20 March 2013
TSA: TSA’s new knife rules are more harm than help.
By Amy Wang, Staff Writer
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), knives are no longer a threat to our safety. New rules now allow knives with “blades that are 2.36 inches or shorter and less than a half inch […] in airline cabins as the blade is not fixed or does not lock into place.” Razor blades and box cutters are still not allowed.
Part of the TSA’s argument is that the focus should be on more serious issues, such as bomb threats. Is that 3.5 ounces of shampoo you have in your carry-on? The TSA will not allow it—the limit is 3.4 ounces! But is that a knife in your pocket? That is fine, the TSA will allow you to pass right through, no questions asked. Passengers may also carry a maximum of two sports equipment sticks, such as hockey sticks or golf clubs, aboard in carry-on luggage. This means that if you want to lug around two heavy, inconvenient clubs on board, the TSA is fine with that. The toothpaste, however, still has to go.
Also included in the TSA’s justification for allowing knives is the improved safety of planes, particularly the new reinforced cockpit doors. This bolsters the protection of the pilot and co-pilot; however, improved plane safety does not mean knives cannot be used against passengers and staff.
“We believe that bringing countless knives on board increases risk […] Safety and security does not stop at the flight deck door. It’s not just about the ability to take down an airplane or use the airplane as a weapon of mass destruction as happened on 9-11. It’s about the ability to protect the entire airplane including the aircraft cabin and all the passengers on board,” Veda Shook, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said.
Much of the protest against the new knife rules also stems from the 9/11 attacks. Ever since terrorists used small knives to kill the attendants and pilots in the 9/11 attacks, small knives have been banned. After seeing the tragedy small knives could create, this new rule should not even be considered.
Those affected by this rule everyday—flight attendants and pilots—protest the new change. Delta Airlines also took a stand against TSA’s decision. Even a union of TSA screeners object to the new rules.
Despite the outcry over the TSA’s decision from travelers and officials, TSA is standing by their new policy, which is set to take effect starting 25 April 2013. However, local and state laws that prevent knives on planes can overrule the TSA’s knife regulations.
When it comes to airplanes, a threat is a threat. Regardless of what form it comes in—from the biggest of bombs to the smallest of knives—it is still a danger to passengers and staff alike.