Jim2 pointed out to me the list of what items you may and may not take on an aeroplane. The lists of banned items are oddly specific, with the following items definitely disallowed:
Meat Cleavers, Sabers, Swords, Bows and Arrows, Spear Guns (!), Box Cutters.
whereas for whatever reason, the following are allowed:
Screwdrivers (seven inches or less in length), Scissors (metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than four inches), Safety Razors (including disposable razors).
I am pretty sure that a seven inch screwdriver, a blade from a four inch set of sharpened scissors and the razor blade removed from the safety casing are all more deadly than boxcutters.
The list of sporting goods makes a half hearted attempt at being comprehensive by listing all sorts of random stuff:
Baseball Bats, Cricket Bats, Golf Clubs, Hockey Sticks, Lacrosse Sticks, Pool Cues, Ski Poles
What about croquet mallets? Would I be allowed one of those? The list of banned self defence items and explosives is equally redundant:
Billy Clubs, Black Jacks, Brass Knuckles, Kubatons, Martial Arts Weapons, Night Sticks, Nunchakus, Stun Guns, Throwing Stars, Hand Grenades, Plastic Explosives
My version of the same list would read: "No weapons. Don't be a twat about it"
I see horrible images of somebody getting searched, the security guards finding throwing stars, a spear gun and a set of nunchucks in their baggage and them claiming that because these items weren't specifically on the list they should be allowed to take them on board.
Finally whilst we were chatting about this list earlier jps mentioned that a bottle of whisky from the duty free, along with some rags would make a pretty good molotov cocktail. Along with scissor blades and sharpened seven inch screwdrivers somebody could equip themselves with a veritable arsenal of weaponry
The whole list has the feel of being being tacked together, trying to cover all the things that may conceivably be harmful. Am I allowed a tennis racket? badminton racket? hell, if baseball bats are banned I'll just fake a limp and bring in a cane.
Meat Cleavers, Sabers, Swords, Bows and Arrows, Spear Guns (!), Box Cutters.
whereas for whatever reason, the following are allowed:
Screwdrivers (seven inches or less in length), Scissors (metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than four inches), Safety Razors (including disposable razors).
I am pretty sure that a seven inch screwdriver, a blade from a four inch set of sharpened scissors and the razor blade removed from the safety casing are all more deadly than boxcutters.
The list of sporting goods makes a half hearted attempt at being comprehensive by listing all sorts of random stuff:
Baseball Bats, Cricket Bats, Golf Clubs, Hockey Sticks, Lacrosse Sticks, Pool Cues, Ski Poles
What about croquet mallets? Would I be allowed one of those? The list of banned self defence items and explosives is equally redundant:
Billy Clubs, Black Jacks, Brass Knuckles, Kubatons, Martial Arts Weapons, Night Sticks, Nunchakus, Stun Guns, Throwing Stars, Hand Grenades, Plastic Explosives
My version of the same list would read: "No weapons. Don't be a twat about it"
I see horrible images of somebody getting searched, the security guards finding throwing stars, a spear gun and a set of nunchucks in their baggage and them claiming that because these items weren't specifically on the list they should be allowed to take them on board.
Finally whilst we were chatting about this list earlier jps mentioned that a bottle of whisky from the duty free, along with some rags would make a pretty good molotov cocktail. Along with scissor blades and sharpened seven inch screwdrivers somebody could equip themselves with a veritable arsenal of weaponry
The whole list has the feel of being being tacked together, trying to cover all the things that may conceivably be harmful. Am I allowed a tennis racket? badminton racket? hell, if baseball bats are banned I'll just fake a limp and bring in a cane.
