Thursday, September 22, 2011

You Might Be a Farm Kid

You might be a farm kid if you consider this a pocket knife,




and argue that it does fold, and in fact does fit in your pocket. The proof being found in that you just pulled it out of your pocket.



You can argue that, and there may be some logic in the argument, but I can assure you that the security guards at the Liberty Bell will not agree with you.

While in Philadelphia, when we had a few hours not spent in a doctor's office, we
went to see some of the historical sights. The first stop was the Liberty Bell. As I was laying my purse out on the counter for inspection, Kellen behind me remarks to the security guard, "Oh, I have a pocket knife." The guard responds, "A pocket knife isn't a problem just as long as we know you have it. Can I see it please?" And Kellen pulls out the knife pictured above.

The mature female guard literally jumped back. The guards inspecting my purse had eyes only for the spectacle behind me. The younger male guard next Kellen stumbled over his words, but eventually got out, "You can't take that in here." At about the same time Tim and I are both asking our son why in the world he had that knife with us in Philadelphia and why it was in his pocket. Tim took the knife with a apology laced with disbelief, and volunteered to stay outside the building while Kellen and I went to look at the bell.

As we walked away the guards kept shaking their heads and laughing about Kellen's "pocket knife." We heard one remark, "What in the world was he going to do with that knife?" Another added, "Was he going to skin an animal or something?"  We did not tell them that the knife had been used for that very purpose many times. Nor did we tell them we were from West Virginia, or that we live on a farm. No need to perpetuate stereotypes. 

8 comments:

  1. Gee, that looks like it is bigger than 3.5" blade. Cannot legally carry that in your pocket even in WV. Must be exposed!

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  2. The blade actually is just a little over three inches. So, I guess it is legal in the pocket. He usually carries a Swiss Army type knife. That one I was surprised to see.

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  3. We had a similar experience when I took my son to court to get his driver's license. Court appearances are required in VA. I slipped in the bathroom and came out to find the security guard holding my son's knife. He was shocked that I would let him carry it. It looked pretty much like the one your son carried. Thing is, in our own home county I would have thought he'd understand. He just asked him to take it back out to the car. I wanted to crawl under the table I was so embarrassed.

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  4. Absolutely Funny! Noah has a whole collection on knives. The first weekend we are her in NC there is a father/son campout at our church. Noah of course, straps on his knive on his belt and has a great time walkiong around camp. The knife only went from his waist to his hip. I don't have to say that by the end of camp everyone knew exactly who the Duncan kid was! I love it!

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  5. This has got to be my favorite post of the year. It is amazing to me to see the responses of those city folks to our everyday normal. Do they realize that this is the norm?
    Thank you so much for this enjoyable sharing moment. I had to share it with my husband and children. Of course the general response is-- "And? What is wrong with that? Healthy habit to keep that thing handy, ya never know when you will need it."

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  6. Great story for him to tell his grandchildren someday. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog and that I am praying for you all as you wait to figure out what's going on with your son's vision. I know it must be disconcerting for you all and I will pray that the fear will not overtake you. Blessings!

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  7. Great story! And I hope those people find themselves in a situation one day where they really need a pocket knife, don't have one, and remember you guys and that day.
    My Grandpa's always had pocket knives with them 24/7. They came in handy at Christmas with all that horrible packaging and tape.
    I used to keep one in my purse all the time until I was called for jury duty a couple of years ago. I figured i had better leave the knife at home to avoid problems since it is simmilar to yours. But i was still stopped at the scanner - for a roll of quarters! I had a roll of quarters in my purse for the laundry and I guess they conside it a weapon.

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