TSA to allow small knives, bats, clubs on planes

Member Center

Share This Video

URL

Embed

Iframe

+ SHARE

Views:

News Articles

Posted 9:54 PM 3/5/2013 : New carry-on baggage rules

TUCSON - Have an upcoming flight? new rules are coming for carry-on bags.

Passengers will be allowed to carry small knives, and a variety of sporting equipment.

While the ban on water bottles through security still stands, pocket knives will be allowed on carry-ons starting next month. That's not sitting well with everyone.

Here's the breakdown, passengers will be allowed to carry on knives with folding blades that are no longer that about two-and-a-half inches or six centimeters. The blade is not allowed to be wider than half an inch.

Knives that are fixed, or lock into place are still banned. So are box cutters and razor blades.

Another change will allow passengers to carry on hockey or lacrosse sticks, pool cubes, ski poles, and up to two golf clubs.

The feds say the goal is to eliminate more serious threats saying "this is part of an overall Risk-Based Security approach, which allows Transportation Security Officers to better focus their efforts on finding higher threat items such as explosives."

The move has drawn criticism from unions, representing flight attendants who say the items can be dangerous to airline workers and passengers.

Folks traveling through Tucson International Airport have mixed feelings.

"I think it's good, I think they went too far when they started taking cork screws that had a little quarter inch knife," said a woman traveling to Albuquerque.

"So will this make your travels easier?" asks News 4 Tucson's Rebecca Taylor.

"Certainly will with walking sticks, I used to have to smooth them down in my suitcase," said the woman.

Another passenger says, "I don't have a problem with it, it's not that big of a blade, I don't think you're going to do that much damage with it anyway. So I think as long as there's a Marshall on board we should be safe."

"I think it's crazy myself. If you eliminated them in the first place, because you thought they were harmful, or potentially harmful why on earth would you allow them to come back on the aircraft? Are they any less dangerous? I don't think so," said a Tucson passenger.

The news rules take effect April 25th.