# TSA to allow passengers to carry small knives on planes



## amtrakwolverine (Mar 5, 2013)

> For the first time since the 9/11 terror attacks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will allow small knives and some previously prohibited sports equipment onto airplanes as carry-on items.


http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/tsa-allow-passengers-carry-small-knives-planes-1C8700194


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## AmtrakBlue (Mar 5, 2013)

But wasn't it small knives (box cutters) that gave us TSA in the first place?


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## fairviewroad (Mar 5, 2013)

AmtrakBlue said:


> But wasn't it small knives (box cutters) that gave us TSA in the first place?


No, it was the government that "gave us" the TSA.

But regarding box cutters, the article does specifically state that box cutters will still be prohibited.

This article does a better job at visually demonstrating what will still be prohibited, and what will now be allowed:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2013/03/05/tsa-knives/1964941/


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## Shortline (Mar 5, 2013)

Ok. Not that they were great at finding them anyway. On a flight a while back, I was going through my carry on/computer bag looking for fresh batteries for my noise canceling headset at 32,000 feet, and realized I had been carrying a medium sized Leatherman multi-tool with a 3 inch blade for months, and had transited at least 8-10 checkpoints at airports around the country. Guess they figured its better to allow em than get caught not catching them! Flight attendants might not like it, but I don't see an issue, the days of a plane being taken with a knife are over. Before, the game was to just comply, and wait during a plane takeover. They changed that in 2001, much fewer sheep now.


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## afigg (Mar 5, 2013)

Shortline said:


> Ok. Not that they were great at finding them anyway. On a flight a while back, I was going through my carry on/computer bag looking for fresh batteries for my noise canceling headset at 32,000 feet, and realized I had been carrying a medium sized Leatherman multi-tool with a 3 inch blade for months, and had transited at least 8-10 checkpoints at airports around the country. Guess they figured its better to allow em than get caught not catching them! Flight attendants might not like it, but I don't see an issue, the days of a plane being taken with a knife are over. Before, the game was to just comply, and wait during a plane takeover. They changed that in 2001, much fewer sheep now.


I once had to dump at the TSA checkpoint a small swiss army style pocketknife that I had forgotten was in a side pocket of an equipment kit I had with me. Pretty irritating to have to get rid of it, because I was not about to get out of the line, mail it to myself, and then go back through the whole TSA process again.

The TSA should have made this rule change 6 or 8 years ago, but there would have been some in the media and political circles who would have jumped up and down, claiming that a terrorist with a 2" blade might take down a plane.  The limit is a 2.36" blade which still rules out medium sized swiss army knives and multi-tool. Well, at least there is a sign of a small amount of sanity or normality being restored to the air travel system. Maybe in another 8 years, they can allow 3" long knives and 8 oz bottles...


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## Texan Eagle (Mar 5, 2013)

What about shampoo and toothpaste above a certain size? I guess those are still significant security risk, more than small knives, right?


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## JayPea (Mar 5, 2013)

According to Kevin' s link, among the sporting equipment now allowed are billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, and two golf clubs. It's such a relief to know that those items are allowed as carry- ons that now I'll have to take up billiards, skiing, hockey, lacrosse, and golf. :lol:


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## KrazyKoala (Mar 5, 2013)

a 2.36x1 in knife is way bigger than a box cutter. If someone wanted to do something, I'm sure they would know to get it nice and sharp so it stabs like a box cutter.

Also, are there really large amounts of people bringing knifes to the airport still where it's distracting TSA from their jobs? One would think someone would have gotten the memo by now not to do that.


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## The Davy Crockett (Mar 5, 2013)

When one usually carries a knife with them it can be easy to forget one still has it in their pocket, especially under certain circumstances I know somebody  who was going to a funeral of a family member and therefore was distracted by one or two other things. They forgot they had their pocket knife on them, so they tossed it into their backpack along with their keys, change etc. It went through without any problems.


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## KrazyKoala (Mar 5, 2013)

Kinda interesting, I went through with non-mechanical corkscrew and about 20 cat black pieces of fireworks and didn't notice until 3 days later that the things were in my bag.


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## SarahZ (Mar 5, 2013)

Texan Eagle said:


> What about shampoo and toothpaste above a certain size? I guess those are still significant security risk, more than small knives, right?


Exactly. Because heaven knows I can't take those three tiny bottles of Pantene in my Ziploc bag and combine them into one, larger (water) bottle while on the plane.


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## Ryan (Mar 5, 2013)

You seek logic where there is none.


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## SarahZ (Mar 5, 2013)

It's not my fault the TSA has never seen "Voltron".


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## amtrakwolverine (Mar 6, 2013)

the thing was on 9/11 they got access to the cockpit and killed the pilots. today the cockpit is bullet proof and some pilots carry guns now right? also don't they have undercover securty onboard that is armed?


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## KrazyKoala (Mar 6, 2013)

Ive never heard of pilots carrying guns. That sounds a little foolish.


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## Ryan (Mar 6, 2013)

Google "Federal Flight Deck Officer".

Nothing discourages using violence to get access to the flight deck like the knowledge that you're likely to get shot in the face as soon as the door opens.


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## leemell (Mar 6, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> Ive never heard of pilots carrying guns. That sounds a little foolish.


The FFDO program is 10 years old. The actual number of FFDOs is classified, but the estimate is that there one in ten commercial pilots are certified and since there are about 325,000 commercial pilots that would be about 32,000 pilots. Another estimate says that one is five flights has an armed crew member. Still another says that there are five times as many armed pilots as Federal Air Marshals and that agency is the fourth largest law enforcement organization in the country. Anyway you cut it, there are a lot.


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## KrazyKoala (Mar 6, 2013)

Very interesting. I had fun last night reading it on Wikipedia.


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