Worst Knife Reaction?

[Mr opinionated]

Most of us have probably had many moments in our lives where carrying or using our knives scared or made another person uncomfortable.

What is the worst reaction you ever got?

For me, it was when I had to go to the local courthouse. I was carrying a Spyderco Military. I was aware that I would not be able to pass through the metal detector with it in my pocket, so I put it in the basket assuming it would be placed in an envelope and given back to me when I left like any other time in my life that I had brought a knife to a place that prohibits them. I was not expecting what happened next.

The security guard picked up my knife and eyeballed it as if it were a nuclear missile. She then proceeded to open it clumsily and almost cut herself. At this point, she started screaming to the other security around her that it was basically a sword and I needed to leave. I politely asked her to place it in the envelope and give it back to me when I left. She refused and acted as if I attacked her, and asked the other security guard to do something about it. He looked at me sadly and told me it would be best if I left the building and came back without it.

It was a decent walk from the car to the courthouse, so I said "okay" and then walked around the corner and put it on top of a vending machine in the lobby area. Did my business. Walked out when I was done and grabbed my knife.

I am in agreement with forum member Quiet for the following reasons.
1. You should have simply hid the knife outside, not brought it, or kept it in a vehicle.
2. She is a freaking security guard and has a duty to keep the place safe and under control. And you go in there with a 4 inch blade that almost cuts her then turn around and call her a sheeple? Not cool.
3. There is a sign that mentions they are not responsible for your personal belongings posted in those buildings. Believe it or not theft does sometimes occur and you could have lost an expensive knife with no recourse. It has happened to people and even custom knife makers before. I seem to remember a story right on Blade Forums a few years ago that mentioned a custom knife maker having over $40,000 worth of knives disappear from an airport after they were checked in luggage, There was a very good chance TSA security or an airline employee stole them.

Sorry to sound harsh but you kind of asked for her less than kind response. And she does not deserve to be insulted for your lack of negligence or for doing her job.

 

[USMCPOP]

Circa 1979/80, I was working in Thailand with the refugee program. My wife (a Thai) and I were on a night bus from up-country to Bangkok. At a police checkpoint (martial law at the time), all the men had to get off and they boarded the bus to check things out. They came through and asked where the foreigner's bag was. My wife just pointed to the overhead rack and paid no attention.

In the bag was a nice handmade Hmong hill tribe knife I'd bought in the refugee camp. About like a 10" blade Bowie. They confronted me about carrying a weapon and made a big deal of it. I explained that it was no big deal, just a knife I'd collected. Told them everybody up-country has big knives. Grade school farmer kids would carry them to school. Etc, etc.

After about 10 minutes, they finally backed down. I suppose having a U.S. Embassy ID card and speaking a fair amount of Thai didn't hurt. They gave the knife to the bus stewardess for safekeeping. She wasn't happy with me causing a delay. Said she told people before we left to check any weapons with her. (???)

I wish I'd seen the expression on the cop's face when he searched our bag. Probably wondered what I was doing with women's underwear and whatnot.

Edit: Another time when pocket knives were still allowed on flights, I was changing planes at Narita in Japan. They made us go through security again and they didn't like me carrying a pocket knife. I explained that it was a nice knife, made in Seki and all. They boxed up the knife and forwarded it to Bangkok where I picked it up at the luggage service desk. Good service.

 

[Rupestris]

And you go in there with a 4 inch blade that almost cuts her then turn around and call her a sheeple? Not cool..

I have to nitpick on this comment and please, take it as constructive criticism. I get what you're saying.

The knife didn't almost do anything. This is the type of statement that perpetuates the "knives are evil" thinking. Just like the "guns kill people" mentality.

 

[danbot]

Bottom line is the vast majority of people view all but the smallest of traditional pocket knives or SAK carried in public as weapons.
One would have to be quite naive to be surprised by this fact, especially in a courthouse where emotions can run high.

 

[Mr opinionated]

I have to nitpick on this comment and please, take it as constructive criticism. I get what you're saying.

The knife didn't almost do anything. This is the type of statement that perpetuates the "knives are evil" thinking. Just like the "guns kill people" mentality.

I can accept constructive criticism. I will reflect on your comment and give it thought. And I will even discuss my comment with real life friends and get their feedback. One thing I am is humble. I apologise if my comment came out as anti knife anti 2A, That was not my intention.

Something I do if I ever mail a folding knife is to secure the blade with a rubber band. Just for safety's sake.
Perhaps that would be a good idea for those going to courts and government buildings where non knife folk can minimize their chance of injury.
Not everyone is a knife person or even those who are may not have been familiar with a different brand or style of knife. I am just glad she did not suffer injury.

 

[DocJD]

The security guard picked up my knife and eyeballed it as if it were a nuclear missile. She then proceeded to open it clumsily and almost cut herself. At this point, she started screaming to the other security around her that it was basically a sword and I needed to leave.

Sounds like someone was extremely unsuited for the job and very poorly trained .

The whole purpose of a security checkpoint in a government building is to prevent weapons carry beyond that point .

It should be routine for the guards to be able to take custody of any weapon that you can legally carry outside the premises . To be returned when you leave .

Maybe that's not how it's done , but IMO it should be .

Part of your job in security at such a checkpoint should be to recognize and be able to handle a wide range of weapons safely .

I had no trouble to check in a pair of very large Cold Steel folders when entering a federal building a few years back . I didn't realize that the county courthouse had been federalized and now had a checkpoint or I would have just left them in the car , probably . But nobody freaked out or said anything at all .

 

[jbmonkey]

Sounds like someone was extremely unsuited for the job and very poorly trained .

The whole purpose of a security checkpoint in a government building is to prevent weapons carry beyond that point .

It should be routine for the guards to be able to take custody of any weapon that you can legally carry outside the premises . To be returned when you leave .

Maybe that's not how it's done , but IMO it should be .

Part of your job in security at such a checkpoint should be to recognize and be able to handle a wide range of weapons safely .

I had no trouble to check in a pair of very large Cold Steel folders when entering a federal building a few years back . I didn't realize that the county courthouse had been federalized and now had a checkpoint or I would have just left them in the car , probably . But nobody freaked out or said anything at all .

good thing ya had 2 of them. in case one broke, those cold steels. cant trust them.

 

[madcap_magician]

No, he didn't. He just came here and posted up with a "Can you believe these people?!" tone to a post, which is my point. Let's all have a good laugh at this crazy security guard who didn't react well to my ultra stabby four inch knife that looks like a murder weapon*. Let's all share some stories about people who aren't knife people, those people are dumb!



* One of the things I enjoy about the Military, candidly speaking.

Well, now you're criticizing your subjective interpretation of the OP's tone. I think in informal written communication like a hobby discussion forum that it's best to grant some grace as to the intent of the poster, which I am doing for him and for you.

Assuming everything happened as the OP described, that he is not embellishing it and that his subjective interpretation of the actions of the two guards is accurate, do you think what the first guard did was sane or a good reaction? What purpose could there have been to opening his knife? Was it reasonable for her to raise her voice and say that it was a 'sword' and that he needed to leave? If she was worried about his knife... well she was the one holding it open, it wasn't even in his possession anymore. And nothing indicates that he was doing anything else untoward or abnormal.

I don't think it's good manners to sit here and bash people for being 'sheeple,' but I think that what the OP described was objectively unreasonable as well.

 

[danbot]

Sounds like someone was extremely unsuited for the job and very poorly trained .

The whole purpose of a security checkpoint in a government building is to prevent weapons carry beyond that point .

It should be routine for the guards to be able to take custody of any weapon that you can legally carry outside the premises . To be returned when you leave .

Maybe that's not how it's done , but IMO it should be .

Part of your job in security at such a checkpoint should be to recognize and be able to handle a wide range of weapons safely .

I had no trouble to check in a pair of very large Cold Steel folders when entering a federal building a few years back . I didn't realize that the county courthouse had been federalized and now had a checkpoint or I would have just left them in the car , probably . But nobody freaked out or said anything at all .

Where I live, the courthouse security (it's actually the city police) will not take custody of a knife that can be legally carried outside the premises and return it to you when you leave. They will simply confiscate it.
They do have signs clearly posted of their policy before you get to the metal detector.

 

[David Mary]

I was working in an office a few years ago and pulled out a pocket fixed blade to cut something for a coworker, which caused her to blurt out a blasphemy in exclamation. I took it as a lesson to be more considerate that some people might be taken by surprise or frightened by such things. Now when I am in close proximity to someone I don't know and want to cut something, I simply say something like "I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just going to use my pocket knife to cut this". Then I wait a second or two for it to register, and take out the knife and cut the thing. They don't freak out, even if I pull out my big, pointily reground, Spyderco Resilience. They might still ask about it being a weapon, but the first step of polite communication was already made, so the interaction proceeds like two rational people, rather than invoking someone's adrenaline response. So I can explain. It's a cutting tool, and you just saw what it's used for.

 

[killgar]

On a lighter note,

I've been carrying knives since I was about 8, I'm now 51, and I can't recall ever experiencing a negative reaction over my knives. Not even the openly carried black "tactical"-looking fixed-blades I carried for several years. And I live in a large urban city (San Diego), not out in the country somewhere. And I'm in California no less.

Since I have no negative reactions to share, I'll share the two funniest reactions (funny in my opinion anyways )-

1. Back in my early teens I had this Parker brand butterfly knife. For awhile I was drawn to the novelty of it and carried it around at home. And I had gotten pretty good at flipping it open. When my father wasn't around, or sleeping, I was responsible for "home security", if my mom heard a noise outside she would call me to investigate.

One night, when dad was out, my mom, my older sister, and a female friend of my sister were all sitting in the living room watching tv. Mom heard a noise outside in the front of the house and summoned me from my room. I came out, mom told me she heard something outside, and without a word or any sign of emotion I pulled out my butterfly knife, did a perfect Hollywood-worthy opening flip right in front of everyone, and walked out the front door, knife in hand, to investigate. Neither my mom nor my sister had any reaction whatsoever as my actions were perfectly normal to them. But on my way out the door I saw the face of my sisters friend, her jaw had dropped wide open and her eyes were bugging out. She didn't freak-out and run screaming out the door, but I definitely made an impression, and she got a glimpse into normal life in my family.

2. In my forties there was a convenience store near my house and I used to go there a few times a week for lottery tickets. For awhile there was this very bold streetwise kid maybe 11-12 years old that hung around outside trying to sell candy bars from a box (at night). He would always bug me to buy and I always refused, it was like an ongoing joke between us. One night as I exited the store he noticed the fixed-blade I was carrying and he asked me "Why are you carrying that knife?". Without skipping a beat and completely deadpan I responded "In case I run out of bullets". The kid didn't say a word, just stood there with his jaw hanging open. I got onto my motorcycle, fired her up, and rode off.

 

[cnm123]

Just a few years ago, I had a coworker ask me to cut plastic straps off a stack of boxes of medical supplies. I had a Kizer Tomcat, which by most people’s metrics is a large knife, on me that day. She pretty much freaked out! “OMG is that a sword!” or something like that. Had a maintenance guy at the same place say something similar to that about that knife.
Also my brother in law called my Benchmade Presidio Ultra a machete once.

 

[DocJD]

Where I live, the courthouse security (it's actually the city police) will not take custody of a knife that can be legally carried outside the premises and return it to you when you leave. They will simply confiscate it.
They do have signs clearly posted of their policy before you get to the metal detector.

I know this exists , but I don't like the attitude of government it reflects .

The priority of protecting themselves rather than those they supposedly serve .

Sorry , getting "political" , will now desist !

 

[Quiet]

Well, now you're criticizing your subjective interpretation of the OP's tone. I think in informal written communication like a hobby discussion forum that it's best to grant some grace as to the intent of the poster, which I am doing for him and for you.

Assuming everything happened as the OP described, that he is not embellishing it and that his subjective interpretation of the actions of the two guards is accurate, do you think what the first guard did was sane or a good reaction? What purpose could there have been to opening his knife? Was it reasonable for her to raise her voice and say that it was a 'sword' and that he needed to leave? If she was worried about his knife... well she was the one holding it open, it wasn't even in his possession anymore. And nothing indicates that he was doing anything else untoward or abnormal.

I don't think it's good manners to sit here and bash people for being 'sheeple,' but I think that what the OP described was objectively unreasonable as well.

I don't think the guard's reaction was UNreasonable, because it's her job to be suspicious of people. So a guy walks in, puts a knife she (not being a knife person) can barely operate without almost hurting herself, into the collection basket. She reacts to this device that has a long, sharp blade on it, by calling over another guard, just in case this person who just put a long, sharp knife in her basket decides to get aggressive.

All of this happened at a government building. Now, without going into the political arena, can you off the top of your head think of ANY reason why security guards at checkpoints in government buildings might be, you know, on edge? Any reason at all? Hmmmmmm.....

 

[danbot]

I know this exists , but I don't like the attitude of government it reflects .

The priority of protecting themselves rather than those they supposedly serve .

Sorry , getting "political" , will now desist !

It never use to be like this, but over the last decade or so there have been numerous "incidents" in the building that have lead to this.

 

[DocJD]

security guards

My ideal of a security guard at a checkpoint of a federal facility is of higher standard than an employee working a perfume counter for example .

The whole beefing up of "Homeland Security " , post 9/11 , very costly to taxpayers , was supposedly to enable protection against terrorists , not law abiding citizens .

If "security" can't cope with a peacefully surrendered common folding knife , how they gonna handle organized terrorists or even a lone shooter maniac's violent armed assault ?

Pathetic , IMO .

 

[Quiet]

My ideal of a security guard at a checkpoint of a federal facility is of higher standard than an employee working a perfume counter for example .

The whole beefing up of "Homeland Security " , post 9/11 , very costly to taxpayers , was supposedly to enable protection against terrorists , not law abiding citizens .

If "security" can't cope with a peacefully surrendered common folding knife , how they gonna handle organized terrorists or even a lone shooter maniac's violent armed assault ?

Pathetic , IMO .

Which is fine. What I find hilarious is that you carry knives as weapons specifically because you want to be ready for "the bad guys", yet have an issue when security guards saw a big scary murder knife and made assumptions and reacted accordingly to OP. LOL

In any case, it also misses the point I was trying to allude to so this didn't get dropped in the PA.

 

[Mecha]

I haven't had much trouble with blade freakouts, but there was this one time I flew in my hovercraft to a top secret high-level meeting with the King of Lichtenstein, and the Elite Guard Unit commander didn't recognize me because of my new light-bending ninja suit. While I was being patted down, they noticed the machete I always keep duct taped to my back under my electro-armor. There was a bit of a kerfuffle, but then they found my credentials and immediately apologized, saluted, and returned my edc machete. Then the King of Lichtenstein arrived in his purple limousine and gave me his personal duct tape roll so I could remount the machete. Then we partied with ZZ Top.

 

[stabman]

My best reaction from person who didn't get knives went like this:

I was working in the lab, using a Spyderco or the Umnumzaan (forget which) to open a box of solvents for extractions.
Girl walks in, see me using knife.

"Why do you carry a knife?
"For stuff like this."
"Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense."



Easiest explanation that actually worked ever.
After that there was no weirdness; she got it.

 

[Owen K.]

I broke out with a gnarly purple rash on my genitals once, but it cleared up after I sold my manix.