosphere tower. At least they are kind enough to hold it for you.
 
This also happened to me when I went up to the "London Eye" mega-ferris wheel during a recent trip to England. I had a CRKT K.I.S.S. that I usually take along on trips, and was asked to surrender any knives before entering what turned out to be the most boring 30 minute ride of my life!

Got the knife back safe and sound tho, I didn't really like the way security handled it. When I showed my claim check, they directed me towards an unattended little plastic bowl filled with SAK's, Spydercos and other knives surrendered by the other riders. Good thing nobody was interested in my little folder! A more unscrupulous person might have just grabbed a handfull and walked off!
 
4 or 5 years back my wife and her sister and I took a tour of CNN Center in Atlanta. I was packing a pretty large Gerber Folding Sportsman II. I had to turn it in and get a claim check. didn't bother me at all. Far better than the alternative - them just telling you to piss off.
 
tjchung said:
This also happened to me when I went up to the "London Eye" mega-ferris wheel during a recent trip to England. I had a CRKT K.I.S.S. that I usually take along on trips, and was asked to surrender any knives before entering what turned out to be the most boring 30 minute ride of my life!

Got the knife back safe and sound tho, I didn't really like the way security handled it. When I showed my claim check, they directed me towards an unattended little plastic bowl filled with SAK's, Spydercos and other knives surrendered by the other riders. Good thing nobody was interested in my little folder! A more unscrupulous person might have just grabbed a handfull and walked off!
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your comment on the London eye really made me laugh being from England. You just tell it like it is bud. I know it is not quite Disny land but its the best we have got. lol.
 
I went to visit the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and was surprised at the security checkpoint. I very nervously loaned my ZDP-189 Calypso Jr. to a park police, and got it back safely a little while later.
 
Fortunately, I've never lost a knife to unexpected non-airport security. I have had to go back to my car a few times to leave knives after finding metal detectors at my destination.

Living in the D.C. area, I have to go knife-less any time I go downtown for work or play. Strangely, the Smithsonian museums all have metal detectors, but they only seem to use them when the crowds are small. :confused: If you go on a busy weekend, the guards just wave you through unless you have a bag to check.
 
moving-van.jpg
 
I have surrendered knives at the Aquirium in New Orleans, Aquirium of Atlanta, All the Top Floor rides in Vegas, 6 Flags in Dallas and San Antonio, and Disney World....if you are planning vactions remember these places are not knife friendly, same thing for multi tools. I am fortunate to have gotten them all back, you are right about attitude...don't give them a hassle just be sure to get a claim ticket and all should be well.
 
This is all so depressingly, disturbingly wrong. How many news items about these checkpoints stopping terrorist attacks have we seen?

Zilch. That line of Ben Franklin about people compromising freedom for security deserving neither springs to mind...

But from a practical POV, I guess the moral of the story is "don't carry your treasured knives where there's a risk the security goons might take them".

Wrong, wrong, wrong...
 
Gee, I don't know what everyone is complaining about. Your knives are being confiscated for safety... the safety of the criminals who might want to rob you with the weapons they smuggle in! God forbid you should have a reliable tool or something to defend yourself. :(
 
Praxis said:
Living in the D.C. area, I have to go knife-less any time I go downtown for work or play. Strangely, the Smithsonian museums all have metal detectors, but they only seem to use them when the crowds are small.
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Several years ago in high school we went to D.C. for our senior class trip. I was surprised at all the metal detectors myself, and this was well before 9/11. I remember when we all went to see the Declaration of Independence. As we passed through the metal detectors, basically every one of the guys dropped a knife, or two, or three into the little tray. We're from a small farming town, and no farm boy goes about his business without a pocket knife.

The guards were astonished. "Everybody's got a knife!" he exclaimed. They let us keep 'em though.
 
The metal detector craze is like a disease aflicting society. When I come across these I simply do not paronize the vendor/operator of that enterprise. Why? Because I do not feel welcome. While I comply with airline security since air travel is often the only option, I will not go to anywhere else with an antiknife attitude. If my knives are not welcome, then I am not welcome either. I will spend my time and money where I am welcome.:mad:
 
Oddly enough, the last time I was in Reno (for a fencing tournament), the only time I had to check my knives was to go into the hotel arcade (to mess around with some friends, it snowed and the highway was reputed to be hell, so we elected to stay an extra night and hand some time to kill)... That was the only place I saw metal detectors the entire trip (we drove).
 
7k7k99 said:
An attitude would surely have gotten me more trouble than I wanted.
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Thats a good approach no matter what you are doing. But don't forget that - as a general rule - security guards at Disney and retail locations and tourist traps are nothing more than cashiers with pretty blue uniforms and radios. They can't throw you in the pokey when they "catch" you with an evil Delica. They can refuse you entry (just like a cashier can), and if you are causing a stink they can tell you to leave (just like a cashier can). And if they see you shoplifting, for example, they can detain you (at least in my state) just like a cashier can.

Point being that if you know the law in your state and, as you say, exhibit a good attitude, there is no reason to be a 'fraidy cat just because you see a metal detector. Those cashiers dressed up like SWAT can't throw you in the gulag. :thumbup:

As for the Disney reference above, I was just there. I consented to a search of the bag I was carrying at every entrance each day (which if fine with me), but there were no metal detectors.

cheers!
 
Powernoodle, just FYI, I am a former LEO and now manage realestate, and at our malls ( in 32 states) we hire off duty LEOs as about 30% of our security hours. Some of our security officers also have powers of arrest depending on the state so they may have more authority than you think in some locals. Everything else you said was on the money !!
 
tjchung said:
This also happened to me when I went up to the "London Eye" mega-ferris wheel during a recent trip to England. I had a CRKT K.I.S.S. that I usually take along on trips, and was asked to surrender any knives before entering what turned out to be the most boring 30 minute ride of my life!

Got the knife back safe and sound tho, I didn't really like the way security handled it. When I showed my claim check, they directed me towards an unattended little plastic bowl filled with SAK's, Spydercos and other knives surrendered by the other riders. Good thing nobody was interested in my little folder! A more unscrupulous person might have just grabbed a handfull and walked off!
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Just a reminder for those lucky enough to live where knife laws haven't (yet -- you mark my words) arrived at the UK level of idiocy.

In brief, ANY locking folding knife is illegal to carry in the UK (unless you can show "good cause" supposedly, but I wouldn't trust the police or judiciary to have reasonable views on this -- they have to attain "performance targets" and knives have been greatly demonised by the government and press).

Additionally, any folder with a blade over 3 inches (and that should be taken as meaning the length of the whole blade, not just the cutting edge) is illegal to carry, as are fixed blades of any length -- what a surprise (again, the "good cause" defence supposedly applies, but see above).

I hope the spydies in the bowl were "UK penknives", which are specifically designed to be UK-legal, otherwise potential trouble is in store for their owners (this rather cool spydie looks very "tacticool", which alone will probably get you a night in the cells, btw). Your K.I.S.S. is illegal here, needless to say . . .

Non-locking SAKs are unlikely to cause you probs (smaller the better though), but most multitools have locking blades and so are illegal.

The current max. sentence for carrying an illegal blade is 2 years in our friendly prison system, but looks set to be raised to 4 years soon, thanks to our charming (but incompetent) government and their masters -- the tabloid (aka "gutter") press.
 
7k7k99 said:
I followed proper procedure by putting my Ka-Bar Dozier folder in my checked luggage when I went to Vegas last month. Didn't want to be without an edc while on vacation. But I went to the Stratosphere Tower and wanted to go up into the tower to watch the fools on the new thrill rides. Oops, never thought I would have to go through a metal detector, but I guess heightened security still prevails. The security guard asked me if I had any knives on me, and I replied yes and handed it to him. He was very understanding and gave me a claim check to retrieve the knife when I came back down from the tower. Whew! An inexpensive knife to be sure, but I did not want to lose my vacation edc. I guess being calm and matter-of-fact about it helped. An attitude would surely have gotten me more trouble than I wanted. The unexpected metal detector -- the new way of life in America I guess.:o
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I was just in Las Vegas, but I was forced to leave all my knives at home. I'm kind of glad I did now.
 
ocelot777 said:
Just a reminder for those lucky enough to live where knife laws haven't (yet -- you mark my words) arrived at the UK level of idiocy.

Additionally, any folder with a blade over 3 inches (and that should be taken as meaning the length of the whole blade, not just the cutting edge) is illegal to carry, as are fixed blades of any length -- what a surprise (again, the "good cause" defence supposedly applies, but see above).

The current max. sentence for carrying an illegal blade is 2 years in our friendly prison system, but looks set to be raised to 4 years soon, thanks to our charming (but incompetent) government and their masters -- the tabloid (aka "gutter") press.
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Ocelot, the law is actually that the edge is 3" or less (U.K. Imperial, not American!). As long as you're polite to anyone who challenges you, you should be okay. At least in my experience. ;)

And as long as you're not a scrote, chav or other undesirable, and aren't misbehaving you are VERY unlikely to be harrassed by a cop.
Security guards however can be a different matter - particularly if they are of the type that fancy themselves as Dirty Harry or Rambo! :rolleyes:
But they have always backed down when I've demonstrated that I know the law (generally better than they do in this particular field).

Basically guys, unless you're a complete idiot there's very little chance that you'll have any trouble carrying any sub 3" folder as long as it's not a mall ninja special.

Anyway, I prefer to look on the positive side - ANY edged tool is legal to carry as long as you have a good (sensible, in other words) reason to be carrying it.
Flick knives, gravity knives & knuckle dusters are flat illegal however, so leave them at home.

Ocelot, I hope you don't take offense as none's intended - just trying to keep a positive attitude to the pants situation we have here.
 
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