Just to be clear this was not in the US. Their weapons laws are way more restrictive then ours. Apparently he was brandishing it and approached police with it. Sounds like he is a moron.
That’s way longer. 20cm is the average blade length for chef’s knives. Over here in Germany, with way more liberal knife laws: Legal to own (duh) but also very much not legal to carry much less wield in public unless you have a good reason – like actually preparing food in public. You can transport that kind of thing without fanfare but transporting very much involves not having it at the ready.
Four months are still completely overkill, though. Impounding and maybe a week’s worth of fine (one day of disposable income == one day in prison here) if he was being stupid and careless but non-aggressive. Four months go way beyond “let this be a lesson” territory and very much into “the state is nuts and doesn’t make sense”. If you’re feeling poetic, how about some social hours in a charity store sorting donated fidget spinners.
That’s 20 cm including the hilt. Roughly 15 cm for the blade by itself. And about 1 cm thick. Most likely with no sharp edge to speak of, since it was a toy and I’m sure the dumbass police would have made a point of it if it had.
In other words, ‘wielding’ it in public is about as threatening as carrying a particularly stiff twig. Probably less, considering the size of the hilt.
15cm is still 3cm more than what’s allowed to carry without good reason. Replica or sharp doesn’t matter in this context because the question isn’t whether you could hurt someone but whether the public might worry you’re going to hurt someone. You could reasonably argue that it has toy colours and therefore doesn’t count as replica but looking at the image you’re relying a lot on goodwill, there.
Also, a particularly stiff twig is a blunt weapon. You’re not supposed to run around with broomsticks if you’re not doing any actual sweeping, either. Or hang out in an dim underpass with baseball bats unless you’re an actual baseball player and are waiting for the train to your game or something.
You’re not supposed to run around with broomsticks if you’re not doing any actual sweeping, either. Or hang out in a dim underpass with baseball bats unless you’re an actual baseball player and are waiting for the train to your game or something.
Wow. Yeah glad we don’t have that ridiculousness in the USA. I’ll spend the day celebrating revolting against that tyrannical attitude.
Do you currently spend your day celebrating revolting against even a fraction of the BS you’re exposed to? Not willing to even protest against the various injustices in your country, but your right to be a mall ninja, that is where you draw the line?
Lay down your neckbeard, trenchcoat, fedora, and katana, good sir, and have some perspective. Like, arm the homeless or something.
Ok friend. I was being cute. Today is our Independence Day so I made that last sentence.
I’m a recovered alcoholic with 11 years sober next month. I’ve lived on the streets before. Slept in gutters. I spend a lot of time working with the homeless and addiction community now. That’s my biggest fight.
That said, yes, I’ll defend a mall ninjas right to carry painted toothpicks or katanas all the same.
Just to be clear this was not in the US. Their weapons laws are way more restrictive then ours. Apparently he was brandishing it and approached police with it. Sounds like he is a moron.
That would be relevant if it was a weapon.
It still wouldn’t be WORLD NEWS.
The world needs a laugh sometimes.
It was 20 cm long. Or about the length of 2 toothpicks. ‘Brandishing’?
I think I need a box of these novelty toothpicks
I think they’re actually chop sticks.
Wait, your toothpicks are about 4 inches long? Is this another case of everything is bigger in America?
6 inches divided by 2 is 3 inches. Not far off from the 2.5" toothpicks I see frequently in Asia. YMMV re American toothpicks.
Oh, the article said 6 inches. I was going by what you said, which was 20 cm. That is closer to 8 inches.
If it’s 6 inches, your comment made much more sense.
Ah. Probably the difference between the length of the thing entire and the length of the blade alone.
That’s way longer. 20cm is the average blade length for chef’s knives. Over here in Germany, with way more liberal knife laws: Legal to own (duh) but also very much not legal to carry much less wield in public unless you have a good reason – like actually preparing food in public. You can transport that kind of thing without fanfare but transporting very much involves not having it at the ready.
Four months are still completely overkill, though. Impounding and maybe a week’s worth of fine (one day of disposable income == one day in prison here) if he was being stupid and careless but non-aggressive. Four months go way beyond “let this be a lesson” territory and very much into “the state is nuts and doesn’t make sense”. If you’re feeling poetic, how about some social hours in a charity store sorting donated fidget spinners.
That’s 20 cm including the hilt. Roughly 15 cm for the blade by itself. And about 1 cm thick. Most likely with no sharp edge to speak of, since it was a toy and I’m sure the dumbass police would have made a point of it if it had.
In other words, ‘wielding’ it in public is about as threatening as carrying a particularly stiff twig. Probably less, considering the size of the hilt.
15cm is still 3cm more than what’s allowed to carry without good reason. Replica or sharp doesn’t matter in this context because the question isn’t whether you could hurt someone but whether the public might worry you’re going to hurt someone. You could reasonably argue that it has toy colours and therefore doesn’t count as replica but looking at the image you’re relying a lot on goodwill, there.
Also, a particularly stiff twig is a blunt weapon. You’re not supposed to run around with broomsticks if you’re not doing any actual sweeping, either. Or hang out in an dim underpass with baseball bats unless you’re an actual baseball player and are waiting for the train to your game or something.
Wow. Yeah glad we don’t have that ridiculousness in the USA. I’ll spend the day celebrating revolting against that tyrannical attitude.
Do you currently spend your day celebrating revolting against even a fraction of the BS you’re exposed to? Not willing to even protest against the various injustices in your country, but your right to be a mall ninja, that is where you draw the line?
Lay down your neckbeard, trenchcoat, fedora, and katana, good sir, and have some perspective. Like, arm the homeless or something.
Ok friend. I was being cute. Today is our Independence Day so I made that last sentence.
I’m a recovered alcoholic with 11 years sober next month. I’ve lived on the streets before. Slept in gutters. I spend a lot of time working with the homeless and addiction community now. That’s my biggest fight.
That said, yes, I’ll defend a mall ninjas right to carry painted toothpicks or katanas all the same.
That’s what the article said 😂