>>>>>A kirpan is not necessarily a real knife. It is likely to be a small piece of metal representing a sword, but smaller than a letter opener. Does the new ruling actually say that a Sikh can carry a foot-long dagger in school?
>>>>
>>>>Wel, considering that since 9/11 you can get a pair of tweasers confiscated before boarding a plane, carrying a "letter-opener" is armed to trhe teeth.
>>>
>>>Yep, they took one of my favorite screwdrivers from me. It was one that had multiple drivers embedded in the handle. I've never seen another one like it either. Dang!
>>
>>Come on, John. Surely they're two-a-penny in the $ stores!?
>
>Some are pretty cheap, but this one was much better. I've got one now that has some nice features like an extendable rod that runs out about 2 feet

I guess that could double as a police "asp" too?

>...so you can get to stuff you wouldn't otherwise be able to. It's just the thought that they would take my screwdriver. What about all those ink pens?

Last time I was at the airport there was this perspex box at the check-in, full of innocuous stuff like 2 inch nail files, nail clippers, etc. It was unbelievable. If someone were to take over my plane with a nail file, and intended to fly it into a skyscraper, I think I'd take a chance on taking one in the guts in tackling him, don't you? :-)

Similar to you, would hate to lose my Swiss-army style penknife, with its in-built compass, nail file!, mini Philips screwdriver, wee scissors, and red LED flashlight, et al.