knives

“Your Flight Has Been Canceled”

Guns, , , ,

Winter weather and pandemic-related staffing issues are creating a nightmare for travelers.

Thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed – or delayed and then canceled – over the holiday weekend and now into this week.

On Tuesday, more than 1,000 flights across the country were canceled, while thousands more experienced delays. When we checked late Tuesday evening, FlightAware was already showing more than 650 flight cancelations for Wednesday and it’s a good bet that more will be canceled overnight.

We hope you are not caught up in the mess.

“Artfully Concealed” Knives

TSA has some alarming images and statistics about ‘artfully concealed’ and not-so-artfully concealed weapons that people try to bring through airport checkpoints.

Incredibly alarming are the knives discovered on Monday sewn inside a kid’s stuffed animal at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

“The stuffed animal, which appeared to be a black bear in a space-age technology suit and cape, triggered an alarm as it entered the checkpoint X-ray machine,” TSA said in a statement. “The X-ray image indicated something concealed inside the bear and upon closer inspection, TSA officers noticed that the back of the bear showed signs it had been re-stitched.”

When the stitching was removed, two knives were found inside the bear’s stuffing.

The mother of the boy carrying the toy told officials that the bear is a comfort toy for her son. But TSA says the mom will likely face a Federal civil penalty for this violation.

Meanwhile, right before the Christmas holiday, TSA shared that so far this year its officers have found more than 5,700 firearms at security checkpoints. That is a 20-year record.

TSA will delay allowing knives & more back on planes

Security, , ,

Thursday, April 25, was the TSA’s target date for allowing knives and some sports equipment, such as hockey sticks, back on airplanes as carry-on items.

But today the TSA announced that it will hold off on that decision for an undetermined amount of time.

Here’s their statement:

“In order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), which includes representatives from the aviation community, passenger advocates, law enforcement experts, and other stakeholders, TSA will temporarily delay implementation of changes to the Prohibited Items List, originally scheduled to go into effect April 25. This timing will enable TSA to incorporate the ASAC’s feedback about the changes to the Prohibited Items List and continue workforce training.”

TSA sticking to its guns about knives

Security, , ,

TSA DISPLAY

 

On Thursday, Transportation Security Administration Chief John Pistole went before lawmakers on Thursday and re-confirmed the agency’s decision to allow some knives and other items on airplanes for the first time since they were banned following the 9/11 terror attacks.

“I think the decision is solid and it stands and we plan to move forward,” Pistole testified before the House Homeland Security Committee, The Associated Press reported. It’s unlikely in these days of hardened cockpit doors and other preventative measures that the small folding knives could be used by terrorists to take over a plane, Pistole said.

On March 5, TSA announced that some knives under two and a half inches and some previously banned sports equipment, including hockey sticks, will be allowed back on airplanes.

TSA says the change to the prohibited items list is “part of an overall risk-based security approach” allowing employees to better focus on “finding higher threat items such as explosives.”

But groups representing airline industry workers, including many flight attendants, pilots, TSA officers and federal air marshals, have come out against what they characterizes as a dangerous and “ill-advised” move.

This will “put law enforcement officers and the flying public at greater risk,” said Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

Several members of the House committee share those concerns and urged Pistole to reconsider his position, AP reported.

The Teamsters, as well as the United Steelworkers and some passengers rights groups have also stated their opposition to the new TSA rules and executives at American Airlines, US Airways and Delta Air Lines have written letters directly to the TSA chief.

“We object to the agency decision to allow small knives back in the airplane cabin,” Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer, wrote in a letter dated March 8th. In a letter dated March 12, American Airlines senior vice president William Ris encouraged TSA “to reassess its proposed revisions to the prohibited items list.”

Southwest Airlines “is engaged with TSA in discussions,” said spokesman Chris Mainz. United has also expressed concerns to the TSA about the policy, but on Thursday a spokesperson declined to offer specifics.

The airline trade group Airlines for America was originally in support of TSA’s approach to “combining its vast experience with billions of passenger screenings with thorough risk-based assessments,” but it has softened its stance.

“We believe additional discussion is warranted before items that have been banned for more than 11 years are allowed back on aircraft,” said A4A spokeswoman Katie Connell.

A petition asking the White House to stop the TSA changes now has over 30,000 signatures. Earlier this week, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation with Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) aimed at blocking the changes as well.

(My story about pushback to the TSA plan to allow knives back on airplanes first appeared on NBC NEWS.com)

More on TSA’s move to allow small knives, sports sticks on airplanes

Safety, Security, , , ,

TSA_Permitted Items one

Not everyone is happy about the TSA’s decision to take small knives and sports equipment – including golf clubs (2 per person), pool cues, lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks, ski poles – and small novelty/souvenir bats off the list of items that passengers are prohibited to take on planes as part of their allowable carry-on items.

The new rules go into effect on April 25, but many flight attendants and their unions aren’t happy. The Flight Attendants Union Coalition released a statement blasting the TSA’s decision. and Ian Funderburg, who identifies himself as a flight attendant, has started an on-line petition asking the President of the United States to reverse the TSA’s Decision.

A TSA spokesperson told me on Wednesday that the agency worked closely with airlines on this latest revision of the prohibited items list and that airlines were comfortable with the action.

I was also reminded that while the TSA has said it’s OK for hockey sticks and other sports equipment to go through the security checkpoint and taken onto planes, that doesn’t mean that an airline must allow that stick or that equipment onto the plane. If an item is deemed too big for the overhead bin, or if the item exceeds the number of carry-on items a passengers is allowed, an airline still has the right to ask a passenger to check an item that will not fit an overhead bin.

And if passengers are asked to check – and pay baggage fees for – sports equipment that TSA says is allowable past the security checkpoint, you can bet there are going to be dust ups and debate.

I had the pleasure of talking about this topic on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered on Wednesday evening. You can hear that four minute story here.

 

 

 

TSA: OK to fly with small knives, golf clubs, other items.

Air Travel, Security, , , , ,

Zurich chocolate knife

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.

TSA_Permitted Items one

According to the TSA, passengers will be able to carry-on knives that are less than 2.36 inches long and less than one-half inch wide. Larger knives, and those with locking blades, will continue to be prohibited, as will razor blades and box cutters, guns, firearms, and the dozens of other things listed on the published list of prohibited items.

TSA_NOT Permitted KNIVES

TSA will also soon permit sports equipment such as billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks up to two golf clubs to be carried onto airplanes. Souvenir, novelty and toy baseball bats — such as wiffle-ball bats — will also be allowed.

The relaxed rules take effect April 25.

TSA_Sports items Permitted

TSA_BATS Permitted

TSA said the new regulations will allow its officers to better focus efforts on finding “higher threat items such as explosives,” and was made as part of the agency’s overall risk-based security approach.

But the Flight Attendants Union Coalition issued a statement saying they are unhappy with this move, calling it a “poor and shortsighted decision” by the TSA.

“As the last line of defense in the cabin and key aviation partners, we believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all Flight Attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure,” the statement said.

TSA believes the items it will now allow in airline cabins are “unlikely to result in catastrophic destruction of an aircraft,” and that policies already put in place — hardened cockpit doors, federal air marshals, crewmembers with self-defense training — reduce the likelihood of passengers breaching the cockpit.

“All TSA is doing is catching up with the rest of the world,” said Douglas R. Laird, president of aviation consulting firm Laird & Associates and former head of security for Northwest Airlines. After 9/11 the TSA “overreacted,” said Laird, and put restrictions in place “in the heat of the moment” that exceeded those in other countries.

Removing small knives and some sports equipment from the list prohibited items “will help align TSA’s list with international standards and help decrease the time spent rescreening or searching bags for these once prohibited items,” said TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez. The changes also enable officers to focus on “the greatest threats … which increase security for passengers and improves efficiency, improving the checkpoint screening experience.”

(Images courtesy TSA)

(A slightly different version of my story about the TSA’s decision to take small knives and sports equipment off the prohibited items list is on NBC News.com.)

TSA finds are frightening

Airports, , ,

I’m just now getting around to taking a good look at the TSA Week in Review from last week

Inert hand grenades, inert training detonators, knives hidden inside the lining of someone’s carry-on… it’s all getting to be so strangely familiar. The same goes for last week’s tally of loaded (25) and unloaded (4) guns.

Still, there continue to be some surprises. Take a look at some of the items the TSA shared with me for this Weird, Wacky and Just Plain Dangerous TSA Finds slide-show on MSN.

Explosives? Yup.

Spear guns? You betcha.

Knives hidden inside hairbrushes? That too.

See the full slide-show here.

A look-see at TSA’s take at airport checkpoints

Security, , , ,

It’s bad enough that we have to sit next to strange, smelly, arm rest-hogging people on airplanes. The thought that my seatmate might have a dagger or a gun in that greasy paper bag they’ve shoved down there underneath the seat in front of them just makes it worse.

Which is probably one the reasons I scour the weekly run-down of weapons and other items the TSA finds at airport checkpoints and lists – with photos – on the TSA blog.

No, the 13 people caught last week with stun guns and the 28 folks nabbed with loaded guns in their carry-on bags may not have been card-carrying terrorists, but they’re potentially dangerous just the same.

(Photos from the TSA Blog)

TSA checkpoint finds: swords, knives, guns and one chastity belt

Guns, Security, , , , ,

Swords? Not in your carry-on.

The TSA’s Friday round-up of things found at airport security checkpoints is always mystifying, scary and entertaining.

Among the items nabbed between June 1 to June 7, 2012 were: 22 guns (18 of them loaded), swords hidden inside a guitar case and a cane, a multi-tool knife hidden in a thermos, Co2 distraction grenades and an inert detonator (whatever those are).

Among the illegal and prohibited items discovered on people during body scans: a punching weapon, strike anywhere matches, drugs, drug paraphernalia and a half full bottle of whiskey.

“And while it isn’t prohibited,” TSA’s Blogger Bob Burns wrote on the TSA Blog, “a passenger wearing a chastity belt alarmed the body scanner at one of our checkpoints. I’m sure you can imagine where an undergarment such as this might be a problem at a security checkpoint. Especially if there is no key.”

What did I tell you? Mysterious, scary and downright entertaining….

TSA finds a debrainer and guns, guns, guns

Airports, , ,

Once again, the TSA’s Friday round-up of prohibited, illegal and just plain wacky items found at airport checkpoints and in checked baggage is both entertaining and frightening.

On the list: something called a debrainer, inert shells from land mines, model rocket engines, automobile airbags marked “Explosive,” guns, stun guns, ammunition and knives.

And here’s a handy chart of ‘just’ the guns discovered in carry-on baggage at airports last week. The TSA says a lot of people “just forget” they have loaded guns in a purse or briefcase they take with them to the airport. Maybe I travel in far too innocent circles, but I find this hard to believe.

Guns, knives & grenades at the airport

Security, , , ,

Photo courtesy TSA

Each Friday on msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin, I track down an answer to a reader’s question. This week the topic was: guns, knives and grenades at the airport checkpoint.

Throwing knives found in a carry-on at BWI

Should you pack your gun, your grenade or your carving knife in a carry-on bag when you go to the airport?

Definitely not, but apparently a number of people do.

According to a recent post on the Transportation Security Administration’s blog, TSA officers have found more than 800 firearms in carry-on bags this year.

And that number doesn’t include the countless knives that still show up at airport security checkpoints daily — it’s so many that the TSA doesn’t even keep count — or the many inert grenades that passengers try to take home as souvenirs.

Last week, for example, a passenger at the Orlando International Airport showed up with three pistols — a .25-caliber, a .40-caliber semiautomatic and a .357-caliber revolver — in a bag that also contained loose ammunition and a loaded magazine. In Baltimore, the TSA recently found three throwing knives in the carry-on bag of a Mexico-bound traveler. And on Monday, TSA officers at New York’s Albany International Airport discovered a loaded gun in the purse of a woman heading to Detroit.

The two passengers with guns were arrested; the traveler with the knives was cited, and his weapons were confiscated.

It’s unlikely that passengers plan to use their weapons during flight, but it’s difficult to know for sure since people often respond to TSA questioning by saying, “I forgot that it was in my bag.”

Given how frequently illicit weapons are discovered, Overhead Bin asked TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein for advice on the proper way to fly with firearms.

Farbstein said fliers may transport  firearms, ammunition and firearm parts in their checked baggage even though those items are prohibited from carry-on baggage.

“Basically, travelers must declare all firearms, ammunition, and parts to the airline during the ticket counter check-in process,” Farbstein said. “The firearm must be unloaded and it must be in a hard-sided container [and] the container must be locked.”

You can read more about traveling on airplanes with guns, firearms, knives and other weapons on the TSA’s website, but Farbstein adds that “airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Therefore, travelers should also contact the airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.”

Or maybe, just plan to leave your weapons at home.