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Well, it looks as if our mighty TSA will once again begin to allow passengers to carry with them, small pocket knives, golf clubs and hockey sticks aboard aircraft. The decision comes 11 years after the reason they were banned in the first place, 9/11. Since then, people traveling through airports conformed to the new rules set in place by the TSA with little to no resistance or complaining. We didn’t care; we just didn’t want anything like that to happen ever again. Then Rich Reed came along with his shoe bomb attempt and after that, a foiled plot to blow up airliners using liquids then one Christmas, a man attempted to light his explosive underwear on a Delta flight.  The result was always stricter improvements through airport security such as new scanners and the ban of liquids over three ounces in addition to removing our shoes. None of these new measures to ensure safety bothered me in the least. So I have to wonder, why the sudden change to allow small pocket knives. I’ll be honest, I really had no idea golf clubs and hockey sticks were banned items to bring on board an airplane. I also don’t really understand why anyone would feel the need to bring those items with them in the cabin.

Crew members, nationwide are expressing their concerns with the newly lifted ban, primarily for small pocket knives. It’s mainly the flight attendants who feel it could pose a new risk. Not from terrorist overseas, but from unruly passengers. They claim with the sharp rise in passenger confrontations on board airliners in the recent past, that the possibility of an escalation could occur and these items could be used as potential weapons. Surely I understand their concerns and they are the last line of defense, however, have you ever tried to jab an apple with a Swiss Army knife? The blade doesn’t lock in place and you’re more likely to cut off your own fingertip in the process of attempting to harm anyone. Then again, why does someone really need to bring one on board in the first place?

Personally, air rage among passengers is extremely rare but it does happen. The result usually ends up with fellow passengers intervening and restraining the out of control passenger. In the case an unruly passenger did brandish a small pocket knife, how would that really add to the situation. They are only making it worse for themselves. Unless they are at the very front of the plane, they may have a slight advantage; however, it’s far more likely there will always be passengers behind the assailant and as we know, passengers are far more vigil now than they’ve ever been. They know how 9/11 went down and will do everything in their powers to defuse any situation that may arise during flight. Perhaps, airports might want to stop selling alcohol, which is usually the number one factor when it comes to an unruly passenger.

I’ll sum it up with a popular saying “there’s nothing to see here folks, move along”