TSA Decides Against Allowing Small Knives On Aircraft 298
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."
There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (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
No surprise really (Score:5, 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.
Whew! TSA flew much too close to sane policy ... (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.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:4, 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 [gizmodo.com] selling pocket knives. (I think my uncle bought a box of corkscrews by the pound).
Re:No surprise really (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.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (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.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (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.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
That's a pretty big problem too, but then no one said there was only one problem.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:5, 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.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:5, Insightful)
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?
Re: Whew! TSA flew much too close to sane policy . (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:4, 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?
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:4, 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.
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:There goes another Swiss Army knife (Score:1, Insightful)