ThinkGeek Umbrella Brings Police to College Dorm
Umbrella wielding ninjas beware ...
ThinkGeek sells all kinds of gadgets and toys that appeal to the geeky mind. Whether it's a lighter with a spycam; electronics cleaning putty; slide rules; Tauntuan sleeping bags or the iCade (a dock that turns your iPad into an arcade machine), there's plenty there to play to the geekier side of us all. However, don't bank on everyone realising your new toy is just a clever invention from ThinkGeek. One student found that out the hard way when his umbrella disguised as a sword resulted in a team of armed policed officers showing up at his girlfriend's school.
ThinkGeek recently got an email from Christina in Atlanta, who had purchased ThinkGeek's Samurai Sword Handle Umbrella for her boyfriend. Her boyfriend wore the umbrella on his back to go visit Christina in her dorm room and it wasn't long before her police officers with rifles showed up to evacuate the building.
Once she got outside, Christina was stopped by officers who asked her if the man she escorted inside the building was carrying a weapon.
"He had an umbrella that looked like a weapon. It looks like a samurai sword," she replied.
Christina volunteered to call her boyfriend who was surprised to learn all the fuss had been caused by his umbrella. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring it to the officers to show it to them, because it was still in Christina's room. Christina was told to sit down, and placed under armed watch, while two police officers went to retrieve 'the artifact in question.'
The two officers came back a few minutes later with the umbrella, which they popped open before declaring, "We're done here." Then the dozen officers (four of whom had rifles) filed out of the building.
Christina doesn't mention whether or not she goes to Georgia Tech, where recently, a man with a samurai sword slashed one student and attacked a campus police officer trying to arrest him. However, even if she attends a different school, given the attack that took place at Georgia Tech in February, it's easy to see why someone overreacted and called the police.
Check out her full story on ThinkGeek, where several commenters say they've been questioned by co-workers and security guards about their own samurai sword handle umbrellas.
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She probably wanted her boyfriend to get mauled by the cops.
while you can get a cane sword and won't even raise a eyebrow...
http://www.swordsdirect.com/sword_canes.html
Part of me thinks, "Damn, what a overreaction, but considering the hubub, might be not the best idea for an item that looks like a weapon."
The other part of me wonders if I can get free shipping if I order more than one...
We have turned into a country full of p*ssies.
Her t-shirt is awesome, "theres no place like 127.0.0.1". I would wear that.
In Arizona you can openly carry a gun to just about any where. if i remember right, I think schools and goverment buildings are the only things off limits. You can go the the 7-11 with a gun on your hip and no one will say a word. also people know not to screw with you when everyone is packing a gun on your hip.
Still a getting the cops call on you for having a sword is just dumb. excluding the georgia tech incident, how many people are really kill by sword in the us? it would be diffrent if they were fighting or had some other kind of demestic disterbance thier eairler in the day. but dude was just going to see his girl. next thing you know they will be taking away our pocket knifes.... oh wait.....
Thats ridiculous, how can someone do anything with a damned sword anyway. Its like calling the cops over a baseball bat. If he isn't acting weird of course. Even if it was a rifle, mind your own business, keep your AR loaded and everything will be just fine. No need to call the cops, ever.
For the love of god, it's a katana. Reading "samurai sword" makes me cringe.
see no problem
Ahhh... America, thank you for entertaining us.
We have turned into a country full of p*ssies.
Indeed.
We have turned into a country full of p*ssies.
So is someone brought in what looked like a samurai sword on quick inspection you wouldn't care?
I'll bet you would run out screaming.
it still clearly looks umbrella like too.
Its kind of funny, but one can never be too safe.
it still clearly looks umbrella like too.Its kind of funny, but one can never be too safe.
I have one of these umbrellas. The umbrella comes with a sling holster that you wear and covers most of the umbrella part. Says in the article that he was wearing it on his back, so I can see how it can be mistaken.
Maybe he shouldn't have it on his back next time. ^^; and seriously, most of it looks like a fabric umbrella.
But, I liked the story.
Do you need that much police for a guy with a "sword". What if it's not a sword but a gun?
So is someone brought in what looked like a samurai sword on quick inspection you wouldn't care?I'll bet you would run out screaming.
A guy with a geek shirt and a sword just makes me laugh while thinking of jedi boy, and the Sword Vs Gun scene from "Raiders of the lost ark"
Cane sword? Zatoichi has the best sword http://www.ebladestore.com/product/120/PC1014.html
You could always just buy a sword that looks like a umbrella.
So, if I walk around with a knife in my possession (for work), will the police put a gun to my head?
So is someone brought in what looked like a samurai sword on quick inspection you wouldn't care?I'll bet you would run out screaming.
Well, I generally see kids with brass knuckle knives around here. A katana would be a interesting change.
I'm a GT student, and given the shirt she's wearing, and the sort of accessories most a lot of the kids around here have, I don't wouldn't have the slightest problem thinking this happened at my school. Seriously, I've seen a few people walking on campus with practice katanas made from bamboo, so a katana looking umbrella wouldn't surprise me in the least.
and with the "great" likelihood of another sword attack at the same place anyhow...
these people who panic and call the police are a little socially deficient in that they have almost no ability to read the situation.
is he a:
dude walking all relaxed into his dorm building with his happy girlfriend...?
or
Really a deranged maniac dragging a scared hostage into what will be remembered ( in his mind at any rate ) a hall of carnage!? :0
...maybe it is the people panic dialling 911 that need to be taken away for a little "social reprogramming" lol
He shouldn't have brought a sword to a gunfight.
Next to bring hilarity where inappropriate, the gun lighter
http://gunlighter.org/pistol-torch [...] laser.html
And the side-splittingly funny time-bomb alarm clock
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/0 [...] these.html
So is someone brought in what looked like a samurai sword on quick inspection you wouldn't care?I'll bet you would run out screaming.
Last I checked, even carrying a sword in most places isn't against the law. In fact, in many places in the US, lawful citizens can carry whatever they wish. For instance, slung rifles, or legally licensed hand guns, swords, knives, and tasers. If you're running around like an idiot every time you see a weapon, then the only thing that's really happened is the fact that you've proven to everyone else that you're an idiot.
Daily, I open carry a holstered .45 pistol, a utility knife, and a hand held LED flashlight. Last time I checked, I hadn't unexpectedly shot, cut or blinded anyone.
Last I checked, even carrying a sword in most places isn't against the law. In fact, in many places in the US, lawful citizens can carry whatever they wish. For instance, slung rifles, or legally licensed hand guns, swords, knives, and tasers. If you're running around like an idiot every time you see a weapon, then the only thing that's really happened is the fact that you've proven to everyone else that you're an idiot. Daily, I open carry a holstered .45 pistol, a utility knife, and a hand held LED flashlight. Last time I checked, I hadn't unexpectedly shot, cut or blinded anyone.
Understood, but try walking around Columbine or Virginia Tech whilst packing heat and see how far you get before people start crapping themselves and calling for SWAT.
Ahh, yes! The Police State is alive and well in Obama's Amerika.
A person could do more damage with an ordinary household chef knife in a crowded mall than someone with a real katana.
while you can get a cane sword and won't even raise a eyebrow...http://www.swordsdirect.com/sword_canes.html
Well...it might be because a cane sword looks like a cane...and a samari sword umbrella...looks like a samari sword. Samari sword > cane. Just sayin'.
Her t-shirt is awesome, "theres no place like 127.0.0.1". I would wear that.
You know "There's no place like 127.0.0.1" is technically incorrect, 127.0.0.1(localhost) is a computers reference to its self, which would translate as "There's no place like myself". It should be one of the most common ips for routers, something like 192.168.1.1.
terrorist 1
freedom 0
terrorist 1freedom 0
What? Terrorists didn't make people on campus afraid of a katana. Other students did.
So is someone brought in what looked like a samurai sword on quick inspection you wouldn't care?I'll bet you would run out screaming.
No, quite a few of us aren't hoplophobes and don't automatically assume that somebody with anything that even vaguely resembles a weapon is hell-bent on perpetuating mass murder. It's the whole "weapons don't kill people, people kill people" bit that most people do not understand. You call the police if somebody is actually doing something harmful or potentially harmful with a weapon (such as this guy if he started waving the katana around wildly), not merely because they have a weapon.