Really? Well, that is comforting for me, to say the least. Now I know the next time I go to the Mall I can afford to be a bit more prepared.

The last time I went I was accompanying several young students on a field trip, and left all of my sharps and things on the bus. I didn't want to have ANY problems holding up our trip and lose kids who wander away from the group the moment they see their teacher being distracted.

Plus, a few years ago I temped in a building near the Mall that went the whole nine yards: metal detector, x-ray machines, etc. Since I was only a temp I didn't want to risk ticking off anyone, so I didn't carry my knife while I worked there. As I understand it, that building later had one of the anthrax incidents that terrorized D.C.

It has been hard for me to know what security measures are in which buildings in D.C., and what they'll allow or let slide.

I guess my SwissChamp, my Midnite MiniChamp II (small but mighty), my SureFire E1e and E2e, and my Inova X5 and XO3, all carried on my person, would be alright then.

I like Washington, DC. I LOVE the museums and would be happy to pump a few bucks into the local economy, but I admit I have been avoiding it of late.

-- Craig