IIRC it is illegal to carry a sword in Massachusetts let alone a rifle. This is one of those stupid "I dare you" items. Like carrying a rubber gun.. or joking about a bomb in your bag.

Folks are on edge .. heck I'm on edge ..

Considering the mall and school shootings recently and the constant "threat" of terrorism against soft targets I might very well have 911'd on this guy myself.

It is a comment on our society that in people's minds they see gun when anything even remotely like a weapon is seen. The Brady bunch has done it's job well.