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"Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representative, John S. Pistole, announced Tuesday that airplane passengers will be permitted to travel on board with several items, including pocket knives, that had been banned for over a decade on flights in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Permissible knives in carry-ons should be no longer than 2.36 inches and no wider than a half-inch-the dimensions similar to that of a standard Swiss Army pocket knife. The new rule will go into effect April 25 and has been met with both support and disapproval.  The TSA has stood by its new regulation despite heavy criticism from several organizations, most notably the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). Vice President of the AFA and United Airlines flight attendant, Sara Nelson, appeared on The Today Show to protest the decision to allow knives and other previously banned items like hockey sticks and golf clubs in carry-on luggage. Nelson told Matt Lauer, &amp;quot;This cannot stand. This has to change. They&amp;#039;re deadly weapons, and they&amp;#039;re unnecessary.&amp;quot; The terrorists who hijacked aircrafts on 9/11 reportedly used box cutters to obtain control of the plane, which serves as another solid argument against the lifted ban. The most significant objections have come from airplane crewmembers who feel their lives are being put in danger by this lack of security. TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez defended the decision saying the changes will allow focus to be put on greater flight risks like explosives thereby, &amp;quot;improving efficiency, and improving the checkpoint screening experience.&amp;quot; Douglas Laird, president of the aviation consulting firm Laird &amp;amp;amp; Associates and former head of security at Northwest Airlines, believes that many of the TSA regulations implemented post-9/11 were a result of a &amp;quot;heat in the moment&amp;quot; response and says they &amp;quot;overreacted&amp;quot; with many of the restrictions. This isn&amp;#039;t the first time the TSA has relaxed the rules for flight security since the 2001 attacks. Items such as nail clippers and cigarette lighters were eventually removed from the prohibited list of in-flight items. How do you feel about the TSA&amp;#039;s decision to allow pocket knives on airplanes? Comment below! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/news/a47797/knives-allowed-on-airplanes/>