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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 1998-10 > 0909105628


From: "Virginia W. Beck" <>
Subject: Re: Travel to Northern Ireland
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 18:20:28 -0700


Wow! What has happened to common sense? A young man was expelled from a
local high school because he had a knife such as you describe -- crime:
'carrying a deadly weapon' -- and an honor student in another school was
suspended and nearly expelled because she gave an over-the-counter pain
tablet to a friend who had a headache! -- crime: 'distributing drugs'.
(The young man appealed, the 'sentence' was reduced to a suspension & he was
finally reinstated, but . . .) Va.
-----Original Message-----
From: David L. White <>
To: <>
Date: Thursday, October 22, 1998 6:08 PM
Subject: Travel to Northern Ireland

>A minor detail to those planning a trip to NI, but one that can save you
>much trouble with the law. The British have enacted very strict laws
>concerning what they define as "weapons." When departing NI last year,
>some customs official noticed that I had a small penknife on my key ring.
>Since the knife blade was pointed, it is considered a "weapon" regardless
>of the length of the blade. (my blade is just over 1 inch long) Carrying
>such a
>"weapon" in NI or England can get you 10 years in jail. The same goes for
>a hollow-point or soft nose cartridge on a key ring. Even tho there is no
>primer on the cartridge case, and no powder in the cartridge case, and a
>hole is drilled in the case, in England and NI it is considered a "weapon"
>and can get in 10 years in jail.
>Fortunately, the NI customs became convinced that I was not a terrorist,
>and after a brief delay was allowed to proceed to my plane.
>But, as a reminder, leave ALL knives, regardless of length, at home.
>
>

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