Friday I was sitting in traffic near an intersection in a small/mid sized city. We were not moving due to an accident that was being cleared out of the intersection. A fair amount of people were on the sidewalks: walking, biking, go about their business to and from the nearby grocery store. I was "people watching" when a guy walked by who was shouting. At others? Himself? I don't really know. I had my window down and was in the lane closest to the sidewalk but couldn't tell what, if anything, he was focused on. Others on the sidewalk were taking notice and giving him plenty of space. He was average height (5'7"-5'10") and pretty overweight but was neatly dressed with shirt tucked in and just a phone in his hand. A family of four, with the dad holding a smaller child, moved over into the adjacent parking lot to let the guy go by. For whatever reason the loud guy focused on the family's other kid who was standing with his little push scooter between the parents. The dad was a good 6' plus and was obviously in pretty good shape muscle wise. He took a step forward and kind of pushed the kid behind him which angered the loud guy and all of the sudden he was waving his finger at the dad and got louder. The mom was trying to usher the kid further into the parking lot while the dad rotated to hand off the little kid to her. At this point the loud guy leaned over and pointed at the kid with the scooter, now a good dozen feet behind the parents. While standing back up he made a movement that I initially thought was him striking at the dad's upper leg. The dad was still not fully turned back towards the guy and I thought he was just going to take a potshot and run as his feet were clearly starting to dance around. It took me a few seconds to realize that what had actually happened was loud guy had noticed the folder in the dad's pocket and had grabbed it while the little kid was being handed to the mom. I think I more saw the shocked look on the dad's face than the actual knife to start with. Loud guy had it open and was waving it around instantly. I made it out of and around to the front of my car when several people from the small crowd that had gathered on either side of the altercation grabbed the guy, took the knife and put the guy on the ground. There was a LEO handcuffing him before I got back to my door. I noticed both the driver to my left and the one behind me had also exited their vehicles. Guy to my left was reholstering which is a whole other cautionary tale. This is the second time I've seen someone's knife taken from them. This one ended better than the first, even though loud guy had plenty of time to do major damage to his intended victim. Remember, if you can easily access it so can others. If you carry it openly clipped to a pocket or don't have some control of the situation when you go to draw it from concealment then it becomes a liability.
This is a good reminder and one of the main reasons I am against open carry of firearms. (not the right to open carry understand, but the decision to open carry.)
excellent tip...it's why i don't usually use a belt clip unless i'm riding since it's impossible for me to grab it with gloves on.
Twenty years ago when I first started daily carrying a firearm I remember being very self conscious about it. Like most new carriers that feeling gradually went away. It was much later, like a decade, before I realized that it was just as important what other information I freely gave to others about things I carry. That was a long car ride home. Pocket clips? Random pocket or belt bulges? The phone shape in your pocket that you don't reach into when getting your phone. The internet says that no one notices. Or that most people won't notice. But there are people that notice. Not all of them are just interested in your EDC choices. And they might not be standing right in front of you if they choose to act. Control the information you put out there. Control the tools you choose to carry.
whoops, i meant pocket clip - the ones that usually come with our folding knives. same reason i don't wear paracord bracelet...if i see someone wearing one i'm sure they have a knife too whether the clip is visible or not.
I knew what you meant man. And I'm the same way with stuff like paracord bracelets and such. I am thinking of picking up a fanny pack for bicycle riding since they're back in style and fashionable now (I'm told). Nothing tactical, maybe a bright purple, yellow or pink. Then mod it to hold what I need it to.
I learned this very lesson the hard way... Back in the day I use to carry a nice and fancy Benchmade Auto in my pocket where ever I went. One day a kiddo tried to reach in my pocket for a pacifier... I was quick enough to grab at my pocket to avoid a little hand reaching in my pocket so I thought... Apparently the little hand managed to press the flipper button on the knife just enough to barely activate it. I reached in my pocket a few minutes later for said pacifier... The large deep cut across my hand when I pulled the pacifier out... Convinced me to never again carry a knife or other “dangerous” tool where anyone else could grab it... My preference now is to carry a knife normally in a chest pocket or if I can do it safely clipped to the bottom of my wallet which then holds it down in the bottom of my pocket. For anything thing that goes bang I 99 percent of the time carry what I believe is called appendix carry OWB Holster. The important part I have found is that I carry far enough forward of my pocket I can place my fingers in my pocket. This then allows me to use my arm to block my firearm from being reached from behind.
