US to allow passengers to carry small knives

[Ye Olde Pilot]

The Wall Street Journal are reporting that the US TSA are to allow small pocket knives on US aircraft.

TSA will begin allowing fliers to carry ski poles, pool cues, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, Wiffle Ball bats and up to two golf clubs through security checkpoints. The TSA will also allow bats that are shorter than two feet and lighter than 24 ounces, such as souvenir or novelty bats.

TSA to Allow Small Knives on Planes - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324539404578342580651057500.html?mod=googlen ews_wsj)

[MaxReheat]

But the lethal pot of Meuller Rice or yoghurt is still verboten - ridiculous.:confused:

[kotakota]

Oh , this is truly great news . The Cabin Crew must be delighted .
Just as long as those evil pilots are not allowed to have their wives or loved ones sitting on a jumpseat , then security will be complete .

[HeadingSouth]

...and the 120ml pot of "Terror Mustard" which I tried to smuggle through the incredible security some years ago in DFW followed by a loud "Don't mess with Texas" -
Gosh that was fun :D Don't tell me it's all over now...

[vctenderness]

A nice bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin through security is far preferable I am afraid!

What the **** is a wiffle bat and do many people want to carry them?

[woodja51]

Now this is another brilliant idea... Not!
The concerns I posted ( and got bagged about) regarding access to the E/E bay in Boeings was in part discredited by regulators,several airlines management based on the lack of easy ability to be able to penetrate the flooring (lino) which is generally intact- except in certain ME carriers 777s..... Well , now that issue has been conveniently discarded by the TSA....

I have been invited but am yet to meet with two Australian senators and representatives from the transport workers unions ( oz) here that have shown interest in my concerns...but it appears that US crew are already (rightly ) concerned as to their inflight welfare.....in Australia the right to a reasonably safe work environment with foreseeable risks mitigated/ treated or removed is in legislation. Why is/are aviation / workers exempt?

The " as low as reasonably practical (ALARP) safety system is being replaced by Affordable level of safety (or ALOS) in new SMS's .... So exactly how does this relate to what is going on below????

What exactly is the cost versus benefit here and for who??........ Read below


From the Australian 06/03/13

POCKET knives and sports equipment - banned on US flights since the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks - will be allowed back in aircraft cabins, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says.

Passengers will be able to carry knives with folding blades 6cm or shorter, as well as sporting goods such as golf clubs, hockey clubs, and novelty-sized baseball bats, the federal agency said.

TSA chief John Pistole says the new guidelines, which come into effect on April 25, will bring US security regulations into line with international standards.

Among the sporting goods to be allowed as carry-on baggage will be billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and up to two golf clubs, Mr Pistole said.

Baseball bats measuring 60cm or shorter and weighing no more than 680gm will also be permitted.

Box cutters, razor blades and knives that don't fold or that have moulded grip handles will still be prohibited, the TSA said.

"This is part of an overall risk-based security approach, which allows Transportation Security Officers to better focus their efforts on finding higher threat items such as explosives," Mr Pistole said.

( my comment ... Who needs explosives- i just told you how knowledge and NOW a readily available knife will down a jet if that is your objective and not actual control of the flight deck)

The move drew an immediate outcry from unions representing flight attendants and other airline workers, who said the items are still dangerous in the hands of the wrong passengers.

Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents over 10,000 flight attendants at Southwest Airlines, called the new policy "dangerous" and "short sighted," saying it was designed to make "the lives of TSA staff easier, but not make flights safer."

"While we agree that a passenger wielding a small knife or swinging a golf club or hockey stick poses less of a threat to the pilot locked in the cockpit, these are real threats to passengers and flight attendants in the passenger cabin," the union said in a statement.

There has been a gradual easing of some of the security measures applied to airline passengers after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

In 2005, the TSA changed its policies to allow passengers to carry on airplanes small scissors, knitting needles, tweezers, nail clippers and up to four books of matches.
*

[Chu Chu]

I wonder whether Americans would be more confused by "6 cm" or by "2.36 inches"?

[Capt. On Heat]

Relax Woodja, as they said it is bringing them into line and catching up with most other countries. I've been carrying my handy Swiss army knife in my flight bag the last 7 years in NZ through screening (non lockable blade less than 6cm length). There hasn't been a glut of armed and dangerous incidents here threatening the well being of crew or the aircraft since rules were relaxed in 2005/6 ish.

There are far more dangerous things available to pax on board than tiny nail scissors, small knives and golf clubs and there always has been. Aviation security is more about public perception than actual risk mitigation.
After all, when the "rules" came in after 2001 did they also remove/ban aircraft fire extinguishers, wine bottles, drink glasses, duty free, spectacles, heavy metal suitcases, laptops, hot water, rope, belts, teeth, fists, people with martial art training, full beer cans, name badge pins, boots.............think you get the point.

Unfounded hysteria like this does nothing to improve flight safety, streamline air travel or discourage terrorists. I promise to rescind my comments and plead idiocy if there is a flurry of incidents once these relaxed requirements come into effect, but I will be very surprised.

[Load Toad]

..but still have to put small amounts of liquids into zip loc plastic bags, X-ray my shoes, take off my belt, stand infront of some machine that images my body...

It's a bit Pete Tong innit?

[TampaSLF]

I wonder whether Americans would be more confused by "6 cm" or by "2.36 inches"?
Thank you. Laughed so hard I had to log in to thank you Chu Chu. :D

[Joker72]

I wonder whether Americans would be more confused by "6 cm" or by "2.36 inches"?

Only the women.

[SeenItAll]

What the **** is a wiffle bat and do many people want to carry them?

Wiffle ball is a kids' version of baseball. The ball is hard plastic, perforated with holes. It weighs about an ounce or two. The bat is a hollow cylinder of very lightweight polyethylene plastic. It also weighs only a few ounces. Given the lack of mass of the bat, and the lightweight ball with aerodynamics-destroying holes, no huge velocities are developed and the game is often (largely to the dismay of parents) played inside the house.

Kids regularly take wiffle ball bats and attempt to beat the holy sh__ out of each other. At worst, such hits may cause a red mark on this skin. Bruises (let alone broken bones) are almost an impossibility. A cheap umbrella would be a far fiercer weapon.

[vctenderness]

Well thanks for that. I'm considering getting a wiffle bat now that they are permitted on board. It will come in very useful when Mrs Tenderness tells the cabin crew I don't require another G & T!

[PAXboy]

[Mounts hobby horse]

Don't forget to tell the TSA to watch out for those 2Kg laptops that can hurt the FAs, or a bottle of alchohol that can kill them. :rolleyes:

[Refuses to dismount hobby horse]

[Gibon2]

As usual, The Onion says it best:

TSA To Allow Small Terrorists On Planes | The Onion - America's Finest News Source (http://www.theonion.com/articles/tsa-to-allow-small-terrorists-on-planes,31574/)

[RevMan2]

And all the TSA operatives who will have NO idea that the rules have changed and will confiscate everything that they THINK isn't allowed.
Point out the error of their ways at your peril...

[Agaricus bisporus]

The poor dears will get a nasty surprise when they try to return home from Yurrup with that arsenal in their carry-on...

At last a breath of common sense.

[Mark in CA]

This just in:

TSA To Allow Small Terrorists On Planes (http://www.theonion.com/articles/tsa-to-allow-small-terrorists-on-planes,31574/)