Boogie-Woogie Bugle Blogger of Company B

[neadods]

Well, my number came up, and I have to head to the courthouse to be possibly selected as a juror tomorrow. They tell you to be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting. My problem with that kind of thing is I bring EVERYTHING and then do very little with it.

So you get to be opinionated on the subject. Laptops are permitted (but then must be watched), iPods are not permitted, permissability of knitting supplies unknown, but Clover needles are cheap if they get confiscated.

[Poll #1164336]

Comments

[evil_plotbunny]

I'd take a variety of things to do. That way if you hit a snag/get bored/finish something, you'll have something else to do.

I never had a problem with knitting needles on jury duty (but I never got as far as a trial. In one I wasn't picked, in one the case was settled out of court.

[faireraven.livejournal.com]

I agree with one caviat: Make sure that whatever needles you take, you can afford to dump them if they suddenly decide they're weapons...

It's like with the TSA. They're not really banned unless the security guard says so.

I've never been on jury duty (the twice I'd been called for it, I was actually living somewhere else entirely, but I still had my parents as my permanent address. They excused me). But the one time I went to the courthouse with little itty bitty folding scissors, they took them away from me. The blade was about a half an inch long and I was lucky if they cut yarn if I really pushed it, let alone skin, but they took them away.

I've heard of steel dpns being taken away too.

But it all depends upon your area.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I figure I'll take my flying knitting kit - which means the Knitalong by default, as it's on that size needle. It's a couple of cheap clovers and a pair of children's scissors... if they want them, they can have them.

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

Laptops but not iPods? That's odd.

I'm like you - I take it all and end up using little, but you never know...I once got caught in one of those horrendous I-95 four hour back-ups and sat calmly knitting, eating cheese crackers and sipping on bottled water while everyone around me freaked out.

So, go for it!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I think it's more that people bitched too much if they couldn't do work and they weren't used in courtrooms.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

Definitely take the knitalong. Just because it's so close to being done!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

It may be the default winner because it's on 9s, and I have a plethora of expendable Clover 9s, whereas I don't have any 7s (Roma) that I want to risk being confiscated.

[moropus.livejournal.com]

They might be uptight about knitting needles. You could put your eye out. Or somebody else's. But if they don't care take the easy knitting in one bag and the fun book in another one in case they tell you to put the knitting back in your car.

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

If the courthouses down there are anything like up here, don't take the knitting. Some security details will see knitting needles as potential weapons.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

They're only 9 inches and wood; they've made it onto planes.

(Plus they're cheap as hell and I have about 3 sets of that particular brand and size, so they're expendable. As long as they don't take the yarn!)

[tchwrtr.livejournal.com]

As long as they don't take the yarn!

Remember a needle and cheap thread, in case they want the needles, but *not* the yarn...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm only up to about garter row 5 on a rectangle - not a big deal to redo.

Twice this week I have caught myself wishing I had a "swiss army knitting kit." Stand by for posts on that one!

[fyrdrakken]

Little folding scissors, which have a convenient included loop, a darning/tapestry needle, and a little safety pin to hook the eye of the needle to the loop on the scissors. I have at least three of these little bare bones knitting tool kits -- at least one has a few stitch markers riding on the safety pin. And most of the time that's really all I need.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Mini scissors from a hotel sewing kit. Nobody, not even the most paranoid TSA agents, have had a problem with them.

[fyrdrakken]

I have many pairs of these, which I've never had a security guard problem with (perhaps because all folded up they don't look bladelike enough to notice on a scan?) and a few pairs of this kind that I don't use as much because attaching a tapestry needle would involve threading it onto a piece of yarn or twist tie.

[harmonyfb.livejournal.com]

Even if they didn't allow her to bring the needles in, they'd let her take them back to her car.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

They may not in this case, as we're being shuttled in.

[boogiebabe-smap.livejournal.com]

If it's the county courthouse, the shuttle is only about 1 long block, about a tenth of a mile. If you get there early (as I know you will), you'll have plenty of time to take them back to the car if they're rejected.

[harmonyfb.livejournal.com]

When I went for jury duty last year, I took a sock on size 1 needles, a pair of mittens on size 3 needles, and a hat on size 6 circs (all bamboo), and the security guard didn't even bat an eye. I figured that even if they wouldn't let me bring in the hat or the mittens, surely they'd let me in with the toothpick-sized needles. As it turned out, they didn't care. I also took two books and a notebook/pen combo.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Speaking of toothpick-sized needles, watch this space for commentary on building a Swiss Army knitting kit.

[fyrdrakken]

Oh, and see if you can track down one of those teeninsy crochet hooks on a keyring that are apparently really handy for picking up dropped stitches. I think Lacis.com is one place I was directed to for same, but if not I'm sure I have it marked in my del.icio.us links if I cared to hunt it up.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've got what they call a locker hook from JoAnnes - it's about 4" long, and has a crochet hook at one end and a needle eye on the other. It's in the big kit, but not the mini travelling one.

[melusinehr.livejournal.com]

No one batted an eye at me bringing my knitting to jury duty last month, and this was the courthouse where the prisoner murdered his judge, the attorney, and a couple other people a few years ago. So yeah.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

*gulp!* If I get a case, I hope it's something quick and tame.

[kmarier.livejournal.com]

Take a variety of stuff so you are covered no matter what your fancy is. Usually the waiting period is a bit long so you will get stuff done. I wouldn't take any hard knitting myself as I'd be worried I'd be interrupted when least convenient - argh!

[ladyfox7oaks.livejournal.com]

OK- ALL I have to say is this... D*RN YOU NEA!!!! NOW I have that song STUCK in my head...


"He blows it eight to the bar... in boogie rhythm,
He can't blow a note, unless a bass and guitar are playing with 'im!"

[boogiebabe-smap.livejournal.com]

When I got called to county jury duty earlier this year, they had no problem with knitting or crocheting that I saw. Books were fine, BUT you were not allowed to open them in the courtroom (no matter how boring it got). I'd never take a laptop, but that's just me.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Ordinarily I wouldn't, but then I thought about the two resumes the new company wants, the two reviews I'm behind, and the article I promised Firefox News last fall and thought "well, if they're going to say I have time to work on them, why fill up my evening?"

[arjuna-lj.livejournal.com]

I've been called up three times - dismissed once, chosen (then nixed) once, hanging about all bloody day once... every time, no matter what, there's an awful lot of waiting. Anything that will keep you busy during all the sitting about with strangers (and that's easy enough to stick in the 'andbag quickly during the trooping from room to room bit).

Here in NSW they show you a very naff video while you're waiting :) all mid-level actors pretending to need convincing about Civil Responsibility etc.