Caution to all travelers

codprawn · 22 November 2006, 20:48

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...462834,00.html

It seems that's it's not only people in big yellow RIBs who have problems with the powers that be.

What the hell is this shit country turning into???

Biggles · 22 November 2006, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...462834,00.html

It seems that's it's not only people in big yellow RIBs who have problems with the powers that be.

What the hell is this shit country turning into???

Shame he wasn't a smack head he could have got some free dope then.

Codders its always easier to do the worker with responsibilites and family ties than the scum bags on benefits who have a personal lawyer (Wicked Witch). By the way I'm glad she's the only person in the UK losing money on property.

Simon B · 22 November 2006, 21:05

Yes all funny and depressing at the same time but what of people who routinely use "Leatherman" or "Gerber" multi tools? I work in engineering, drive an unrelible car etc so have one and it gets used. Its got 2 knife blades but are below the supposed limit of 75mm has this been revised?

Nos4r2 · 22 November 2006, 21:21

Without getting too political...

Nanny state with pedantic pratts at the helm.

BogMonster · 22 November 2006, 21:44

Never heard anything so effn stupid in all my life....

How are you going to hijack a train with something like that? And where are you going to go apart from where the train was going anyway? "Take me to Cuba...."

Er..........

ashbypower · 22 November 2006, 22:12

I know this guy, he's a real gentleman and no way could you say he was a terrorist.

B****y jobs worths

codprawn · 22 November 2006, 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashbypower

I know this guy, he's a real gentleman and no way could you say he was a terrorist.

B****y jobs worths

Small world.

It was the same when I went over to Guernsey - Mate's father who's a doddery old bible basher who came with us had his small penkife taken off him on the Condor ferry - I mean what the hell can you do to a ship with a penknife??? He could have done far more damage by preaching at them!!!

MikeCC · 22 November 2006, 22:25

I have every sympathy with the victim. Why on earth couldn't they have just taken it off him and put it in the dump bin like they have at airport security? Better still, let him post it back home so he didn't lose it.

If they arrested everyone who inadvertently went to board a plane with a pocket knife or a nail file they'd soon run out of cells (and passengers)

I've not been on an international train for a while so it wouldn't even have occurred to me to 'disarm' before boarding.

What a completely barking overreaction - surely a case for wrongful arrest?

[PS probably shouldn't tell you this but I was recently allowed to board a flight carrying a little screwdriver]

PPS travelers sp US. travellers sp UK

codprawn · 22 November 2006, 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeCC

PPS travelers sp US. travellers sp UK

Quite right but it was a spelling mistake rather than an Americanism.

whiteminiman · 22 November 2006, 22:58

Arresting the guy is a bit OTT.

When I was moving back from France, I had packed my petanque boules in my hand luggage simply because my main case was full and already over weight.

(They are a set of four very heavy metal balls)

Obviously, got pulled up at security and said that they were considered weapons on an aeroplane.

I told them to keep themt, I didn't care as I was leaving the country and had nobody to leave them with.

But that was it, no cavity searching or DNA sampling... although the woman was quite hot.... ;-) Shame.

And, you could do one hell of a lot more damage with one of them than a two inch nail file.

Bloody jobsworths.

WMM

whiteminiman · 22 November 2006, 23:01

Some interesting points about it made here:

http://thelawwestofealingbroadway.bl...nary-tale.html

By pleading guilty in order to get on with his trip, he now has a criminal record.

Not only that, but a criminal record for trying to smuggle weapons onto transport.

I can't see him being popular if he visits the USA!

WMM

codprawn · 22 November 2006, 23:33

Agreed - NEVER admit to anything!!! If it had been me I would have taken it all the way - great excuse to have a rant!!!

Alan · 22 November 2006, 23:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Agreed - NEVER admit to anything!!! If it had been me I would have taken it all the way - great excuse to have a rant!!!

One is tempted to observe that with 5900+ posts to your credit, an excuse is not something you've needed in the past........

BUT, I have to agree with your observations entirely. It seems a staggering over-reaction to circumstances to arrest this chap. Perhaps it's one of these 'oh shit we've started so we better see this through' things by the copper that first found this dangerous, offensive weapon. Common sense clearly in short supply with the British Transport Police.

Hightower · 23 November 2006, 00:49

I can tell a funny story.

I went out to Brazil a week after 9/11 happened, two weeks later when I was returning home I put my hand in my pocket to pull out my keys, change and hotel key (that's another story

) for the X Ray machine and discovered that I'd forgotten to pack my Swiss Army knife in my check in luggage.

I thought (It's very sentimentle to me) but had to throw it in the bowl along with change, keys, wallet etc.

To my amazment, I got to the other end of the X Ray to collect my belongings and no one even challenged me about the knife, I thanked him upstairs

, and continued on my jorney to Madrid (where I was to catch my connecting flight).

The exact same thing happened there as well, and I eventually landed in London with Knife intact.

I would have thought that any potential weapon on any flight would be banned.

jwalker · 23 November 2006, 02:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

...I would have thought that any potential weapon on any flight would be banned....

Yes, even a pair of plastic scissors in a first aid kit.

jyasaki · 28 November 2006, 19:37

...and, for a time, dive knives in checked luggage (don't ask me how I know...) Not really sure why; I suspect they thought the knives would started threatening things all on their own once we reached altitude.

jky