My civil liberties have been violated.

[Rebeltruce]

Went to Ringling Brothers circus this week. The show was downtown DC, at the DC Armory, for those of you familiar with the area.



I debated before going whether or not to bring a EDC. In the end chose to carry my SS Serrated Dragonfly. A small non intrusive blade in my opinion.



The Armory had a public service announcement playing over a PA system outside the venue, "no weapons, fireworks ya know the typical speel. I'm thinking Ugh O, would security, consider my Dragonfly a weapon??? In the end I decided, "It's just a pocket knife", famous last words.



They were using a wand on everybody so I pulled my keys, insulin penjet, and my beloved Dragonfly out of my pocket. I was informed that the pocket knife was a weapon and I had to either take it to my car or "hide" it outside until after the show. I asked "Is there safe place I can leave it and pick it up after the show?" That was when I was told "We cannot be responsible for your weapon".



I did not drive to the circus, Metro is much mre convenient. So my only choice was to "hide" it outside or to trash the Dragonfly. I chose to trash it rather then "hide" it under a tree somewhere. If I can't have her no one can kinda thing, unless of course the security guard dug it out of the trash.



I guess I could have just left, but the tickets for the circus weren't cheap. The worst thing about it was, the security was pathetic, I could have gotten a gun past them if I wanted!!!! I could have slipped the Dragonfly into my sock and walked right on through!!!

[pelhamer]

your civil rights were violated !!!

join the club. civil rights are a nice concept but being a FORMER LEO i have seen peoples rights routinely stepped on by the police community, even worse abuse by the judges and prosecuters that are more concerned with there careers then justice.

i am a former LEO, turned over my chief and mayor as they were sellling LEADS info.

scumbags.

[Jazzman]

I don't know..I would have been garbage diving after the show. Whenever I go to such an event I almost never carry my EDC (I would hate like hell to lose my decorated sebenza). Instead I carry a small SAK on my keychain or in my watch pocket.
Sorry about your spydie loss,
Matt

[CKE]

Bum deal man! Sorry to hear about the loss of your Fly. I think I would be in a real pickle if that happened to me. Not too many things can make me part with my knives. I guess if kids were depending on seeing the circus than I would do the same thing.
Something I have necer really considered though, I will definetly give that some thought the next time I go anywhere like that.

"everything else is just a jeep"

[Joe Talmadge]

Geez, hiding the knife outside is no big deal, I've done it tons of times. Walk outside, find something like a planter (very common even in urban environments) with ivy-type plants in it, push the thing into the dirt. Just don't be too conspicuous and your knife will be out there waiting.

[Rebeltruce]

Yup Joe, I seriously considered that. Then I started thinkin, this is DC a relatively bad part of town. There at least 3 to 4 hundred people milling around outside, circus goer's, war protesters, homeless people, and most important drug dealers. There would have been no way to hide it and be discrete. I didn't wanna have to think about the criminal element finding the knife and using it in the commission of a crime. Long shot yup, a very long shot........but not one I'm willing to take.

[ken]

That is a bummer! Because I like to take a knife where ever I go.

There was quite a discussion over at blade forum's about this same thing. It was real interesting.

My understanding is that the promoter has the right to restrict such "things". The same way theme parks, court rooms, concerts, airlines, and even baseball games.

Kind of like> No shoes, No shirt, No service!
I think you were personally violated but not your civil righs. Seeing as they did not confiscate your knife.

ken

[dialex]

Sorry to hear about your troubles man. Don't know much about civil rights, but as you described the situation, it looks like the policeman (or whatever) there just wanted to comply to the regulations.

<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>

[Rebeltruce]

I don't think my &quot;civil rights&quot; were violated. I think my &quot;civil liberties&quot; were violated. I think there is a difference. I agree the security buffon was doing what he thought was his job, I guess I didn't express fully the overall ineptness of the people actually running security. I took my knife out of my pocket at the door, like a good citizen. If I would have never done the &quot;right thing&quot; I could have not only gotten a small unobtrusive pocket knife into the show...........I'm confident I could have gotten a small handgun or even worse through!!!

I'm one who lives buy the credo &quot;If you're gonna do something, then do it right&quot;. This is where my frustration comes in, they make a big deal about a pocket knife at a circus, and yet I know for a fact that if anyone wanted to get just about anything through they could have.

Ken, they didn't &quot;confiscate&quot; my knife but they might as well have. I honestly had very few options.

Jazz, ILMAO, I thought about garbage diving also, but after scoping the trashcan out on my way out the door I decided against it..............nasty stuff brother!!!

[dynaryder]

Rebel:has the Armory gotten any better? I was stationed at the Pentagon from '92-'00,and it wasn't the most pleasent of neighborhoods. I also would've found a place to stash it. If I remember right,they used to have flags and banners draped on the walls. Maybe you could've clipped it to one?

I do think it's pretty stupid of places to restrict items and then not give you a place to check them. I got turned away from a movie theater because I was wearing a dispatch bag. I've been there before wearing my Firstgear Kilimanjaro motorcycle jacket w/no probs. That thing will conceal almost as much stuff as my bag. Needless to say,I go to another theater now.

[Rebeltruce]

dyna

No change it's just as crappy as ever!!!!

[reg]

Believe it or not but when I as flying (pre 9/11) I always carried a PE Gerber Junior Magnum L.S.T. (still do as my EDC because it is less threatening than the SS PD 50/50) I got into the habit of having a stamped self addressed jet pack in my brief case. If stopped I figured I’d mail it to myself. I never had to put the plan into practice I always got through. Today they may not even let you “choose not to fly” and then return absent the knife. With the current mindset they may take it and not give you the option to with draw gracefully. Though technically their job is only to prevent things for getting on to the plane they may see their job now as more overall airport security. Sorry to hear of your loss.

Beyond this there must be dragons!

[ken]

Rebeltruce-

No one asked, but was the show any good?
You did pay a price for it!

ken

[Sword and Shield]

Howdy Reg! Welcome to <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>Land! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Ouch. No show, regardless of how good it is, is worth that slap in the face. <img src="sad.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Note to self- Remember, next time circus comes to town, recommend the Shrine Circus over B&amp;B. Money there at least goes to a good cause! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

Never underestimate the impossible.

[Rebeltruce]

The show was mediocre at best, certainly not worth the money I spent or the loss of my Dragonfly.

[AllenETreat]

Rebeltruce :

Here's a site for ya' :

www.aclu.org

NEVER MIND, your &quot;knife right's&quot; ( Sorry
Judge Lowell Bray! ) try your liberties
that are supposedly guaranteed under the
Constituition!

&quot;Patriot Act&quot; ; a pretext to fascism!

AET <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>