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The reason that pocket knives were banned is that the 9/11 hijackers used box-cutters to forcibly open the flimsy cockpit doors. Nowadays, the cockpit doors of all US airplanes have been reinforced and are no longer vulnerable to this attack, so the need for banning pocket knives so longer exists. A simple solution would be to scrap the outdated ban on pocket knives.

In all my international flights this year (Europe and South America) the food was served with metallic cutlery.

I would say the rule is obsolete in the civilized world.

my memory is that the box cutters were used as weapons to seize the plane, not to open doors. this is the first time i’ve ever even heard that and i suspect it isn’t true.

> Allow people to pay for the items to be stored until their return?

I've had knives confiscated that I was allowed to fill out a form and pay ~$20 to mail back to myself. Doesn't work if you're already late for your flight, but I've done it at least twice.

>What would you like to see happen instead?

A post office branch located just outside security that is stocked with 100x the normal number of the cheap flat rate bubble wrap envelope so that people not wanting to lose their items can mail things they shouldn't fly with home or to their destination and then get back in line.

To go even further (i.e. something that isn't zero net cost), a great many of the things that you can't carry on can be checked. It wouldn't be hard or particularly costly (though obviously it would still cost something) to reserve half yard of space for those kinds of belongings and find some simple way to make sure they get on the plane and get to their owner.

Or you, the passenger, could put the item in your checked baggage before hitting any processing (assuming you have any checked baggage of course, it is common not to for short trips), or post it back to yourself before hitting security.

Ignoring any cost implications (in both the above circumstances the passenger could be charged at the time), security getting involved in this will just add to the delay experienced by passengers further back in the queue.

Exactly. I’ve flown maybe a total of 25-30 flights and don’t fly too often, still I have never once had to have something confiscated because I didn’t attempt to take the stuff on trip in the first place. Worst Ive done is throw out a water/drink that I couldn’t take through security. You people that have to remove things from your bags hold everybody up and cost everyone more money. Read the rules. Pack accordingly.

I've also flown plenty of times and have never had something stolen. But every time I've still suffered the stress of having to scrutinize my backpack to make sure I had removed everything objectionable. This is especially insidious with basic items that live in my bag for general travel (eg a Leatherman), and can end up hiding in a pocket or some folds of fabric.

The problem isn't having to "read" the rules, but rather the draconian punishment for making honest mistakes, justified by dimwitted refrains of "read the rules". At the very least, items that can be in checked baggage should be able to be checked on the spot at no additional charge (eg pocket knives), and you should be able to ground-ship anything else at standard rates without having to go to the back of the line.

I don't know if anything comprehensive could be done for recalled lithium batteries, camp stove fuel cylinders, etc. But reasonably handling the utterly inert items that the TSA has decided to terror-ize would go along way to alleviating the needless imposition that is TSA, as illustrated by the photos above.

> justified by dimwitted refrains of "read the rules"

Ah, the humble ad hominem. To which the only real answer is "I know you are, but what am I?".

Don't be the dimwit who accidentally takes an expensive set of sharp things in carry-on. How much stress is it _really_ to empty the bag and repack to make sure everything is where it should be?

Don't be the entitled prick who throws insults because the world won't change the rules that they find inconvenient.

> Ignoring any cost implications [...] the delay

This argument has no value in itself or it would apply equally to everyone. The only thing that gives it power is "because the Government said so" since the power is entirely on the Government's side. Any implication (cost, time, privacy) introduced by the authorities to the passenger is never considered.

Any delay will certainly be considered by the passenger. By _this_ passenger at any rate!

I think it was clear that the consideration for losses you incur should come from the authority. Otherwise yours is quite useless given the above mentioned power balance. It's purely philosophical without any support from the same authorities who sell your seized property for cash because they only consider their side.

Good point btw. I'd much rather have service at airport that ships my suitcase via traditional methods but saves me $10-15 and hassle carrying suitcase all around across the world. I can live off my carry-on for a week or two.

I guess that would only serve people who move across infrequently. Most travellers are only visiting places for couple of weeks or so.

Saying "it can be checked" is a red herring now that more and more fares don't include checked bag privileges.

If I'm going to have to spend $50 to check a bottle of perfume, I'd rather spend $15 to Priority Mail it back to myself.

Provide a convenient way to mail it with USPS at USPS rates (for items that can be safely mailed, so probably not lighters). Sell postage, and suitable envelopes for (edit:) normal USPS post office prices.

The only airports which offered something similar to this set up a dedicated service profiteering of the captive audience with ridiculously inflated rates.

Yes, simply allowing the pickup of your own confiscated items would suffice.

My wife has hidden a pocket knife under a floor standing ATM in the departure area at O'Hare pre-security and retrieved it when she got back, it wasn't discovered. Not recommended but there is a way to do this, "unofficially", success not guaranteed. Don't leave bomb-shaped packages.

I feel like there's a huge business opportunity for a pack-and-ship franchise on the non-secure side of airports.

Have a big display of bags/envelopes conceptually like the Priority Mail flat-rate envelopes/boxes. If you realize you brought a local sauce, or a souvenir pocket knife, and can't check it, you can just toss it in one of those bags, seal it, write your address on, pay a modestly extortionate price, and it shows up at home a few days after you get back. By making it flat rate, they streamline purchasing flow and avoid hassle of people trying to optimize what they send back while on the checkout queue.

I could also imagine it directly competing with the airlines' excess-bag charges-- if you're staring down the barrel of a $150 "third checked bag" penalty because you got something special abroad, being able to slap a FedEx sticker on your suitcase full of dirty clothes and pay $75 is a compelling value.

You can make it soooo smooth. Scan your boarding pass, get an envelope with some Id, put item in, drop into box. Update address later (or gets sent automatically to address provided by airline). Whole experience takes less than 30 seconds.

>What would you like to see happen instead?

No problem about the sale/auction, but where does the money go?

I would prefer to know that the money coming from the bulk sale is going to a known non-profit, as an example.

Arguably the US government is the "best-known" non-profit :)

Pay $2 for shipping to their home.