A simple pocketknife

A tragic event that could have been prevented with a simple pocket knife. I'm speechless.




LA Times article

Wow, what a terrible and heartbreaking situation. Indeed, if anyone on the scene would have been carrying a knife the little child might have been saved.

This is when EDC'ing A Knife Becomes a responsibility and not just a simple convenience. Keeping a Knife Sharp and well maintained becomes more of a reality and learning how to properly operate it is key.

A crowd of people and NO ONE had a knife?

Sue

I dunno. Even a pocket knife may not have helped. The whole point of a car seat is to keep the kid IN the seat.

I can barely take a kid out when they're able to help me. Probably faster to cut the entire back seat out.

Ever since a similar event (with no fire) had a child trapped in the back of a car following an accident, I have kept a fully serrated Spyderco rescue type knife in the console of my truck (in addition to my EDC). The knife there now is the Spyderco Assist 1 complete with glass breaker, and a Benchmade Rescue Hook.

This is an unfortunately sad story, but that's the consequence of a society where knives are viewed as weapons rather than as tools.

Very sad. Some of the problem relates to it not being politically correct to carry a knife anymore. I do anyway, but I'm always concerned that I may need to go into a "secure" building where I need to make sure I leave the knife in my car. Admittedly, some days when I know I will need to be in such a a building, I simply leave it at home to avoid the hassle.

Other cases in point involve over-zealous prosecution in NYC involving simple pocket knives.

People just are not carrying knives the way they used to and, unfortunately, this poor child died for want of one.

in the past few years, we've had several occasions where older citizens have driven into retention ponds, some with fatal results...

ESEE Izula and spring loaded punch secured by a length of bicycle inner tube is an option for your vehicle

While not PC, I have carried a knife of some type virtually every day of my adult life.

I've used them countless number of times to cut things for people, yet have never cut another person, nor wanted/had to.

People should wake up, realize most knives are tools and chill out on people carrying them.

Agreed. I carry a small SAK on my key chain and can't count the number of times it has come in handy for opening packaging, cutting string etc. for myself and others when out and about. Not sure how effective it would be for cutting a seatbelt though...maybe I should carry something a little heftier in addition. I do have one of those "ResQMe" tools in my car that has the seatbelt cutter and spring punch.

ETA: And I just don't get why it's not "PC"...growing up I never saw anything weird or scary about somebody carrying a pocket knife. Maybe that's because my dad always has so I never thought of it as anything other than a useful tool.

well i would rather see the solution in a lifehammer or resqme. Brightly colored, cheap, easy to use, safe to use, easy to access, never get you in trouble and they work.

I have an exitool in my car, but I'm more a fan of folks carrying a simple pocket knife. While a dedicated tool is nice and all, a pocket knife can be everything from a life saver to a convenience. Mostly the latter. I'm not sure how so many people make it through their days without a pocket knife, and in this case a handy tool might have saved a life. Remember this thread? http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=166890

I don't have a pocket knife. Everything I need in an urban environment can be done with a pair of EMT shears, which I EDC, or a box cutter which is provided at my job.

In this situation, a pair of EMT shears would have quickly cut through the seat belt.

Jeanette Isabelle

I agree that EMT shears are great and may have worked better in this situation, but at least for me, they're not EDC pocketable.


Dedicated tools are great. I have a lifehammer in the car and give out resQme's as gifts to friends. But people are far more likely to carry a pocketknife/multitool than one of these specialty tools.

Yep, except that the odds of coming upon an accident which requires rescue tools or a fire extinguisher increases when you're out in traffic driving. Hence, those tools are readily available in the console. I don't need to EDC a fully serrated knife or rescue hook; I just need them at hand when I'm driving. BTW, also in the console is a pair of nomex gloves. They won't allow a lot of time around direct flame, but they may buy enough to do what is needed.

I really would like a nomex jacket thin as it may be and a nomex balaclava. Its not much protection but it prevents burned hair and if you remove your synthetic shirt first you wont get melted on.

Good observation! I'll put nomex gloves on my future to-buy list. I have a plain edge for my vehicle knife. (Also have a separate rescue hook.) Maybe I should reconsider the knife.

DB

How can I practice with my knife on a car seat that's not mine and that doesn't cost too much?

A junkyard would be my guess. Just did a quick search for seatbelt webbing. Seems you can buy it for around .60 cents a foot. Please let us know the results if you do. I'd like to see the difference between serrated and plain blade.

If you are using a seatbelt cutter (the hook type), cut at a angle, 45 degree-isch. Cutting at a 90 degree angle can cause the webbing to clutter and jam on the hook.

I personally don't like to use a normal knife near somebodies body, so i never tried a normal knife on a seatbelt.

The Spyderco Assist is not quite normal:

Spyderco Assist 1

It is specifically designed for the task of cutting a seatbelt while someone is wearing it.

I keep a Swiss Army Fireman in the car. The seat belt cutter is insanely sharp and it's otherwise just the Trekker, so it has a bit more utility than a single purpose knife.

Might I suggest the ResQMe tool. It's designed for situations like this, cheap(~$10), small, and completely PC.


http://www.resqme.com/index.html

I use them as well. But do check if the center-punch is working. I have had a failure in the past.

Nifty tool. Need to get a few for us.

ResQMe is useful on the occasions you need to ride in someone else's car. Of course you have enough rescue/survival tools in your car to last you until Judgment Day, when you can bring down SkyNet. But sometimes it's down to you, your PSK, and your friend's window.

By the way, I must protest the cutesy spelling of the item's name. Why can't they just use regular English words? What's so bad about "Rescue Me" that they have to replace three letters with a capitalized letter and throw out the space? That's poor taste!

I'm confused by this usage of the word PC. It originated as a term that Democrats used to make fun of PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. political positions. Then Republicans co-opted the term and successfully made it mainstream as a dismissive label for liberal positions. I'm not sure how a rescue tool could/could not be PC. In fact this usage seems like veiled politics.

If you're talking about certain people disliking rescue tools for the same reason that they dislike guns, knives, wrecking bars, etc., then I have good news for you. I don't think they'd recognize ResQMe (see, I had to glance up just now to make sure I'm spelling this thing right)). I do have bad news for you: they will still make fun of you. They tend to have very low fear and a low sense of vigilance. Many of them basically do not think anything will happen to them. Some of you will start crying about "personal responsibility." It's not what this is about. They, in their own world, are very personally responsible. They just don't think anything we prepare for has any chance of actually happening. Preppers are, to them, clownish, paranoid characters like Dwight K. Schrute from The Office. We have a weak grasp of reality, and never really grew out of our boy scout phase.

Da Bing

Thanks. After reading through this thread, I ordered 2 keychain versions of the ResQMe tools.

Without sounding snarky; it's called marketing.

And that form of marketing reflects poorly on the sort of people it markets to, don't you agree. Why have we come to accept constant disrespect from all forms of power that want our money? Well, I should stop myself before I go any further on a rant about the pitiable state of contemporary culture. Let me finish with a recommendation to Paul Fussell's BAD: or the Dumbing Down of America.

DB

I was going to say I'd bet it's a trademark, the marketing guys can spell it any way they can get away with it. "Rescue Me" is a TV show -- can't trademark that.

Those rescue oriented tools are fine for keep in a vehicle (and I do keep one in vehicle) but I'd never carry one on person. Just way too specialized to dedicate the space for them, I've been through almost 30 years of my life without ever needing one.

I'm sticking with my pocket knife.

I also have had problems with the window punch on the ResXXX whatever tool. I bought a spring-loaded metal punch at the hardware store instead and keep that in the console of my truck where it can be readily stolen by the guys who wash and vacuum out my truck.

It could be any of a number of reasons. For example, it's highly likely to be a legal issue (trademarks). "Rescue Me" is either already trademarked or impossible to trademark because it's too generic. In contrast, "ResQMe" is easily trademark-able. There are other reasons not to use "Rescue Me". I'm sure the company, which is equipped with more information, has their reasons.

By the way, I wouldn't mind being the founder of brands like "Cheez-It", "Froot Loops", etc. Those brands are so ubiquitous that most people probably don't even realize the words are misspelled. It's like the branding bypasses the conscious and goes straight to the subconscious...perfect.