TSA Abandoning Carry On Items Considered by Others to be a Threat

• By Ginger Hill
• Jun 06, 2013

Well, looks like in a matter of about 3 months we’ve gone from the TSA allowing passengers to carry small knives, souvenir bats, golf clubs and other sports equipment on planes to the TSA postponing the rule to the TSA actually abandoning the whole plan altogether.

Of course, the agency faced fierce opposition and criticism from airlines, unions and Congress, so they have decided that it would be better to focus on other priorities, such as identifying travelers who do not pose a security risk, even though this change would have aligned the U.S. with most of the other countries’ rules for flights.

Aviation safety experts confirmed that the objects presented little threat to the reinforced cockpit doors in airplanes. While this is probably true, and I’m happy that the pilots would be safe, as a passenger (or an airline attendant, for that matter) I don’t want to have to worry about somebody stabbing me with a knife, hitting me with a souvenir baseball bat or worry about getting attacked with a golf club. Guess I don't have that to worry about now.

"TSA strongly values the input of our partners and traveling public, and appreciates the varying points of view shared throughout the review process," the agency said in its public statement.

So, with the small knives and sports equipment dilemma solved, TSA is now focusing on detecting bombs, specifically non-metallic improvised explosive devices, IEDs.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/travel/tsa-knives/