G1 Megatron's Us Situation

[Metatron1050]

Can someone clairfy my view on Meg's banning story?

 

So he was a gun in G1, obviously. And they sold him in the US at one point, and they decide to wipe him off the shelves after realizing the influences kids can have. what is the REAL story?

[Mike]

saftly laws have changed since back in the 80's.

 

Toys can't look like real guns. megatron looks like a real gun, so he can never be made in North American. people aren't suppose to sell them either, but some comic shops do.

[ScottieEvil]

Could be Urban Legend, but i think a kid in Chicago was killed by cop while playing with Megs

[Mega_Plex]

no you fools! it's the vietnameese prostitutes trying to conquer Earth! Alpha, find five teenagers with attitude! Gogo protectiveteenagedprostitutefighting rangers! dunna dun dun dun dun gogogo! protectiveteenagedprostitutefighting rangers, you mighty morphing protectiveteenagedprostitutefighting rangers, Go!

[Three Storms]

They could have listed it as an adult collectible and sold it through specialty shops, but since the reissues are TRU exclusives, I doubt TRU would carry it, and I doubt TRU will allow someone else to carry it, either.

[Dark_Lord_Prime]

So he was a gun in G1, obviously. And they sold him in the US at one point, and they decide to wipe him off the shelves after realizing the influences kids can have. what is the REAL story?

Our ever-vigilant, ever-##$%$#ed government passed a law that prohibits the production/sale of "realistic toy guns" (read: toy guns that jumpy, trigger-happy, less-than-fully-trained law enforcement officials might misinterpret as a real gun and kill some hapless kid).

 

This is why all toy guns in the US now have bright-orange caps on the ends of their barrels. It's also why Nintendo's Zapper started being produced in orange/cream instead of grey/cream. (I hate that day-glo Zapper..)

 

However, in my search for MP OP last Summer or Fall, I found at least one continental-US online store that offered the G1 Megatron re-issue. ($70+ )

 

So either they're in violation, or it's legal to sell them (at least for collectors).

 

DL

[Optronix]

I dont remember hearing about a kid being killed, is that true, I am pretty sure Tf's wouldnt be as popular due to something like that, besides the cops cant shoot unless they have good reason. But yea gun laws changed and you can bring him over here but he has to be put into boxs ramdomly.

 

Anicron

[ScottieEvil]

I dont remember hearing about a kid being killed, is that true, I am pretty sure Tf's wouldnt be as popular due to something like that

 

...since you're in high school and this happened before you were born, not so surprised you didn't hear about it...

 

besides the cops cant shoot unless they have good reason.

 

...like reaching for a wallet in a stairwell?

 

(Not cop bashing btw)

 

I think a kid running down a hallway with a Megs would alarm a cop, if he didn't know what it was

[Dark_Lord_Prime]

. . . besides the cops cant shoot unless they have good reason.

"not supposed to" and "can't or don't" are two very different things.

 

Apparently, police officers have a wide area of discretion about what constitutes "a good reason".

 

Unfortunately, as someone else mentioned, if they get it into their head that "reaching for a wallet" strikes them as suspicious behavior, they tend to not hesitate.

 

But, rather than reprimand/discipline/actually-bother-to-train the police force, it was easier to just coddle them (like every other group in the world) by passing a new law.

 

Nearly every law on the the books (and there are a ridiculous number, since nobody ever seems to bother removing out-of-date/archaic/stupid laws before adding new ones) is the result of some disgruntled group or another whining about something they found inconenient or annoying. Many of them appear to have been the direct result of a single politician deciding he didn't like something and slipping his own pet bill through.

 

And so, I have to put up with crappy tanks named "Megatron", and pointless repaints of the exact same crappy tanks named "Galvatron".

 

@grumpy@

 

DL

[Optronix]

Yea but I would have been mentioned other times, so did it really happen or not.

 

Anicron

[amd098]

2 summers ago in the UK a man was shot and killed because he was walking around with a gun

 

cops went, got guns, shot him, and found out the gun was actually a cigarette lighter

 

ill try to find the article somewhere on bbc.co.uk

[Tom-1]

cops went, got guns, shot him, and found out the gun was actually a cigarette lighter

TIME OUT.

 

UK cops have to go get guns? What, do they go back to theri station and formally request them?

 

Tom

[Metallicon]

Could be Urban Legend, but i think a kid in Chicago was killed by cop while playing with Megs

Actually, I believe that it was a laser tag gun. My mother pointed it out in the newspaper when I was younger, and as a result, I was never allowed to have laser tag as a kid. @ray@ Damn...those helmets were bitchin'!

 

 

I don't think Megs had anything to do with it. After numerous instances of toy guns being misinterpreted as real weapons, someone obviously took notice and hight authorities got involved. Hence the creation of the flourecent colored guns and ultimately the disappearance of realistic looking ones.

@rambo@

[jhs8swd]

cops went, got guns, shot him, and found out the gun was actually a cigarette lighter

TIME OUT.

 

UK cops have to go get guns? What, do they go back to theri station and formally request them?

 

Tom

In the UK we have some police who do carry guns, but your average on the beat policeman doesn't carry a gun.

 

Mind you, we don't have a gun counter next to the toy section in our stores (Walmart, guilty as charged!), so there aren't QUITE as many nutters running around threatening to shoot people!

 

Usually, it's just the real criminals who have guns, so we don't have as much of a problem with unhinged postal workers ;-) Although gun crime IS on the increase, so perhaps we will see a fully armed police force sometime!

[Dark_Lord_Prime]

Could be Urban Legend, but i think a kid in Chicago was killed by cop while playing with Megs

Actually, I believe that it was a laser tag gun. My mother pointed it out in the newspaper when I was younger, and as a result, I was never allowed to have laser tag as a kid. @ray@ Damn...those helmets were bitchin'!

 

 

I don't think Megs had anything to do with it. After numerous instances of toy guns being misinterpreted as real weapons, someone obviously took notice and hight authorities got involved. Hence the creation of the flourecent colored guns and ultimately the disappearance of realistic looking ones.

@rambo@

Yeah.. I was thinking it was either Lazer Tag or an NES Zapper.

 

DL

[THE KING]

But, rather than reprimand/discipline/actually-bother-to-train the police force, it was easier to just coddle them (like every other group in the world) by passing a new law.

 

 

actually police officers are trained to access the situation and do whats best for that given situation.if a kid actually was running with a g1 megs into a crowd,the officer would have no choice but to act the way he did.could you imagine the media if the officer let the child gundown 5 innocent people.

[Doc Evil]

But, rather than reprimand/discipline/actually-bother-to-train the police force, it was easier to just coddle them (like every other group in the world) by passing a new law.

 

 

actually police officers are trained to access the situation and do whats best for that given situation.if a kid actually was running with a g1 megs into a crowd,the officer would have no choice but to act the way he did.could you imagine the media if the officer let the child gundown 5 innocent people.

Poseidon's absolutely correct. Sure it's easy, even fashionable to bash cops. But you cant possibly understand how dangerous being a cop is unless youve actually been out there. Or know someone who was. A good friend of mine's older brother was a cop, and was killed in the line of duty. Its a thankless, hazardous job. It sure as Hell ain't sitting around all day munching donuts. The only times we hear about cops on the news is when a few do something wrong. These instances are bound to crop up in most vocations. To judge all cops by the dishonorable actions of a few, or even worse by how pop culture portrays them is not only ignorant and illogical, its reprehensible. And we can't count on the news to give a fair unbiased account of things. Cops doing good simply doesnt sell newspapers and keep viewers glued to the screen.

 

As for the kid pulling the toy gun, try to remember that a police officer makes life and death decisions that have to be made in a fraction of a second. Mistakes unfortunately get made. But anyone with even a modicum of common sense God gave gravel should know never pull a TOY gun on someone with a REAL gun. Im not saying that those who do deserve to die. Far from it. But that the Policeman is NOT the only thing in the equation. It ISNT all his fault. Its too easy to pin the blame of the encounter solely on the police. You cant expect them to be able to read minds.

[Dark_Lord_Prime]

Its too easy to pin the blame of the encounter solely on the police. You cant expect them to be able to read minds.

Maybe not, but we -should- be able to expect them to have been trained to tell the difference between a firearm and a toy pistol.

 

DL

[scrapperboy]

But wouldn't a mp Megatron gun end up as big as a gasoline pump? I'm positive it wouldnt look realistic.

[*Deathblade]

Its too easy to pin the blame of the encounter solely on the police. You cant expect them to be able to read minds.

Maybe not, but we -should- be able to expect them to have been trained to tell the difference between a firearm and a toy pistol.

 

DL

yeah its EASY to tell from 20 or 30 feet away in about 3 seconds,huh?....or how about they just advance on them to be an easier target/get a better look. I am seriously sick of this topic EVERY week or so...it ALWAYS turns into cop bashing and politic spewing or a damn lecture on social skills/ethics theory. If you want the damn thing its not hard to get off ebay or any number of online store. TRU is not gonna sell it. and thats fine with me. Not pointing to anyone in particular, but this topic LITERALLY comes up about every week to 2 weeks...and the same stuff is said EVERY time...its gets OLD people.

[amd098]

honestly G1 megs in gun form looks too real, id be scared if someone pulled that out on me, im not going to look for the decepticon insignia thats rather large but on the side, id run

 

run run run, runabout, runamok

 

2 characters with no purpose but to get killed, and spray paint stuff

[Metallicon]

Its too easy to pin the blame of the encounter solely on the police. You cant expect them to be able to read minds.

Maybe not, but we -should- be able to expect them to have been trained to tell the difference between a firearm and a toy pistol.

 

DL

yeah its EASY to tell from 20 or 30 feet away in about 3 seconds,huh?....or how about they just advance on them to be an easier target/get a better look. I am seriously sick of this topic EVERY week or so...it ALWAYS turns into cop bashing and politic spewing or a damn lecture on social skills/ethics theory. If you want the damn thing its not hard to get off ebay or any number of online store. TRU is not gonna sell it. and thats fine with me. Not pointing to anyone in particular, but this topic LITERALLY comes up about every week to 2 weeks...and the same stuff is said EVERY time...its gets OLD people.

word!

[Sorotia]

if i remeber correctly i remeber hearing some kid robbing a blockbuster video with a realistic looking toy gun. i really think they should put one of those orange caps on megs barrel it wouldnt take much away from the fig and for us older and more responsable people we can take it off.

[THE KING]

thanks everyone for seeing what i have.look,doc e and i have had our differences but he said it better than anyone,thanks doc

 

and btw i dont drop this often due to the dislike of law inforcement,but i am a police officer and proud of it.

[Doc Evil]

Its too easy to pin the blame of the encounter solely on the police. You cant expect them to be able to read minds.

Maybe not, but we -should- be able to expect them to have been trained to tell the difference between a firearm and a toy pistol.

 

DL

Megatron looked a LOT like a real gun. Real enough that if someone whipped one out and pointed it at you theres no way you could tell. It is quite reasonable for cops to react as such, as it could mean their death. Its called self defense. You may have heard of it. In a perfect world someone will clearly point out if they have real guns or not. But guess what sunshine? We aint living in an ideal world.

 

And even if there was a orange cap on the toy gun, people CAN and DO paint over it. I even heard of people who spray painted their guns neon orange to resemble water pistols. No matter what safety protocols you use, people will find some way to override them. Ive painted over the red stopper on a cap pistol, but I never took it outside either.

 

But the solution for getting accidentally shot is quite simple. Dont run around outside with a toy gun, because you never know when someone with a REAL one will show up. Not just cops, criminals carry guns too and are even more likely to defend themselves. The true fault lies with the idiot dumb enough to pull a toy gun on somebody with a real one. Sad? Definately. Avoidable with basic common sense? Absolutely. I have a strong aversion to getting run over by trains. Therefore it would stand to reason that I dont go run around on railroad tracks. See how simple it is? Its really up to us to act responsibly and teach our children to play responsibly so such tragedies dont have the opportunity to happen in the first place. We can't just make scapegoats of the cops for something we have the power to prevent ourselves.