Thread: What is wrong with people today?

Today for the third time this year I was the victim of an attempted mugging. Twice it has been on a college campus by people of the college age. Today I was walking to my car in a parking lot and the kid approached me and demanded my wallet. I'm 19 and while not large an athletic build with a pretty distinct military look and currently in a walking boot, I am by no means an easy looking target. It was in the middle of the day. Luckily after I explained the error of his ways and produced a knife the perp took off like the hounds of hell were on his heals. When an officer arrived for my statement he told me man to man this is happening a lot this year with college student and there was basically zero chance of them catching him. What the hell is wrong with kids these days?!?! I understand that college is expensive but get a job and have some self worth to society. Thank you for letting me get this rant off my chest.

Details mate details...What sort of knife did you pull on him?! What grip did you use and from what point were you going to start from?! Neck to nuts or nuts to neck?!


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

Details mate details...What sort of knife did you pull on him?! What grip did you use and from what point were you going to start from?! Neck to nuts or nuts to neck?!


Mick

Ka Bar BK14 wrapped in paracord from behind the hip at about the 4 o'clock position. I was planning using it to see how many organs I could hit from below the rib cage going up before one of us went down.

I have no desire to carry a gun, but I would love to carry a knife.
Sadly, in Belgium that would earn me a conversation with a guy called 'your honor'.
Good that you were armed and unharmed.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I have no desire to carry a gun, but I would love to carry a knife.
Sadly, in Belgium that would earn me a conversation with a guy called 'your honor'.
Good that you were armed and unharmed.

I'm shocked. I thought Belgium was such a free society? Can they just search you on the street whenever they feel like it? Anyway, although I always try to stick to local law (blade length, folder or fixed), I have not walked around anywhere in the world without a knife for the last 30 years. As we say in the US: I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six. (Means I'd rather go to court, maybe to jail, than get killed by some asshole).

Originally Posted by HamburgO

I'm shocked. I thought Belgium was such a free society? Can they just search you on the street whenever they feel like it? Anyway, although I always try to stick to local law (blade length, folder or fixed), I have not walked around anywhere in the world without a knife for the last 30 years. As we say in the US: I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six. (Means I'd rather go to court, maybe to jail, than get killed by some asshole).

It's not that bad actually. In my entire life I have been stopped by the police twice that I can remember. Once for riding without a helmet (which was fair ) and once as part of a routine traffic control (DUI checkpoint). Both times they only asked for my drivers license, registration and insurance. No searching was involved.

However, carrying knives for purpose of offense/ defense is not legal. For example, if I go fishing or hunting or hiking, it is perfectly legal to have a big knife on me, because I have a good reason. Carrying the same knife just for going in the city would make it illegal, because at that point it becomes a weapon instead of a tool. With a couple of exceptions, Belgian law defines weapons in terms of use, rather than design. A simple hammer is another such example. Based on the where, when, why and how I am carrying it, it gets a classification.

So if I carry a big knife, I'll never get into trouble until I either get searched (which doesn't happen) or until I need to use it.
If I were mugged, and I pulled out a big knife and defended myself, the first thing the police would ask me is why I was carrying an illegal weapon.

I would be ok as long as I had a non-violent reason for carrying the knife (which is not the case) or as long as I never used it (so the police would not know). And that rather defeats the point of carrying a knife.

For the same reason I don't carry a spyderco civilian. I'd love to, but I'd never be able to explain it.
A standard spyderco pocketknife or a pruning knife otoh would be ok as long as I am not entering protected buildings like a court house.

World is going to hell in a handbasket, glad you walked away unharmed!

It was a kid right? Is that anything new?

This generation is getting worse for having more and more youths with no respect, common sense, or ambition. I blame it largely on their parents attempts at raising them. Things are a lot different in this day, the old fashioned ways to teach & punish kids is a thing of the past. Not saying they're ALL bad, but these kinds of stupid crimes seem to be escalating. It's too bad you have to pack a knife to feel safe.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I have no desire to carry a gun, but I would love to carry a knife.
Sadly, in Belgium that would earn me a conversation with a guy called 'your honor'.
Good that you were armed and unharmed.

Really? Only if they had reason to assume you would use it as a weapon or any knife? I know of quite a few belgians that doe carry knives and never seem to have any problems with the local law.