cross_stitch: U.S. Travel Tips

Alix (Tersa) (

tersa) wrote in

cross_stitch,
@ 2004-12-15 10:53:00

Entry tags:

equipment, travel

U.S. Travel Tips
(cross-posted to knitting):

As I recently did this over on knitting as a PSA, I thought I would also share that post here, attempting to anticipate any questions about what can and can't be taken on airplanes in the U.S.:

http://www.tsa.gov/

A MUST read for anyone traveling by air...

Permitted and Prohibited Items (.pdf)

A page specifically for Transporting Knitting Needles & Needlepoint (link thanks to sarakate!)

2004 Holiday Season Travel Tips (link thanks to kightp!)

I have personally never had any problems carrying large (US:15) or smaller aluminum straight knitting needles, bamboo circulars, bamboo DPNs, crochet hooks, embroidery needles (or any other part of my cross-stitch stuff), safety scissors, or nail clippers without a nail file. I had more trouble with carry-on security in foreign airports (Heathrow, Sheremetyevo) than U.S. domestically.

If you are concerned that you might have your craft items confiscated out of your carry-on baggage, take an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) large enough to contain the items, just in case.

bekki_n, if you see this, could you possibly either put a link to it in the Community Info or Memories for future reference, too?

(Post a new comment)

	neeuqdrazil 2004-12-15 11:25 am UTC (link)
	I'm actually travelling to London (flying into Heathrow) on Boxing Day - do any of the British members of the group know anything about restrictions at Heathrow? (Reply to this)(Thread)

buzzy_bee
2004-12-15 11:50 am UTC (link)

Yep, things are much stricter here. No scissors or blades of any type (including Clover cutters, which is a new one, but after all the 9/11 hijackers used "protected blades"), no knitting needles, no tapestry needles, no nail clippers, no nail files, no screwdrivers. . They were confiscating even child's scissors when I flew through Birmingham and Dublin last week. Basically put it all in your checked luggage and take a book for the plane.

Frankly, things are getting lax in the States again. I am horrified by the list of things that are permitted in carry-on luggage and something, someday, will go horribly wrong. Again.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

bopeepsheep
2004-12-15 12:52 pm UTC (link)

And yet again, even though I posted specific links to it in

knitting, the BAA info doesn't get posted. Which is a shame really since transatlantic flights seem to be the most frequently queried, and they're the most likely for getting needles of any kind confiscated, since anything coming through UK airspace as well as actually landing is subject to BAA rules.

British Airports Authority here
Heathrow here
Gatwick here

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	buzzy_bee 2004-12-15 01:22 pm UTC (link)
	But bopeepsheep, its not the US, so it doesn't count ;-) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bopeepsheep 2004-12-15 01:24 pm UTC (link)
	Well, so long as none o'them pesky planes wants to ever leave the US that's just dandy. :) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	buzzy_bee 2004-12-15 01:27 pm UTC (link)
	Lets just say I am much more nervous flying back from the US than anywhere else, even if I do get to keep my shoes on everywhere else... (Reply to this)(Parent)

	tersa 2004-12-15 01:42 pm UTC (link)
	Actually, that's not why it was omitted; I didn't include bopeepsheep's info in either post because both posts were made before her comment came through on knitting, and also because my post was specifically for U.S. travel. Personally, your info above was tres useful--thanks! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bopeepsheep 2004-12-15 01:53 pm UTC (link)
	A week is clearly a long time in knitting. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	tersa 2004-12-15 01:36 pm UTC (link)
	And yet again, even though I posted specific links to it in knitting, the BAA info doesn't get posted. Uh, that's cool, but this post in cross_stitch was made well before your comments in knitting. Maybe make a separate PSA post for people interested in the UK stuff, so that can be added separately to the memories for both communities? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bopeepsheep
2004-12-15 01:49 pm UTC (link)

If I wasn't talking about comments I made LAST WEEK when this came up yet again in

knitting you might have a point. But there's no point in a separate UK post - just look at the very first comment in this one. The world is bigger than the continental United States, and they do let some of you leave occasionally.

One post with as many links in it as possible is a hell of a lot more useful than half a dozen. Any Australians or New Zealanders in? Anyone know about flying in the Far East? Africa? TTBOMK the EU follows exceedingly similar rules to the BAA but there must be specific info somewhere.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

tersa
2004-12-15 04:02 pm UTC (link)

If I wasn't talking about comments I made LAST WEEK when this came up yet again in knitting you might have a point.

First off, this is cross_stitch, and not knitting, and people here might not have seen it.

Second, your comments were to a post I didn't make and didn't really read.

Honestly, I think you're getting bent way more out of proportion than the situation necessitates. You didn't specify which comments in knitting, I saw you had commented on my post, and assumed you meant those. I admit I did not read the post you linked to from last week as it was specific to International Travel which didn't apply to me.

Since the tact approach didn't work, maybe the direct one will: the post was for U.S. travelers. If you don't like that it was U.S. specific, then I can't help that. If you want to make sure to advertise the international rules, make your own post, and don't expect everyone to always read all comments. But don't get pissed off at me for it.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bopeepsheep
2004-12-15 04:18 pm UTC (link)

So you posted the exact same thing as this to

knitting even though you didn't read the previous post on the same topic made less than a week before? WTG. Whether it's international or not, the same things get discussed every time and it's just rehashing and rehashing. One concise post with all the links would save a hell of a lot of time and energy. And this does come up in here almost as regularly (given the much lower frequency of posts), and the same links have been posted here before. And people want them - again, look at the first commenter here.

I fail to see why I or anyone else should have to make a post just because Public Safety only apparently applies to the insular.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	tersa 2004-12-15 04:35 pm UTC (link)
	Fin. (Reply to this)(Parent)

midnightsangelc
2004-12-16 10:44 am UTC (link)

Not to fuel the fire, but

tersa posted information on that with which she is familiar, as did you. There is no reason to get on her case about only posting information for the US merely because it is what she knows...I myself would feel funny if someone not well aquainted with a country's rules posted what s/he thought was "official" but could, in fact, be outdated information. The fact is that she is familiar with US rules, so that's what she posted. You are familiar with UK rules, so that's what you posted. There is no reason for anyone to get offended at being "left out"...if that were the case I could complain as I don't see regulations posted here for Trinidad & Tobago, and I travel there quite often to visit family.

As for frequency of this kind of post, not everyone reads the information when it is posted, especially if it does not pertain to them at the time. The archive is quite tedious to search and it is easier to merely ask for the information again...epecially given how frequently rules change!

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	bekki_n 2004-12-15 01:42 pm UTC (link)
	Great idea! I've added it in :) (Reply to this)

	snugsbug 2004-12-15 02:25 pm UTC (link)
	Boy, the freaking airline take things WAY to seriously. OH NO THERE'S a terrorist using a cross stitch needle !!! HELP ME GOD ! SHE's going to pulverize me with her gold needle. On no, she stabbed in the ass ! Like seriously, they need to get over themselves. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	sarbah77 2004-12-15 02:50 pm UTC (link)
	I guess I missed where the needles were banned? I looked, but I'm short on sleep AND I'm flying next week. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	snugsbug 2004-12-15 03:22 pm UTC (link)
	Eh, just smuggle the needle in. Wear it as an earring and say it's a fashion statement (/sarcastic) Hehe. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sarbah77 2004-12-15 03:37 pm UTC (link)
	No, seriously. I have, since 2002, carried my xstitching with me. But if rulz have changed, well, I wanna stay up. Or I'll do the usual. Stick a needle in the project and pack the extras. ;) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bopeepsheep
2004-12-15 03:49 pm UTC (link)

From experience post-2001, I'd say do that, then if you lose one, eh. I found that if you get a nice security person (read: outside the USA) you can convince them that a tapestry needle doesn't even raise blood on your own thumb easily let alone anyone else (amused the guards at Gatwick with that one), but if you get a nasty one (as happened between Houston and Omaha) then even the screws on your hoop are treated with suspicion. (Heck, they'll probably ban those next.) So don't take anything you'll be sorry to lose.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	midnightsangelc 2004-12-16 10:20 am UTC (link)
	Or take a self-addressed, stamped envelope so you can mail it back to yourself (talking about hoops and scissors here, not needles which I'm sure we could all suffer to lose one without breaking the bank). (Reply to this)(Parent)

	itsamutiny 2006-07-10 08:14 am UTC (link)
	the page about knitting needles and needlepoint has been moved to: http://tsagov.edgesuite.net/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1252.shtm (Reply to this)

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