U.S. to allow small knives to be carried onto airplanes

From the Chicago Tribune

The TSA said effective April 25, it would allow small knives with blades that are 2.36 inches or less in length and less than 1/2 inch wide. Other items that will be allowed on board again as part of a passenger's carry-on luggage include billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks.

Personally I never travel without my lacrosse stick ! ) )

oooo so the TSA will allow you to carry a blade a whole 1cm longer than you can take through UK security!

Why do people need to carry a "small" knife with them anyway????

The other stuff I can kind of understand, but if packed well then what is wrong with the hold?? It is not like you are going to be racking up a billiard table or navigating a slalom course mid flight.. ?|

Given how paranoid the US is this sounds bonkers, where's the pressure to allow this coming from?
Why would anyone NEED to carry a blade ?

When mrs b and I went to ground zero in nov an American guy quite young early twenties I guess and very normal looking proceeded to ask security if he had to take his knife out of his pocket and put it in the tray before going thru the metal detector to which the answer was of course yes,the wife and I looked on on utter amazement as he proceeded to take what I guess was some kind of lock or flick knife out and put it in the tray.we couldn't then and still can't now understand why someone chooses to carry around such a thing
Blacky

[Darren Wheeler]

Gibb's Rule #9…

I suspect this has more to do with the US aversion to checked baggage than anything else plus a knife in a land of firearms is seen more as a tool than a weapon.

[quote="Darren Wheeler"]

Gibb's Rule #9…

You gotta love Gibbs

I cannot see the need for anyone to carry a pocket knife onboard a flight, I normally take my Leatherman multi tool on holiday with me when I'm going Snowboarding, Mountain Biking or Hiking but it's always in my checked baggage.

Maybe Macgyver would find a use for one along with a roll of Duct Tape, but us mere mortals don't need access to a sharp knife during the flight.