[Archie]

This is a 'sea story'. It isn't impossible, but I got it second-hand and cannot verify the truth of it.

In the 1970s, a man (we'll call him 'Joe') in Washington DC entered an elevator occupied by a rather 'hard' looking individual. As the doors closed, the 'hard' man produced a switchblade, popped it open and started cleaning under his fingernails, glancing at 'Joe'.

'Joe' was a federal agent. Without comment, he produced the 2.5" model 19 he was carrying and started cleaning under his fingernails with the front sight blade. Hard man put the switchblade away, appearantly without closing it.

This one was mine. I was in a slop-chute pool hall (they advertised a fight every night and stabbings on the week-end) backing up a colleague who ran the security there. Security had earlier that same evening arrested and turned over to the local police an individual who had been causing trouble.
I was approached by an individual who accused me of being 'one of them'. In his drunken state, he went on to say something like, "We know who you are and we're going to f*** you up".
I asked him if he meant he was intending to cause me bodily harm. He repeated the statement about "... f*** you up..."
I removed a set of earplugs from my pocket and started inserting them in my ears.
He asked me why I was doing that and I told him.
He left and didn't come back.

I thought it was funny.