Long after the federal government responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with stepped-up security and extensive restrictions on what air travelers may carry aboard planes, passengers still arrive at checkpoints with knives, over-limit bottles of liquid toiletries, and other prohibited items.
As they displayed items recently surrendered at Toledo Express Airport by travelers there, local Transportation Security Administration officials said today that an overwhelming majority are things those travelers claimed they forgot they even had with them.
And contrary to popular perception that such items are "confiscated," passengers generally are offered the opportunity to place them in checked baggage, return them to their vehicles, or otherwise keep them, said Mark Howell, a TSA regional spokesman.
"We give everyone multiple opportunities to get rid of these items," Mr. Howell said. "But people are in a rush, and they show up too late at the airport to take advantage of one of these options."
Agents from the airport's TSA detachment said the volume of prohibited items that turn up in travelers' carry-on bags or on their persons is much lower now than it was immediately following 9/11 when the restrictions were new.
But infrequent travelers, such as those who only board planes for vacation trips or to visit relatives, still occasionally get tripped up by pocket knives, utility tools with sharp edges, or full-size bottles of mouthwash or drinking water that violate the 3.4-ounce limit, they said.
One of the latest trends, said Randy Luke, a TSA supervisor at Toledo Express, is fold-up "credit-card knives" that are thin enough to fit in a wallet and have become popular handout items at trade shows.
"Nobody thinks about having a knife in your wallet," but they're sharp enough to be forbidden aboard aircraft, Mr. Luke said.
With the summer holidays coming up, he said, fireworks are likely to start showing up at checkpoints. They're among items not allowed aboard airplanes at all, although they don't meet the threshold for firearms or explosives that can get travelers detained at the checkpoint, placing them at risk of missing their flights, or facing criminal charges.
Air travelers should check all of their baggage for items that might be prohibited, the TSA officials said, and if they have any doubt about whether something is allowed, check the tsa.gov website’s list of dos-and-don’ts for guidance.
Contact David Patch at: dpatch@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.
First Published May 14, 2015, 4:29 p.m.
