Armed Lifestyle - Issue 2 - June 2022

The thing with dealing with the TSA and what you can and cannot
take on a plane is this final qualifying statement on the go/nogo
pages:
“The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an
item is allowed through the checkpoint.”
Absolute power to an unelected member of law enforcement.
All those stories about mothers having to dump their breast milk
at security, well, believe them. None of them had to happen. The
TSA calls that “discretion”.
screwdriver, you know one of those fancy jobbers that the tips
change out on it. I did not break out my tape measure, as I was
dealing with my own issues involving powered baby formula,
which was a whole other ball of wax, but the screwdriver looked
like a standard multi-driver that would be under 7 inches in
length. The agent wanted to confiscate the tip of the screwdriver.
The man acquiesced, after explaining that he had other tips,
which the agent didn’t seem overly nonplussed over.
That all was unfolding while a mute man was trying to
communicate with agents, was visibly distressed, and no one
was trying to figure out what he was saying by handing him a
pad to write with or getting someone fluent in ASL. Nope, they
surrounded him and said to “stand back” because they did not
know what he’d do next. There was not a lot of bedside manners
there and that particular trip through security for me was a real
circus to put it lightly.
So, what can you do? First, if you’re going to take a tactical
pen on a plane, don’t bring a menacing looking one. The plainer
the better. I did not check in with Mallory on this aspect of his
rendezvous with Mr. TSA man, but if you’re bringing such a pen
on a plane, consider sticking it into a carryon bag, buried deep in
there, when you’re going through the checkpoint. Doing that, the
pen will get overlooked in the mix. Chances have it no one will
say a thing. Mallory’s years of travel, this was the first time he
had an issue with that particular pen.
Another thing you can do is get a “regular” metal pen. There
are plenty of “regular” metal pens that’ll get the job done if
you need it. That is, if you need to write something. They have
them out there, just look for them. All different thicknesses too.
Further, a regular ballpoint pen can be effective for, er, writing, if
you need it. There are classes on the subject.
Finally, that brings us to the screwdriver. Anything under 7
inches is actually the rule for most tools you can carry on. It’s
specifically listed as “okay”. You can head to the discount section
of the hardware store and pick up a screwdriver if you feel the
need to travel with tools. Make sure it’s under 7 inches. If you
think you’re going to have to work on something smaller or be
more discrete, there are screwdrivers that come with pocket
clips, just like a pen, and you can have it just as ready as you’d
have a pen should you need to make a quick emergency repair.
There’s a whole list of items that are specifically noted by
name that the TSA does and does not allow onboard a plane.
Take a look over it prior to traveling to see if there’s anything on
it that you might need. FYI, items such as antlers, artificial bones,
baseballs, bicycle chains, and bocce balls are all on the “a-okay”
list for being able to take with you in your carryon. That’s just
some of the interesting stuff I found getting through half of the
“B” list.
Mallory’s message? He also carries with him on a plane a
high lumen LED flashlight with a “tactical” bezel. That’s a fancy
marketing term for the end where the light comes out of looking
castellated. He said “I usually tell people to carry a flashlight and
a tactical pen. That’s about the only defensive tools you’ll be able
to have or use if a critical incident occurs on the plane. So much
for the pen!”
As you get ready for your next trip, keep in mind Mallory’s
message and what we must deal with/ navigate through when
traveling. Especially consider this when traveling by air. Give
some thought to what he went through and think about what
other options are available out there as far as things you might
need on an airplane when traveling. There are a whole host of
over improvised weapons you could bring; you just need to think
outside the box. I highly suggest keeping an extra tactical pen in
your checked bag. As for what you’re going to carry on, it’s time
to get creative and take some notes!
TSA TAKING NOTES?
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