I was stopped because of a plastic sword...?

[Reishadowen]

Then he turned to me and asked what it was sticking out of my bag. I answered, "A pirate sword, for a friend - its for fancy dress." He then demanded to see it, and after identifying it was indeed plastic, and not the instrument of death he thought I was wielding, I was sent on my way with a growled warning about how the "police could arrest you for that, it's an offensive weapon."

TL;DR - I was stopped because of a plastic sword, sticking out of my schoolbag.

You know...most people who bring deadly weapons to school tend to at least TRY and conceal them. Seriously, this guy was just being a douchebag...unless of course he was serious about thinking it was a real sword. Then he's just being plain retarded; which I guess is how he ended up driving a school-bus around as his career path....

 

[Thumper17]

My friend brought a fucking BROADSWORD into school for some project where we show off a skill no one else in the class has.

His was swordplay, he's pretty advanced. To my knowledge no one even questioned him. He just set it in his locker and waited for class, did his presentation, let us handle the sword, then put it back.

That must've been grade 9.


In grade 7 at a different school a girl brought in two Katanas for show and tell. A shorter one and a longer one (unsure of exact names) School was catholic too. Teachers let her pass them around and everything.

 

[VonBrewskie]

So, as that title was probably quite confusing, I'm going to give a little bit of background, so that this makes sense. Every year at my school, Year 11 celebrates the fact that we break up for study leave, by dressing up in a wide variety of fancy dress costumes and cosplay. Now, a friend of mine was panicking about her costume, as it wasnt quite complete yet. She wanted to go as a pirate - but was missing, amongst other things, a piratey - style sword. So, I offered to lend her my pirate sword, acquired from a previous fancy dress. I decided to bring it too her the next day, via the school bus, as per normal.

However, it almost didn't go to plan.

As I was getting off the bus, the bus driver got out, and said, "Yeah, that's him there. Stop him!". I was then told the wait, in full view of the other buses, and my bus's students, whilst he unloaded everyone. Then he turned to me and asked what it was sticking out of my bag. I answered, "A pirate sword, for a friend - its for fancy dress." He then demanded to see it, and after identifying it was indeed plastic, and not the instrument of death he thought I was wielding, I was sent on my way with a growled warning about how the "police could arrest you for that, it's an offensive weapon."

What does The Escapist think? Was he right to stop me over a plastic sword? Was it ridiculous of him to even care?

I personally think he's mad, but oh well.

TL;DR - I was stopped becuase of a plastic sword, sticking out of my schoolbag.

Eh. Yeah, it's a bit over the top. The guy could have calmly asked you about the sword before assuming that it was a dangerous weapon. Unfortunately, we live in a world that has seen a lot of reports of increasing school violence, especially random acts of violence. (We could debate all night whether or not these reports are true, and whether or not they are, in fact, inspiring said random acts of violence. Short answer from me: they are, at least in some part.) The fear some people experience on a daily basis about another Columbine incident happening in their school drives them to do some pretty ridiculous things. The best thing to do, I think, is to not rise to their level of hysteria. Acknowledge the insanity of this event in your own mind, and carry on. Don't buy into the hysteria, in other words. Sounds like you did just that.

 

[Lord Penney]

-snip-

If you ask me (which you aren't directly but oh well)I think that the driver had realised his mistake and was trying to cover it up by saying that you shouldn't have had the (plastic) sword, thereby keeping what he believed to be the moral high ground.

A similar(ish) situation happened to me the other month. I was walking out of six form with my mate at lunch to go to a shop, when we were stopped by my head of sixth form who had come in late. He asked me what I was doing outside of college, and I reminded him it was lunch. After an awkward silence, he then asked the stupidest question a teacher could ask; "So, the college is that way right?". We were stood next to the college.

 

[Magnesium360]

I'm guessing a pirate-y style sword is a scimitar. A famously piratical hacking weapon that is dangerous because of its weight and sharpness. A plastic one would be neither heavy nor sharp.
Yeah, the bus driver over reacted, but I think his comment after finding out it was plastic was really just to save face.

A while back some police showed up in a street near where I live due to an elderly lady reporting that three suspicious men were walking around with guns. Closer inspection revealed it was three teenagers with nerf guns. Yeah... Kind of a fail.

 

[Magnesium360]

Step 1. Acquire real sword.
Step 2. Sheathe blade in plastic.
Step 3. ???
Step 4. Now you're thinking with portals.

Step 1: Acquire a real gun
Step 2: Conceal it inside a Nerf gun
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Sneaky.

 

[Micalas]

*

I think I might've said something along the lines of

"You wanker. How about you stick to what you're good at - trucking kiddies to and from school - and leave the detective work to the professionals. Fucking window licker."

You might've had to walk home, but at least you would've had an offensive plastic sword to defend yourself with.

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar, lol.

Wait, I've just thought of one better.

ToxicOranges should have given up his plastic sword, then once on the bus he should've reached into his bag, loudly announcing
"This is a hijacking! Nobody move!" as he pulls out

Spoiler: these offensive weapons

What the bus driver didn't know was that it was a two-pronged attack. With security focused on this deadly plastic sword, his partner has already assassinated the principal and been extracted by SEAL Team 6.

 

[Dectomax]

Oh, sweet jesus Jim! You could mildly annoy like six people before somebody smacked you...the horror!!!

I laughed so much at that. Thank you! Haha!!!

 

[thedevilscousin]

I'd call that man an idiot. Plastic swords are cheap and fake, you could see that a mile away.

 

[itsausernamewhatofit]

I once brought a pair of white waxwood escrima into school for a bit of demonstration. For those unfamiliar they're sticks about an inch in diameter and 2 feet in length. Nobody really cared when I passed them around my classroom afterwords.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

I actually once brought a real sabre to school during a holloween dance because it went with my costume (marine). I got permission from th school and assured them that it wasn't sharp (well, only the tip XD). They were really surprised when we did the costume contest and I drew it to salute. XD

 

[BlindMessiah94]

You should have pulled it out on him and proclaimed "En Garde!!!"

Seriously though, the guy sounds like a paranoid idiot.

 

[sheah1]

We werent even allowed to dress up at my schools for halloween.-I was very against this.

There are schools that let people dress up for halloween?!

 

[Da pyro man 999]

I got stopped when i had one of those fake knives that the blade goes into the handle when you apply pressure to the tip(pretenting to stab yourself, for example) I suppose it was quite justified for me anyway

 

[Biodeamon]

There's three kinds of people these days:nice-guys who don't have very long lifes, gruff peoples who don't care about anybody but themselves, and crazy people.
I think he's a gruff mad person...let him call the cops if he wants they'll just see a boy with a plastic sword and he'll be the one in trouble.
However if this happened in america i wouldn't be suprised based on the mass paranoia floating about like an omnious cloud. Canada isn't any better off either with the amount of incedibly bad mistakes the RCMP keep doing and make fools of themselves...

 

[Guffe]

I would understand a gun that has a real look to it but a plastic pirate sword? I've had countless of those and none look even like they could harm a cat.

 

[Carlston]

It's a offensive weapon?

How is it "offensive?"

Was it anti-gay or something?

It's a plastic sword the bus driver was full of it

 

[Zykon TheLich]

[quote="To

 

[Nocturnal Gentleman]

It is clear to me that the bus driver hates your face. The sword wasn't really an issue. He just doesn't like you.