Walking around town with ice axes

[Pointless Parasite]

Given that an ice axe could be a pretty lethal weapon in the wrong hands, what do people think about walking around in town centres, train stations etc. with an axe strapped to your rucksack? Has anyone been stopped by security? Has something designed for self arrest led to an actual police arrest? Do you attempt to hide the axe inside the bag or cover it up with a raincover, cardboard, tape or a sock? Or do you just brazenly walk around with the axe clearly visible?

[Sgurr]

Heaven knows what would happen if we attempted to do that. Given that husband has had to justify the carriage of a balaclava through customs "Why do you need this in Majorca?" "It's part of my walking kit.", "In Majorca?!!!!" trying to do anything other than drive to a snowy hill with it in a car boot would lead to him (if not me) being arrested instantly.

Incidentally, in less security conscious times, someone we once met had no time to divest himself of ice-axe after climbing in Wales (the train was late) before striding into to his central London office with full gear. His boss looked up, as a few flakes were gently falling for the first time and said, "Isn't this a trifle excessive Jones?"

[Iainm]

I live near Milton Keynes and always get the train from there on my trips to snowdonia.

I travel with my ice axe strapped on the outside of my bag with plastic point protectors attached and have never been questioned by station security or the police officers who are often at the station.

[Cairngormwanderer]

An ice axe can be good for getting a lift. One of my club mates was walking down to the club's regular Monday evening pub meets carrying a borrowed axe he was returning. In the event he came through the door of the pub accompanied by two police who had seen him strolling through Kirkcaldy with a deadly weapon. He did explain, but perhaps saying he was going to the pub wasn't the most reassuring thing he could have said in the situation.
Anyway, the cops were both concerned enough and reasonable enough that they gave him a lift down the road and checked no mayhem was likely to be caused.

[rockhopper]

Walking through Oban and getting on/off the ferry with an ice axe strapped to the rucksack didn't cause me any issues. Perhaps in larger towns/cities it may be an issue depending on how it's carried. I just made sure the points were covered, eg with bits of rubber tubing. If you go into an outdoor shop in town and buy an axe then walk out of the shop with it, no-one will see it if it's in a carrier bag. To me anyway, I'd think there would be a difference between walking in town in full outdoor gear heading for say a train station with an axe strapped to the rucksack versus wandering around town carrying an axe in your hand dressed in everyday clothes. The former maybe acceptable, the latter not.

[davekeiller]

I've never had a problem taking it on Scotrail trains. If you're dressed for a day in the hills, then people are likely to use their common sense. It is, of course, wise to cover the points and stow the axe securely when using public transport.

[Kevin29035]

Used to walk between and through Glasgow Central & Queen Street with no issues. This was pre-driving license so about 2009/10. Would have my walking kit with the axe on the back of the rucksack, but protected as far as I remember

[weedavie]

Thanks to the ballocky changes to the drink driving limit, the pint we'd have on the way back from the hills has had to change from around Thornhill to inside Edinburgh. That's another blow to the rural pub. But that means we go for a pint in Clark's in Dundas Street or Wee Bennett's and the non-local gets a bus home. That's been a few winters now and so far no complaints from either establishment or the driver of the 23 about us carrying chibs.

[LeithySuburbs]

Not done this with an ice axe but I have carried a solitary golf club around Edinburgh on the odd occasion without any noticeable effect on others. Dare I suggest that the appearance and demeanour of said axe handler is more likely to attract the attention of the law's long arm rather than the axe itself... ?

[Sack the Juggler]

its ok if you've got a good reason for carrying it, and going to or from the hills is a good reason for carrying it, as long as its not the middle of summer and you've got your shorts on ... even then you might have a good reason (hitting other people with it is not a good reason by the way)

[Caberfeidh]

If anyone hassles you about the ice axes, at least you are armed with some nifty weapons with which to maim and discombobulate them. I'm sure there was an episode of Taggart in which someone was murdered horribly with an ice axe. But they never caught me....

[Sgurr]

If anyone hassles you about the ice axes, at least you are armed with some nifty weapons with which to maim and discombobulate them. I'm sure there was an episode of Taggart in which someone was murdered horribly with an ice axe. But they never caught me....

Are you mixing it up with the death of Trotsky? But even you are a bit young to have been involved in that.. maybe one of your forebears took his boat to Mexico and did the deed.

[rockhopper]

I'm sure there was an episode of Taggart in which someone was murdered horribly with an ice axe.

Courtesy of wikipedia:
New Year's Special (1990)
Episode 13
Title "Love Knot"
Original airdate 1 January 1990
A body is dredged up from the bottom of the Clyde, which becomes the eighth body dredged up in the past twelve months. Forensics reveal that an ice pick was used to commit the murder. DCI Taggart and DS Jardine set off on an investigation which takes them way beyond Glasgow and into the Scottish Highlands.

[Caberfeidh]

I'm sure there was an episode of Taggart in which someone was murdered horribly with an ice axe.

Courtesy of wikipedia:
New Year's Special (1990)
Episode 13
Title "Love Knot"
Original airdate 1 January 1990
A body is dredged up from the bottom of the Clyde, which becomes the eighth body dredged up in the past twelve months. Forensics reveal that an ice pick was used to commit the murder. DCI Taggart and DS Jardine set off on an investigation which takes them way beyond Glasgow and into the Scottish Highlands.

Bloody amateurs always confuse ice pick with ice axe... I remember it was filmed in Glen Coe and it was a drop-pick short technical ice axe. Despite there being no ice around. Also the tent was pitched somewhere you wouldn't pitch a tent.

[Mal Grey]

Back in the 80s, we thought nothing of crossing London on the tube with ice axes strapped to the packs, heading by train from Portsmouth to Fort William on a "students go anywhere for £12" ticket.

These days, you'd hope context is everything, and if wandering with an ice axe and obviously on the way to a hill trip, common sense would apply. I wouldn't recommend doing it across London now though....