© Copyright 2002 by 45 Mike
Did you know that it is illegal in many places, notably, ANYWHERE inside the city limits of Tacoma, WA. to possess a knife with a blade length over 3 1/2 inces long? I’ll tell ya, that came as a complete surprise to me, but apparently my assistance in trying to identify an armed robbery suspect on the South Hill, allowed the police to give me a verbal warning, and they actually let me KEEP my bayonet, (yeah the 15″ blade, 20″ overall one), instead of taking my blade, and arresting me.
I thought that was soooo cool. And because they had been so respectful of my person and property, I determined to NEVER carry my blade in Tacoma again. I still had my Colt .380 Mustang, Swiss Army knife, and of course my Buck “110” folding hunter knife. The Colt was registered properly and I had a carry permit, so I was not put out by not having the blade whenever I rode into Tacoma.
Several nights later, I was leaving Tacoma, and the cops pulled me over. They were waiting for me actually. They wrote me a ticket for no helmet of course. They seemed somewhat perturbed that I had not elected to carry my 15″ blade, I am certain that someone on the force really wanted that blade for his collection.
In any case after they disarmed me, which is a 20 minute search and pickpocket ordeal for them, (usually they miss at least some sorta shit I have tucked away), they put me in the back seat, (unusual, very strange days, Mama), and gleefuly handed me a prepared statement, (just for me), that I was asked to sign indicating that I was aware that possession of a knife with a blade length over 3.5 inches was a crime, and that I was being arrested for possessing such a blade, and that such blade was being confiscated. Naturally, the fact that I was about to become a felon, meant that I was gonna lose my carry permit, AND my beloved Colt .380 Mustang. They were gonna get King County to pack up all my goodies in my alley, including my bayonet and GRBRK, and I’d be left with nuthin!
They were about to take care of about six of their problems with ONE FELL SWOOP!!
They carefully removed my Buck “110” from it’s belt sheath and I liked to have LAUGHED MY ASS OFF as they tried to stretch that Buck Knife blade to over 3 1/2 inches!!!
You see, the standard Buck “110” blade comes from the factory measuring 3 3/4 inches!
Being a biker type, I had been on the road, trying to repair some sorta malfunction on a chopper we were riding with, and I had BROKEN THE TIP off. The blade, after repair measured JUST under 3 1/2 inches long.
It had been broken like that for over 2 years! Them poor cops were ready to cry!
The next day I spoke with my Snap-On dealer and bought the BIGGEST damned screwdriver he had.
This is what it measures, blade length 20″, shank width, (square) 1/2″, total length is 26 1/2″. Which is a bigger tool than my bayonet was! Of course I contrived a shoulder harness similar to what I use now for my Poitiers, and carried my “driver” religiously whenever I rode into Tacoma.
On one occasion, I was due in court, Pierce County, for a helmet ticket, (go figure, but that is another story, I ended up beating 25 out of 30 tickets before I got so pissed that I left WA State, I was only convicted of one, the first one I got which was some crooked Judge between Tacoma and Seattle who thought the law was whatever she said it is, and besides she ran the collection agency for that town and stood to get a cut of the profits).
Anyways, I dutifully found the Police clerk, and patiently explained that I was due in Court, and the law does not allow me to carry my firearm into the courtroom, so you HAVE to receipt it for me, and no I can’t lock it in my car because I don’t OWN a car, I ride a motorcycle and no it has nowhere I can lock up a firearm, and yes I have a concealed weapons permit and yes, I’ll be back for it and the rest of my armament, as soon as I beat this helmet ticket, (remember that night they made me sign the paper about blade length? yeah that ticket! And yes, I beat it, easily.)
So, I am folding up my receipt for the weapons I left in their care, and yes, go figure, about 6 cops are watching me and trying to figure out what to do about my screwdriver, I am sure some of them were talking with the City Attorney’s office trying to find SOME law against carrying a big screwdriver, but of course they never found such a law, though they may have gotten one pushed through by now, just in case I ever come back to Tacoma.
In any case the Judge had some good humor about the whole affair, and never mentioned the fact that I was more dangerous now than if they had just left me the FUCK alone in the first place. The helmet ticket? Like I said, a non-issue, they wrote the law with 2 distinct exemptions, “Antique Motor-driven Cycles” and “Vehicles equipped with a roll bar and seat belts”, my sled at that time had a DOT approved seat belt installed, but I would never WEAR the thing, (motorcycles are specifically exempt from being forced to wear a seat belt), and I have a roll bar installed, (the sissy bar is installed such that it prevents the vehicle from rolling on top of me and crushing me, assuming I was stupid enough to be on it in that case, because I was wearing that silly seat belt, which is the primary stated LEGAL purpose of a roll bar as concerns Washington state law.)
The prosecutor got smart in King County and discovered that even though no judge was ever going to rule on what an “Antique” is, there is a legal definition of a “Motor-Driven Cycle”, which means that the engine produces no more than 5 Brake horsepower whatever that is. My Harley 45 CI manual states that the engine produces 6 Brake Horsepower.
Somehow my defense attorney convinced me to produce that manual in court and read that part. (I’ll NEVER trust a lawyer within blade length of me AGAIN!) Thank the WA State Legislature for also exempting the part about seat belts and roll bars.
Basically the Judge at that point threw up his hands and told me it didn’t matter what the law says, he is convicting me and I have 30 days to cough up the fine. As I was leaving WA State I posted a letter to that King County Judge, patiently explaining that I understood that if I stayed, he’d have me arrested, and that I understood that if I wanted to keep my freedom I’d have to pay for it. Then I explained to him, as a WWII veteran, he should understand this, I’ll never PAY for my freedom! I will FIGHT for it, I will DIE fighting for my freedom, but I won’t pay for it.
Anyways I ended up leaving WA state shortly after all that abuse, and here I am in Montana.