Public webbing walk?

[Galvatron]

You pretty much echo my thoughts on it. I just wanted to know if it was legal or not.

I sometimes get odd looks when I'm out hiking in full camo gear, but I don't care what anyone thinks

No, I don't think we echo your thoughts on this. Legal doesn't mean sensible to do. Not caring what anyone thinks may sound tough and heroic but it can be ultimately foolhardy. 

As others have said, just because something you plan to do might be legal, that doesn't mean you don't run the risk of an armed police response. You don't need to open-carry a RIF to get the police called on you. If you "look the part", people won't hang about and give you the benefit of the doubt no matter how little you care what anyone thinks.

 

[Tackle]

 

I sometimes get odd looks when I'm out hiking in full camo gear, but I don't care what anyone thinks.

What they usually think when they see a guy on his own in a public place in full camo:

A. Walt nutcase

B. Right wing militia nutcase

C. Jihadi nutcase

The common link to all three is:

NUTCASE !

Which is something the rest of us would rather not be tagged as, so when the inevitable happens, maybe best you don't mention your involvement in airsoft

 

[Pseudotectonic]

"Looking geared up with bullets and grenades" per se may not be illegal, but if you do it in the right/wrong place, at the right/wrong time, seen by the right/wrong person, it could be a Public Order Act 1986 Section 5 offence isn't it. It also makes you immediately identifiable as a suspect of some firearms related offence (possession of ammo) and met with armed response as pointed out above.

If you go hiking like this, there are an infinite number of scenarios that can happen that could get you into all kinds of trouble. To avoid 100% these scenarios, you just don't do it.

Also, you getting into trouble is one thing, you potentially damaging the reputation of this hobby is another. In this context "not caring what others think" is pure inconsideration and negligence. It is not a virtue. I don't care about what others think about you either, but I care about what others think about the hobby in general if people sees someone hiking with toy gun mags because they play airsoft.

 

[Gunny]

What they usually think when they see a guy on his own in a public place in full camo:

A. Walt nutcase

B. Right wing militia nutcase

C. Jihadi nutcase

The common link to all three is:

NUTCASE !

Which is something the rest of us would rather not be tagged as, so when the inevitable happens, maybe best you don't mention your involvement in airsoft

Firstly, I don't go out on my own and we all wear camo or military gear. And secondly, I often see others out hiking in military gear.

Peoples thoughts and opinions are irrelevant. It's the law that matters. It's obviously not a great idea to go out in public loaded up and that's what I thought. I just wanted you guys to clarify whether it was legal or not. 

Thanks for all your replies 

 

[Lyndication]

You can be arrested and detained for something that isn't illegal. Ask the "Plasticine Action" t-shirt guy. 

If a member of the public calls up, and the police attend the scene, then yeah it could end in arrest while they work out whether it was illegal or not. 

Your choice to chance it.

 

[Punisher3990]

Legally without a rif not illegal

BUT all it takes is for one person to see the mags and call the police and assume you have a gun then your going to have Armed Police on you or getting tasered from behind or something lol. 

I guess at the end of day the issue is with the perception of others rather than legality. You could maybe find a secluded woodland and test there but anywhere public I would shy away from it. 

 

[Lyndication]

What you could do is go to a woodland setting where the owners have an understanding with local police that people with replica military gear will be present there. 

Maybe some sort of site where groups of people who like army man cosplay can get together every Sunday. They could even play pretend army man battles to really get into it and test their gear. 

Might be a bit pie in the sky though.

 

[ButcherBill]

Lyndication has a good point...

How about this idea that will give you the opportunity to test your gear & stop us all worrying you'll do something stupid?

BOOK GAME DAYS AT AN AIRSOFT SIGHT OF YOUR CHOSING & RUN/WALK/SKIP TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT WITH ANY GEAR YOU WANT TO TEST?

 

[Cannonfodder]

Firstly, I don't go out on my own and we all wear camo or military gear.

That doesn't make things any better. Infact joe public is more likely to shit the bed seeing a group of people wearing military kit than one lone weirdo.

Peoples thoughts and opinions are irrelevant

Then why ask if it's a good idea? 

Btw that attitude doesn't paint you in a good light, you just sound like a 15 year old emo kid trying to be edgy 

 

[Tommikka]

Firstly, I don't go out on my own and we all wear camo or military gear. And secondly, I often see others out hiking in military gear.

Peoples thoughts and opinions are irrelevant. It's the law that matters. It's obviously not a great idea to go out in public loaded up and that's what I thought. I just wanted you guys to clarify whether it was legal or not. 

Thanks for all your replies 

Just another couple of irrelevant thoughts.

One of our original three founding members of the team had just left the marines, therefore our original t-shirt is identical in appearance to regimental t shirts worn by service personnel.

No particular problem as it’s just a green t shirt with a military style logo.  However as we are situated around the Salisbury Plain area, and may be up in the morning at the weekend in combat trousers and team t shirt you can then add on one of us who gets short hair cuts but has no situational awareness, and on his way to a game day will routinely stop at the garage for coffee & a newspaper.

There are certain types of people who have been hanging around the Salisbury Plain area for decades keeping an eye out for easy targets with no situational awareness.  
 

Add to that a few years ago a newer type of people who conducted an untargeted / random attack on an individual who was selected due to proximity, a camouflage style back pack and a short haircut

Worst case scenario - you don’t know the current security risk and could be mistaken for what you are not.

Easy case scenario - random member of the public finds you suspicious and a call is made, resulting in educational words

What you could do is go to a woodland setting where the owners have an understanding with local police that people with replica military gear will be present there. 

Maybe some sort of site where groups of people who like army man cosplay can get together every Sunday. They could even play pretend army man battles to really get into it and test their gear. 

Might be a bit pie in the sky though.

Ridiculous idea - what landowner would ever think that any business use would be viable when it depends on people getting out of bed on a wet Sunday to dress up and run around the woods????

 

[Rickwales]

Salisbury? I was born in odstock hospital!

Yep running round in combats in that area definitely gonna attract attention. As it should. 

I think we all agree, discretion is sensible for the sake of our sport. I regularly read about idiots in the daily mail who flaunt Rifs and risk our sport. 

 

[Galvatron]

Peoples thoughts and opinions are irrelevant. It's the law that matters. It's obviously not a great idea to go out in public loaded up and that's what I thought. I just wanted you guys to clarify whether it was legal or not. 

If it's only the law that matters, can you tell us why you haven't considered the possibility that you can still be arrested for and charged with a public nuisance offence?

 

[Tommikka]

Salisbury? I was born in odstock hospital!

Yep running round in combats in that area definitely gonna attract attention. As it should. 

I think we all agree, discretion is sensible for the sake of our sport. I regularly read about idiots in the daily mail who flaunt Rifs and risk our sport. 

I was born far away on a Scottish island, my sister in a BAOR hospital - but we ended up down here and I spent my early teens doing anti-social / illegal things on Salisbury Plain with discarded ammunition - but out of the way and unnoticed 

 

[Gunny]

Your choice to chance it.

I'm not going to chance it.

I'm a law abiding citizen and don't fancy getting arrested. I also would not want to add any negative feelings towards the airsoft community.

If a member of the public calls up, and the police attend the scene, then yeah it could end in arrest while they work out whether it was illegal or not.

I know from experience how the public can be. I was once arrested at gunpoint when a member of the public called the police while I was out shooting rabbits with my air rifle. I was on private land with permission when the police helicopter hovered above me, then several armed police units arrived and a swarm of MP5's came at me. I was released without charge but it took almost a year to get my rifle back. The worst part is whoever called the police was trespassing as there was no public access!

 

[Lyndication]

Yup, well there you go

 

[Gunny]

That doesn't make things any better. Infact joe public is more likely to shit the bed seeing a group of people wearing military kit than one lone weirdo.

Then why ask if it's a good idea? 

Btw that attitude doesn't paint you in a good light, you just sound like a 15 year old emo kid trying to be edgy 

Maybe my description wasn't so clear. My initial thought was to take the webbing out while out hiking in somewhere like the Peak District or a similar location, not a walk down the high street.

I didn't ask if it was a good idea. I asked if it was legal. I don't mind upsetting anyone, but I do mind about breaking the law. 

 

[Rickwales]

I was born far away on a Scottish island, my sister in a BAOR hospital - but we ended up down here and I spent my early teens doing anti-social / illegal things on Salisbury Plain with discarded ammunition - but out of the way and unnoticed 

In the old army buildings near everleigh by any chance? I found a dummy anti tank bar mine thing near there and was cycling home with it when I got stopped by the mps. And my first driving lessons were on the army test tracks.  

Dad was ex army, but carried on working for the MOD in ludgershall camp on the tanks 

Childhood was so much fun in those days. No games consoles, and less weirdos about. 

First proper job was working in tidworth camp kitchens, was great fun.

 

[BigAl]

Its other peoples thoughts and opinions that dial 999 and report suspicious person i think he might be armed.  Its other people ( armed cops ) who decide wether you look like s threat and shoot you.  Its other peoples opinion wether you are prosecuted or not.  Its other people opinion wether you get sent down or not.  

DO NOT DO IT. 

 

[Emergencychimps]

As much as I agree it's not a sensible thing to do. 

What a sad state of affairs that as a law abiding citizen, doing nothing wrong, breaking no laws etc we still can't go outside wearing camo and a slightly "not normal" way of carrying stuff for fear of arrest 

I understand the society we live in, the risks etc but still, that's the sort of thing that's a slippery slope and it feels we are already sliding. 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

As much as I agree it's not a sensible thing to do. 

What a sad state of affairs that as a law abiding citizen, doing nothing wrong, breaking no laws etc we still can't go outside wearing camo and a slightly "not normal" way of carrying stuff for fear of arrest 

I understand the society we live in, the risks etc but still, that's the sort of thing that's a slippery slope and it feels we are already sliding. 

whilst i do suspect that you probably won't get much more than some funny looks from folk you encounter it's wise for us to assume in our advice that the worst case scenario of running into the kareniest karen who ever karened calling the grumpiest cop who ever grumpied right as the daily mail and guardian corporate team hike stumbles across the scene.

and as a community it'd look a hell of a lot better for us if we could at least show we strongly discouraged such behavior, no different than the "i'm 12 how do i get a black gun for my freinds to use round the estate don't worry we'll be sensible" posts.