Leave your scissors, compasses, knitting needles & cork openers at home.

[Hippychickali]

On another thread that had nothing to do with this, a lady made the comment:

No you are mistaken about the scissors. They are allowed on planes but I was stopped by a TSA that said they weren't allowed.

She was referring to children's scissors that were plastic and blunt.

I did a little research and thought I would share what I have found to save everyone hassle at the security check points at the airport. I always thought that common sense would tell most people to leave things like scissors at home but, having stood in my share of security lines, I have noticed that this is overwhelmingly not the case.

For all those travelling by air, please be advised that according to the Canadian Transport Agency and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration,
scissors are in fact considered to be "potentially dangerous articles" and "must not be put in carry-on baggage". Other items in this category include razors, pocket knives, and letter openers. This information comes from pg. 9 of a pamphlet distributed by the CTA called Fly Smart.

The TSA has nicely put together a "Permitted and Prohibited Items List" that clearly states that this is very important "because bringing a prohibited item to a security checkpoint--even accidentally--is illegal. (p.1)

There is a chart given on p. 3 of the TSA document that says scissors are not permitted unless they have plastic or metal blunt tips. However, "In addition, the screener may also determine that an item on the permitted chart is dangerous and therefore may not be brought through the security checkpoint." (p1) So even if they are "children's scissors" they can still be taken away.

Ali

 

[safetymom]

I guess you want to continue the discussion or you are trying to be humorous again. I have flown through many many airports and never had a problem with the children's type scissors.

Everyone makes mistakes but I guess that hasn't happened to everyone.

 

[Tinkim]

It may not be that some people "just don't get it." When I flew to Orlando last year I had no problems but on the way home I forgot to pack my manicure set and at the last minute without thinking I threw it in my carry-on. So the screener asked me what was in there and I remembered I had thrown it in there. I told them they were manicure scissors and they said they would have to take them and I handed them right over so as not to hold up the people behind me. I made an honest mistake and tried my best not to inconvenience anyone else. I knew I shouldn't have had them but I goofed. It happens.

 

[Mrs. Potts]

On the way back from our Thanksgiving trip, TSA hand-searched my bag because I had mistakenly left a pair of Kid's scissors in it. The agent found them and I graciously said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I honestly didn't know they were in there. Please just keep them." She said, "Oh no, these are okay." and put them back in my bag. So who knows!

 

[DebbieB]

My mom accidentally packed pointed scissors in May and got them confiscated. The TSA agent said rounded scissors are OK. Today when we went through, they checked our boarding passes 3 times! Once at the beginning of the line with ID, then at the metal detector and again when we left the security checkpoint.

 

[Hippychickali]

Yeah....I think that that happens to everyone. My little sister ended up going through with her math set in her backpack and had her compass taken away. She just grabbed the backpack that she used for school to use as for carry-on.

I encourage you all to check out the list on those two sites. It's really quite interesting. I ended up using that info in a paper this week. (Don't ask.) The thing that struck me was that you could be charged for even taking "potentially dangerous articles" to the security line even if you didn't mean to. I'm sure that doesn't happen very often though.

Ali

 

[Hippychickali]

I guess you want to continue the discussion or you are trying to be humorous again. I have flown through many many airports and never had a problem with the children's type scissors.

Everyone makes mistakes but I guess that hasn't happened to everyone.

I don't think you made a mistake at all. I was backing you up. Honest. It clearly states that those type of scissors are fine. I wouldn't argue with the TSA's either. I'd rather just get on the plane like you did.

Ali

 

[Tabetha]

Sometimes they just mess up. My sister had tiny wooden knitting needles (not prohibited on the list) confiscated. Honestly, a ball point pen would be a more dangerous item than these weeny needles. They were going to take her yarn too, but she snatched it back from them, which I think was pretty spunky of her. But it was special yarn I'd brought her from the Netherlands...
(I just told her now that the needles should have been ok, and that the TSA lady was wrong, and she said "Oh, that lady was a cow" - she's still mad!)

Thanks for posting the links, Ali. Good info to have.

 

[robinb]

I had a wine opener in my carry-on bag last time I flew. The TSA agent was very nice while checking my bag. She also asked "Do you know what I'm looking for?". It must be a standard TSA leading question. I had no clue and then she found the wine opener. It was old and rusty and I didn't even know I had it. I told her she could keep it, but she didn't take it becuase it wasn't one with a foil cutter. Good thing, we used it on our trip!

 

[RebeccaLovesDisney]

Yeah....I think that that happens to everyone. My little sister ended up going through with her math set in her backpack and had her compass taken away. She just grabbed the backpack that she used for school to use as for carry-on.

Just curious - why would a compass be considered dangerous?

 

[robinb]

Just curious - why would a compass be considered dangerous?

My guess is because it was for making circles. The kind of compass with a pointed end on one side and a pencil on the other.

 

[clkelley]

I had the same thought about a compass??

Why would a navigational compass be dangerous, but then when someone mentioned a math set, I realized it was the kind you use for drawing circles and they do have a very sharp point!!

Carol

 

[CarolA]

Well, I thought they changed the rules on knitting needles. I have seen people knitting on my flights lately so....

(And yes, I fight with them. I have gotten tired of giving in to people who have no basis for decisions they make, so I miss the plane, worse things have happened to me!)

 

[Tabetha]

They may have changed the rules for knitting needles since my sister's incident, yeah. You should have seen these needles though. They were no longer than your finger, and maybe twice as thick as a toothpick. Just the fact that they thought my cane wielding sister could do some damage with this sock she was knitting was pretty funny. Hello? She has a CANE. If she really wanted to do some damage, don't you think she'd start by using the large stick she's carrying? Not the weeny wooden ones wrapped up in yarn?

Honestly, I love the image of her snatching the sock back from the lady, and pulling the needles out and shoving the needles back at her. "Fine! Take them, but you can't have the yarn!"

You tell 'em, sis.