water on plane = bad, knives on plane = good

Banjo String · 06-03-2013 10:27AM #1

From the 25th of April, knives will once again be allowed to be carried by passengers on planes in the U.S.

No mention though of water/liquid in an already opened container though.

Among items to be re-allowed back on an aircraft include:

billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks?

Honestly? Who thinks these things up?

The US Transportation Security Administration has said that travellers will soon be allowed to bring small pocket knives on board airplanes.

They have been banned since the 11 September 2001 attacks.

The decision angered flight attendants, who said the decision would endanger passengers and crew.

The TSA said that effective 25 April, it would allow knives with blades that are 6cm or less in length and less than 1.25cm wide.

Other items that will be allowed on board again as part of a passenger's carry-on luggage include billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks.

Items such as razors, box cutters or knives with a fixed blade are still not allowed on board.

TSA spokesman David Castelveter said the decision was made to bring US regulations more in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.

He said they would also help provide a better experience for travellers.

"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," he said.

Now, I'm not a flight attendant, granted, but if I was, I'd certainly feel a lot safer staring at at a suspicious looking individual holding a bottle of ballygowan water, than someone with a 6 cm knife/hockey stick, or a poll cue in their hands.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0306/374367-us-knives-airplanes/

hardCopy · 06-03-2013 10:30AM

You can still bring 10 x 100ml bottles of water. These can still be combined to make a litre of explosive water.

What I can never understand is, if they think there is a risk of my drink exploding, why is it rendered safe by dropping it in a wheelie bin in the departures hall? Why don't they have controlled explosions for all the bottles of Head and Shoulders like they do for abandoned luggage? Because it's all for show.

FatherLen · 06-03-2013 10:31AM

well to be fair, just because it's a clear liquid in a water bottle doesn't mean it's water but to be able to bring a knife on board is ridiculous.

ColeTrain · 06-03-2013 10:33AM

How else would you open your packet of complimentary peanuts?

FatherLen · 06-03-2013 10:35AM

ColeTrain wrote: »

How else would you open your packet of complimentary peanuts?

did i not hear they're gone too?

syklops · 06-03-2013 10:37AM

hardCopy wrote: »

You can still bring 10 x 100ml bottles of water. These can still be combined to make a litre of explosive water.

What I can never understand is, if they think there is a risk of my drink exploding, why is it rendered safe by dropping it in a wheelie bin in the departures hall? Why don't they have controlled explosions for all the bottles of Head and Shoulders like they do for abandoned luggage? Because it's all for show.

Did you ever see Die Hard with a Vengeance? The explosive they are trying to prevent getting on board is a binary liquid. On its own its harmless, dropping it into a wheelie bin can't hurt it. Its when you combine 500mls of that with 500mls of its reactive agent that a wing or tail might fall off.

seamus · 06-03-2013 10:38AM

I've always been tempted to blow this liquid regulation out of the water (pun intended) by showing how you could make a bomb in mid-air with some kind of powdered chemical, a tupperware and a regulation litre of water.

Of course then I'd be banned from most international flights...

ColeTrain · 06-03-2013 10:38AM

FatherLen wrote: »

did i not hear they're gone too?

WHAT??

Banjo String · 06-03-2013 10:40AM

seamus wrote: »

I've always been tempted to blow this liquid regulation out of the water (pun intended) by showing how you could make a bomb in mid-air with some kind of powdered chemical, a tupperware and a regulation litre of water.

Of course then I'd be banned from most international flights...

Tupperware party in my gaff tomorrow night btw

Pm sent.

FatherLen · 06-03-2013 10:45AM

ColeTrain wrote: »

WHAT??

something about allergens in the air constantly being cycled around the cabin BUT it may have been a dream.

fishy fishy · 06-03-2013 10:46AM

how on earth would carrying knives on board prove to be a better experiences for travelers -

and then this :rolleyes::rolleyes:

ColeTrain · 06-03-2013 10:51AM

FatherLen wrote: »

something about allergens in the air constantly being cycled around the cabin BUT it may have been a dream.

Come to think of it, the last few flights I've been on, I didn't get my nuts. You might be right.

Banjo String · 06-03-2013 10:53AM

fishy fishy wrote: »

how on earth would carrying knives on board prove to be a better experiences for travelers -

and then this :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Mick Dundee is reported to be ecstatic about the news.

humbert · 06-03-2013 10:54AM

fishy fishy wrote: »

how on earth would carrying knives on board prove to be a better experiences for travelers -

and then this :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I find a bit of whittling helps to silence the voices.

Dravokivich · 06-03-2013 10:56AM

seamus wrote: »

I've always been tempted to blow this liquid regulation out of the water (pun intended) by showing how you could make a bomb in mid-air with some kind of powdered chemical, a tupperware and a regulation litre of water.

Of course then I'd be banned from most international flights...

Your surname isn't MacGyver by any chance is it?

BizzyC · 06-03-2013 10:57AM

Liquid = possible explosive capable of bringing down plane
Knife = sharp object capable of killing, but not capable of taking down plane

I agree though, it's ridiculous when you take into account that they're not actually stopping you from bringing in explosive materials, as long as they're individually 100ml or less....

Also, what happens is someone decides to make a molotov cocktail out of duty free vodka, a sock and a lighter?

osarusan · 06-03-2013 10:58AM

I remember going through Narita airport in Tokyo, with both a disposable razor in my carry-on and a glass bottle of sake in my check-in luggage. Security made me throw away the disposable razor (ok, I guess it is possible to hurt somebody with it), then advised me to move the sake to my carry on to ensure it wouldn't break.

Which would a cabin attendant/pilot rather see in the hand of a crazy man/terrorist - a 2.5cm strip of flimsy but sharp metal or the 3-4mm thick jagged edge of a broken bottle?

hardCopy · 06-03-2013 11:04AM

syklops wrote: »

Did you ever see Die Hard with a Vengeance? The explosive they are trying to prevent getting on board is a binary liquid. On its own its harmless, dropping it into a wheelie bin can't hurt it. Its when you combine 500mls of that with 500mls of its reactive agent that a wing or tail might fall off.

I know that's their logic, but it's complete bollix.

So as long as they dump the red liquid in one bin and the clear liquid in another bin, we're grand.

How is it any less dangerous to allow 5 guys bring 4 x 100mls each onto the plane and make up a big batch in the bathroom sink?

All of these measures are tokenism so that people 'feel' safer on a plane. There are plenty of other things on a plane sharp enough to replace a box-cutter without allowing knives.

Jet Black · 06-03-2013 11:06AM

I thought the EU has set the date of April 2013 for the liquid ban to be lifted?

/edit
From here. Bottom of the page.

Are there plans to revise the law in this area?

Yes. The EU has announced a clear deadline of April 2013 for the lifting of restrictions on liquids in cabin baggage. By this date, all EU airports must have new screening equipment so that screened liquids can be allowed in carry-on luggage.

In the meantime, from 29th April 2011, at the latest, duty free liquids purchased at third country airports or on board third country airlines and carried in tamper evident bags will be allowed as cabin baggage and will be screened.

syklops · 06-03-2013 11:14AM

hardCopy wrote: »

I know that's their logic, but it's complete bollix.

So as long as they dump the red liquid in one bin and the clear liquid in another bin, we're grand.

How is it any less dangerous to allow 5 guys bring 4 x 100mls each onto the plane and make up a big batch in the bathroom sink?

All of these measures are tokenism so that people 'feel' safer on a plane. There are plenty of other things on a plane sharp enough to replace a box-cutter without allowing knives.

Bruce Schneir calls it "Security Theatre".

humbert · 06-03-2013 11:17AM

Throwing liquids in the bin is safe because there has yet to be a terrorist plot to blow up an airport bin. If all liquids go into the bin the terrorists wont take that approach.

longhalloween · 06-03-2013 11:20AM

You could always bring knives on planes provided it was less than 6cm. I was told this as part of a security day in Dublin Airport.

Only America banned all knives, and are now returning to international standards.

stevenmu · 06-03-2013 11:29AM

ColeTrain wrote: »

How else would you open your packet of complimentary peanuts?

That's why you're still allowed bring small containers of liquid, so you can have enough explosive water to blast open the peanuts without damaging the plane.

delta36 · 06-03-2013 01:38PM

So knife is ok, but razor blades aren't? Don't quite get that.

ColeTrain · 06-03-2013 01:41PM

stevenmu wrote: »

That's why you're still allowed bring small containers of liquid, so you can have enough explosive water to blast open the peanuts without damaging the plane.

Makes perfect sense.

Where To · 06-03-2013 01:42PM

I take my big offensive weapon onto a plane all the time.

Ihatecuddles-old · 06-03-2013 01:42PM

stevenmu wrote: »

That's why you're still allowed bring small containers of liquid, so you can have enough explosive water to blast open the peanuts without damaging the plane.

I think they give you pretzels now...they are nice.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 06-03-2013 01:45PM

humbert wrote: »

Throwing liquids in the bin is safe because there has yet to be a terrorist plot to blow up an airport bin. If all liquids go into the bin the terrorists wont take that approach.

I could be wrong, but I think there was an outbreak of Islamis terrorism in Paris in the 90s where they detonated bombs in bins. Not sure if it was at an airport though (although at CDG, no one would notice - that airport is chaotic enough at the best of times).

D1stant · 06-03-2013 01:48PM

fishy fishy wrote: »

how on earth would carrying knives on board prove to be a better experiences for travelers -

Exactly. It's far more important that we solve the housing and rights issues of our ethnic minorities before we tackle the utensil debate

Pilotdude5 · 06-03-2013 01:50PM

My carry-on bag tested positive for explosive materials last year in Manchester. They asked me if I had packed it myself which I replied in the affirmative.

They just let me get on anyway.

Lapin · 06-03-2013 01:53PM

hardCopy wrote: »

What I can never understand is, if they think there is a risk of my drink exploding, why is it rendered safe by dropping it in a wheelie bin in the departures hall? Why don't they have controlled explosions for all the bottles of Head and Shoulders like they do for abandoned luggage? Because it's all for show.

I think its an organised measure by the airports to get people to buy their Head & Shoulders, bottled water etc in the airport shops once you pass security.

water on plane = bad, knives on plane = good

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