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Secret list of banned hand luggage revealed after court challenge
A secret list of items banned from hand luggage has been published following a legal challenge by a man barred from flying with a tennis racquet.
The European Commission has been forced to reveal the contents of the confidential memo to airlines outlining which everyday objects were considered a potential terrorist threat.
Security staff have used the list to stop passengers carrying skateboards, fishing roads and canoe paddles from taking them on-board – despite not being told they were banned. But yesterday, the European Union's Court of Justice said it was ridiculous to have a list which the public could not access.
Judges said the rules could not be enforced because of the "fundamental absurdity" of passengers having no way of finding out what was prohibited.
The case was brought by an Austrian tennis player, Gottfried Heinrich, after he was kicked off a plane in 2005, on his way to a tournament, for refusing to put his racquets in the luggage hold. Vienna airport security staff refused to let him board after saying tennis racquets were included on a secret EU list of items classed as a potential terrorist threat.
Sarah Ludford, a Liberal Euro-MP, who has been campaigned on the issue said: "This categorical judgment is a victory for democracy and openness, and a slap in the face of the European Commission and EU governments who thought Kafkaesque methods acceptable. The Court has now agreed with our protest that it cannot be right for 500 million EU citizens to be told to obey laws they cannot read for themselves."
Following the court case, the Commission published the list of 11 items banned from passenger aircraft cabins. It revealed sports and leisure equipment such as skateboards and lacrosse sticks were specifically banned as they were considered "blunt instruments capable of causing injury".
But there was a further kick in the teeth for Mr Heinrich, as it emerged tennis racquets did not even appear on the list and he may have been barred from flying due to an overzealous interpretation of the rules.
Nevertheless, a BAA spokesman warned passengers not attempt boarding an aircraft with racquets in hand. "Our view is that tennis racquets will clearly contravene the Department for Transport hand baggage size regulations, and therefore we'd definitely recommend to passengers that these are placed in their hold luggage. Even if they were smaller than that, it's worth noting that the regulations prohibit "sporting bats, cues and darts" from being taken aboard."
EU banned list:
baseball bats
clubs or batons
cricket bats
golf clubs
hockey sticks
lacrosse sticks
kayak and canoe paddles
skateboards
snooker cues
fishing rods
martial arts equipment
A secret list of items banned from hand luggage has been published following a legal challenge by a man barred from flying with a tennis racquet.
The European Commission has been forced to reveal the contents of the confidential memo to airlines outlining which everyday objects were considered a potential terrorist threat.
Security staff have used the list to stop passengers carrying skateboards, fishing roads and canoe paddles from taking them on-board – despite not being told they were banned. But yesterday, the European Union's Court of Justice said it was ridiculous to have a list which the public could not access.
Judges said the rules could not be enforced because of the "fundamental absurdity" of passengers having no way of finding out what was prohibited.
The case was brought by an Austrian tennis player, Gottfried Heinrich, after he was kicked off a plane in 2005, on his way to a tournament, for refusing to put his racquets in the luggage hold. Vienna airport security staff refused to let him board after saying tennis racquets were included on a secret EU list of items classed as a potential terrorist threat.
Sarah Ludford, a Liberal Euro-MP, who has been campaigned on the issue said: "This categorical judgment is a victory for democracy and openness, and a slap in the face of the European Commission and EU governments who thought Kafkaesque methods acceptable. The Court has now agreed with our protest that it cannot be right for 500 million EU citizens to be told to obey laws they cannot read for themselves."
Following the court case, the Commission published the list of 11 items banned from passenger aircraft cabins. It revealed sports and leisure equipment such as skateboards and lacrosse sticks were specifically banned as they were considered "blunt instruments capable of causing injury".
But there was a further kick in the teeth for Mr Heinrich, as it emerged tennis racquets did not even appear on the list and he may have been barred from flying due to an overzealous interpretation of the rules.
Nevertheless, a BAA spokesman warned passengers not attempt boarding an aircraft with racquets in hand. "Our view is that tennis racquets will clearly contravene the Department for Transport hand baggage size regulations, and therefore we'd definitely recommend to passengers that these are placed in their hold luggage. Even if they were smaller than that, it's worth noting that the regulations prohibit "sporting bats, cues and darts" from being taken aboard."
EU banned list:
baseball bats
clubs or batons
cricket bats
golf clubs
hockey sticks
lacrosse sticks
kayak and canoe paddles
skateboards
snooker cues
fishing rods
martial arts equipment
Join Date: Aug 2006
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....contravene the Department for Transport hand baggage size regulations...
Gives a whole new meaning to "Instrument Flying".
The overhead lockers were full - AND - empty seats had tubas, etc. strapped in them!
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I live in America now, so don't play snooker any more, can I take a pool cue?
TSA: Prohibited Items
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Secret list?
The prohibited items list is clearly linked on DfT website, plus airline websites with lists and links. Ryanairs list headed Blunt Instruments; any blunt instrument capable of causing injury. First item on the list "tennis rackets"
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So glad to hear that tennis racquets are banned. Feel much safer now! But what about all the other dangers we're still subjected to? On my last flight I was sitting next to a woman with high heels, a potential weapon for sure. She also had earrings that could have gouged my eyes out and a ring the size of a coffee mug. Shoes and jewelry should be banned from all flights. And what about those who don't need weapons—the black belts among us. I think all SLF should be screened for that sort of thing and the guilty should be banned from flying until they agree to amputation of a limb or two.
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Dear old Bournemouth, they refused my wife's make-up as it was in the wrong sized clear plastic bag, even though the bag had been issued at Heathrow a couple of weeks earlier.
But they did allow through some chap covered in tattoos and studs, one which was about two inches long, as sharp as you like and protruding from his lower lip...
The world's gone barmy.
(35 years on the "inside", loving being on the "outside" looking in.)
But they did allow through some chap covered in tattoos and studs, one which was about two inches long, as sharp as you like and protruding from his lower lip...
The world's gone barmy.
(35 years on the "inside", loving being on the "outside" looking in.)
I Have Control
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Hurleys
Surprised Ryanair omitted hurling sticks from their little list. Where's their sense of nationality?
(Hurleys are dangerous implements even when employed legally! Tough old sport, hurling, almost as hard as mens' lacrosse)
(Hurleys are dangerous implements even when employed legally! Tough old sport, hurling, almost as hard as mens' lacrosse)
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It's about time they banned duty-free bottles then, especially glass ones. Even plastic ones when full could be considered a blunt instrument.
But of course that would upset the shopping mall operators, so we can't have that.
But of course that would upset the shopping mall operators, so we can't have that.
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A Bic Pen planted firmly in the eye socket should do the trick. Then of course we would be doing the tech logs with crayons.
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hockey sticks
lacrosse sticks
kayak and canoe paddles
lacrosse sticks
kayak and canoe paddles
How's a guy suppose to get to his Hockey or Lacrosse game without his Canoe paddle?
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New Marketing Strategy, you heard it here first.
Right after 9/11, being CP on one of the not so major carriers, I was asked into one of those stupid 'task force management sessions' with all the pencil pushers and mucky-mucks for a 'run-thru' on 'what else we haven't thought of....'
BicPens were mentioned. After several hours of cow dung blurbs, I got the floor and said how we were approaching the problem from the wrong direction.
I said that we should be the first "All Armed Airline". Every passenger will be issued a 10" Bowie knife, Business Class would get a nickel plated one with a serrated edge, and First Class should get ones with their names engraved. The galleys would be enclosed in Lexan, with a slot to pass snacks and drinks, and the F/A's would be behind the barrier for the duration.
Since the cockpit doors had been 'strengthened' and we were now officially to ignore pleas from the F/A's (sacrificing them), we would do much better having every passenger armed. The briefing would include the instructions that the Pax 'work it out themselves' if something bad was happening.
Kinda like the old joke about the two guys who are camping and a huge bear comes into camp and is going to eat them, one camper stops to put his running shoes on, and says 'All I have to be is faster than you....' to his mate.
All we wanted to do, I said, is make the bad guys go to someone else's airline.....
The room was silent for a full minute.
They never asked me back to another of those stupid meetings.
BicPens were mentioned. After several hours of cow dung blurbs, I got the floor and said how we were approaching the problem from the wrong direction.
I said that we should be the first "All Armed Airline". Every passenger will be issued a 10" Bowie knife, Business Class would get a nickel plated one with a serrated edge, and First Class should get ones with their names engraved. The galleys would be enclosed in Lexan, with a slot to pass snacks and drinks, and the F/A's would be behind the barrier for the duration.
Since the cockpit doors had been 'strengthened' and we were now officially to ignore pleas from the F/A's (sacrificing them), we would do much better having every passenger armed. The briefing would include the instructions that the Pax 'work it out themselves' if something bad was happening.
Kinda like the old joke about the two guys who are camping and a huge bear comes into camp and is going to eat them, one camper stops to put his running shoes on, and says 'All I have to be is faster than you....' to his mate.
All we wanted to do, I said, is make the bad guys go to someone else's airline.....
The room was silent for a full minute.
They never asked me back to another of those stupid meetings.
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Your are all missing the "point". There is a simple answer to this problem, everyone flying has be in their birthday suit. No carry on items ergo no need for a security check as all can be seen at check in. I bet there would be no trouble on the flights.
Some airport security staff and airlines won't let skydiving parachutes on as hand luggage because the 'strings' could be used to strangle people. Luckily for me last time I travelled with my gear no one noticed that my shoes had laces and that I wore a belt otherwise these would have been put in the hold as well 