police

[JP yard troll]

First off put your weapons in a place that is NOT easily accessable to you or anyone else in the vehicle. the trunk is preferable, in a truck behind the seat preferably in a locked case that the key for is on the keyring of the vehicle, cop asks if you have anything he needs to know about tell him no, if he asks if you have weapons the answer yes, if he then asks why didn't you tell me about them before simply tell him you didn't believe he needed to know about them as they are locked in an are no directly accessable.

Lord Figaro the incident that was refered to involving the massachewshits state police di infact occur, the military vehicle was stopped, the officer refused to accept the bill of lading the driver handed him, the officer then approached the rear of the vehicle, the driver told the officer that he could NOT search the vehicle and to please stand away and notify his dispatcher with the BOL number and the truck number and permit number, the officer initially refused to do so, the officer again approached the rear of the military vehicle and was shown by several soldiers that he didn't want to attempt to gain entry, he did infact have the driver spread eagle on the ground and called for back up, when back up arrived there was a sgt from mass police, he called in the info on the BOL and was told to stand down, in the meantime the depot at new cumberland dispatched a retrieval team and _cont_

[JP yard troll]

when the retrieval team arrived the army Col(MP as were all the guys in the truck) have a mass police Major come out, the incident was defused by the Army Col and the Mass Police Major. The reason that it never made it to the news is that the Army truck was transporting a special weapon and ancillary equipment the US Army does infact have the right to defend and will do so any special weapons and any and all ancillary equipment, though as I understand it the mass police officer that began the problem was how to put it, umm fired

[Lord Clisto of York]

I have had that happen on several occasions. I always tell them I am a performer and they are part of my outfit for work. Or that I am going to the renaissance Faire if not performing and it is once again part of my outfit. I have not once ever had an issue in any state except Ohio. There the one officer was trying to slyly talk to the other one at my window about the big AXE on the back seat. He acted like I couldn't hear him with me right there. i actually said "Um I can here you you know. I am right here. Just ask me about it." The one officer then looked at me while the other one got embarassed and asked me then and I told him I was helping set up for Viking Fest and am on my way to my hotel for the night before the festival on the weekend. I also said the blade is covered. He then let me go along. Most of the time any weapons I have are in the hatchback or trunk.

Lord Clisto

[Zardoz]

I think the best advice anyone can take away from this is to check with a local police or sheriff's office if you have concerns about what's legal in certain areas etc.  Knife laws can vary greatly from state to state, and even from town to town.

Just be glad you aren't in some of the European countries where they already banned just about every blade discussed here, and they're working on kitchen knives!

[RSLeask]

HOWEVER, telling the state trooper in the story he can't search a military vehicle was tantamount to waving a red flag in front of a bull.  He could search the vehicle, it would just be a waste of everyone's time. 

As JP yard troll so correctly put, there's stuff that is carried by the US Government (DoD included) that has no right to any form of search.  Be it equipment in a truck, or documents double-wrapped in a briefcase, it is often times clearly marked on documentation as exempt from any form of search and seizure.  Both the items in question, and the method of transport in whatever form.  That is one story that it is definitely a good thing it was resolved peacefully, before the soldiers were forced to do what they would need to.

Honestly though, the fact that a state trooper, or any LEO short of federal-level (read: FBI), would pull over an obvious military vehicle being driven by a likewise obviously uniformed service member for any reason short of blatant reckless negligence, is beyond me.  Especially the state troopers.  Heck, we put them on a break for a while if we've ever got need for a massive troop movement down the interstate.

[SirRichardBear]

My Father in law is a retired SGT in the PA state police when I told him about this he said its not all that uncommon mostly its young troopers filling full of themelves, but since it not helpful to either the police or the military they make a big effort to keep the stories out of the media.

[tiberiusflynn]

Tell him, "These are not the droids you are looking for."

[Lord Figaro]

Thanks for the full story JP, I remembered hearing about it and went WTF was that trooper thinking???

[robert of armstrong]

Thanks for the full story JP, I remembered hearing about it and went WTF was that trooper thinking???

I stand corrected.  Every now and then I hear about something a cop is supposed to have done and think to myself "There's no way he could have been that stupid."  Then I am proven wrong.

When we find one of ours doing something as stupid as this (although I had never heard of anything like trying to search a military transport) they are generally made a mockery of and the incident follows them for the rest of their career.  In this way we encourage other coppers not to be idiots.

But, getting back to the original purpose of the thread....

[TKM]

Further I know of no way to hide a 40' hand and a half battle sword

I know of no way to weild a 40' hand and a half battle sword... in fact im not sure i know where to come upon one that size, let alone how to conceal one...

[Lord Figaro]

I have a funny feeling he meant 40 inch(") rather than 40 feet (') TKM........yah wiesen hiemer yah.

[TKM]

yeah i know... but what he said as opposed to what he meant kinda threw me off...

[Lord Figaro]

Sometimes it's fun to get thrown though. WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

[Black Armor]

Not to beat a dead horse but I would like to know where I can read about this incident with the Massachusetts Trooper and the military transport.  Sounds like an interesting story.  How'd you come across the info JP?

[tiberiusflynn]

I don't think a cop can say anything about a sword or any other period blade as long as its in the back seat or trunk....heck even in the front seat. It's not a gun, and its hardly unlikely your going to be weilding it while driving....and as long as its sheathed and you're not handling it when the cop comes up to you. He can't say it is a concealed weapon, nor are you carrying a "blade longer than 4 inches" considering its in your car..

The one time a cop saw some fencing foils I had in my trunk and I just said I was in theatre and they were for practice purposes.

Another time I had campus police come up because a friend and I were sword fighting in front of the theatre on capmus....but once we said we were in theatre, they left.

Theatre works for a great excuse.....