Knives on Planes…Oh My!
Well it seems that TSA’s new policy to allow pocket knives is actually getting a lot of backlash so I will give credit where credit is due.
First, I think repealing the liquid ban or eliminating the backscatter/millimeter wave would be my top changes, but this is at least a step forward.
In the South, it seems when I go to the mall, to a restaurant, out in public most places except for the airport I see plenty of men with a knife clipped to their pocket. They come in handy when a piece of rope needs to be cut or I want a tag off a new piece of clothing, but otherwise these knives never see the light of day. They don’t pull them out and wave them around. They don’t cut into random places or slash tires. The people who wear a knife like a belt or hat seem to think of it as a functional utility…like how I always have pens in my purse.
So, I have no problem sitting next to someone with a pocket knife. I may ask to borrow it if I buy new headphones and forget to get them opened at the kiosk again.
For full details check here:TSA update to prohibited item list
…now let me bring my full-sized tooth paste!
Definitely a step forward. Since you mentioned backscatter machines,I thought I would mention Congress has given the TSA has until June to remove all of the backscatter “nude” scanners from airports! They will be replaced with millimeter wave scanners which do not show the naked images! Two moves in the right direction in one year!!!!!!
And to their credit, the MMW machines with the ATD (which is most of the machines I’ve seen recently) appear to resolve many of the privacy issues such as the remote viewing room and the gumby image is visible to the person so they can see where they alerted as well.
I carried a pocket knife in my work pants for years. I don’t know how many times I used that knife to splice wires to fix something. My father taught all of his kids (4 girls and 1 son) to do electrical work and maintance on our vehicle.
Now that I’m retired my pocket knife stays in its sheath on my desk here at home. I also have one in the glove box of my car. Never know when you are going to need a knife.
One place I always take my pocket knife is Christmas eve with the family. My sisters, Mom and SIL use so much tape that you need a knife to open the presents!