You Got A Knife?

[Humakt]

Just had the following exchange with a work colleague (who lives in London)

Colleague: Do you have a pencil sharpener?

Me: No. But I do have a knife.

Colleague: A Knife?

Me: Yeah (taking knife off key chain - it's one of those small ones that goes on your keys with a 1 1/2" blade - and passing it over so he can sharpen a pencil)

Colleague: In London people only carry knives to stab people.

Me: So in the city you carry knives as weapons, whilst in the civilised world we use them as tools.

He did laugh, and it was all said in jest.
He also commented, 'that's a sharp knife', to which I replied, 'no point in having it if it's not going to be sharp - a blunt knife is a dangerous knife.'
Again, the whole exchange was light-hearted, with no one shocked or offended in the least, but still, eh?
I used to work in London, and at one point I seriously thought about living there. Thank god I don't any more.

[ratcatcher]

it's a funny old world, and how we get used to a situation, I was born and bred in east london, loved living within it, then around 9yrs ago, met my now wife and moved out to Essex, I work nights as a pest controller for london underground, mostly east and west london, and whenever I'm there, think Christ I could never live here again, cant wait to get home and green areas

[Silverback]

Not just London.....Rotherham, Sheffield, Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Doncaster......concrete and tarmac just sends people nuts it would seem

[Bernie]

One day I had a block of cheese at work to make a sandwich. The only suitable knife I had was the bushcraft one I made a while back (a bit if a beast - heavy). So I got it from the car and, without showing it (for the shame), took it to the kitchen where I was going to cut a few slices of cheese and hide it in my pocket again when a colleague walked in. He nearly dropped a load right there and just said "Let's pretend I didn't see that." as he made a quick exit. I think he was insinuating that he was considering reporting me to HR or security.

Indeed few people see bushcraft style knives as tools. I think he would have been far less worried were it a carving knife. Sometimes it's just the look of it that has people worried, and for the reason you say - people around London seem to think that as soon as a knife leaves the kitchen it's a weapon.

[Silverback]

Very often....in fact in most cases knife crime is committed with knives from the kitchen or the DIY shop...

[shepherd]

Not just London.....Rotherham, Sheffield, Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Doncaster......concrete and tarmac just sends people nuts it would seem

+1......

[Sylvanbilly]

Different Cultures !!!
If you can get your head around them you've cracked it

[Realearner]

People have been told a knife is a weapon if it's not in a household environment. But as humakt explained it's a tool, just not always for cutting up your dinner :o