I would suggest you be very careful as to what you carry in your PSK. Most school systems have a zero tolerance level for students having any kind of edged item, OTC meds, etc. Do not carry or have in your car (on school property) any items which the school might deam in violation of school policy. Pete

well over here the schools are much more relaxed so i dont thing it a problem ( i hope )

well my parents doesnt speak dutch or engish that well so i got a hard time explaining to them what it is, so i tend to keep it to my self...

ah so your the "toolman" of you friend, well so am i !

Like most who responded, I just don't tell people what I'm carrying unless there's a need to. There are other defensive strategies; for instance, one of the reasons I carry a Leatherman Micra (with scissors and a tiny knife blade) is so that when someone asks if I have a knife, I can hand them something completely inoffensive without lying or mentioning anything else I might have.<br><br>This probably doesn't translate well to other languages, but I thought I might mention it anyway...<br><br>As for survival kits, the words "survival" and "survivalist" have been so demonized in American popular culture that just using them tends to alarm people and make them suspicious of your politcal leanings. <br><br> I've found, in the few cases where it's come up, that such people tend to react much better if you refer to it as an "emergency" kit. It's stupid and meaningless, I know, but it seems to make a real difference in their reactions.<br>

Chris, <br><br>It might be a good time for a reminder that for concealed carry purposes and other issues where the defintion of "weapon" becomes important--ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS A WEAPON if that is your intended use for it.<br><br>Most states define a weapon something like "a firearm, or a device or instrumentality designed as a weapon or intended to be used as a weapon." So when the officer is pointing at your cross pen asking you "what do you use that thing for," if you say "to ward off some old ladies in the park feeding MY pigeons," you may have talked yourself into a CCW. Seriously, if an alert officer finds a nail file in your boot, he may ask if you have that "only for self-defense." If you answer yes (instead of "only in case my nails get dirty") you have identified it as a weapon with whatever legal entanglements that entails in your state. In mine, you have admitted commiting a class A misdemeanor (9 months and $10,000). So remember a lot of cops don't have much of a sense of humor (and sometimes with good reason, we lose a lot of great officers while making "routine" traffic stops).<br><br> No need to be paranoid, but be careful--we don't want to see you doing 5 to 15 on a cross pen wrap.<br><br>Robb

PC2K,<br><br>You're an effective communicator. So just use whatever language in which you are all most fluent. You really do need to keep your parents well informed. Who knows, you might even find them helpful. I'm sure they're trying their best to be good parents. That's not an easy job. No matter how hard they're trying, they're bound to make mistakes. So cut them some slack. Even parents need that--at least I need it, and sometimes a lot, from my own kids.<br><br>Best wishes,<br><br>John

>>Tipic situation: someone (often a girl) asks if someone else has a lighter to fire a sigarette. I throw out my muini bic and punctually (s)he say: "what's the reason do you carry this lighter? You don't smoke!"<br><br>I tell them I'm a pyromaniac :-)<br><br>(That's a crazy person who likes setting fires, for those non-English speakers who might otherwise have to look it up.)

>> the words "survival" and "survivalist" have been so demonized in American popular culture <br><br>Interesting - now that you mention it, I almost always refer to it as "Wilderness Survival". <br><br>Of course, I have a light aircraft pilot's license, and I live an hour from Banff National Park in Canada; there are a lot of people around here who go back-country camping and X-country skiing regularly, and even the ones who don't are smart enough to realize that carrying a survival kit isn't a bad idea around here.

I think the thread started off discussing people's reactions to carrying gear in a non-wilderness context.. which can get a little touchy. As such, it probably applies more to the Urban PSK thread that preceded it- since 9/11 I think there's more interest in such things.<br><br>Obviously, if circumstances don't oblige you to play games with semantics, I wouldn't bother either.