They can still confiscate whatever they want, regardless of the rules: https://bbs.boingboing.net/t/makers-tsa-compliant-multitool-...

They confiscated a friend's _comb_, because it opened with a switchblade-style button.

No, I'd wager the comb got confiscated because the TSA agent thought it looked cool and wanted one.

Just like iPads. http://www.wired.com/2012/12/tsa-ipads/

Once I was flying out of Stockholm, and behind me in the security check was a handyman who was just passing security to fix something on the inside. He had a small open toolbox on wheels with him, so after I went through the metal detector, they pushed his box through, which obviously beeped, since it was full of screwdrivers, knives, hammers, and a lot of other sharp metal things. And then the handyman went through, and he also set off the metal detector, so the security people started checking him and patting him down.

So noone is looking at the toolbox that I'm standing right next to. I could easily have grabbed a knife or two if I had wanted to.

And once they finished patting him down, he grabs his tools and walks on.

And I'm just standing there, gaping at the stupidity of it all.

Ooh yeah, in between times when they're actively inspecting YOU, it'd be totally trivial to hand things off and circumvent their "secure" zone. Thinking about all the ways you could sneak something through if you wanted to is always entertaining while I'm waiting.

I had a wine opener confiscated because of the 1 inch knife ... can't imagine how someone might use a wine opener to hijack a plane

The 9-11 hijackers used razor blades. So, its been done. Of course, no American passenger is going to believe that everything will be fine if they comply these days so I don't think its possible to pull off 9-11 again.

> The 9-11 hijackers used razor blades. So, its been done.

Only in the days when we didn't lock the cockpit doors. Now that the cockpit doors are locked, even an actual gun wouldn't be sufficient to hijack the plane (the cockpit doors are essentially impossible to open from the outside, at least not without equipment that would be impossible to bring on a plane and would be rather conspicuously slow to use during a flight).

There is a huge difference hijacking protocol between now and 9/11.

Post 9/11 passengers are not going to allow a guy with a razor blade hijack a plane, or even several guys with razor blades. Passengers and crew members now fight back and have the advantage of numbers.

>Passengers and crew members now fight back and have the advantage of numbers.

Yeah, but what if _everyone_ on the plane were a hijacker?

Wait...

The cockpit door is kept locked now, so it's moot. The pilot will land, SWAT team will storm the plane. Done.

See #2: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hey_wait_a_m...

A stab in the jugular will get the job done.

But of course you can break the plastic knife and fork they give you and still stab someone in the jugular.

You could even sharpen the headphones connector.

Or repurpose any of the other things you can buy after the security line: http://www.terminalcornucopia.com/

I'm sure i'm on some watch list for visiting that site now, but it's still fantastic that somebody put all together. It's like an anarchist cookbook that isn't designed to maim bored teens!