Hockey Sticks Among Carry-On Items TSA Has Cleared For Planes 276
coondoggie writes "As of April 25th the Transportation Security Administration will let a bunch of previously prohibited items such as small pocket knives and what it calls 'novelty' or toy bats to be taken on aircraft as carry-ons. The idea the agency said was to let Transportation Security Officers better focus their efforts on spotting higher-threat items such as explosives and guns."
Why not actually secure airports? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Let me get this straight (Score:4, Interesting)
I still remember them making me put an empty clear plastic bottle through the x-ray machine. I love having a water bottle, and my solution is to finish it and then go through the line with it and refill on the other side and not have to pay 2-3$ for a drink on the other side. I was in line, had it in my hand and din't think about it and the lady stopped me at the medal detector and told me i had to put it through the x-ray. Again, they made me x-ray an empty, clear plastic bottle. I was just a bit perplexed.
Rocket launchers okay'd but toothpaste banned (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:about time (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh please, it will be "about time" when they scrap the TSA or replace with it something much smaller, leaner, less expensive, and more effective at what it's supposed to do.
This amounts to little more than a PR move, throwing a few scraps to the plebs to make us somehow feel like 'common sense is breaking out', and it's pathetic that our standards are so low now, that we actually respond like dogs with tails wagging at this incredibly negligibly small change in the grand scheme of the TSA's operations. Will this in any significant way change the fact that they will continue to suck $8 billion a year of taxpayer money to violate the 4th amendment rights and dignity of American travellers? No? Then what is the "about time" that you refer to?
Re:The ban on knives was cosmetic at best (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm not sure where the comment about the UK and knives came from, or the relevance of being an American male. Your military training might help (assuming you were trained for the situation) but it's not neccessary. In Glasgow, Scotland (UK) an attempted truck-bombing of an airport ended with a baggage handler and other members of the public confronting the terrorists and kicking the crap out of them (to be fair, they were on fire at the time).
As you say, the game has changed. I don't think terrorists have a hope in hell anywhere in the Western world anymore. If I saw someone pull a knife, gun, bomb-vest in a crowded area I'd run right at them. And that's from a yellow-bellied, knife-fearing subject of her Hajesty.
Re:about time (Score:5, Interesting)
You're on the right track.
Just disband the whole frigging Homeland Security. Put Customs back as a separate and distinct agency, ditto with Border Patrol. Screw the whole Homeland Security thing. It was bullshit when they thought it up, it's bullshit today. Janet Napolitano spends less time worrying about security, than about how to stop "piracy" and increasing corporate profits. She has her TSA agents stopping traffic on Interstate 40, in Tennessee, and shaking them down. Anyone with a thousand dollars cash is a "suspect". Anyone with an expensive car is a "suspect". Anyone who doesn't kiss the TSA agent's ass is a "suspect". I guess this an alternative for TSA agents who don't prefer fondling little children and old ladies in airports.
Disband Homeland Security, send Napolitano packing, and we can save the fifty million dollars she just wasted on uniforms.
Odd that most cops have to purchase their own uniforms, but TSA has a contract to buy uniforms for their degenerate agents.
Re:where do you store it? (Score:2, Interesting)
It would get checked at the gate, just like any other large item. So it still wouldn't be brought onboard a plane. All this is is an attempt to deflect some of the criticism of the TSA as security theater
Perhaps, BUT consider this. If they do allow items such as "small pocket knives" etc. I think this is just a prelude to another (likely staged) "incident" that they will parade throughout the media proclaiming "See, we are needed. See, there is danger. See, you need to increase our budget and take more citizen rights away. Do it. Do it NOW!"
You know you want to.
Re:Let me get this straight (Score:2, Interesting)
Matches are allowed, Lighters are not.
From my time in the Army.:
On the charter plane my unit was taking all of us had our issued weapons. M4, M249, 240B, etc. They took our lighters away from us because it was against federal flight regulations.