Cops and Robbers

I don't mind hanging out at the toy store with my kids.  Like most men, I like toys.  What I like most are the things that I think are cool.  Things that I wish I had when I was a kid.  I love the transformers, they are engineering masterpieces.  However, you need a MIT graduate to help you transform it.  Other than that, what is not to love.  It is a toy that turns into another toy.  This is way better than than the pipe cleaners that my parents bought me.  Yes, my parents bought me a huge pack of pipe cleaners.  I could twist and turn those pipe cleaners into whatever I wanted. I told you I was poor.

On one of my trips to the toy store I saw a police play set.  What I thought was interesting is that it did not include a gun.  I'm not saying that you need a gun to be a police officer.  Bobbies in the UK, typically don't have a side arm.  What is odd, is that this play set has a baton, goggles, compass, watch, canteen and hunting knife.  I don't want to live in a town where this is standard issue for the police force.  Although it would strike fear in the heart of a criminal when a goggle wearing police officer runs after them with a baton in one hand and a hunting knife in the other.  Maybe it wouldn't scare every criminal.  I don't think this officer would be well equipped to thwart a criminal that has a gun.

It also seems strange to me that a police officer would carry a compass and canteen.  Do law enforcement agents typically get lost or find themselves in a position that they may need a drink so urgently that they need to have it on their person?  I can't imagine there are a lot of foot chase scenarios that would dictate the use of a compass, let alone a chase that is so extensive that they would have the upper hand by having a canteen on hand.

Because of all these questions I decided that further investigation was necessary.  This toy had to be made in a country that this is normal.  I was thinking maybe Canada.  Not because of socialized medicine, the affinity to the Olympic sport Curling or Allen Thicke.  I'm thinking more on the lines of Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  A Mountie would be very well prepared with this gear.  He would also be able to subdue a rogue lumberjack or moose.

Of Course I was wrong.  The toy was not made in Canada, as I had hoped, it was manufactured in China (pause for shock and dismay).  What I want to know is, why did they do this?  Do the police force in China use these items, or do they think that American police do?  Do they have some sort of image of Chuck Norris wielding a knife?  Let's be honest, Chuck wouldn't need the knife. Or maybe this is a peek into the future.  About six months ago I saw this sign...

If they are offering sword training, maybe we will have a generation of criminals that are adept at sword fighting.  If that is the case, it makes sense that the police force would arm themselves with hunting knives and batons. 

Who am I kidding...this still does not make any sense.