Flight attendants fight back against TSA knife policy

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As you can imagine this is growing outrage over new policy allowing airline passengers to carry small pocket knives on planes.

Among many other items that have been banned for about ten years.

The federal air marshals and the flight attendants are demanding the TSA not to move forward on this decision saying it's a danger to passengers and a danger to them.

Sara Nelson represent the flight attendants and I talked to her about this a bit earlier.

Sara -- good morning to you morning what do you think of this ruling by the TS.

I think it's outrageous and so -- flight attendants across the country and so should the millions of passengers who fly on our aircraft.

You know twelve years ago.

We made a very good decision to form the TSA and to keep blades offer aircraft because we need to have the safest aviation system in in thing in the world you mentioned the blades right is the knife that concerns you.

Wielding -- or any weapons what -- weapons.

Doing onboard the aircraft.

License of the last line of defense and we're also first responders in the air.

And it ever since September 11 we carry this tremendous weight -- making sure that our passengers are safe.

And what the TSE is saying is that because the cockpit door is closed that the rest of us don't matter here right.

I mean that's really what they're saying that was the rationale that -- well they're saying that the cockpit door is locked so it doesn't matter what's coming onboard the aircraft because we have to look for the bigger threat.

Well how does that sit well with flight attendants were charged with the safety health and security the passengers in our care.

How does this help restore job I think what you really have to ask is does this make us safer.

And the answer is.

I didn't unequivocally no mean it does not.

I come back to the question of why as to why the policy be changed just come back to the moment here but on the screen let me show viewers how the policy will change.

Soon you'll be able to bring from left to right now a Swiss army knife.

Of which there are probably thousands confiscated every day based on the reports we get.

Golf clubs she can bring to one board.

Baseball back -- hockey stick.

Lacrosse stick.

Of those I -- it's like we're hanging around sports authority here now of those items.

It's the knife that concerns you based on what you're saying.

Well in nice is especially concerning because let's not forget that it was blades that cost what happened on September 11 right and I'm a Boston flight attendant for United Airlines that was my friends who died on September 11 so this is personal for me.

But it's also very concerning for -- tennis throughout the country hundreds of thousands of flight attendants are outraged right now but the TSA would do that did you get warning on this announcement we did not we did not actually came out of the blue you can.

It came out of the blue and we're the ones -- -- charged with the safety health and security of the passengers.

On that flight.

We are the primary stakeholders we should have been at the table but I'll tell you something even if we had and this is a non starter.

These items do not beat -- belong on board our aircraft.

You Dino George Randall Taylor.

Now he's headed the air Marshal unit.

And he says quote flight attendants are going to be sitting ducks yes and I have a great deal of respect for him.

And he knows because he's in the cabin with us we both share the same responsibility and -- understands.

Firsthand what's happening in the cabin.

We have disturbances.

All the time in the aircraft cabin and flight attendants to a tremendous job of addressing those disturbances the escalating the issue.

And directing passengers to help us to do that.

Can you imagine now for introducing web.

-- -- about scenario why are we doing that there is no reason to do it -- -- TSA news to rescind this policy.

We have launched a massive campaign to reverse this policy and we want the public to join us in that can go to our website at AF AC WA dot org and we've started a petition to the White House.

President Obama needs to tell -- TSA to reverse that's.

Now so you are going to petition the TSA so too with the air marshals based on what we've heard so far.

Yes I don't -- best -- -- growing okay how do you do that first of all.

And what would you expect from the TSA.

Well it's going to take a massive public pressure so.

Flight attendants are united on this air marshals -- any united on this and so should the millions of passengers who travel on our aircraft.

And it's not that just those on passengers who travel.

It's all their loved ones to.

Let's face it it wasn't just the people who were the victims on September 11 it was all the people who now.

Live with the aftermath of that and grieve the loss of of our family members and our friends.

Sara Nelson thank you for your time vice president association of flight attendants with us this morning here.

And we are reaching out to the TSA thank you sir thank you bill list.

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Flight attendants fight back against TSA knife policy

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