I went to Argos to buy a few things today, and when I took my ticket to the counter, there was quite a kerfuffle because they'd run out of 'knife forms'.

I innocently inquired what a 'knife form' was, and they told me that they have to fill a form in when anyone buys a knife. I was getting ready to tell them that if they think I'm giving any of my details to them or signing anything, then they've got another thing coming, but luckily they merely ask the member of staff to make a note of the purchase and sign and fill a form in.

Nevertheless, I do think this was a bit of an over-reaction to me buying the Argos Value Range 24 Piece Venice Cutlery Set. I just ate my dinner utilising one of the knives, and while it did an adequate job of cutting a boiled potato, I don't think you would be able to pierce someone's rib cage with it.

I did a quick Google search, and I think this is probably a reaction to this article:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132717...n-detained-life.html

What good it would do making a note of when a knife was sold, I have no idea. In order to prevent knife attacks with Argos-related products, you'd really need to stop selling them completely, not just fill a form in stating when you'd sold it.

That's before you go into the fact that they couldn't give me a carrier bag that was strong enough to hold the plates that I bought. As long as we prevent climate change, though. that's the main thing. I shudder to think what would have happened if Argos had given me a functional carrier bag...

Seems a bit odd for a cutlery set. Presumably most people just comply.
In Chinatown, you can get throwing stars & num-chucks & all sorts of fiendish weapons - no questions asked. You'd have to be pretty desperate to find the need to attack somebody with an Argos spoon.

wake_up_bomb wrote:
What good is that?

The Argos killer has struck again! Did anyone buy any knives?!?

Yeah

Who was it?

Fuck knows. Some guy. .

Assuming they have standard stock management procedures, they already know they sold somebody some knives. A separate form confirming what they should already know doesn't seem to have any point at all.

Maybe they're required to look at you and decide if you're the sort of person who is likely to go on an Argos knife rampage. If you do, that person in the shop is probably going to get hauled over the coals.

I reckon you should go on a homicidal rampage with the plates, smashing them over people's heads - just to do their heads in and make them paranoid about selling plates. .

Aside from the obvious floors as have already been pointed out, I recently purchased a small peeling knife from my local hardware store. The man who sold it to me couldn't have been less interested in who I was or what I was going to do with the knife. I paid with cash (remember that?) and was on my merry way.

So, unless someone clues the hardware man up on what is going on, this endeavor is doomed to failure, imo.

Ab Origine wrote:
The obvious what?

psketti wrote:
Whateva, dictionary queen. Does it make you feel better to point things like that out? Make you feel all smug and superior, does it? Whatever did we do without you?

Tosser.

Well I wasn't going to mention it Ab...those days are well and truly behind me...

I've changed my sig for you all...just so as we're clear on the issue.

Ab Origine wrote:
That seem's fair.

Ab Origine wrote:






... it was just too funny (from where I'm sitting) not to mention actually so get over it eh

Leave Abs alone you Stroll back in here after swanning it about with the cool kids in Edinburgh and think you can start on Abs just like that?
Tosser

Bite me

Ab Origine wrote:
*Discussing moderation and verbally abusing a mod!*

You have been awarded a Karma point for this infraction.
Be advised that repetitions of such behaviour will result in additional Karma points being added.

Well it's a floored nonsense anyways. As if some serial killer's going to nip into a shop for hardware, and announce to the shopkeeper that he's looking for razor-sharp kitchen knives, so that he can fillet his room-mate and make himself a frock out of their skin?

Gilly wrote:
That was never proven, Gilly.

It's the same thing as the gun argument for me. Yes, silly people will use them for stupid, sometimes atrocious things (not to mention our armed forces, of course) but where does one draw the line?

It just seems that banning things only really comes about where there can be some profit for big business/government (which are one and the same to me) which always makes me suspicious. Don't they already know about everything you buy if you use one those 'loyalty cards' and shop at a government sanctioned supply store/Tescos etal?

You call that a knife... This is a knife...

Ahh, I see you've played knifey-spooney before!

What a weird policy, I've never heard of that one before.

There's one of those "outlet" places a few miles from me that sells seconds and end-of-line products from various designer brands cheap.

One of the shops sells kitchenware and they have a big collection of chef knives ranging from el cheapo kit to very high quality carbon steel blades from Sheffield, Japan, France etc. It did strike me that they were all within easy reach, without any security to prevent some random from just picking one up and threatening the staff. Indeed, they actively encourage you to try out the blades on bits of potato etc left out.

So it makes the Argos decision all the more bizarre. If there was some kind of national regulation requiring tighter security around the sale of knives, wouldn't this store have to keep the more dangerous blades behind glass or something?

dreamweaver wrote:
Maybe the security guards have Uzi's?