Transportation Safety Administration bans plastic knives, pointy sticks from flights
Washington, DC - Department of Homeland Security head Tom Ridge announced today new banned items that will not be allowed on domestic or international flights to the US. American populace to put up with new hassles, grudgingly.Starting May 1st, no commercial air travel passenger in the U.S. will be
allowed to possess any of the below banned items, either on their person or
in the carry-on luggage (in addition to restrictions already in place,
such as box-cutters and metal knives):
- Plastic knives and forks of all sizes. Plastic spoons under 5 inches
will still be allowed for passengers 13 years of age and older. - Pointed sticks - any wooden, plastic, or other rigid cylindrical
"stick" more than two inches long without a soft rubber tip at both ends.
Sharpened pencils and ballpoint pens fall into this category, and will not be
allowed on flights. Crayons remain OK for in-flight usage. - Velcro straps exceeding six inches in length.
- Canned food items over 8 ounces. Larger cans could be used by
terrorists as blunt objects to beat people unconscious. - Metal-frame sunglasses. Metal framed prescription eyeglasses will be
allowed if wearer passes a TSA-approved eye chart test.
"These restrictions are necessary to ensure the safety of Americans on
planes and on the ground," Tom Blank, assistant administrator for
transportation security policy, testified before the U.S. Congress. "Without measures
in place to prevent these banned items from making their way onto our
country's airliners, there is no way to reliably protect our national
interests."
While many Americans feel that our civil liberties and personal freedoms
are being gradually eroded by such restrictions, the Bush Administration is
seeking to assure them that this is in fact not the case. Bush's top aides
confirmed for Byzantine Communications News correspondents that the
President will soon participate in a town-hall meeting to explain how safety and
liberty are both preserved by his administration during the War on Terror.
