Should a 3.2cm long blunt tapestry needle be prohibited from the cabin?
After flying all over the world on various airlines, doing her cross-stitch to while away the time, my wife had her needle removed by officious cabin crew on a flight this evening, as being an item that she could lose control of in turbulence and could fly off and injure another passenger. She has many friends who also fly doing their cross-stiching and they have never encountered this problem.
After arguing with these ******, the matter was it is believed, referred to the captain, who deemed this small blunt gold needle, a prohibited item. It was removed by cabin crew and handed back on landing. We have been told by airlines used up to today including todays carrier, that there is no problem in carrying and using such a needle on flights and that it is not a prohibited item, as it is specially designed as blunt and small ( and was made even smaller in length, to 3.2 cm, after 9/11). There is no problem with any airport security screening.
Is this just a set of over officious crew trying to make passengers lives as miserable as possible, being unable to back down and admit they are wrong?