Pay attention...

[JohnKSa]

Visted the ER last night to get the wife's high fever & joint pain sorted out. She's on Tamiflu and doing quite well now, thank you.

Anyway, while the tests were taking place over the course of a few hours, I visited the restroom a couple of times. During the second visit, I noticed that someone had left a folding knife in there. I let the folks at the nurse's station know about it.

No big deal, but why would someone do that? It was small enough to fit in a pocket and had a clip besides. For some reason, people feel the need to pull their knives (and sometimes guns) out and set them down in the bathroom.

1. Leave it where it belongs. If you don't need to take your gun/knife out of its carry location then don't. You can't leave a gun/knife somewhere if you never take it out in the first place.

2. If you have to take it out, don't set it down. You can't leave a gun/knife sitting somewhere if you don't set it down somewhere.

3. Think about how you're going to deal with situations where you must take your gun/knife out of its carry location so you don't end up with an AD/injury instead of just an embarrassing situation. For example, my carry holster is set up so I can remove it from my belt with the gun still holstered. It has strong loops and one way snaps so it's very secure on the belt but can still be removed and replaced without reholstering the gun, if necessary.

4. Pay attention. If you're in the habit of taking stuff out and laying it down, get in the habit of doing a quick sweep before you step out of the stall/bathroom. My wife found a woman's diamond ring on the sink of a bathroom some years ago. Maybe Lost & Found got it back to the original owner, maybe not--but frankly, losing a ring doesn't have quite the same negative potential as leaving a gun in a restroom.

This case worked out ok, although the nurse who retrieved the knife was quite startled when he pushed on the "flipper" and the blade snapped into position. Fortunately he was holding it so that he was not injured and he didn't drop the knife when he started. I kind of doubt that the owner will get his/her knife back though.

 

[danez71]

Agreed.

When I carry I normally do IWB Appendix that a clip on.

If I HAVE to go #2, I do the same thing EVERY time; 1) Remove holster with gun. 2) Stick the whole thing in my front pocket. 3) Do my do-do. 4) remove gun/holster from pocket and return to appendix carry.

I never remove the gun from the holster and I never set it down.


For the knives I carry, there is no reason to remove it while doing any business in a public potty room.

 

[MedWheeler]

You don't say where you found it. Could it simply have fallen out, unnoticed by its owner?

Could it also be that it was intentionally discarded by someone who did not want its presence detected during a clinical exam or other procedure? Perhaps by someone looking at soon ending up in law enforcement custody?

 

[JohnKSa]

Sorry, I left that little detail out.

It was sitting on top of a small metal cart that was placed close to the toilet. It appeared to have been placed there intentionally--at least I can't think of a reasonable scenario for how it could have fallen into that location undetected. It's an unlikely location for it to have fallen, and if it had fallen there, the noise of it hitting the cart would have been hard to miss.

It's possible that it was discarded to avoid detection but that seems somewhat unlikely in my opinion for the following reasons.

The knife was perfectly legal in TX. Being caught with it wouldn't be a problem except, perhaps, in unusual circumstances.

It was left in plain sight which means the next person in the bathroom was almost certain to notice it. If the person were trying to get rid of it, setting it behind the toilet or tossing it in the garbage would delay discovery or maybe even prevent it from ever being found. If it were found during cleaning or when the garbage was emptied, the person who discarded it would have been long gone.

It was back in the area with patients who had already been admitted and put in a room. I would think it would make more sense for someone to discard a weapon in the waiting room restroom if that's what they wanted to do. Also, for someone in the back area, going to a restroom to discard it would be unnecessary. Every room has at least one covered trash container for biowaste that could be used to ditch something.

 

[Coyote3855]

My son was a manager in the restaurant business for several years. In that time, he had two handguns turned into him. One left in the men's room the other in a booth. The booth gun belonged to a cop.

Indeed curious about the knife you found. I have no theory. Our local hospital has big signs saying no weapons allowed.

 

[Axis II]

or how about leaving your loaded handgun sitting on top of the back of the toilet at a fast food place only to be found by a city prosecutor and then turned into the local PD. oh and this was a guy on duty and was his work gun. not my gun but I was tasked at going and getting it back for my partner cause he was too embarrassed.

 

[Snyper]

Maybe it fell out of someone's pocket, and you were the second one to see it, while the first one picked it up off the floor and placed it on the cart on the theory the owner would return looking for it.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Our local hospital has big signs saying no weapons allowed.

The ER at my local hospital has very large plainclothes security guys sitting in the hallways in the patient exam room area. I guess that's for when gangbangers are brought in.

 

[JohnKSa]

Maybe it fell out of someone's pocket, and you were the second one to see it, while the first one picked it up off the floor and placed it on the cart on the theory the owner would return looking for it.

It's possible. The first time I went in, the knife wasn't there but it showed up by my second visit a couple of hours later. I wasn't paying close attention to how many folks went in and out, but we were in the room immediately opposite the restroom with a clear view of the door most of the time. My impression was that only a few people (less than 5) used it during the 4-5 hours we were there.

 

[Metal God]

Although I understand your point . I believe you're over reacting to a knife and how they are used . I carry a knife everywhere and it comes out at least 10 times a day and take it into places that say no weapons . They are a great general tool for everyday issues . Although I agree leaving them laying around for anyone to grab like a kid is bad form . To act as if it's the same as leaving your gun out on the sink is a bit of a stretch . I/we all have knives unprotected in the kitchen . In blocks on counter or in drawers with out to much concern . We are taught at an early age they can be dangerous . They are just a common tool we use and I can think of at least 5 reasons a knife would come out in a bathroom . Leaving it there is another story but it was an emergency room . They may have had some other things on there mind .

 

[Milt1]

I'm retired now but at my previous work place I found a Rolex watch in the men's bathroom. I turned it into our HR department and I'm sure it found it's way back to the owner but just goes to show you that anything can turn up in the most unexpected places.

 

[JohnKSa]

I believe you're over reacting to a knife and how they are used .

I generally have several knives on my person at any given time and use them regularly throughout the day. What I don't do is take them out when I don't need to or set them down when I'm not using them. When I need one I take it from where it is carried and when I'm done using it I put it back where it goes.

To act as if it's the same as leaving your gun out on the sink is a bit of a stretch.

I'm not saying it's the same--it's clearly worse to leave a gun in the bathroom than it is to leave a pocket knife. What I'm saying is that it's the same mindset that causes both and that both can be prevented by the same attention to detail and good habits.

They may have had some other things on there mind.

That's precisely why it's important to build good habits and to follow a proper routine. Because even when we have other things on our minds, we still need to pay attention to what we're doing.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I had an ER visit this week that also involved a knife. I had an employee get shocked while working on a piece of restaurant equipment on Monday. The restaurant staff called 911 and then they called me. I went over to the hospital ER to check on his condition. We do a lot of service work at this hospital but always come in the back doors with our tools and equipment, but to enter the ER you have to pass through an airport type metal detector. The security officer manning the scanner asked if I had a knife or other weapon on my person and I answered affirmatively, I had a small Old Timer pocket knife. He took it and gave me a claim check to pick it up on my way out. My pocket screw drivers with sharp points were okay though......

 

[HankR]

In a stall or by the urinal? I could see someone taking a seat and figuring they're gonna be there awhile. Boredom. Nothing to read? Hmmm, guess I'll clean my nails (isn't that why you carry a pocketknife? Weapon? What are you talking about?). Ok, time for the paperwork. Set the knife down. Once, twice, courtesy wipe, hop up to wash hands. Distracted (strange bathroom, sick relative, how long are we gonna be here?).

Yeah, I could see it happening. Not to me though, I clean my nails in church and always put my knife back as soon as my wife gives me "the look".

 

[OilyPablo]

Probably a surgeon came back later to get it.

 

[JohnKSa]

In a stall or by the urinal?

It was a one holer with a locking door. Only a toilet & a sink.

 

[22-rimfire]

Sorry, I left that little detail out.

It was sitting on top of a small metal cart that was placed close to the toilet. It appeared to have been placed there intentionally--at least I can't think of a reasonable scenario for how it could have fallen into that location undetected. It's an unlikely location for it to have fallen, and if it had fallen there, the noise of it hitting the cart would have been hard to miss.

It's possible that it was discarded to avoid detection but that seems somewhat unlikely in my opinion for the following reasons.

The knife was perfectly legal in TX. Being caught with it wouldn't be a problem except, perhaps, in unusual circumstances.

It was left in plain sight which means the next person in the bathroom was almost certain to notice it. If the person were trying to get rid of it, setting it behind the toilet or tossing it in the garbage would delay discovery or maybe even prevent it from ever being found. If it were found during cleaning or when the garbage was emptied, the person who discarded it would have been long gone.

It was back in the area with patients who had already been admitted and put in a room. I would think it would make more sense for someone to discard a weapon in the waiting room restroom if that's what they wanted to do. Also, for someone in the back area, going to a restroom to discard it would be unnecessary. Every room has at least one covered trash container for biowaste that could be used to ditch something.

My guess is that it fell out of their pocket inside a stall and some one picked it up placing it where they might find it, Most knives are tools. People loose cell phones that way.

 

[JohnKSa]

No stall. Typical hospital bathroom. One toilet, locking door and plenty of room for an assistant and/or a wheelchair.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Agreed.

When I carry I normally do IWB Appendix that a clip on.

If I HAVE to go #2, I do the same thing EVERY time; 1) Remove holster with gun. 2) Stick the whole thing in my front pocket. 3) Do my do-do. 4) remove gun/holster from pocket and return to appendix carry.

I never remove the gun from the holster and I never set it down.


For the knives I carry, there is no reason to remove it while doing any business in a public potty room.

I can think of a few reasons I'd have my pocket knife out in the restroom...mostly having to do with boredom and such, as another said. So I won't second guess the reasons it may have happened here. Perhaps it just fell out of someone's pocket. That's happened to me a time or two. Suffice it to say the owner screwed lost a pocket knife, however it happened.


This comment here brings up a point about carry that many people don't think about...until that fateful moment they first drop their pants while carrying. Obviously, how one carries makes a difference in how this is handled.

I carry IWB at about 4 O'Clock. When I have to use the john, as the pants reach ankle level, I pull the waist band of my underwear over the grip of my pistol. This keeps the pistol and holster upright and next to my leg.

If I were to carry appendix, once the pants hit ankle level I'd just flop the holster/pistol over and let it rest in the cradle of my pants. (I don't carry this way, but I've tried this.)

Both have the advantage of never removing the holster/gun from my belt.


If I absolutely HAD to remove my holster/gun, I'd place them in the cradle of my pants, between my ankles. I just can't picture accidentally leaving my gun anywhere if I were to do this.

 

[cdk8]

A surgeon was just warming it up before a procedure.

I have IBS, so I know a lot about pooping. When I have to make a doodie when carrying strong-side IWB, my method is to leave the gun on, and then refasten my belt right below the knees so that I don't have to remove the firearm and place it on the stall or hold it. The tension of the refastened belt prevents it from tipping over and falling on the floor. A stiffer carry belt seems to make this method work best.

In the event you were to be attacked while taking this poop, now you're ready for the draw. Just be sure to wash your hands (and your gun) afterwards, should it come to this.

 

[4evernbljns]

I believe it was 1991,a coworker was shot and killed at a rest area toilet south of DC. Taking a dump and two young punks came in and killed him. I always have my sidearm accessible when using public facility.

 

[cdk8]

I believe it was 1991,a coworker was shot and killed at a rest area toilet south of DC. Taking a dump and two young punks came in and killed him. I always have my sidearm accessible when using public facility.

I'm always telling people that we don't need more gun control, we need more poop control. Had this poor fellow followed my poopy protocol, his pistol would have been ready for action.