[Closed] Scary american, scary paranoid, scary proprer mashed up people around...

😯

That is scarily not right. Tactical pen wtf?

WTF is a tactical pen?

And he must be some size what with all that huffing and puffing he was doing just lifting stuff off a table!

septic tanks are all the same, nutters one and all

Yeah, I discovered EDC a few years ago. There's a website for it. Some of it is quite uesful, in so far as some people are really creative about what they pack and how (which is how I came across it). Some people are just paranoid sociopaths though.

Found it,

http://everyday-carry.com/

So a tactical pen is just a small pen?

Cretin

that site reminds me, Ive always wanted one of these:

[img] [/img]

I usually never go anywhere without a small carabiner, but also like to have a lanyard as well. This would be handy instead. I usually cycle with a very small pack or a saddlebag and having a carabiner and lanyard means I can buy something and be able to attach it to the bag.

Americans are not all nutters, of course - we don't start threads about the normal ones on STW, do we?

However - there is an element of 'might is right' in US culture that seems to draw in many people, particularly young males. If you watch a lot of films you can see the ones that include this idea.

Like A Bug's Life, for instance. Cute animated movie, perhaps, but it's all about violence, and the day is won in the end by the goodies [i]through more violence[/i]

Americans are not all nutters, of course

Nobody has said that they are (the title is singular). 🙂

montylikesbeer did:

septic tanks are all the same, nutters one and all

Fair enough, didn't actually understand that but have applied a bit of nouse and rhyming slang and worked it out.

This would be handy instead

Bit of a use once type job though. Imaging coiling it back up again

Are you talking about me?

You're not American are you?

No.

{like I'd tell him the truth}

I dont see anyone else here

Another here who recently discovered EDC. Came across it during online searches for a new commute rucksack. I learn that it has a big brother too - BOB.

I was shocked at first, particularly by the paranoid Americans who seemingly can't step through their front door without carrying two different kinds of combat knife, a torch, two backup torches and 30 batteries, pepper spray, a concealed 9mm pistol, 3 loaded magazines for said pistol and a 3G iPad everywhere they go, just in case.

Quite what they're preparing for that they think will require such specificity of stabbing and 50 odd rounds to be fired off, I don't even want to know.

However, after a while of satiating my morbid curiosity I saw that actually, the majority of it is fairly harmless. Particularly outside the US. It's just guys wanting to feel prepared for stuff by carrying paracord, carabiners, torches and first aid kits.

An old colleague of mine, a nice bloke, good laugh, RPG playing, computer programming, lead figure painting, proud-to-be-geek used to keep a zombie survival kit in his car with no hint of embarrassment. Everyone took the piss out of him till we ended up getting stranded overnight in the upstairs office when the river bust its banks and the RAF crew from the Sea kings hovering overhead phoned to say they couldn't justify airlifting 150 staff to dry land.

This colleague had got a roll mat, a sleeping bag, a torch, toothbrush, those army meal ration things, he was comfy, not hungry, totally sorted. While we were all trying to prise the vending machine open in the pitch black to get at the Mars Bars because the power had gone out.

Admittedly that's an exception scenario. Like most ultimately pointless hobbies we blokes have, it's probably 90% about the toys. I got the impression that a lot of it seems actually to be more about the collection and creation of the kit, rather than the use of it. It's like any hobby - a way for people to spend their money and pass the hours on chat forums.

But also like many a hobby - ours included - the nobbers give it a bad image.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. That said, sounds like that guy couldn't pass wind, without breaking into a sweat.

Its the culture I don't like,its aggressive and edgy.

I have spent a lot of time over there and its true.

Police expect you to be "fully tooled" all the time.

There is a fixation on home and self defence built on paranoia.

Take a hop over to Canada and its a different story.

Any culture that allows personal ownership of assault rifles is a little "edgy"

So let me get this straight. The good people of the USA are legally allowed to carry a gun around with them every day? Is that correct?

So let me get this straight. The good people of the USA are legally allowed to carry a gun around with them every day? Is that correct?

Just what I was wondering. Do they have licences? Because on the US cop shows with Ross Kemp you see the police taking guns of gang members and so on, so what are the rules?

[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_%28by_state%29 ]Its a state by state thing[/url]

Louisiana

Louisiana is a "shall issue" state for concealed carry. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall issue a concealed handgun permit to qualified applicants, after performing an NICS background check and giving the local police 10 days to provide additional information about the applicant. An applicant must demonstrate handgun proficiency by taking a training course from an approved instructor, or by having been trained while serving in the military. Concealed carry is not permitted in any portion of the permitted area of an establishment that has been granted a class A-General retail permit, to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, or in any place of worship, government meeting place, courthouse, police station, polling place, parade, or in certain other locations.[131][132][133]

Louisiana has state preemption of firearms laws, except for local laws passed before July 15, 1985. Government bodies other than the state may not sue firearms manufacturers, dealers, or trade associations for damages that are the result of lawful activities. Automatic firearms, short-barreled shotguns and rifles, and silencers may not be possessed or transferred without permission of the Department of Public Safety, and must be registered with the Department.[134]

You can have a license to conceal carry in some states, can't you? We need a 'mercan to help us.

Edit: already said above.

Its complicated - different states have different rules.

Any culture that allows personal ownership of assault rifles is a little "edgy"

Really? I used to own one (AR10) legally here before they made them Section 5 licence holders only.

Firearms and violence are not automatically synonymous.

In addition, I have a friend that lives in NW USA who has a nice collection of firearms including some fully automatic. Fair to say he is very in to his firearms, but I don't find him to be the least bit macho or violent.

Why anyone would want to personally own an assault rifle is beyond me, this is coming from a man who used to have a shot gun and shoot to a not bad level.

But is more than the ownership of a single weapon, some of these people have multiple weapons, like I said from personal experience its a scary place at times.

I think the important question that nobody has asked yet is how the hell do some of these people manage to walk with all that stuff bouncing around in their pockets?

I always find the best option when faced with a tricky situation is to run away. Give me a decent pair of shoes or trainers over half a tonne of gadgets everytime.

Firearms and violence are not automatically synonymous.

True. Guns don't kill people. People kill people. People with people killing tools are people more inclined to kill people though.

I too subscribe to the Karate Kid school of defence ("no be there") - I'm no fighter but I'm a wriggly little sod and I can do a standing 40 yards faster than anyone else I've ever met.

Firearms and violence are not automatically synonymous.

True, but it's not like guns have many other uses other than to kill stuff though. So lets not pretend they are multi use items.

I'll accept sport but I've yet to see an AK47 or Uzi used in the modern pentathlon.

Firearms and violence are not automatically synonymous

Many fire-arms are created for one single purpose, which is violence. So I think it's fair to say there's a lot of overlap, don't you?

Why would anyone want an automatic weapon if not for some reason related to violence?

People with people killing tools are people more inclined to kill people though.

I think you've got your causality backwards. People who are more likely to kill someone are more likely to be tooled up.

molly, you've clearly never been in a gang, or the cold war. its all about street rep, if a crew has certain weapons then your crew must have equal or better weapons to keep a stalemate... its not about violence... its preventing violence 😉

True. Guns don't kill people...

...rappers do,
Ask any politican and they'll tell you its true

its a fact, music makes you violent, like michael jackson telling little timmy to be silent.

So yes, the gun laws do vary state by state. You need a license I think in all cases, but they are very easy to get - I think they do a criminal record check on you. In Wisconsin at least (dunno about elsewhere) you can however buy a gun at a gun fair and they don't have to do any background checks on you. You do need to be a licensed dealer to sell at a gun fair, but all you have to do to get a license is send away for it apparently.

So if you want a gun, you can easily get one. Which means that anyone interested in wrongdoing can help themselves.

BUT

The reasons for crime happening are social and economic as everywhere else. Shootings etc are a consequence of this really not of gun ownership. However.. things that would be fights or stabbings in the UK turn into fire fights and drive-bys which have a higher mortality rate.

Problem is you have high gun availability AND terrible social inequality in many places, which is a bad combination. In Grips-in-Laws town there is very little crime of any kind, but most houses have at least some guns in - hunting is very popular. Deer and game birds that is, not gangster hunting.

That video was hilarious, I reckon he is a real life 'taxi driver' just waiting for the 'real rain' to fall.

Maybe he just lives in South London...

I think you've got your causality backwards. People who are more likely to kill someone are more likely to be tooled up.

I also love the statistic that owning a gun increases your chances of being shot.

i had some "interesting" conversations when i was in california - about what certain folk would do if america was invaded - they do seem very paranoid about being invaded ....

others , like the guy i was over visit just use em for hunting - bloody big gun for hunting though

Firearms and violence are not automatically synonymous.

You need 21 ft between you and the person you want to shoot for it to be effective if it is in a holster and you are trained.
better to learn some self defence if you are that paranoid IMHO
I know he uses a knife but think how may times he would have hit them

most houses have at least some guns in

LOL at "some". Bit like tea light holders in the UK. Most houses probably have at least some.

Junkyard - TBH that's kind of been my overriding feeling about this EDC lark since finding out about it. It all seems to be about preparedness, and yet keeping fit and nimble, and learning basic self defence probably does more good than carrying pocket fulls of tactical gear. All the knives and torches in the world won't stop a fat boy from being the first victim of a zombie onslaught.

Mind you, if it's anything like MTBing, on EDC forums there's probably already threads entitled [i]"Have self defence courses become the latest de rigueur accessory?"[/i]

By the way, I think the fact that this thread has turned mainly into a gun conversation perfectly illustrates the image problem EDC suffers.

Makes going top a camping store over in the states interesting,
#

tent, check
Sleeping bag, check
Stove, check

Hmm feels like somethings missing oh yes must remember to pick up a m16 on the way out.

I also love the statistic that owning a gun increases your chances of being shot

Correlation, not causal link....

Makes going top a camping store over in the states interesting,

Or even Wallmart...

Milk- check
Sugar- check
Twinkies- check
Pump action shotgun- what the?!?... Check

Wonder if you could bungiee an AK 47 to the top tube?

Or even Wallmart...

I was about to say that. My first visit to Walmart was an eye-opener. It's exactly like ASDA, only with a heavy-duty firearms section inbetween the dairy aisle and the baked goods.

The Southern Yeti - Member

No.

{like I'd tell him the truth}

Fair point...

I love the fact that he didn't take a firearm to Disneyland was because it would have been too much paperwork at the airline and not that its frighteningly paranoid to carry one in what would seem to be a relatively safe children's environment! Freak!

Haha, the above video is hilarious.

I do like the first video's incredibly phallic knuckleduster thing.

Tactical Pens for those who aren't scary survival types are designed to operate in environmental extremes (underwater, deserts etc) and are strong enough to be used as tools/weapons if need be. Some are even sharpened at the tip so when the nib is retracted you can stab people.

We have some at work for marine salvage work as they hard to break and work in the wet and filth, haven't tried stabbing anyone as yet.

incredibly phallic knuckleduster thing.

how big's your willy?
😉

Hey, apparently my car's a phallic symbol too. It falls somewhere inbetween 😉

Stoner - Member

incredibly phallic knuckleduster thing.

how big's your willy?

Small but known to cause damage and allow an opportunity to escape when thrust into an attackers face.

LOL at that video!

"These are my sunglasses, they protect me from light."

Now that IS paranoia!

back home from the ride / ale house. septics are loooons , its official