I'm watching the 5pm news in CLT and just they ran a segment on traveling for the holidays. They mentioned that 1 in 5 passengers bring items to the checkpoint that aren't allowed; including chainsaw blades and rocks.

They had video of both items -- regular chainsaw blade and a quartz rock about the size of a man's fist.

I travel several times a week and I've never heard this--though the rules can change in an instance. I get banning chainsaw blades but is TSA really banning ROCKS now??? Not that I'm looking to pack any in my carry-on, but there are a few people that might get some coal in their stockings .

They don't want the competition from Spiff's magic one.

Such a ban would cut their employee roster by 70%.

I'm struggling to understand what someone could do with a rock that they couldn't do with a 15" laptop.

Laptops don't have the ability to shatter airliner windows, TSA thinks. Of course, the emergency automotive glass-breaking carbide-tipped baton disguised as a laser pointer would be the terrorist's choice, but Mythbusters debunked that idea. You can't bring down a plane by breaking one window out.

When will they figure it out - it's the wielder who's the danger, not what they carry?

I regularly carry rocks through security, geology specimens. Smaller than fist size in general, though I've carried a few larger animal bones through. Yes, I have strange tastes

I had a friend who had taught self defense for the Israeli army (IDF). As she used to say, "You think I need a knife to kill you?" I was glad she was on my side!

Oh, then there was the time the TSA guy wanted to take away my wife's micro screwdriver. I said, "If you want to take that away, we're going to have to talk to the supervisor". He said "What do you think holds airplanes together?" I said "Rivets?" We did get that one through. Sheesh.

Holy hex-head batman! What the hell did he think? Your wife was going to spend the entire flight removing screws to bring down the plane?

Way before 9/11, my colleague John was flying to another (Australian) city to trouble-shoot a prototype antenna. Remembering as he left the office that the lid was attached with 40 tiny screws, he dropped a 4" Phillips screwdriver in his shirt pocket, picked up his ticket and headed to the airport. Screwdriver set off WTMD , and as he had no baggage, the nice people at SYD put it in a huge plastic bag and checked it through. When it didn't turn up at the other end, John shrugged and went on; borrowed one at the other lab, did his magic, flew back the same afternoon. Forgot all about crummy $2 screwdriver.

Until the next morning. The airline had found the bag in Sydney, and sent it by taxi to his house 45 minutes (A$50??) away. But as it was late and John had gone to bed, they left this incredibly dangerous weapon RIGHT ON THE DOORSTEP where any local delinquent could have picked it up and terrorised the whole neighbourhood!

Speaking of rocks - I once travelled with a bomb in my luggage when travelling from Italy

One in five? Do 20% bring contraband, or does TSA catch 20%? What a nation of lawbreakers, 20% criminal population! For shame USA.

I know we are all considered potential tewwowists by TSA(although "We know we are not a threat�", but if they had to stop, wand, haraSSSS, fine, arrest and send to Gitmo one in five pax in the whole USA the lines in most airports would be five miles long.

I may have to change the wording on my new t-shirt.

"I KNOW I am NOT a threat�. If you must SSSS someone, please pick pax in line BEHIND ME."

so the TSO took away something that is (currently) expressly allowed per TSA regulations. any tool under 7" (and a micro screwdriver surely is) should be allowed on board. i am always allowed my multi-tools with various allen wrenches, philips/flat screwdrivers, etc (for mtn biking, no knife blade) through, although sometimes i need to push back on them re: the rule.

On a recent trip to Florida with spouse and family, we carried aboard around fifty pounds of Sanibel Island sea shells (no kidding) and got nary a look from the TSA at FLL.

A cousin regularly brings rocks back from Europe in her carry-on.