I can't even get a straight answer on my 2 3/4" locking blade knife off campus. Some cops say it's a misdemeanor, some say that it isn't, and some say they wouldn't care if they caught me with one. Gotta love ambiguous laws that the cops can't understand. Don't get me wrong, I don't think cops are stupid, just the laws.
Agreed, most cops aren't stupid, but many of them are frighteningly un- or mis-informed.
In CA, you can legally carry ANY size folding knife, so long as it is not carried with the blade locked open. You can also carry any size fixed blade so long as it is not carried concealed. Automatics are actually legal, provided their blade is 2" or shorter.
Obviously these STATE LAWS are some how superceded by brainless, leftist (oxymoron, I know) campus policies.
Do yourself a favor and find the actual text and section of the law, print it out and keep it in your wallet if you are that concerned about run-ins with the law.
An officer is going to have a hard time busting you for a law that you are very clearly NOT in violation of.
Me carrying a flashlight is nearly like carrying a gun. It isn't that I need it everywhere I go, but I feel a lot better having it with me. A Surefire or some other high-end flashlight would be nice to have, but then it isn't about need, it's about "being nice to have".
Well of course. You never know precisely when or if you'll ever need a gun, which is why most people here carry always, just like most people always wear their seatbelts when they drive; because they don't know when or if they will get into a collision.
And no, a quality flashlight is not "nice to have," it is a necessity, just like your wallet and a knife. My various flashlights that I've carried have come in handy more times than I can recall.
They've done everything from allowing me to get out of a darkened building to simply helping assure I and my friends don't fall down the stairs or trip on a dark, bumpy path. Remember the huge blackouts last summer? Do you know how many people would have given just about anything for even a single-LED keyring light?
Do you know that whatever flashlights (even keychain lights) that people did have on them proved to be literally lifesavers?
This last December I was in the Student union on campus, when, around 11pm, the lights went off and me and my study group were left in pitch darkness.
Then my SF L4 came out and made the night into day.
You can get a SF G2 for $30 or so. That is one of the best flashlights on the market at a price that pretty much anyone, even a college student, can afford. Be sure to get your batteries from SF, as they actually do have the best prices on those lithiums.
Though if you can, you really should spend the extra $100 or so for the L4. It is the last flashlight you will ever need to buy.
If you need more advice/guidance on flashlights, I'd be happy to help, or you can check out
www.candlepowerforums.com They are the High Road of flashlights.
