The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced this week that it will loosen its rules about what will be allowed on an airplane. This is the first revision of rules since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Is it an effort to reduce the amount of items confiscated at security checkpoints, as late night host Jimmy Kimmel joked in his opening monologue? According to TSA, the new rules are designed to “better focus their efforts on finding higher-threat items such as explosives.”
When will it be in effect?
April 25, 2013
What can you bring?
Small toy bats, wiffle ball bats, billiard cues, ski poles, lacrosse and hockey sticks, no more than two golf clubs, and pocketknives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches long and 0.5 inches wide. However, your more than 2 oz. bottle of shampoo or hair gel still can’t be on board. You’ll have to pack that into your checked baggage. For specific weights and measures of these new items allowed on board, refer to the TSA Prohibited Items List on or after April 25.
Stacy K. Martin, President of Southwest Airlines flight attendants’ union, agrees with Mr. Kimmel. She released the following statement, “This policy was designed to make the lives of TSA staff easier, but not make flights safer.”
Sources:
The New York Times
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