Do-It-Yourself in the Air!

Wwwwooohooo! Finally, sewers, carpenters, scrapbookers and do-it-yourselfers can rejoice as the Transportation Security Administration has lifted the airline carry-on ban for certain objects including scissors 4 inches or less in length and screwdrivers. Maybe I should clarify the screwdriver ban, it is on the metal object, not the drink, because I think the guy sitting next to our family on the flight home from Thanksgiving felt compelled to ask for one from the flight attendant.

TSA chief Kip Hawley said that the change will take place on December 22nd, just in time for those last minute crafty gifts to be made before Christmas. Now, the homemade birdhouse for Grandpa Joe or caftan for Aunt Mabel can be made on the long plane trip to those relatives you'd as soon not see at all.

The flight attendant association claims some (okay, they said all) flight attendants are not happy with the changes to allow such objects into the cabin of a plane. With 9/11 still fresh in their minds, they apparently fear that Grandma Smith will take her 4" scissors and gouge their eye out in an effort to take over the plane. We all know Grandma Smith has watched way too much MacGyver to know that she could accomplish the same thing with the sharp edges of her large rectangular plastic pill box.

On the other hand, the pilots association report that many pilots feel the new measures will help to track out explosive devices that could also be stowed on the plane, which would be a bigger risk than the items the TSA will soon allow as carry-ons in planes.

If the airlines are going to allow these items on planes, then they'd better start showing HGTV on the flights as well, so we know what to do with our scissors and screwdrivers during the flight. And, instead of offering drinks during the flight, maybe the flight attendants could offer handmade paper, fabric, thread, wood and screws.