Washington state bans knives on public transportation

[Totem Polar]

I suspect that the intent of the law is two-fold: slowly encourage a more bovine-like mentality, with greater obedience/deference to authority, as well as give DAs another tool to throw at anyone who steps out of line—after the fact. I agree that nobody is going to find out, unless something goes sideways.

[whomever]

@Totem Polar or anyone else, has there been any pushback on this from the working class folks who at least sometimes use mass transit and maybe, GASP, even use their knives for their vocation?

Only time will tell.

Seattle has had a ban on fixed blades of any length forever. I ran into a downtown construction worker who had been hassled for a fixed boxcutter in his toolbelt once. So I started looking at construction worker toolbelts and saw lots of them, so enforcement has been ... spotty. Heh. 20 plus years ago there was a dude that would go around shirtless with a broadsword slung across his back. Kind of a Conan the Barbarian, long hair and beard. I saw him a number of times, so apparently swords are OK. Maybe swords didn't meet the definition of 'fixed blade knife'.

Vaguely related: My wife was a bio teacher. In addition to the scalpels she had a collection of kitchen knives (labs could involve slicing an onion or whatever). She carried a 2.5 inch Spyderco as a personal knife (legal for staff). In her final year (30 something year career) a student saw her using the spyderco to open a box. She got called in for a violation of the vague 'no weapons' policy and was told no more spyderco. She asked about the drawer full of carving knives - they were fine., a foot long kitchen knife isn't a weapon, it turns out.

[Borderland]

That would require law enforcement on public transportation, a mandate to detain, search, and arrest suspects.

Without that, it’s just another law that only restricts law abiding citizens.

The law isn't relative to most who use public transportation daily. Like you said, who's going to enforce it? The bus driver isn't. They don't get paid to do that.

The end result would be an assault committed with a knife while using public transportation. No different than a firearm. People are going to carry, legally or otherwise.

I'm guilty.

I know a guy who retired from WSP. I sold him a rifle a while back. I opened the box with Kershaw Leek. He reacted like a WSP dude would with someone having an illegal weapon as defined by WA code. He was visibly shocked for a second or two. He never said anything but I could tell he was reacting to the knife. I couldn't relate to that so looked at the state statute. Yep, it's illegal as I read the code so I no longer carry my Kershaw 1660. Maybe just carry a concealed P-239 with a CPL.

That's how it will go down.

[Clusterfrack]

Knife bans are more upsetting to me than gun bans. It's a core values thing. Ever since I was a kid, carrying a knife has represented autonomy. My mom was rarely without a fixed blade knife (or a Spyderco folder later in life). My dad almost always had a Buck in a leather sheath. Early in my career, I spent 9 months in western China where if you didn't have a knife you could fight with you weren't a man (most females over 14 carried one too). It's not about a knife as a tool. To me, a knife is the most basic weapon, and when the government takes that away... the message is that it's taking away our autonomy. Just look at Europe and Canada.

[Borderland]

Knife bans are more upsetting to me than gun bans. It's a core values thing. Ever since I was a kid, carrying a knife has represented autonomy. My mom was rarely without a fixed blade knife (or a Spyderco folder later in life). My dad almost always had a Buck in a leather sheath. Early in my career, I spent 9 months in western China where if you didn't have a knife you could fight with you weren't a man (most females over 14 carried one too). It's not about a knife as a tool. To me, a knife is the most basic weapon, and when the government takes that away... the message is that it's taking away our autonomy. Just look at Europe and Canada.

Knife fighting intrigues me. It's like self defense 101. Nobody wants to get cut up in a knife fight. Getting shot just doesn't register with some people because they just don't understand ballistics.

[Totem Polar]

Knife bans are more upsetting to me than gun bans. It's a core values thing. Ever since I was a kid, carrying a knife has represented autonomy. My mom was rarely without a fixed blade knife (or a Spyderco folder later in life). My dad almost always had a Buck in a leather sheath. Early in my career, I spent 9 months in western China where if you didn't have a knife you could fight with you weren't a man (most females over 14 carried one too). It's not about a knife as a tool. To me, a knife is the most basic weapon, and when the government takes that away... the message is that it's taking away our autonomy. Just look at Europe and Canada.

100 percent. I’ve carried some form of pocket knife since I was 8. It’s man’s oldest tool, and certainly passes historical muster.

As unhappy as I am with this transit/zoo/aquarium/whatever bill (I’m even more unhappy with the anti-FFL bill that just passed; a whopper for another thread), incredibly, there is also this bill—which just passed the senate:

https://www.akti.org/news/washington...passes-senate/

Amazing, really. Move over OTF thread denizens, there might soon be a new player in town. What a weird state my home has become.

[Joe in PNG]

When politics turns hyper-partisan, there is an urge to punish the political minority in your polis. In the Red States, this manifest as bans on 'bortion & ghey stuff. In Blue States, we see bans and restrictions on self-defense, guns, and knives.

[Hambo]

Knife bans are more upsetting to me than gun bans. It's a core values thing. Ever since I was a kid, carrying a knife has represented autonomy. My mom was rarely without a fixed blade knife (or a Spyderco folder later in life). My dad almost always had a Buck in a leather sheath. Early in my career, I spent 9 months in western China where if you didn't have a knife you could fight with you weren't a man (most females over 14 carried one too). It's not about a knife as a tool. To me, a knife is the most basic weapon, and when the government takes that away... the message is that it's taking away our autonomy. Just look at Europe and Canada.

I agree. With a knife you can make other tools or fight with a basic weapon. With a knife ban, the government takes away your ability to survive.

[jetfire]

Knife bans are more upsetting to me than gun bans. It's a core values thing. Ever since I was a kid, carrying a knife has represented autonomy. My mom was rarely without a fixed blade knife (or a Spyderco folder later in life). My dad almost always had a Buck in a leather sheath. Early in my career, I spent 9 months in western China where if you didn't have a knife you could fight with you weren't a man (most females over 14 carried one too). It's not about a knife as a tool. To me, a knife is the most basic weapon, and when the government takes that away... the message is that it's taking away our autonomy. Just look at Europe and Canada.

Even though it makes me almost physically ill to agree with Clusterfrack on anything, he's right about this. Knives are the fundamental weapon. Along side fire, blades are what allowed us to separate ourselves from the animals and climb to the top of the food chain.

[BillSWPA]

When politics turns hyper-partisan, there is an urge to punish the political minority in your polis. In the Red States, this manifest as bans on 'bortion & ghey stuff. In Blue States, we see bans and restrictions on self-defense, guns, and knives.

This really misunderstands the motives of both sides.