mrscherry2000

My brother and I went through IAD a couple of weeks ago and waited in atrociously long lines for an evening flight to MUC via AMS. While I was opting out of the NoS, brother got pulled aside for the grape juice in his bag which he keeps for low blood sugar episodes (diabetic). They allowed it surprisingly. I don't even think they tested it since I was busy being groped. So after our overnight flight, we get to AMS and head towards our next flight after going through passport control and security.

AMS security pulled my brother's camera bag because they found a pocket knife in it. He forgot about having it in there and they said he could check it in a bag or abandon it. He opted to abandon it since it was going to be an ordeal to go back to wherever he had to go and make our flight. IAD TSA missed it.

I guess my point is, this wasn't a tiny pocket knife but a heavy Swiss army knife with at least one three inch blade. Seems that TSA is so focused on confiscating our water and other liquids that they are missing the legitimately prohibited items that shouldn't be taken on the plane.

chollie

Not to worry. I'll bet they got his 'artfully concealed in plain sight' water bottle and full-size toothpaste, so I feel safe.

Caradoc

Didn't you get the memo?

The TSA only considers a pocketknife a "threat" when they actually detect it.

N830MH

That's ridiculous!!! TSA is failure to catch the knives through at security in IAD. Shame on TSA!! TSA did not find the swiss knife but, he missed. Next time he should put the knifes into the checked bags and not try to get inside the aircraft. Those weapons are too extremely dangerous onboard the aircraft. TSA is not responsible for the behavior. Some screener should be firing immediately. Not try to slip through the knives, guns, explosives and metal objects, too.

No one ever missed the knife, guns, explosives, metal objects at security checkpoint. They failed miserable. TSA should be more appropriate for the behavior at airport. Swiss Knife is prohibited. You can't allowed to get inside the aircraft. It's not safe for you at all. TSA should be focused these weapons, knives, swiss knife and etc. It's extremely important for these passengers safety.

SATTSO

Actually, that is a tiny knife. And its easily "lost" in a bag, even a light to moderately cluttered bag.

I've explained this before, but its about speed vs thoroughness . X-ray will allow threats through. Some thoroughness is lost by using x-ray as the primary method to screen bags. If some of you wish to criticize the use of x-rays to detect smaller threat items (note a smaller threat item does not always correspond to potential harm an item can do), then what you are advocating is a "dump" of all your carry-on bags and a hand search of all the items and all the pockets. How long will that take for each passenger?

It seems TSA can live with allowing people to get through the checkpoint more quickly, knowing at the same time that some prohibited items may and will get through, yet some of you here can not seem to accept it. And yes, if a knife gets through, so what? And if we catch it, too bad, it will not be allowed - as of current policy (personally, I think SMALL, TINY knives like the one the OP described should be allowed through. We will see what happens).

Tom M.

And there is a perfect example of the "security theater" mindset of the TSA.

"The item is prohibited, but it is not a threat"

TSA is only wasting time and tax dollars with such procedures.

Caradoc

The TSA will play it both ways. If they detect the knife, it goes on the TSA scoreboard as a "win," and if they fail to detect the knife it's "not a threat."

Why not just take knives off of the "prohibited items" list if they're not a threat?

(And, yes, that's a rhetorical question - we all know that they'll never take knives off the prohibited items list because knives were used in 9/11, despite the simple fact that threatening someone with a knife on an aircraft today will require that the person making the threat be steam-cleaned out of the carpet after being stomped by the rest of the passengers...)

The TSA is a colossal waste of time and tax dollars - and a very large "workfare" program, considering that none of the people who "work" for the TSA are employable by any other agency or employer.