[MR] sewing notions on airplane?

[Peters, Rise J.]

I'm an aviation attorney, although I don't play one in the SCA.  

Sewing needles are not on the list of prohibited items.  They can still be confiscated, because TSA says any screener can make a discretionary decision not to let you board with things that aren't on the proscribed list.  But you aren't going to get arrested over it, unless you decide to engage in civil disobedience when the screener asks you to hand them over.

Less formally, be aware that TSA is still working internally to get a policy that results in uniform arrests of people who show up at the checkpoint with guns.  Much less prohibited 'ordinary items' like golf clubs or scissors.  

It's bad enough that the government sees fit to restrict people.  We should never over-restrict ourselves based on a too-generous reading of their rules.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Siegfried Sebastian Faust [mailto:eliwhite at adelphia.net]
> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 1:46 PM
> To: Peters, Rise J.; Siegfried Sebastian Faust; Elizabeth;
> campfire at listserv.tirydon.org; Merry Rose
> Subject: RE: [MR] sewing notions on airplane?
> 
> 
> At 12:09 PM 11/6/2003 -0500, Peters, Rise J. wrote:
> >That's "medically necessary needles capable of injecting 
> stuff into people."
> >
> >I fly a lot.  I've flown with my handsewing at least a dozen 
> times since 
> >9/11.  Nobody has ever said word one about my sewing 
> needles.  I'm not 
> >saying that you won't run into an occasional off-the-wall 
> screener, but 
> >the chance of them even noticing sewing needles is pretty 
> small.  So take 
> >a couple of needles, not the whole package, so if they 
> confiscate them, 
> >big deal.
> 
> Except that according to the TSA, officially ... bringing 
> something that is 
> illegal to carry onboard to the security station, even 
> accidentally, is 
> illegal, and can possibly result in criminal/civil 
> prosecution.  Yes, that 
> depends upon the screener, and most will be happy to just 
> confiscate it 
> instead.  But the fact remains, that it is illegal, and your 
> best bet is 
> just to 'stay away' ...
> 
> Siegfried
> 
> 
>