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.