As someone who has now lost five (yes, FIVE) mini Swiss Army knives while passing through security at airports, I
have to say I am finally learning my lesson: leave the knife at home, or check it in baggage. It’s a hard lesson to
learn, though, because I tend to keep a knife on my keychain so I can use it to clip hangnails, open mail or, should
the need arise (it hasn’t) perform open heart surgery.
Of course, I have a hard time imagining how these little knives are any more dangerous than, say, a metal ballpoint
pen, but the folks at the TSA have banned them, thus helping me help the Swiss Army company do some brisk
business.
Well, it looks like if I really wanted to get my knife back (especially the cool electro-green one I most recently
lost) all I need to do is go to Ebay. According
to this story, several items
have appeared in the online auction site that were allegedly confiscated at airports. The private contractor who is
entrusted with disposing of confiscated items is supposed to dispose of them by destroying them, and they deny that
anyone employed by them is selling the items, but I suppose I wouldn’t put it past them.