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US tourist arrested in seaside town ‘because he didn’t understand UK laws’
(www.independent.co.uk)
this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2025
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If someone walks by me with a knife, I have to be wary of an attack, since I don't know if that person is likely to or not.
And if people generally don't carry knives around, it's easier for the police to spot a risk.
It's also easier to apprehend the potential attacker. No, "go away officer, I'm quite within my rights until I've actually stabbed someone."
Then it's also harder for people at risk of violent tendencies to carry. And less risk of some impromptu argument escalating to knives rather than fists.
Now, there's nuance and counterpoint to all these points, and you might not agree with the law. I think those are all things the law achieves/benefits/mitigates, even if, as you say, it doesn't stop all intentional would-be knife attackers.
And perhaps our education system did fail... but not for everyone. I, too, would like to see a fully successful education system for every citizen, sojourner and visitor; but that's easier said than done.
If you believe you need a weapon on a beach in the UK, you're already beyond help.
I dunno man, those seagulls...
How I see it, stabbing someone is far more illegal than carrying a knife, so if someone is open to stabbing a person, this law won't stop them from concealed carrying. Now what is more dangerous, someone having a knife and you can see it, or someone having a knife and you can't see it?
There are also usually separate laws in place that prohibit brandishing a weapon, so I think apprehending potential attackers isn't a huge problem.
I guess it might reduce the amount of knives involved in random confrontations as you mentioned.
Looking up the stats, the laws weren't effective in decreasing knife crime, in fact it rose by over 50% in England and Wales between 2014 and 2019.
But then again, apparently carrying small pocket knives under 7cm is allowed, and you probably don't have any legitimate reason for carrying anything larger than that.
It's the random stabbings that these laws are targeting. A lot of wannabe gangster teenagers in cities will carry a knife on them all day "for protection", and if they happen to get into a fight the knife inevitably gets used. It could also be argued that carrying a knife gives them the confidence to escalate a situation into a fight in the first place, foolishly thinking that they can "win" without considering that the other guy might also have one until it's too late.
Of course, that's not the only thing that's required, as it's a cultural problem that needs to be destroyed, but it at least does something.
I was under the impression that knife fights rarely end without both parties injured. I dont quite get the draw of it over something like a bat or piece of pipe.