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TSA Decides Against Allowing Small Knives On Aircraft

New submitter lemur3 writes "After multiple months of discussing possible changes to the prohibited items list, the Transportation Security Administration in the United States has determined that it is best to go ahead without any changes to the list of items passengers may have in their carry-on baggage when traveling by air. Under the proposed change (discussed previously on Slashdot) pocket knives and other items, such as hockey sticks and ski poles, would have been allowed."

29 of 298 comments (clear)

  1. There goes another Swiss Army knife by cusco · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've carried a pocket knife since my dad bought me one for my 8th birthday, not having that weight in that pocket doesn't feel right. Since this foolishness started I've lost at least six to the TSA, since I tend to catch flights too early to be properly awake.. Going on vacation again in a couple of weeks, and I'll probably lose another either on the way there or the way back.

    --
    "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
    1. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While i think the TSA sucks bozack.. you'd think after the 2nd or 3rd time you'd learn how to avoid losing things to them

    2. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Nerdfest · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I always carry a Leatherman Micra. I lost one once, and managed to buy a whole bag of them from those confiscated from an airport. At least one (given to someone) has returned to where it came from.

    3. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Dahamma · · Score: 3, Insightful

      this also ends my plans for Ackthpt's Small Knives And Pointy Objects Emporium in airports from coast to coast.

      Yeah, now you know why the TSA rescinded the order - they didn't want you to compete with their current side business selling pocket knives. (I think my uncle bought a box of corkscrews by the pound).

    4. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by hawguy · · Score: 4, Informative

      They should just charge a $5 fee and mail it to you if you don't want it destroyed.

      Most major airports have kiosks for explicitly this purpose.

      Which ones? I've never seen one.

      Here's a list of airports for one company's checkpoint mailers, there are probably other companies that do the same thing in other airports:

      http://www.airportmailers.com/airportlist.php

      There was a company called ReturnKey that did the same thing (I linked to an Engadget article that mentions them in another post), but their domain is dead, so they seem to have gone out of business.

    5. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Jockle · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem isn't the TSA

      Just because you've had different experiences doesn't mean the problem isn't the TSA.

    6. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by jcr · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Post 911, nobody can take over a plane with a few knives.

      Post 9/11, nobody's ever going to take over a plane again, period. Someone might be able to destroy one, but the days of "just do what the bad man says" are over.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    7. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "I was about to say the same thing... I've traveled many times since 9/11, and have lost precisely nothing to the TSA."

      Wish I could say the same. I have not flown very often in recent years, but the last time I did, a rare and expensive (and perfectly legal) laser was missing from my luggage when I picked it up at my destination. I have little doubt it was stolen by the TSA baggage inspectors. Even if they (wrongly) thought it was illegal, they are required to inform you when they confiscate something. So it wasn't that... it was simply stolen.

    8. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Could also have been the airline baggage handlers.

      The best way to "handle" this theft problem is to have windows allowing passengers to see their luggage being searched and see it being handled by the baggage handlers. There is no reason why it needs to be done privately, unless someone is up to no good.

    9. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem isn't the TSA

      The problem isn't the TSA either way. The TSA realizes that the restrictions on small knives and tools are silly and a waste of resources. They wanted to make the change. But they got too much push back from politicians and "think of the children" citizens. So they caved in.

    10. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by mosb1000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The problem isn't the TSA

      That's the stupidest thing I've read on /. today. Of course the TSA is the problem. Taking peoples pocket knives is a pointless knee-jerk reaction.

      the problem is the grandparent is an idiot who won't take responsibility for his own actions.

      That's a pretty big problem too, but then no one said there was only one problem.

    11. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The TSA only exists because of Low IQ citizens and Politicians. the TSA is not needed at all and is a huge waste of money.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    12. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by mjwx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The problem isn't the TSA

      That's the stupidest thing I've read on /. today. Of course the TSA is the problem. Taking peoples pocket knives is a pointless knee-jerk reaction.

      Given all the excesses of the TSA, is not being allowed a small knife onto a plane really your biggest concern?

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    13. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by mjwx · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Every rights violation is a concern.

      Not that I disagree, but shouldn't you be focusing on the bigger issue?

      I mean getting the TSA to "allow" pocket knives whilst they continue their other abuses with reckless abandon seems to be a pyrrhic victory at best.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    14. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by mysidia · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why do people keep saying this? There have been hijackings since 9/11 in which the plane was not destroyed and the hijackers took control of the plane.

      Which one of those was a flight originating from inside the US on a US airline?

    15. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by ShakaUVM · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In this case, the TSA was responding to flight attendants who were reportedly up in arms about people being able to carry swiss army knives on planes again.

      So put blame where it is due - the TSA was trying to do the right thing here, but got shouted down by the masses.

    16. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 3, Informative

      They should just charge a $5 fee and mail it to you if you don't want it destroyed.

      Back in the eighties, they did. Well minus the charge. If you had a dangerous item (knife, drafting compass, ...), you handed it in at the security checkpoint, it would go into a box in the cargo hold (together with similar items of other passengers), and you got it back on arrival.

    17. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by RobertLTux · · Score: 4, Informative

      easy way to ensure your luggage does not get opened by the TSA (in transit)

      PROPERLY CHECK A FIREARM

      once they check it at the airport it is considered a SEALED PACKAGE and can not legally be opened by anyone without you present.

      --
      Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
    18. Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife by chihowa · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A starter pistol is great for this. The TSA treats it like a real firearm, but many cities and states that have strict firearm laws don't consider them firearms (especially if you don't bring the caps for it).

      --
      If you want a vision of the future, imagine a youtube comments section scrolling - forever.
  2. No surprise really by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If they allowed knives back on, and any kind of terrorist attack occurred with knives, then someone would be held responsible for that decision, no matter how wise it seemed at the time. If they disallow knives, people will kick and scream, but won't actually change their flying behavior much, and everyone's job will be safe.

    --
    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    1. Re:No surprise really by Jockle · · Score: 3, Insightful

      IMO they should allow anything that won't endanger the integrity of the cabin.

      Actually, the TSA should just be eliminated outright. Problem solved.

  3. Whew! TSA flew much too close to sane policy ... by pissoncutler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Instead of making folks discard completely non-threatening items, TSA should look into *actual* security.

    The airport should have a series of series of checkpoints. Every vehicle that pulls onto the property goes past a guard that asks you how your day is going (screen #1). At the ticket counter, a friendly agent asks if you are enjoying the weather (screen #2). Drop off your bags, some other random, friendly question (screen #3). Lastly, at the x-ray / metal detector / body scanner, the attending agent looks you in the eye and chats with you again (screen #4). Every station should be manned by trained security personel empowered to flag you for greater scrutiny. Add to that randomized patrols and searches.

    The staged checkpoints also reduce the likelihood of an attacker targeting that massive line to get through security. (In the TSA system, no one waiting in that line has been through any prior screen.)

    Stagger the checks and ensure redundancy. It's not cheap, it would require TSA to hire/pay much better than they do now, but it would get you better security. Banning Swiss Army Knives and hockey sticks doesn't make anyone safer.

  4. Re:Another reason I no longer fly. by Intropy · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had to look that up to figure out why you were trying to take a P-38 Lightning through TSA.

  5. Doesn't affect me so I don't care by Spy+Handler · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't carry knives, don't even like them. I use spears.

  6. My CarryOn-Jutsu is Stronger than Yours by decipher_saint · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Sir please remove your arms and legs, you can't take them on the plane"

    --
    crazy dynamite monkey
  7. X-actly by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Well, hockey sticks and the other stuff should be fine. Actually small knives would be, too.

    Prior to 9/11, the policy for a skyjacking was sit tight and wait for ransom demands, or to fly some idiot to Cuba.

    That morning it changed forever. Passengers will revolt. Pilots will bounce people around in the cabin. Threats to kill people will correctly go unheeded and the cockpit door will stay closed. Even flights with insufficient other passengers still won't lose control.

    So...so what about small knives and X-acto box cutters? Such a takeover will never work again.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  8. OK, TSA, please tell me why... by whoever57 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    why do restaurants after security at Chicago O'Hare give customers metal knives, while restaurants at DFW do not?

    And in the past, I have been given a metal knife when flying in first class (obviously, first class passengers cannot be terrorists!)

    Do TSA rules ban equipment to sharpen metal dinner knives? I doubt it.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  9. Another TSA reminder by lexsird · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Another TSA reminder that the "terrorist won" or I should say the opportunistic fear mongering traitors and the bureaucracies, and traitorous policies they implemented won. Every time I'm reminded of these pseudo Nazi pricks stripping and frisking my 70 year old mother and fucking up her luggage as they rifled it while on one of their "show my ass because I have authority" power trips, I have to edit what I say lest I end up in Gitmo. Imagine that, being afraid to say what you really think in America.

    --
    Take the Red Pill.
  10. Re: Whew! TSA flew much too close to sane policy . by Mr.+Freeman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is a very widely understood phenomenon. In countries where terrorism is actually a problem, terrorists bomb the checkpoints because of the lines. Security thus staggers the checkpoints and streamlines procedures in order to prevent any kind of lines from forming. This means that terrorists can't kill more than a few people regardless of the size of any bomb they might be carrying.

    Here in the USA, these procedures are not used and checkpoints are not bombed because, as all sane people know, terrorism is not a problem in this country.

    --
    -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.