Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site loral.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!sdcc6!loral!jlh From: jlh@loral.UUCP (Aiken Drum) Newsgroups: net.legal,net.politics,net.flame Subject: Re: A screw, indeed! Message-ID: <745@loral.UUCP> Date: Sat, 12-Jan-85 16:24:57 EST Article-I.D.: loral.745 Posted: Sat Jan 12 16:24:57 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jan-85 03:47:43 EST References: <215@topaz.ARPA> Distribution: net Organization: The Many Coloured Cubicle Lines: 28 Xref: watmath net.legal:1305 net.politics:6854 net.flame:7707 > In light of the recent item about the gun-toting guy on the subway, I have > due cause to be royally pissed off: > > He was ''attacked'' -- no one is sure what really happened -- by four > known criminals carrying ''sharpened screwdrivers''. He shot them and > belted. > > I have been carrying a screwdriver around in my belt for over a year now, > and although some people might get the wrong idea, it is a *screwdriver* > as far as I'm concerned, and not a weapon. If I tried to use it as such > it would probably do me more harm than good, especially in the eyes of the > law. However there is no law currently on the books *against* carrying it > around, especially since it isn't concealed and all that. I find it > immeasurably useful for all kinds of things. I'm a technical person, after > all, and I'm very often in a position where I need to take something apart > to get the job done. Out comes the Stanley, and the job gets done. > Furthermore, it isn't sharpened, although just about any screwdriver with the > factory blade shape could penetrate a body pretty easily if driven with > sufficient force. > Gee, ya know I somehow don't think I'd be as scaired of a telephone lineman type with a factory sharpened screwdriver in his pocket as I would be of 4 hoodlum types with non-factory sharpened screwdrivers in their belts. If a lineman type asked me for 5 bucks, I wouldn't think he was robbing me, I'd think he was just robbed himself and needed cash to get home.