I’ve recently encountered a specific situation. Being brigged for possessing a hatchet. Which led me to realize … There is no such charge in the current space law:
That is to say … There is no specific charge for possession of common items which may be used as weapons. In fact, there’s not even a clause on makeshift weapons. EDIT: There is. I see it now. Leaving this here to laugh at myself for a while.
The closest we have right now is contraband possession … Which is quite a bit different. Contraband is understood to be equipment typically carried and used by antagonists. Spears, baseball bats, a hatchet, a kitchen knife, a stun prod, arguably a flamethrower … Those don’t fit that category. EDIT: They do. Brainlag moment.
Anyway. Me being confused about makeshift weapons aside, it doesn’t cover inherently dangerous tools. Examples would be syringe gun, medsaw, hatchet, kitchen knife, arguably smoke grenades, pka and pkc, survivor knives … Basically ready items which you could potentially use as a weapon and procure relatively easily as they’re in supply on the station itself.
The solution would be a minor crime clause.
113 - Possession, Dangerous Equipment.
To possess potentially dangerous tools, equipment without being allowed to do so by obligations.
Equipment which has a primary purpose of causing harm to others, or large amounts of destruction.
This is a catch all for dangerous equipment that is not explicitly listed elsewhere. Primary use is the deciding factor here, not capability. This means that a spear falls here, but not a butchers knife - since the knifes purpose is not to harm but to cut meats in the kitchen.
The law seems pretty black and white to me. A hatchet doesn’t fall under this category as it’s primary purpose is to cut down trees. The problem is that now the fire axe also doesn’t count as a weapon as it’s primary purpose is breaking down obstacles.
Space Law currently doesn’t look at who has the items. Whether or not the item was obtained legally or not is not a contraband question, but rather a question of theft.
There is no need for a new law, but instead a clause on the 206 - Possession, Contraband Equipment law that should state:
Items that can potentially be used to cause harm may only be owned by their respective jobs. If, for example, you find an assistant, not assigned to botany, and has a hatchet on them that is now considered a 206.
I would also suggest that if the hatchet was the fire axe in the former case it should have a special clause and be counted as 306 - Dangerous Contraband.
Because I’m a little weird like that. For the same reasons I am occasionally excessively rude without necessarily thinking it through. Even if the guy himself is rude and an arse … Doesn’t mean there’s no chance of him saying something useful once in a while. Giving people chances and such and such. Silly of me … But even a troll is part of the community. No matter how distasteful. Occasionally they might say something useful. I don’t mind rudeness at all (even when I should).
Yeah, I noticed the makeshift part as soon as I wrote it. I mostly didn’t edit and left it so people, and I, can see myself making the mistake and have a laugh out of it. But yes, tools which the primary purpose of it NOT a weapon are what I mean.
I don’t think inherently dangerous tools deserve a 206 though. 15 minutes for merely possessing a dangerous tool is way overkill. Hence why 113 suggestion.
What would you propose? I’d like people to get OOC punishment for arming themselves for no reason, I agree that the space law doesn’t work well because people don’t actually read space law (case in point, you). So it doesn’t discourage the behavior at all, only makes people salty when they get arrested for it.
Me main point being, such possibly dangerous tools shouldn’t be treated the same as contraband. Since they’re widespread on the station itself, some in free access. And there should be a difference in crime gravity between carrying a makeshift weapon, something designed to harm, and carrying a tool which, incidentally, can be used to harm.
If you do not understand how tools can be used for their original intended purpose, I do not think it is my place to teach you such basics. I’ll attempt my best however.
Did you know that you can use an edged tool such as a knife and a hatchet to cut fabric? And, you won’t believe me, if you click a stack of logs with a hatchet in your hands, it turns into planks! Furthermore, did you know that a hatchet is a valuable tool to break through barricades in maintenance and derelicts?
You try to seek “powergaming nerfs” at every turn. But perhaps it is you who views everything as powergaming. If you view tools as nothing more than weapons, maybe LRP fits you better?
So in short. In order to even have this conversation, one must to remember that those items you call “weapons” are originally tools and should be reasonably viewed as such.
Intent. There’s having a full toolbelt because you’re using it for regular, reasonable everyday use. And then there’s having a full toolbelt and then use that as a launch-pad to deconstruct half the station. The first is benign and isn’t frowned upon. The second is malicious and is frowned upon. You seem to be incapable to perceive the difference.
As always, you ignore the answer to your own question once it goes against your narrative, huh? Thankyou for your contribution. Mind returning on topic now?
This is stupid. What if you are carrying it so it DOESNT get stolen huh? Same applies to pretty much everything else such as a kitchen knife, cleaver, saw, ect.
What do you mean ignore? I acknowledge that you think having a hatchet as a non-botanist for breaking things in maint and cutting logs is acceptable. I think it’s not. Thankfully I don’t have to care about any of this, and can simply confiscate your hatchet and return it to botany according to space law. You can claim you found it all you want, it’s not part of your job and it’s clearly stolen from IC perspective.
Nope. Because that hatchet doesn’t belong to botany but belongs to Garden, which you would know if you were a semi-competent security officer that knows the layout of the station. Essentially, YOU would be breaking space law by illegally taking an item which is in public access. In fact if you did that while I’m Warden or HoS and I saw you confiscate non contraband from crewmembers, on a regular basis (three strikes), YOU would be the one who’d end up in brig for two minutes. HoS job description does state “prevent shitsec”.
The point is moot however. I appreciate your efforts to derail the topic. As entertaining as that is however, the main point still stands. There’s a clear difference between a tool which can be used to harm, and a weapon which is primarily designed to harm, be it makeshift or not.
Just because I’m disagreeing with you and do not share your opinions, does not mean I am derailing your topic about an incident with a hatchet, by talking about hatchets. You’re doing a swell job of that yourself throwing non-sense like “narrative” around.
Anyone can print a hatchet at any public lathe, anyone can also print a knife. There’s a lot you can print or obtain from public places. Don’t let me stop you though, it’s not like you had prior experience which lead to this topic. You can try playing HoS or Warden, you can even try and release people with their weapons that they totally don’t carry just to catch the valid.
Will you be a positive influence on a round? Not really.