Idiot in Kent

[Zarrin]

My guess is drugs were involved

Yeah, from the video he was clearly off his rocker, whether it was substance abuse or just mental illness. 

 

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Stuff like this really points out how pointless two tone laws are. Doesn't matter what colour it is people are still going to freak out if it's not obviously a nerf gun

This was all pointed out back when the VCRA was going through parliament. People have been shot for things like having a table leg in a black bag before, and it's not like a can of spray paint is hard for anyone to obtain (and criminals naturally won't care about the legality).

Unfortunately its effectiveness wasn't a factor - the government just wanted to be seen to be doing something. We're lucky that we managed to get an exemption, as airsoft was even more of a niche sport back then.

Just as well folk do react still

Imagine some fruitcake walking down the street with a two tone Real Steel ?

I'm surprised we haven't heard of this happening yet, especially since gangs often use kids as drug & gun mules. It's already been done in the US with criminals painting the tips of their real firearms orange to try to make police hesitate... totally pointless.

 

[Tommikka]

This was all pointed out back when the VCRA was going through parliament. People have been shot for things like having a table leg in a black bag before, and it's not like a can of spray paint is hard for anyone to obtain (and criminals naturally won't care about the legality).

Unfortunately its effectiveness wasn't a factor - the government just wanted to be seen to be doing something. We're lucky that we managed to get an exemption, as airsoft was even more of a niche sport back then.

I'm surprised we haven't heard of this happening yet, especially since gangs often use kids as drug & gun mules. It's already been done in the US with criminals painting the tips of their real firearms orange to try to make police hesitate... totally pointless.

Having a table leg in a bag with a suspicious accent.

This is a historic and tragic case that not many people are aware of. 

During the IRA bombing campaigns in London, Harry Stanley (Scottish)  had a table leg in a bag. (It had been repaired)

In fear of terrorism his broad drunken Scottish accent was mistaken for a broad Irish accent and reported an armed Irishman with a sawn off shotgun

 (anyone in recent times ever been wary of someone who looks a bit eastern with a backpack or hijab?)
 

Armed police responded and challenged him.

He found it ridiculous as he only had a table leg, the police were behind him and he turned lifting the leg it as if he was pointing it at the police and they shot.

This has gone to court many times, with different outcomes.

After many years the angles at which the rounds were embedded in his body reflected the reports from the Officers matching their description of him turning as if he was going to shoot.

As with being a Brazilian plumber on the tube, it all comes down to the information given in a report to the police and how people act in a situation 
 

The VCRA is also linked to a case where armed police hesitated to shoot a child who jokingly pulled his BB gun from his trousers and pointed at the police.

The officer already had his gun drawn and the correct action based on information at the time would have been to shoot, he hesitated and could have been shot him self.  The wrong decision was right with hindsight and avoided an unnecessary death