23 November 2011

Isn't it illegal to carry a knife?

| PearlyGirl
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There was a dude on the bus yesterday morning who was wearing a dirty big knife in a bum bag style pouch over his shoulder.

The knife was in full view and he copped some interesting looks.

I for one was a bit anxious.

I’m suprised the bus driver let him on.

Surely it’s illegal to carry a knife in public??

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p1 said :

Deref said :

p1 said :

I frequently carry a knife in public.

Why?

Usually to cut things. I have used it for all sorts of foods. To open boxes, cut tape, paper, string, gum from people’s hair, the end from unravelling rope, removed splinters from children, and a million other things I can’t remember. I would say the majority of those times, it was a situation where someone said “anyone got a knife?”; had I not had one, the task would have gone uncompleted.

I’ve been carrying a red swiss army knife with 2 small blades, screwdrivers, tweezers, scissors, toothpick, awl etc for nearly 30 years and it sees constant use. It’s very useful to have on hand, just to cut through the insanely thick layers of plastic packaging that most items come buried in these days. Also, I couldn’t count the number of times my friends and colleagues, who know I carry it, have borrowed it over the years.

I also have a variety of hunting knives, bayonets and survival knives that I’ve accumulated over the years. I don’t carry them with me, and I certainly wouldn’t carry one conspicuously on public transport. This sounds out of order to me, and I certainly would’ve been paying close attention to what this guy was up to if I was in the vicinity.

On occasion I carry a knife as part of a leatherman tool. It can come in really handy.

Deref said :

p1 said :

I frequently carry a knife in public.

Why?

Usually to cut things. I have used it for all sorts of foods. To open boxes, cut tape, paper, string, gum from people’s hair, the end from unravelling rope, removed splinters from children, and a million other things I can’t remember. I would say the majority of those times, it was a situation where someone said “anyone got a knife?”; had I not had one, the task would have gone uncompleted.

I really like Crocodile Dundee and charades. I was hoping by being all kitted out I would provide some good old fashion entertainment.

p1 said :

I frequently carry a knife in public.

Why?

i’d a shot ‘im, then asked the question… things ya learn from indiana jones, eh?

justin heywood8:02 pm 23 Nov 11

carnardly said :

Can I ask why you were nervous?

Did he look a bit “rough?”

Were you just stereotyping him that he must be a looney or a crim because of how he looked?

Not just you, but the others as well. And then to cast aspersions as to the legality of him having a knife sounds like you assume he could be dodgy?

Its sad to judge someone you don’t know just on how he looked and because of what he was carrying.

If you had young kiddies with you, would you have pulled them in “in case”?

Damn straight. It’s terrible to make assumptions about people… [/irony]

Ummm…..this guy was wearing this big ar*e knife in a bum bag over his shoulder !! Doesn’t sound to me like he just bought it from King of Knives or was a chef coming home from his shift. If this was the case it would be packed away properly and safely (one would hope).

This guy sounds like a nutter and I would have backed away carefully too.

matt31221 said :

Self defence is NOT a reasonable excuse to carry a knife – but is ‘survival’ a good excuse?

Only if you have the Bear Grylls version.

Self defence is NOT a reasonable excuse to carry a knife – but is ‘survival’ a good excuse?

shirty_bear said :

poetix said :

Deref said :

Henry82 said :

Its illegal to carry a knife without a reasonable excuse.

A shiny new(ish) penny to whoever comes up with the best “reasonable excuse” that this numpty might have used. I’ll go first:

“I was plannin’ on doin’ a whole lot o’ whittlin’.”

“Them opossums is drinking my hooch”

No-one’s played “Zombie apocalypse” yet … so I’ll have it.

“Im huntin gators…..”

I frequently carry a knife in public. If I am every searched and detained by the police for this I imagine it will be a test of “what is a reasonable need” in court.

Assuming you are using the bus as a your primary form of transport, it is not unrealistic to expect a person to be carrying at any time of the day all objects they might need or want or purchase during the entire day, from when they leave home till they return there in the evening.

poetix said :

Deref said :

Henry82 said :

Its illegal to carry a knife without a reasonable excuse.

A shiny new(ish) penny to whoever comes up with the best “reasonable excuse” that this numpty might have used. I’ll go first:

“I was plannin’ on doin’ a whole lot o’ whittlin’.”

“Them opossums is drinking my hooch”

No-one’s played “Zombie apocalypse” yet … so I’ll have it.

In most cases it’s illegal to be carrying a knife in public without a very good excuse. if he was taking it our on the bus, you either should have notified the driver or called the police yourself. The drivers all have duress/help buttons that will get the police there very quickly. I don’t know you wouldn’t have done one of those things and the police could have decided whether he should have had the knife or not..

Deref said :

Henry82 said :

Its illegal to carry a knife without a reasonable excuse.

A shiny new(ish) penny to whoever comes up with the best “reasonable excuse” that this numpty might have used. I’ll go first:

“I was plannin’ on doin’ a whole lot o’ whittlin’.”

“Them opossums is drinking my hooch”

Henry82 said :

Its illegal to carry a knife without a reasonable excuse.

A shiny new(ish) penny to whoever comes up with the best “reasonable excuse” that this numpty might have used. I’ll go first:

“I was plannin’ on doin’ a whole lot o’ whittlin’.”

Reasons why I wouldn’t let a child catch a bus on his or her own, part 350 of a continuing series.

Imagine he tried to carry a knife like this onto a plane. Why then should he be allowed to take it on a bus, concealed or fully visible? Are people catching buses supposed to put up with deadly weapons?

Reminds me of signs Stephen King writes that he saw recently in Texas: ‘Handguns not allowed in the bar’.

To clarify PearlyGirl’s description, it looked more like a machete which was sheathed. The ‘dude’ looked more like a junkie. It only became an issue when he sat down and unsheathed his machete and started to look at it.

shadow boxer12:40 pm 23 Nov 11

hotwasabee said :

It’s one thing to carry a knife when you need it but a very different one to take it onto public transport in full view. A knife has a million uses, but none of them are should be applicable on public transport. So yes Carnadly, I would pull my kids away from a complete stranger with a ‘bloody big’ knife. I’d rather do that than find out too late when he starts swinging at the mutant zombie magpies in his head. Yes I do judge when it comes to possible danger.

me too…

even if he simply got on and sit down calmly in a seat… or stood their quietly hanging on to a strap?

Who’s to know he wasn’t just carrying it home.

It’s one thing to carry a knife when you need it but a very different one to take it onto public transport in full view. A knife has a million uses, but none of them are should be applicable on public transport. So yes Carnadly, I would pull my kids away from a complete stranger with a ‘bloody big’ knife. I’d rather do that than find out too late when he starts swinging at the mutant zombie magpies in his head. Yes I do judge when it comes to possible danger.

If you had young kiddies with you, would you have pulled them in “in case”?

ahh yes..

Can I ask why you were nervous? Did he look a bit “rough?” Were you just stereotyping him that he must be a looney or a crim because of how he looked? Not just you, but the others as well. And then to cast aspersions as to the legality of him having a knife sounds like you assume he could be dodgy?

Its sad to judge someone you don’t know just on how he looked and because of what he was carrying. If you had young kiddies with you, would you have pulled them in “in case”?

Disinformation11:11 am 23 Nov 11

Yep. Another victim of personal anxiousness requires the law to protect them against being scared and their lack of knowledge of how it’s applied gives them righteous indignation.
Beware the moral opposition don’t harrass you for being a potential prostitute.

Buying a knife at the shops and having to get it home via the bus is quite legitimate.

Its illegal to carry a knife without a reasonable excuse. Self defence is NOT a reasonable excuse.

http://the-riotact.com/knife-laws-in-canberra/45182

anxious because he carried a knife? good lord. I wouldn’t care two hoots unless he started swinging it around at me or appeared somewhat altered. Why shouldn’t the bus driver let him on? He paid his money, he was (probably) acting perfectly fine.

And when push comes to shove, you can search here for the same question.

http://the-riotact.com/knife-laws-in-canberra/45182

So No – its not illegal to carry a knife, if you have a reasonable cause to have one. He may have been a meat worker, or a crocodile dundee type croc skinner. Whatever.

Have a look at Schedule 1 of the Prohibited Weapons Act. While it appears that such things as flick and sheath knives are prohibited, as are daggers (cutting blade on both edges, which no doubt would include an oyster knife) that can be concealed on the person, there doesn’t appear to be a category for “f***ing big knives”… ??

While being either too lazy or apathetic to search for the applicable law, I thought carrying a knife in plain view and not in a threatening manner was perfectly legal. I’m sure there are some specifics to the legality, but it doesn’t sound to me like the dude has done anything wrong.

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