i often knit on planes in the us – so far it hasn’t raised any eyebrows going through security. i make sure i’m knitting on non-threatening looking bamboo needles, and not on stabby looking metal needles. isn’t the australian ban directly related to some weirdo pulling a buffy move and stab someone with a needld mid-flight?
Yeah, I’ve long heard from tourists in the shop that Australia is way stricter than the US. So really, my only worry is getting through the security here in Sydney. I think I might do what I did last time: take one of my Denise interchangeables in pieces. Nobody could object to random bits of plastic, right? 🙂
Just thought I’d let you know that we’re in the States for a couple months visiting right now, and my husband (on the foreign passport) has been “randomly selected” for extra searching at every single security checkpoint so far. In Brisbane, San Francisco, Nashville, Orlando and the po-dunk airport by my parents. So just be prepared for all your carry-ons to be pawed through. I only got picked in Nashville. But we just decided we going early to the airport from now on! 🙂
Wow, that’s interesting, I thought it would be the other way around. When we went back to the States last June, we were hassled up and down by airport security there, yet the Aussies were very cool. But we were travelling with a young child… hmmm maybe there’s a danger factor there? hehe
I flew Qantas a few times interstate for business last year with a set of needles from my Denise’s in my carry on. They weren’t picked up by the x-ray machine. As well, the Qantas air staff were pretty random as far as enforcing the “no knitting needles” policy. On a flight to Brisbane two air hostesses actually commented on how they were knitters and loved the scarf I was working on and let me knit for the entire flight. Then a few weeks later on a flight to Melbourne the “cabin manager” informed me that sharp items were not aloud on the flight and she confiscated my tips, but gave them back after we landed. Really, I think it’s luck of the draw with the cabin staff on your particular flight. Some will care and some will care less from my experience.
kristen
January 19, 2007 — 11:19 pm
i often knit on planes in the us – so far it hasn’t raised any eyebrows going through security. i make sure i’m knitting on non-threatening looking bamboo needles, and not on stabby looking metal needles. isn’t the australian ban directly related to some weirdo pulling a buffy move and stab someone with a needld mid-flight?
Kris
January 20, 2007 — 9:31 am
Yeah, I’ve long heard from tourists in the shop that Australia is way stricter than the US. So really, my only worry is getting through the security here in Sydney. I think I might do what I did last time: take one of my Denise interchangeables in pieces. Nobody could object to random bits of plastic, right? 🙂
crumpet
January 20, 2007 — 9:50 am
Every time I fly, I plot about designing a set of knitting needles that look exactly like pencils…
crumpet
January 20, 2007 — 9:56 am
I just sent Qantas some feedback about this using their online form. I wonder what the reply will say…
Danielle
January 20, 2007 — 10:56 am
Just thought I’d let you know that we’re in the States for a couple months visiting right now, and my husband (on the foreign passport) has been “randomly selected” for extra searching at every single security checkpoint so far. In Brisbane, San Francisco, Nashville, Orlando and the po-dunk airport by my parents. So just be prepared for all your carry-ons to be pawed through. I only got picked in Nashville. But we just decided we going early to the airport from now on! 🙂
Tori
January 21, 2007 — 3:36 am
Wow, that’s interesting, I thought it would be the other way around. When we went back to the States last June, we were hassled up and down by airport security there, yet the Aussies were very cool. But we were travelling with a young child… hmmm maybe there’s a danger factor there? hehe
Morgan
January 21, 2007 — 11:36 pm
I flew Qantas a few times interstate for business last year with a set of needles from my Denise’s in my carry on. They weren’t picked up by the x-ray machine. As well, the Qantas air staff were pretty random as far as enforcing the “no knitting needles” policy. On a flight to Brisbane two air hostesses actually commented on how they were knitters and loved the scarf I was working on and let me knit for the entire flight. Then a few weeks later on a flight to Melbourne the “cabin manager” informed me that sharp items were not aloud on the flight and she confiscated my tips, but gave them back after we landed. Really, I think it’s luck of the draw with the cabin staff on your particular flight. Some will care and some will care less from my experience.
Bex
January 22, 2007 — 9:59 am
I flew via Virgin a few times and never had an issue with socks on bamboo needles from either Cabin Crew or Airport Security. thank god.
apparently Air-India is the worst (and i’m going there for 6 weeks in October). who’s gonna argue with the security when they have AK-47’s???….