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submitted 4 months ago by Emperor@feddit.uk to c/kent@feddit.uk

Police arrested an American tourist who admitted to openly carrying a knife on a British beachfront.

The man had reportedly been as he sunbathing in Herne Bay on Thursday when locals reported to Kent Police that he was carrying a knife.

The American reportedly told officers he came from an open-carry state in the US, claiming he had the blade for protection and was unaware he could not carry it in public in the UK.

After being arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife, he was handed a community resolution where British law around knife crime was “fully explained to him”, police said.

...

It is believed the tourist had picked up the steak knife from the kitchen of his rental property close to the coastline on Thursday April 3.

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[-] adam_y@lemmy.world 42 points 4 months ago

Classic American.

Assumes every country is like America. Assumes their laws are everyone's laws. Assumes their rights are everyone's rights.

Doesn't bother to check. Doesn't look to see if anyone else is carrying a weapon to the beach.

[-] miss_demeanour@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 4 months ago

He had heard that Americans were attacked on the beaches during some big war that the Yanks won for the world.

[-] adam_y@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago

We haven't even said thank you to him yet.

[-] LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee 5 points 4 months ago

I wish the article said which state because I’m not sure this is classic “American” but knowing the state would maybe shed some light.

I’m from Minnesota and you can open carry a knife here but it would be weird to see someone carrying a steak knife. A fixed blade knife you’d maybe see in a more rural area, especially during hunting season. A pocket knife would be probably pretty common. I myself carry a multitool everyday because there’s been all sorts of times I’ve found use for the pliers, screwdrivers, snips etc.

The dumbest part to me though is the claim about self defense. A knife is an awful choice for self defense if you have time to plan ahead, he’d have been better off bringing a rolling pin or a cricket bat or something like that if he’s that worried.

[-] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 16 points 4 months ago

A penknife I can understand. I often carry one as it has tools and is useful.

Carrying a kitchen knife is a different beast.

The fact that he can apparently do it at home is no argument (but an expected one from an American). It's on you to understand the law in places you travel to.

[-] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Nah, Americans aren't open carrying steak knives lmao, he's just shitposting because he watches Fox News and is scared of everything.

We have gas station knife stores for knife carrying needs, we have some class.

[-] robador51@lemmy.ml 13 points 4 months ago

When I was 14 I was on holiday in Poland. We used to go there every holiday, so I spoke a tiny bit of polish. I was on my skateboard on the road, when a police car stopped me, being on the road with a skateboard wasn't allowed. I explained that in my country this was allowed, so they let me go with a warning. Fast forward 2 weeks, I was at a lake camp side in the evening on a borrowed bike without lights when I came upon a police checkpoint. It was the same cops. They laughed and said "we know, you're from {country}!" and they send me off with another warning. Nice cops.

[-] Emperor@feddit.uk 11 points 4 months ago

I enjoy the rather British response to this of taking him down to the station and giving him a talking to.

[-] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 4 months ago

The man had reportedly been as he sunbathing in Herne Bay on Thursday when locals reported to Kent Police that he was carrying a knife.

Did an LLM write this?

[-] Obelix@feddit.org 17 points 4 months ago

No, LLMs are really good at spelling.

[-] essell@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. I think Douglas Adams said that 😁

[-] Ghost_Pepper@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

You are better off claiming to be a Sikh while carrying a ceremonial sword.

[-] crt0o@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago

To be fair, I don't really understand what they're trying to achieve with these laws. A knife is just a tool, the issue isn't carrying one, but intending to use it to hurt someone, and if you intend to hurt someone, you will find some way to hide it anyways. If people are going around stabbing each other in the streets, the problem is much deeper than "they shouldn't be carrying knives in the public", perhaps your education system failed to teach them morality.

[-] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 7 points 4 months ago

An acid is just a liquid. Carrying a bottle of it shouldn't be an issue.

A hypodermic syringe is just a medical device.

An axe etc etc

Stupid reasoning.

[-] tazeycrazy@feddit.uk 2 points 4 months ago

Hey if your using it for it's intended purpose walking through a forest with an axe makes sense. On a beach not so much.

[-] tetris11@feddit.uk 2 points 3 months ago

Flashback to the time I was on a plane with my grandma, and she pulled out an apple and a kitchen knife she had folded up her back shirt somewhere and started peeling away.

No one said anything; no one dared.

this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2025
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