How often do knives get through the TSA?

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Yo Mama

Yo Mama

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My buddy on a regular commercial flight yesterday with just a carry on, he gets home and out of his backpack he pulls out a Leatherman sidekick, made it all the way through security and on to the plane. He did not know it was there the whole time, when he saw it he couldn't believe it.

How often do you think this happens? Does not make me feel very good about taking a flight.
 
not often I imagine. once in lax maybe around 2016 I was there in a massive pile up line and tsa decided to just let people walk through the metal detectors with bags and belts and watches and shoes on etc on and it was beeping on everyone and they just pushed everyone through. this was before the full body scanners....


so sure other oddball situations happen.
 
My girlfriend had a Case Peanut in her purse that she forgot about. She’s traveled 3 times with it and it was never noticed. Her most recent trip (4th trip) it was finally confiscated. She didn’t even know why TSA pulled her to the side and when they pulled out the Peanut she just laughed since it was long forgotten about.
 
I wish I had tested that. I realized I had my Sage 2 in my pocket 20 feet from the x-ray machine thingy, so I alerted the guy about it. My only option at that point was to go to the post office in the airport (SJX) and mail it. Running late, that wasn't an option. Heinous. So I'm relegated to ogling Random Dan Random Dan 's when he posts his!
 
I travel by plane a fair amount for work. I use the same backpack for work at home as well as being my carry on when I travel. One time I got sent on a last minute trip so I didn’t clean out the backpack very well. I accidentally left some tools in it that were over the size limit. They confiscated the tools but missed the Buck 112 that was also in it. I was very surprised when I got to my hotel and found that the knife in there.
 
Yo Mama said:
My buddy on a regular commercial flight yesterday with just a carry on, he gets home and out of his backpack he pulls out a Leatherman sidekick, made it all the way through security and on to the plane. He did not know it was there the whole time, when he saw it he couldn't believe it.

How often do you think this happens? Does not make me feel very good about taking a flight.
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Way back in 2003 when TSA were still wet behind the ears, my wife left SEA with a multi tool in her purse. No problem. On the return trip out of NWK, they made her give it up. I honestly don't know the answer to your question but I've heard that TSA has been okaying small pocket knives again lately.
 
When TSA gets tested, they miss contraband frequently (according to multiple reports I've read online), but I suspect the people testing their system are not showing "tells" and know how to make it more challenging to detect what they are carrying.

It's all theater. No one is safer now than they were before 09/11/2001 because of TSA.
 
It happens. They miss things. I’ve accidentally made it through TSA with a Dragonfly once, and a full-size SAK once. My wife recently found a full bottle of water in her carry on after clearing TSA.

My travel tool is a Leatherman Micra, but I’ve snapped off the blade and rounded the nub. TSA occasionally tries to confiscate it, even though every single remaining tool is allowed. I’ve probably flown 50 times with it. It helps to open it up for the screening!
 
When I used to travel for work a lot, I always took a soft briefcase with my laptop and other stuff i would need. After I had been through multiple TSA and International checkpoints, one of them asked if I had some kind of knife in my briefcase, I said not that I know of, while upon complete inspection they found a small leatherman I thought I had lost like 3 months before, so it was with mixed emotion I now knew what had happened to it but I also now had to throw it in the bin.
 
On topic, but off topic, is it correct you can have a pocket knife in the checked baggage? I’ll be flying in July so just curious if any issues with that. The only other time I’ve flown I didn’t even consider it, but I’ve heard recently that it’s ok.
 
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I had a Pena front-flipper in my backpack for at least two flights, possibly four (I'm not sure how or when it ended up there). Found it emptying my bag after getting back.

I was "SSSS" for at least 15 years, they hassled me every single flight. Sometime about when I started going gray, it finally stopped.
 
I’ve not forgotten a knife but I’ve had two flights with ammo in my bag. Flew to Chicago with a loaded G19 mag in my carry on. When I saw it at the hotel I gave the 15 rounds of HST to a local buddy at the same conference. Got pulled out of line for the return trip and got the “ interview” in a private room for the now empty mag in my freaking checked bag!
Another trip I missed two loose rounds in my carry on and got told to do a better job cleaning my bag and into the flight I went.
Really need to buy a dedicated range bag…
 
JWright214 said:
On topic, but off topic, is it correct you can have a pocket knife in the checked baggage? I’ll be flying in July so just curious if any issues with that. The only other time I’ve flown I didn’t even consider it, but I’ve heard recently that it’s ok.
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Yep always put a cheap Buck 303 in my checked bag.
 
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