Security at Theme Parks and Other Public Places

[jon81uk]

It's not illegal to carry a pocket knife providing the cutting blade is less than 3"

Here are my set of keys that I carry around

Spoiler: Take a closer look

This has never been spotted so far among my keys

not being illegal doesn’t mean a private venue can’t refuse entry if you are carrying an item they don’t want in their premises.

personally I wouldn’t brag about the fact you are carrying a disguised knife.

 

[RoyJess]

not being illegal doesn’t mean a private venue can’t refuse entry if you are carrying an item they don’t want in their premises.

personally I wouldn’t brag about the fact you are carrying a disguised knife.

Yes and no,

We carry all sorts with us including knifes, scissors, cutlery, spanners, screwdrivers etc... We need these to repair Jess' wheelchair as well as to cut medical dressings as well as her mobility needs. If we require them for medical/mobility reason, they can't prevent us from entering otherwise it would be discrimination. We've been carrying these for many years and never had a problem.

 

[jon81uk]

Yes and no,

We carry all sorts with us including knifes, scissors, cutlery, spanners, screwdrivers etc... We need these to repair Jess' wheelchair as well as to cut medical dressings as well as her mobility needs. If we require them for medical/mobility reason, they can't prevent us from entering otherwise it would be discrimination. We've been carrying these for many years and never had a problem.

I agree, but a pair of scissors in a first aid kit or similar alongside dressings etc is very different to a knife. Generally I don't think a knife is needed for those purposes, scissors would suffice I expect.

I would expect to be refused entry based on the concealed knife on your keyring, but I would expect scissors as part of a medical kit to be permitted. Context is also important, so having the medical items in a medical kit is very different to carrying a pocket knife.

 

[Funcone]

You always get one jobsworth. I always carry a gun with me, in case I get stuck in a toilet and need to shoot the lock off. You'd be surprised at how many times I've been told that guns aren't allowed.

 

[rob666]

As a professional gardener, I try to keep a machete close by at all times.
Did get an official finger wagging for leaving a long bladed weeding knife on my car dash with the window open!
I was let off as the nice policeman spotted several mowers in the back.

 

[RoyJess]

I agree, but a pair of scissors in a first aid kit or similar alongside dressings etc is very different to a knife. Generally I don't think a knife is needed for those purposes, scissors would suffice I expect.

I would expect to be refused entry based on the concealed knife on your keyring, but I would expect scissors as part of a medical kit to be permitted. Context is also important, so having the medical items in a medical kit is very different to carrying a pocket knife.

Carrying a foldable non locking knife with a blade of less than 3" is legal and you don't need to have a good reason for carrying one. I shared this because a fellow wheelchair was questioned by BPB security for carrying essential tools for his wheelchair, but then again BPB security won't let you in if you are carrying food.

 

[jon81uk]

Carrying a foldable non locking knife with a blade of less than 3" is legal and you don't need to have a good reason for carrying one. I shared this because a fellow wheelchair was questioned by BPB security for carrying essential tools for his wheelchair, but then again BPB security won't let you in if you are carrying food.

Again, doesn't matter if it is legal or not they can refuse entry if they wish to.
As you said, having certain items are important for medical needs and that could be discrimination, but I do think context is very important. Keeping scissors in a pack with dressings is understandable. Carrying a blade in your pocket is not.
Being asked to show that foldable allen keys do not have a blade also seems very reasonable.

 

[Alsty]

Carrying a foldable non locking knife with a blade of less than 3" is legal and you don't need to have a good reason for carrying one.

It's not illegal to possess sandwiches but woe betide anybody who tries to take them into Pleasure Beach.

 

[RoyJess]

Again, doesn't matter if it is legal or not they can refuse entry if they wish to.
As you said, having certain items are important for medical needs and that could be discrimination, but I do think context is very important. Keeping scissors in a pack with dressings is understandable. Carrying a blade in your pocket is not.
Being asked to show that foldable allen keys do not have a blade also seems very reasonable.

Thanks for your concern. For over 10 years now, we carry a lot of paper work with us including medical history, disability entitlement, as well as an official detailed care plan which explains everything including all equipment/tools carried and why. You be surprised that the pocket knife gets used a lot.

It's not illegal to possess sandwiches but woe betide anybody who tries to take them into Pleasure Beach.

You are allowed to bring food in to BPB if you have dietary needs, again they can't prevent you as this will be discrimination.

 

[rob666]

My finest hour.
Smuggling a seven inch sub into the Beach stuffed down the front of my trousers.
Then waving it at the security guard when I got through the turnstiles.

 

[BigT]

My finest hour.
Smuggling a seven inch sub into the Beach stuffed down the front of my trousers.
Then waving it at the security guard when I got through the turnstiles.

I hope you didn’t eat it afterwards…

 

[delta79]

I hope you didn’t eat it afterwards…

His trousers his sandwich. Why not?

Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk

 

[Funcone]

Was it a cheese sandwich?

 

[rob666]

Sausage and cheese.
With mayo.

 

[imanautie]

I think the person thought it was a Swiss Army knife.Once I unfolded it they say yes that’s fine.

Don't think it was that you unfolded it, it seemed to me to be more when she called someone over.

Edit: I was with him, and no, BPB security did not give a crap about my device so yay!

 

[RoyJess]

not being illegal doesn’t mean a private venue can’t refuse entry if you are carrying an item they don’t want in their premises.

personally I wouldn’t brag about the fact you are carrying a disguised knife.

Oh by the way, did I ever mention that I take the legal penknife into venues where they do security checks? If you take a closer look, I have a carabiner clip attached to my keys, this is not to attach the key to myself, but to allow me to separate some of my keys so that I can leave my penknife somewhere safe either at home or in the car.

Some members do like to get wound up very easily on this forum and you are no exception jon

 

[Craig]

Oh by the way, did I ever mention that I take the legal penknife into venues where they do security checks? If you take a closer look, I have a carabiner clip attached to my keys, this is not to attach the key to myself, but to allow me to separate some of my keys so that I can leave my penknife somewhere safe either at home or in the car.

Some members do like to get wound up very easily on this forum and you are no exception jon

I'm sorry but you inferred that you did take it into theme parks, so please don't go turning it around saying that people are getting annoyed for no reason:

This has never been spotted so far among my keys

It's a little unbelievable that this is stretching multiple pages, when the whole thing that triggered this was that someone's tools for repairing something were checked and allowed through anyway.

The bottom line is that security are right to carry out appropriate checks if they suspect things are not what they think. The fact you have something that is purposely disguised as something else (legal or not) only goes to prove that they're right to be doing so. Whilst you may use it for legitimate means, let's not lose sight of the fact that it was only just over a year ago that someone was actually stabbed in a UK theme park. Theatre or not, I'd rather some proportionate checks were in place as a deterrent to those bringing things in maliciously.

 

[imanautie]

So turns out it's possible to get THORPE management to realise your not playing around in asking them to respect your disability equipment by explicitly threatening legal action in addressed letters to the security operations manager (with addressed copies for general manager and director of operations) as well as tweeting a link to the letter.
SOM has a photo of me and my also AAC using freind to circulate to security to tell them to handle our devices properly and I have the Director Of Operations wanting to meet with me personally today.

 

[MattyH]

The fact that this is still going on and you're not having issues at any other Merlin Attraction is insane.

Hopefully your meeting today resolves the issue.

 

[Jonathan]

So turns out it's possible to get THORPE management to realise your not playing around in asking them to respect your disability equipment by explicitly threatening legal action in addressed letters to the security operations manager (with addressed copies for general manager and director of operations) as well as tweeting a link to the letter.
SOM has a photo of me and my also AAC using freind to circulate to security to tell them to handle our devices properly and I have the Director Of Operations wanting to meet with me personally today.

You'd think that being a regular visitor there would be helpful, but it just feels like they're learning absolutely nothing, and I'm really frustrated for you. As Holland's said above, I sincerely hope you can get it sorted once and for all today.