It is amazing how authorities often read so much into the law, which can affect people for years to come. For example, the use of a "paintball gun" in our community was considered using a "weapon." Some teens were charged with using a weapon, when in fact they were just playing with paintball guns on Halloween - with no harm done to anyone or any property. Fortunately, the lawyers were on it, and that didn't stand.
In all fairness, the drunk who tipped his canoe did cause an 8-year-old girl to drown, so the results can be disastrous when boaters are drunk - but perhaps they should be charged with something like manslaughter instead.
One huge misapplication of law is the one banning "switchblades" in NYC. It bans any knife which can be opened with a flick of the wrist. Sounds reasonable till you learn that police (presumably after much practice) learned how to flick open an ordinary jackknife. This is a skill not many have gained but it means many innocent workmen who use knives for their occupation were arrested for violating law they had no idea they had broken.
Could I be arrested for carrying my small Swiss Army Knife then?
I believe there's a legal length but there's also a conflict with the "flick" opening. Even though it may be legal length, opening it with a flick classifies it as a switch blade.
