Victor Inox
4th Nov 2012, 05:59
It's not just the infamous TSA that does things that are positively illogical. Swiss tabloid "Blick" runs this story today: Security ziehts ein, Duty-Free verkaufts: Schwachsinn um Sackmesser an Flughäfen! (http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/messerscharfer-schwachsinn-um-das-sackmesser-an-flughaefen-id2093124.html)
Essentially, it's all about the idiocy of security at both LSZH and LSGG, where they might or might not (depending very much on who is on duty) confiscate your Swiss army knife, deeming it at least as dangerous as a half-full bottle of water. If you are unlucky and your knife is indeed taken away from you, don't fret.
Simply proceed to the duty free shop and pick up a new one, then board your flight. Whilst there is (at least not in this item) no suggestion that you might actually be purchasing a knife previously taken from another unfortunate passenger, there is the matter of why you cannot take your own knife on board in the first place, as the Swiss civil aviation authority (BAZL) clearly describes knives with a blade length of less than 60 mm admissible in passengers' hand luggage. This again means that airport security at Zurich and Geneva often don't know their own rules. If they did, no Swiss army knives would be removed from passengers or their carry-on baggage anyway.
The bottom line is, of course, that in a country with a long history of near-universal conscription, a majority of the male population would hopefully know how to neutralize any opponent without needing to resort to any weapon anyway.
Essentially, it's all about the idiocy of security at both LSZH and LSGG, where they might or might not (depending very much on who is on duty) confiscate your Swiss army knife, deeming it at least as dangerous as a half-full bottle of water. If you are unlucky and your knife is indeed taken away from you, don't fret.
Simply proceed to the duty free shop and pick up a new one, then board your flight. Whilst there is (at least not in this item) no suggestion that you might actually be purchasing a knife previously taken from another unfortunate passenger, there is the matter of why you cannot take your own knife on board in the first place, as the Swiss civil aviation authority (BAZL) clearly describes knives with a blade length of less than 60 mm admissible in passengers' hand luggage. This again means that airport security at Zurich and Geneva often don't know their own rules. If they did, no Swiss army knives would be removed from passengers or their carry-on baggage anyway.
The bottom line is, of course, that in a country with a long history of near-universal conscription, a majority of the male population would hopefully know how to neutralize any opponent without needing to resort to any weapon anyway.