needles on airplanes?

Everything depends on the particular screener. Personally, I have not had a problem. The needle is in the fabric it's being used on. For my own convenience, there's another needle in the fabric of the coin pocket of my purse, down at the bottom where it'd blend in with the coins on an x-ray.

Scissors -- pack your good ones in the checked luggage. I bought a 49c pair of kiddie scissors at WalMart to carry on the plane. If the screener wants to take them away, no great loss. I know plenty of stewardesses stitch, so I've always figured that in a pinch, I could ask if one of them has something I can use to cut a few lengths of thread to occupy myself during the flight, and if I get the right one, she'll understand about "stitching withdrawal symptoms".

I've traveled all over -- and I mean ALL over -- and never had any problems with needles of any size and in any quantity. I carry a packet of them and flower head straight pins in my needlework bag and there has never been a problem. I've been through airports all over this country (USA) and Europe with nary a problem. As for scissors, I pack mine in my checked baggage and use my Clover cutter on the plane. Many airports will let you through with any scissors whose cutting blade is less than 2" or something like that. I haven't tried that yet since the Clover Cutter works just fine. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Have a good trip!

Louisa

Hi everyone, I've had both needles and scissors confiscated at different times while they were on the 'safe list'. It really depends on the individual screener. A word of caution though, clover cutters are specifically banned from flights. (See

That being said, I've never had mine taken away and in fact flewwith it twice in the last week. Sometimes I've flown with it loosewith my stitching, once with it on a chain around my neck I put in thebucket for screening, and lately I just attach it to my keychain!Heather in NY Who got to Disney last weekend and discovered that we, and security, had missed the fact my husband still had his Swiss Army knife on his keyring! We were *NOT* impressed...

Now that I have a Clover cutter, I put it on a cord around my neck, and the most any screener (including those at the courthouse, who are supposed to be extra-careful because they have known criminals coming in) has ever said about it was "what a lovely antique pendant". They really think it's just a necklace, and I'm not going to enlighten them.

I am going to fly to New York from St. Louis in January, and will only have a small carry-on and my purse. I plan to take a sewing kit, and figure that if some fool decides to get horsey and confiscate needles, pins, and tiny scissors, I will simply replace them in Ft. Lauderdale, which is the first place the ship stops. I'm going on a world cruise (the QE2!), and taking quilting with me (piecing a top). We have a full day in Ft. Lauderdale, where I plan to go shopping anyway for the toiletries I can't carry with me -- toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, etc. for 3 months. (My large bag is being shipped directly to the dock, and can only contain clothes and shoes.) So long as I'm out shopping, I can always pick up needles, pins, and scissors. There's nothing else in my small sewing cache that would be of any interest to airline security. One screener didn't know what a thimble was last year -- I sometimes wonder where they get those people! If I find anything I want to purchase that can't go home carry-on, I will mail it to myself from a US Post Office -- Honolulu, LA, or the Ft. Lauderdale stop on the return to New York. They certainly make things complicated, and the issue of "it depends on the individual screener" is horrendous!

(See

). That being said, I've never had mine taken away and in fact flew> with it twice in the last week. Sometimes I've flown with it loose> with my stitching, once with it on a chain around my neck I put in the> bucket for screening, and lately I just attach it to my keychain!>> Heather in NY

I'm surprised about the Clover cutters. I've never had a problem with it here, but I'm in Canada, so the rules may be different. I'm not sure why they're a concern. They seem quite secure to me. I don't like the fact that so much is dependent on the individual screener. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in how the rules are applied.

Louisa

I have flown and stitched several times since 9/11. No problem with the tapestry needle. But if you're not going to stitch on board, why take it on the plane, why not just pack it? I actually had more problems with my bundle of pens and pencils - they looked very odd on the scanner!

Alison

I would never pack any needlework in check in luggage because of the possibility of losing it. Lost luggage is way too common.

I like to knit on flights, socks with those short (five inch) bambo needles. The bamboo needles do not show on the xray machines. I am sitting knitting next to the flight attendant on takeoff. She asks all about knitting socks and I explain etc. Then she says to me, 'No logic that you are here knitting, those little bamboo needles could easily be stuck in my jugular' ~ indeed they could and that points out the stupidity of all the 'security' that takes place.

lucretia borgia wrote: > Then she says to me, 'No

There has never been any logic to Federal security.

20 years ago, I was dropping something off at the Federal courthouse on my way home from work. I had my little radio, which had no speaker, could only be heard through the earphones, and a newly-purchased pair of knitting needles the size of your little finger (i.e., not innocently in a swatch of yarn).

Guess which one the guards took away from me?

Apparently, it was fine with them if I stabbed a judge, I just couldn't force the judge to listen to rock'n'roll. :)

The logic of this all escapes me, I think that the metal mechanical pencils are actually sharper and a better potential weapon. Personally I think we should all fly completely naked and completely unconscious. Just wake me up when I get there.

ALison

BONUS: since Muslim men are not supposed to see naked women, they wouldn't get on the plane. Terrorist threat solved. :)

Oh, but think about those poor attendants having to board all those fat old business men.

C

Riiiight, because only Muslims and only men are ever terrorists.

Elizabeth (not that it wasn't funny, though)

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I recently (2 weeks ago) flew between the Canada and the US, as well as just within the US, and took several needles on and my Clover cutter as well. In fact, I've never been stopped for needles (up to and including my epi-pen, which could be quite lethal...), and I had a job where I was routinely flying 4x in a week.

Not needlework related, but do remember the new rules for liquids and gels in carry-on luggage (no more than 3 oz./100 mL per item, all items together must fit in a 1 qt./1 L zip-lock baggie, and must be screened separately from other stuff). The screeners seem to be hit-or-miss for these sorts of things, but I wouldn't want you to loose (relatively) expensive cosmetics or the like... Medicines are except from this rule.

Also, with the checked luggage now being screened as well, I've lost a few things from my checked bags. If you can't bear losing something, don't check it.

My 2 cents. Hope it helps!

--Mickey