Personal Knives, anyone have the facts?

I refuse to carry a knife,but my rabid pitbull , named "Crazy" ,insists on carrying a 10 inch blade, a bazooka and a Gatling gun,go figure !

 

My knife of choice is the Spiderco police model. Concealable, tough, can cut through stucco.

 

I've seen some where a pitbull with aids didnt scare them like at the old West Atlanta Truck Stop which was where the Petro is at exit 10 on I285 now. That was a place you couldn't get me into holding a gun to my head!

A knife the size of a broad sword never worried the morons who preyed on us in that dump!

Now as for a knife, when my last situation arose I didn't have the time to pull my knife from its sheath but I did hurt him bad enough with a well placed blow to the throat that I was the one who got to take a ride to the station as the idiot that thought I was easy prey never had his throat crushed by a well placed practiced blow! After talking to the detectives and having their hand to hand guy come and talk with me the charges were dropped! No weapon used but because I had one on my side saved my tired arse!
Also a knife fight with a methed out or cracked out punk is NOT a good thing to be in! Unless you cut their freking head off at the beginning they will do you some bad damage as they feel no pain anyway!. Even a gun might not keep you from getting hurt.

A knife is a tool ONLY if you use you brain and not strap a freaking sword to your side! Be real. Having a knife on your side doeasn't make you Steven Segall! Find someone like an Army Ranger or 11 Bush, Marine anything, Navy Seal or AFSF to teach you how to use it! Just having a knife doesn't mean you 1, are scaring a punk who's more than likely been in a few knife fights more than you have or 2, you'll get lucky and actually get a good blow/cut in! As someone mentioned earlier about thick clothes. OK you MIGHT get a blow through but it's not guaranteed you got a GOOD blow in as clothing is actually hard to get a knife through. And do you know where to place that blow? Do you want to kill or disable? That is a debatable question! Kill him and face murder or wound him and get your arse sued off by his "greaving family" And yes it happens! And they can freaking win! Go figure!

As I said know your surroundings, be alert but be safe. And if you feel you need a weapon. Stay in the truck!

 

I carry a 4 1/2" folder in the watch pocket of my jeans. I don't notice it while in the seat and I always know where it is. Its a very handy tool to have and, so far, I've not had any issues at any of my drops. I have had the occasional "What do you plan to do with that?!" question from people who really don't know what a knife is for, though.

 

The best advice is to avoid confrontations whenever possible even with a gun. Always leave yourself an escape route.

Knife fights can get very bloody.
Yes, if you are in a knife fight, expect to get cut...
Do you really want to be cut and have the perk's HIV/HEP B,C,D blood getting all over your wounds???

If you pull a knife or gun and/or use it against an unarmed assailant, you maybe judged to be the aggressor and/or to have used excessive force.
The legal ramifications can net you jail time and a felony criminal record, and/or a judgment against you for 10's of thousands of dollars.

Throw a wad of bills on the ground and di-di mau the other way (I learned that watching a Steven Segal flick).
Carrying a blade doesn't necessarily make you street smart or safe.

 

In the UK it could depend on whether the Police are as malicious as Mansfield Police seem to be - take a read of this and you'll see what I mean:

I'd like to make folk aware of the law and how it is applied in Nottinghamshire and also ask how many trucker's still carry knifes to utilise at work- HERE IS THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT IS OCCURRING AND WHAT HAS OCCURRED:


As a trucker I have encountered many situations where a knife can be utilised to protect my load, myself and others from dangers my truck or its load may extend; mostly I have used it for cutting bread, straps and packaging - as and when necessary.


I have owned numerous knives and found multi-tools not only too small but also too weak for some purposes (and they are not always easy to manipulate as more blades take longer to open- in my perception.


I have cut my fingers and hands on many occasions when I have not had a practical tool at hand.


In January this year I was victim of an incident that involved what I believe was an ex or even serving officer and his son: Whilst riding my moped to work, a transit van committed dangerous driving that not only frightened me but made me feel the driver should be asked why he had driven right up to the back of my moped at speed then undertook on a single carriageway 'AN INCH from my left elbow'. A mile down the road I was given the opportunity as the van was mid way in a jam at a roundabout (small spot in the road).


I parked my moped up and when the van approached the spot; I stood in the centre of its exit path and raised my hand like a policeman would in the hope it would stop so I could have a word with the driver. Instead- the driver gunned the vehicle straight for my position- which is not only using the van as a weapon but frightening me even further.
The van stopped 30yrds up the road and two men climbed from it (an older man from the drivers door and a younger man from the passenger door.


The young man marched menacingly toward me and no matter how many times I told him to back off - he didn't, the older man incited him even further by saying "he won't do that - I KNOW HIM" (or very similar words- it's been a few months). The younger man was making me very uneasy as I could hardly move with the clothing and rucksack I was wearing: I had waterproof trousers that restricted leg movement, TWO large hi-viz coats and a 70 litre rucksack on my back (heavy) and police riot gauntlets on my hands (they don't allow too much of a grip). Somewhere between me telling him to back off- the younger man told me he had a stanley knife and was going to cut my throat; with his hand in his work pouch I tended to see the possibilities so when he advanced I swung my helmet at him, I did this twice- apparently smashing his mobile phone or watch.


At first the Police held an assault charge over me which they have now dropped. They told me the younger man had been cautioned for threatening behaviour.
The funny thing is: the younger man had taken responsibility for driving the van (yet it wasn't him driving) and in doing so admitted dangerous driving and using the van as a weapon simply because the physical facts cannot be altered- how is it possible for the vehicle to get past me if i was stood in the middle of the road- and what would have made me move? He had been found to have a stanley knife on his person which corroborated my story as I would not have known he had one if he hadn't threatened to use one on me. BUT Mansfield Police seem to think past good behavior (or the truth being the guy had probably never been convicted if he really is a policemans son) gave them the right to caution him.


NOW THE POINT I MAKE ABOUT TRUCKERS AND KNIVES:


When I arrived at the Police station, they took all my possessions which included the rucksack which they emptied.
Inside the rucksack was sandwiches, tacho's, a bottle of energy drink, jeans, sleeping bag, tacho's, pens, music cd's AND a knife.


The Police are now charging me with being in possession of a 'BLADED ARTICLE' which the knife certainly was not as it was carried and utilised as a work tool.


If I had ever intended it to be carried for or utilised for other purposes- SURELY I would have utilised it to protect myself with when the younger man threatened to cut my throat with a stanley knife? If it is to be labelled a concealed weapon; surely a weapon would be easily accessible? The knife was never meant to be a weapon and was not carried on my belt or even my person- it was in a sheath buried in the centre of the rucksack between the jeans and the bag with my tacho's and pens in.


The knife was a divers knife/survival knife that had waterproof matches, needle and cotton in the handle (something I always knew might come in handy) and it was made of steel that didn't rust was easily sharpened as it had a large blade and could be ground if necessary but most of all it had a set of ridges on the other side that could cut wood, wire and be used to relieve my vehicles of metal security tags (has been used for this) that previously I had cut my hands on.


The Police have even approached my employer to coerce (in my opinion) a statement from him saying he doesn't want me to have the knife at work- i.e. now my employer is being used to stop me having a tool at work (fair enough- this will cost him should I need to use it- as I won't have it anymore).


I cannot believe that all the truckers out there face similar situations and are being told what they can and cannot carry to work with them.


'A few years ago I believe I had a similar incident with these two people and eventually got so peeved I went to their house and on knocking on the door was invited in under the threat of a handgun which was being pointed at me. After a few minutes and many threats- the mans daughter appeared and looked very frightened- at which point the man began showing me his collection of replica guns and then said the one he was holding was a replica- i didn't believe him but knew this was the time to leave or get shot- which i did (leave). I don't know how long after - I did inform the Police of what had occurred and I think I even emailed the director of public prosecutions- but from what is occurring right now- it seems they will have told him not to point any more guns at people and that will have been that. The law actually states that he could get up to 5yrs as it doesn't matter whether the gun had been real or fake - just that I believed I could be shot. The man had no reason to open the door in the first place if he was frightened of me assaulting him.'


(I was asked during questioning whether I knew the men and I said NO - simply because I didn't; yet as months have gone by and I have been under mental duress- I began to remember the other incident and now wonder whether the whole events were orchestrated)
It does play on my mind whilst I am at work and makes me feel insecure at work as it has already begun to erode the relationship i have with my employer as my transport manager has told me to just take whatever punishment they offer and plead guilty- I CANNOT and WILL NOT do this as under legislation the knife was carried as a work tool and only utilized as a work tool- events transpired where I needed protection and the knife was never at any point considered for this use.


I am bailed to appear before Mansfield Magistrates on Friday 17th May 2013 where I shall enter a not guilty plea and ask for a full crown court trial- I believe they will try and deny me one and will try and deny my bringing up the incident that got me into the Police station- I feel our Police are as corrupt as a three bob note and want you all to avoid Mansfield and Nottinghamshire with your business at all costs unless you feel you can hire a half decent lawyer that doesn't already work to the police's beck and call.


Yours very sincerely and very peeved- Mr G. Holford


holfordstars@yahoo.co.uk




Please feel free to publicise this and tell whomever you like as it seems I will be rail roaded anyway- the law hasn't been adhered to or worked in any respect (I have just graduated a foundation degree in criminal justice and believe there are insufficient grounds to allow the younger man a mere caution unless the arresting officer avoided giving the CPS all they needed to know whilst at the same time going for what seemed like an easy prosecution and charging myself - which in itself means the man should be re-arrested and given further charges.

 

I carry a Kershaw groove and an HK Tanto something or other. Both about 4 1/2 inch blades. Folding. Keep one by my bed and on in my pocket. No idea about facts and or legalities, but that's how I do it.

 

Fact in 33 years of trucking I have never had the need of a weapon at anytime . It is not luck it is not because I never go to bad places it is because I never put myself into a situation that has required me to need a weapon to defend myself .

Fact learn not put yourself in harms way and you will never need to carry weapons in America any where . We are truckers not cops or military or even Rambo unless you count all the ones on the CB .

 

FACT, that is a complete lie. FACT, you cannot control the actions of others. FACT, no one can guarantee they are 100% safe at any given time. FACT, truckers are robbed, beaten, even killed. Just like the rest of the population. FACT, the world is a dangerous place. You're right on one point tho, we are not super heros. We are normal people too. We are not invincible.

Ruby's diner. Aurora. Tucson, sandy hook. Boston? I bet those people felt safe too. The list goes on and on and on. Your first call in an emergency situation is ALWAYS to someone that has a gun. Why? Because weapons are equalizers.

god made man; Sam Colt made them equal.

 

While the U.S. Title 49 (commonly referred to as the FMCSR) does not make mention reference to the caring of knives nor do I know of any other federal law that mentions the caring of a knife. There however federal, state, and in some cases local laws the wheeled in of a knife or use of a knife to cause injury and/or death which I think is without saying.

I'm also not aware of any state restricting the transportation across state lines or in a commercial vehicle. However every state does have laws restricting the size of a knife and some even have laws as to types of knifes. My state the limit is a 4" blade limit and no butterfly knifes. Although it is not a federal law all lower 48 states have passed laws against stilettos, knifes with built in brass knuckles, knifes with serrated edges, double sided knifes, and knifes that have more than two sides like the WWI trench bayonet.

I have been told that in MI the limit is a 3.5" blade.

I have had trouble crossing the Canadian and Mexican borders with my Leatherman (All purpose tool) on my hip. It only happened a couple of times where I was held at the border for short period of time and released. Most of the time the border patrols could careless or ask what it was and be done with it.

For the most part I have never had a need for knife any larger than the one in my Leatherman in the 17 years that I have been driving and most trucking companies will have policies normally regarding knifes on the truck and property.