Categories: uncategorized
Date: 09 February 2006 13:20:07
The Metropolitan Police, bless them, have launched a crackdown on the carrying of knives in London, by choosing a Tube station at random and turning up mob-handed with metal detectors, hi-vis jackets and very very cute sniffer dogs. It's called "Operation Pointy Thing" or something.
Anyway, today was Stratford's turn.
Today is also the evening for the knitting group to meet at Liberty's.
So, I, all innocent and unsuspecting, walk into Operation Pointy Thing carrying
1) 1 pair metal 6mm circular needles (with attached knitting)
2) 1 pair viciously sharp scissors
3) 2 pairs metal 6mm double-pointed needles (no, I don't know why, either, I'm knitting a shawl)
4) 2 cable needles (again with the "why would I do that?")
5) 5 balls self-striping yarn (ok, not likely to set off a metal detector, but you could probably choke someone to death with it).
Oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear.
Fortunately, the police obviously don't think that Liberty bags are the place this season for hiding lock-knives, either that or I look younger than 15 (unlikely) or older than 35 (must get more early nights)*, so I managed to avoid the attentions of the police, but it could have been amusing, what with the amount of completely random rubbish I carry around with me - emergency corkscrew (generally tangled up with emergency rosary, what can't be fixed by one can be at least alleviated by the other), bunch of keys that are capable of doing someone (usually me) a severe injury, you know, the usual...
As Rosamummy said, even the doziest copper could figure out that knitting needles aren't exactly the deadliest weapon on the block, but it would have been a fun conversation to have: "look, officer, I've spent ages on this, it's a present for someone, I'm not likely to stab someone in the eye with the needles, have you ever tried getting blood out of wool?"
Anyway, am still at liberty (ho ho) and if I find out there isn't a knitting group this evening, I shall be Extremely Upset.
*The profile for "knife-wielding maniac" in London is apparently "between the ages of 15 and 35, any sex, any race."