Free Knife With Your Hoodie?

Free Knife With Your Hoodie?

blogs.abcnews.com

A jacket being sold in Britain has sparked controversy after a shopper discovered it came with a free built-in pocket knife.

The British high street chain T.K.Maxx specializes in budget clothing and had been stocking the $105 hooded coats that had a 2.5-inch blade on the end of a chain concealed in an inner pocket.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is incredibly embarrassing. Now clothes chains in the UK are literally arming the thugs on our streets, probably as a deliberate marketing strategy.

Obviously they will be removed, but I’m sure this has been great for 'T.K.Maxx' as thugs rush out to get the latest accessory with a built in weapon.

I'v said it many times before, but I’ll say it again. What is this country coming to?


blogs.abcnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit: spelling

[edit on 3-10-2008 by dodgygeeza]

Saw this on the news tonight - amazing isn't it!? Who in their right minds would have thought to purchase these as stock to sell on the high street. Infact, whoin their right minds would have thought to add a knife as a fashion accesory.
TKMaxx should be heavily fined, as well as the inevitable boycott of their stores that is soon to follow.
Ridiculous!

Honestly what kind of sicko came up with that idea? Think of how many unfortunate souls will get stabbed because of this particular marketing campaign. I mean, it's not at all difficult for a thug to pick up a knife, but now there will be that many more out there walking around with weapons.

As I understand it, most stabbings are usually crimes of circumstance, where the victim is in the wrong place at the wrong time or a situation gets escalated.

Close them down. Simple as.

It's about time our government grew some balls and started making examples out of grade A retards like these.

O.K. whoa whoa whoa. Lets back it up. Im sure that almost no street thug is gonna run out and buy this jacket cuz it has a knife attacked to a chain in it. Whys this knife better than other knives? Why wouldnt one just buy a 10$ throwaway hoodie at Wak*Mart and then just buy a 3.5 or even a 4 inch blade which would be much more menacing. I think the point of attaching a knife is obvious. Its not for crime, but for convenience. Say you are working in the cold, opening boxes for your company? Theres your knife. Say you're camping in the woods and need to open something or even cut meat or other types of food? It has the same properties as any other knife ever made. The fact that its attached to a sweatshirt doesnt make it any different.

OH MY GOD, DID YOU GUYS HEAR?? THEYRE ATTACHING PROPELLERS TO HATS SO THAT STREET THUGS CAN DO RUN-BY CHOPPINGS!! :O
No, its so you can look like a complete idiot, whilst wearing a dumb hat.
Its obvious.
-Z-

Clearly not from the UK are you.

I'm sure stabbings and knife related crime are an ingrained culture in california so you think 'whats the big deal'. Well we dont want it over here in the UK. It's recently become a big problem and stories like this just add to the decent UK citizens exasperation.

No offence mate. The style of jacket is synonamous with gang culture and the fact it has a free knife with it just takes the piss. I'm anyone can 'get a better knife' if they want. It's the principle of the matter us Brits are angry about.

Maybe they are selling these jackets to identify potential violent offenders?

Seems like the "fashionable thug" might buy one, wear it, then the police can arrest them and charge them with carrying a concealed weapon.

Anyone who would wear one of these is one of the myriad and growing list of reasons that I have a problem with society.

Oh to be back in the 1950's where I could go out, listen to Stan Getz play some REAL music at a club, and then drive myself home without having to worry about some idiot gangster teenager who has been brainwashed by the latest Dr. Dre CD thinking that it would be a cool idea to "cut his thug teeth" by knifing me for the $3 I would have been carrying in my wallet, the very same $3 which would have already afforded me and my lady friend a fantastic evening with no expense spared on the town.

But unfortunately I wasn't born until 1985, and my generation would rather listen to some idiot "rap" (Retard Attempting Poetry) about how I should be violent and promiscuous. And this IS considered the new cool.

The knife is one of those little Swiss army knives. We've got a couple of those. If someone tried to attack me with one of those I might keel over laughing but I wouldn't be afraid.

They make fine letter openers and can handle the tape on boxes but they are not any kind of fighting implement.

This is much ado about nothing.

Zyphers got a point.

Consider this:

Carhart or Dickies selling a hooded sweatshirt with folding knife or swiss army knife or muilti-tool attached with a lanyard so it wouldnt fall and be lost in worksite conditions like an open ditch, wet cement or from scaffolding is a very different thing than if South Pole, Ecko or some other thuggy "urban" company selling a baggy hooded sweatshirt with oversize deep hood to hide your face in and some type of blade attached.

They're both shirts with knives but very, very different.

It's a Swiss Army penknife for crying out loud, you would think they were selling these things with a built in RPG7.

If someone is going to go around stabbing people, they will not suddenly be given the thought when they discover this tin opener complete with a thingy for removing stones from horse's hooves in their pocket, they will get a decent knife and THEN go around stabbing people.

Dear lord, what has happened to common sense in the UK. You could cause a stampede with a balloon on a stick these days.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Yes I agree and I know Zypher just giving another point of view. My issue is with the fact that it is a fashion outlet which unfortunately has more influence over impressionable people. The size of the knife ,however, is relavent when you consider it could be used against an elderly woman.

Like i said its the principle of the matter and its about time the government came down on this kind of law flouting. It is illegal to carry a knife in the UK. So why sell a jacket with a knife attached??????????

reply to post by Retseh


Ok, so you wont mind of someone stabbed you in the eye with one then????

Before you people decide on a hanging, you should be aware that a folding 2.5 inch blade is perfectly legal to carry in the UK.

The pen knife given away (As with many other products) is a multi tool Swiss Army Knife, and is in no way designed as a weapon.

reply to post by logicalview


I'm just curious and this might be a little off topic but I have to know, can you buy a lawnmower blade in the UK? If something you own, metal or plastic, snaps or breaks and you get a somewhat sharp and pointy chunk are you breaking some law?

I just cant tell where the line seems to be with the "knife" law.

How about scissors? Can you buy scissors?

Do you require special licenses or something to have a steak knife in the house?

Okay, that last one sounds a little fececious but I really have no idea what sort of law your daily lives are apparently up against.

reply to post by Spreadthetruth


I stand corrected. Thankyou.

Still i think it's ridiculous given that a 2.5 inch blade could still cause serious and permanent damage.

this thread is worse than the news

everyone is stereotyping ppl who wear hoodies as thugs

disgusting

I guess TK Max thinking is:

"No publicity is bad publicity"

But none the totally irrisponcible.

Originally posted by logicalview

Just as much damage as any other solid object. A walking stick would be a much more effective weapon if used properly.

Swiss Army Knives are extremely useful and convenient tools. Sensationalist stories like these only help to put law abiding citizens under increasing threat of arrest.



[edit on 3-10-2008 by Spreadthetruth]

reply to post by Spreadthetruth


True, I would confindently say i'd do more damage with one punch.

Thing is a bunch of youths on the street corner carrying swiss army knives aint likely to be going camping are they? As for inflicting damage on another human being, well, fists, a nearby piece of timber or a rock. All potential weapons.

For the final time in the context of the op. It is irresponsible in principle by a high street retail outlet to sell a fashionable item akin to gang culture with an accompanying knife.