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Dangerous Pocket Knife?

Norman

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May 29, 2009
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172
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Olympia, Washington, USA
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So I forgot to get my tabs for my vehicle this last fall. My friendly neighborhood trooper (he was actually grumpy, but whatever) pulls me over for a friendly reminder along with a ticket.

I show up to the Thurston county courthouse this Monday. I'm wearing a nice pair of slacks and long sleeve dress shirt. Clean and presentable representing the people of my county. As I walk through the doors I empty my pockets of anything valuable, which includes my benchmade mini-griptillian folder. Now, I've had this knife for years, and have walked through security in that building several times without a problem, but today I must have seemed hostile. He looked at me and told me he had to keep the knife. I was a little shocked but I told him to do what he had to do.

Now, if any of you haven't seen one of these knives. Mine has a baby blue plastic handle, and the non-serrated(sp?) blade. It's a benchmade 556. It has a 2.91inch blade and is not exactly an intimidating looking knife.

Anyone else have a similar experience?


EDIT: I put an incorrect blade length
 

SayWhat

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Oct 16, 2009
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, ,
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The wife wasn't allowed to carry her keychain swiss army knife (yeah the little $10 one, the smallest one they make) in to the court house. The "security" guard manning the x-ray machine totally missed the police grade pepper spray in the wifes purse. LOL.
 

Norman

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May 29, 2009
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Olympia, Washington, USA
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Sorry, I didn't elaborate. I picked up the knife on my way back out the door. I had contemplated bringing my pistol with me too, but decided against the hassle. Didn't realize the knife would cause that this time around.
 

Dave_pro2a

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Standard at Seattle Courthouse, didn't use to have to do it at the little satellite district courts.
 

massivedesign

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Oct 21, 2009
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Olympia, Washington, USA
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Norman,

Same experience at Thurston as well.. Have not tried the gun yet, but I plan on it next time i need to go there.

With me & the knife, he just put it in desk and handed me a ticket (stub). I went back when I was done and he gave it back.. No problems.

The main reason they are concerned there is because there is NO lobby (as you know). The entrance / metal detectors are right in the waiting area / staging for the courts. 10' in the first door and there is the first court room.
 

Aaron1124

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Jul 5, 2009
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Kent, Washington, USA
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I've walked through metal detectors at court houses with my pepper spray in my pocket on many occasions. It's never once been detected.
 

kito109654

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Oct 26, 2009
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533
Location
Sedro, Washington, USA
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The OLD fogies at the metal detectors have never spotted my kershaw "composite" folder. Asleep on the job.... whatever, I just repocket it and keep it clipped where it always is, on my pocket. (Mt Vernon and Lynnwood Courthouses)
 

.45ACPaddy

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Oct 15, 2009
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Lakewood, WA
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I went to the Lakewood Municipal Court for a traffic ticket hearing, checked in two pistols, not one problem.
 

cynicist

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Aug 16, 2008
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Yakima County, ,
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When I was a kid and the police stopped us (we were the kids that wore all black- stopped every couple weeks for a couple years) and searched us ("acting suspicious") they would always ask us "is this a weapon" when referring to our tiny knifes. I figured they wouldn't need to ask if they were going to arrest us, so of course they never were. One time a cop tried to get me to say that my lucky pool ball was a weapon, and I argued that it's no different than the rocks on the ground all around us. "But you could throw it at someone," "but I can throw punches too, you gonna arrest me for carrying hands?"

As per RCWs, 3" is the length to make it a weapon. I can't seem to find it right now, but it's in the sentencing procedures somewhere, but it's used because it's the only real definition of what makes a knife a weapon that exists in the RCW.
 

Hammer

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Jun 9, 2008
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Skagit Valley, Washington
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Yes, I have gone thru this several times at the Skagit County courthouse building. Since I go there so infrewuently, I forget that they don't like my pocket folder, and once I get to the security screen, I realize they are going to tell me to put it in the car. They won't hold it for me for 2 minutes while I pass by the scren and go the clerk's office.
They are NOT in compliance with state law about having lockers for weapons either, and have no plans to remedy that....
 

Aaron1124

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Jul 5, 2009
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Kent, Washington, USA
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I know there aren't any state laws that limit blade length. If you see the thread about "What you never leave the house without", you'll see my pocket knife is about 4.5" in length. I just don't carry it concealed in cities like Seattle, with a specific blade length ban. Kent, and all of the cities I usually go to, don't have a blade length law.
 

oneeyeross

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Feb 28, 2010
Messages
500
Location
Winlock, , USA
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Hammer wrote:
Yes, I have gone thru this several times at the Skagit County courthouse building. Since I go there so infrewuently, I forget that they don't like my pocket folder, and once I get to the security screen, I realize they are going to tell me to put it in the car. They won't hold it for me for 2 minutes while I pass by the scren and go the clerk's office.
They are NOT in compliance with state law about having lockers for weapons either, and have no plans to remedy that....
Lewis County is the same way. The female rent a cop there wouldn't even let me have a holster on my belt.... You know how evil and dangerous holsters are....
 
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