Cop asks..."son, do you have any guns, knives, hand grenades....on you?"

[GrayWhale]

So I was told that this is how they fish for your facial reactions and such. A good response would be something like, "uh, what? grenades?" and not "no sir".

But my question is more about having knives. I love knives (love guns too, but too bothersome crossing different States) and have a bunch of them, including military field knives, hunting knives, camping knives, survival knives and just basic kitchen knives in a vandwelling van. I know that in most States that allows CCW's, they rarely care that much about people with legal permits to carry guns, just as long as you tell them out of courtesy or by law.

But in anti-gun States, would having knives, even kitchen knives, be grounds for a cop to semi-freak out during a late night stop out in the middle of nowhere?

And would he start wanting to search your car and such because you have knives on board?

 

[user 423]

Too many variables to say. Depends on your age and appearance, the appearance of your van, whether you look and/or smell like you just downed a few brews or had recently finished a doob,etc,etc.

In the past I've just said "no" when I actually did have a handgun within reach and maybe lucked out that they didn't feel a need to search because my tags & ins. were in order and there was nothing defective on the van. But then that may be because I'm an older guy and to that particular cop, I didn't look like a threat.

At other times I've said, "Yes" and have been told that unless I have a CCW, the handgun needs to be out in the open (on the PS seat,console) so that an approaching officer can see it.

I wouldn't think that if you said you had "a couple of collector knives in the back" they would be too upset. Every state is different though, so you'd have to check all the various laws online or even call the HP and ask them directly maybe.

 

[Zil]

yea. I remember the LEO asking.
L "do you have any weapons?"
M "weapons? do you mean like a gun or knife?"
L "Do you have any weapons?"
M "Well I don't know what you mean by weapons.
I don't have any firearms. I do have a carpenters hammer.
That could be considered a weapon, I guess."
L "well you can't park here the neighbors complain. be careful downtown. and we will see you later."

 

[LeeRevell]

In Florida, our statutes now allow us to carry a handgun in our vehicle without a CCW permit. It must be secured in such a way as to need several steps to access it. Holstered in a locked glove box is legal.
Cased unloaded long guns stored out of reach are okay too.

 

[Drifted_Cowboy]

http://southpark.cc.com/clips/103482/denied-fireworks

 

[akrvbob]

I just went through Canada which is the ultimate nanny state, and they asked if we had any weapons. We said no and then he started itemizing and he specifically asked about switchblade knives. I do have an assisted-opening knife but technically they are different so I said no, just a pocket knife. We went through.

I noticed later in a newspaper that stores were advertising they were selling assisted-opening knives so apparently even they are legal.

In the US I think it's situational. If it's obvious you are a collector and have many and varied kinds of knives, I don't think it will be a problem. The key is if he asks why you have them. If you say self-defense that can be a big problem because you just declared it a weapon. If you say I'm a collector then it's just a hobby or if you say I'm going camping, then it's a tool.

NEVER DECLARE IT A WEAPON!!
Bob

 

[user 423]

"Well I don't know what you mean by weapons".

Yep. Now that I think about it, many things in my van could become a weapon if need be. I think if I said,"Well, there's the hatchet, the camp shovel (with very sharp edges), the road flare, the 22oz. claw hammer, the 30" long breaker-bar,the 3-cell Maglite and,uh,let me see what else now", I do think the cop would think I was being a smartass.

PS: A former carpenter wielding a framing hammer can indeed do some damage.

 

[GrayWhale]

The key is if he asks why you have them. If you say self-defense that can be a big problem because you just declared it a weapon.
NEVER DECLARE IT A WEAPON!!
Bob

Whoa, I never thought of this.

---

Yep. Now that I think about it, many things in my van could become a weapon if need be. I think if I said,"Well, there's the hatchet, the camp shovel (with very sharp edges), the road flare, the 22oz. claw hammer, the 30" long breaker-bar,the 3-cell Maglite and,uh,let me see what else now", I do think the cop would think I was being a smartass.

PS: A former carpenter wielding a framing hammer can indeed do some damage.

Looks like I'm going to re-evaluate what kind of knives I have in my van. Sucks but I'll probably get rid of the field knife made by Glock and the others that look military-ish. Funny, but one of my sharpest knife is probably the 15" Ginsu kitchen knife.

I also have one of those Russian fighting shovel that's balanced to be thrown like and will stick to a tree, has sharp edges and of course it digs a great hole. Not sure if I want to take a chance because this item is advertised as a shovel/weapon and everyone Googles nowadays. It's like when biker gangs carry a billiard ball in a bandana, they can be busted for a weapon. I'm no biker gangster, but that ain't just a shovel to a nosey cop.

 

[Zil]

Yea. They never defined what they meant as a 'weapon'. just kept asking if i had a weapon. And yes, i was worried about being thought a wise ass, but i was thinking the LEO was being the wise ass. i was getting a bit paranoid.

---

Arizona it was. 1974.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

I was stopped once by NHP in NV, he asked where I was going. I said Silver Peak. he said its a rough place do have any guns with you? I said no I don't do you think I should have a gun? Then he explained that was his way of asking if I had guns in the vehicle.

 

[Zil]

During my juvenile delinquent days we broke off a auto antenna to make zip guns. A 22 short would fit right in.

---

There was a movie where the "hero" used a couple of rolls of quarters in a sock to brutalize the "bad guys".

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

There was a movie where the "hero" used a couple of rolls of quarters in a sock to brutalize the "bad guys".

That would be "Death Wish", with Charles Bronson. The "bad guys" were muggers.

I was arrested once for having a beer on my way home from working all day. The cop asked me if I had any weapons, I said no. When they were processing me I took out everything out of my pockets. There was a 2 inch pen knife. The cop angrily says "you said you didn't have any weapons", and I said "I don't consider that pen knife to be a weapon". He was embarrassed that he hadn't searched me correctly.

 

[akrvbob]

The sad thing is that in this politically correct era, looks are more important than truth. A cheap chinese knife that looks viscous will get you busted when a hatchet with your camping gear won't.

Same thing with an AR 15, a 357 mag lever action is very nearly as good a fighting weapon but nobody would bat an eye at it but freak out at the AR.
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

spirituallifetime, what were you going to silver peak for? it is kinda a rough place. the only lithium mine in the US is there. that's where I was when the locals were laughing at people with gps's telling them that they were taking a short cut though silver peak to points beyond. their answer was, yes if you have 10 ply tires. highdesertranger

 

[Patrick46]

They never defined what they meant as a 'weapon'. just kept asking if i had a weapon. And yes, i was worried about being thought a wise ass, but i was thinking the LEO was being the wise ass.

"TOOLS"...I have many different TOOLS in my van. (and ALL my knives ares TOOLS to me...not weapons.)

Heck, a paper clip becomes a weapon in the hands of Jackie Chan, so damn near ANYTHING can be considered and used as a weapon.


I just hope the guy behind the wheel isn't a tool as well!!!

 

[LeeRevell]

The only time I was arrested, due to a misunderstanding, my buddy and me were taken to the cop shop uncuffed in the back of the same car. Hmmm...... always thought that was a 'no-no' from watching cop shows? Then we get into the station, they finally search us - and they find our 4" Buck Knives in the pouches on our belts - a part of the 'uniform' for country guys in my part of the county. They looked a bit sheepish. Guess they didn't think we two 19 year old 'kids' looked dangerous.
The chewing out I got from Dad next morning was worse than the night in the cold jail cell. :blush:

And it was the last time I got drunk......

Later in the Navy my car got searched nearly everytime I drove onto base. Well, I guess they figured that hopped up and jacked up white Firebird that was hitting 90MPH out the back gate by the time I made it to the interstate needed checking..... The Marine gate guard would open my glovebox, move my 7" bladed Fairbairne Sykes combat dagger out of the way, look around, close it up and let me go. The Gyrines did not consider a double edge dagger a 'deadly weapon' worthy of confiscation.
Sure depends on where you are and who the cop is!

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Then we have airline security taking people's finger nail clippers. That's one reason I don't fly, I can only tolerate a certain amount of stupidity.

 

[LeeRevell]

I heard that the reason for the TSA confiscating knitting needles is because they are afraid that someone might make an Afghan.

Guy

"BWAHAHAHA!!!!" That's a good one! I worked airport checkpoint security in the early 90's, before getting my State IT career going. We were a private company that hired to the airport, we wore blazer jackets instead of rent-a-cop uniforms, and we tried honestly to NOT embarrass or trod on the passenger's sensibilities too much while still providing proper security. They were paring customers, not livestock. We made minimum wage with no bennies. I stupidly said back then "This job should be Federalized with better pay and bennies." My my, how wrong I was! I hate to see what the TSA has been turned into. I will NOT fly commercially until their modus operandi seriously changes, or the rogue agency is discontinued entirely.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

spirituallifetime, what were you going to silver peak for? it is kinda a rough place. the only lithium mine in the US is there. that's where I was when the locals were laughing at people with gps's telling them that they were taking a short cut though silver peak to points beyond. their answer was, yes if you have 10 ply tires. highdesertranger

I was delivering a truck load of soda ash to the lithium mine.

 

[RustNever]

Yep. Now that I think about it, many things in my van could become a weapon if need be. I think if I said,"Well, there's the hatchet, the camp shovel (with very sharp edges), the road flare, the 22oz. claw hammer, the 30" long breaker-bar,the 3-cell Maglite and,uh,let me see what else now", I do think the cop would think I was being a smartass.

PS: A former carpenter wielding a framing hammer can indeed do some damage.

Once I had had a few too many and I answered with "just my hands ,my feet,and my mouth"'. Down on the ground with the cuffs on ...Smartass answers are always frowned upon .