Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday travel rush, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has just removed a longstanding restriction on passengers packing walking sticks and hiking poles in their carry-on luggage.
Fearing that walking sticks could be used as a deadly weapon onboard a packed passenger plane, the TSA has long required passengers to pack these items in checked luggage, but that ban has finally been lifted.
There is, however, an important clause, and the TSA has emphasized that the relaxed rules only apply to walking sticks and hiking poles with a blunt tip. Any sharp-tipped walking poles must still be carried in checked luggage or left at home.
TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein also notes that even blunt-tipped walking sticks and hiking poles could hold up the security line as they might be subject to additional checks if they trigger an alarm or “pose other security concerns.”
Ultimately, the decision will land with the TSA officer on the day, so you might end up having to check your walking stick if the agent doesn’t like the look of it.
Farbstein also says passengers should check with their airline to ensure that walking sticks or hiking poles will be allowed in the cabin, as some carriers still have their own rules that prohibit these items from being in carry-on luggage.
The TSA is gearing up for a record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday period, and the agency is projecting to screen 18.3 million people at airports across the United States between November 26 and December 2.
Lines could build up at checkpoints throughout the holiday period, although the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday are expected to be the busiest travel days.
In the run-up to the holiday period, the TSA has been urging passengers to acquaint themselves with what they can and can’t pack in their carry-on luggage – especially when it comes to popular Holiday food items.
“Here’s some food for thought. If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint,” the TSA said last week. “However, if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should go in a checked bag.”
Common food items often confiscated from disappointed passengers during the Holidays include cranberry sauce, homemade gravy, maple syrup and jellies. Sadly, passengers even have expensive bottles of champagne taken off them when they forget to check them.
