BUFFALO, N.Y. — A popular style of keychain is now causing holdups at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in airports across the state.
They are known as "cat eyes," and they are considered to be a sharp version of brass knuckles. They were first popularized as a self-defense tool.
Checkpoint times slow down when these weapons are detected, according to the TSA, because they are not allowed on planes and they have to be disposed of properly. Some "cat eyes" are metal, and others are hard plastic.
"The frequency in which we are seeing these items among carry-on items is disappointing," Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for 13 airports in Upstate New York, said Thursday in a statement.
When these "cat eyes" are found at security checkpoints, passengers and their carry-on items are pulled to the side. At that point, the passenger's bags are opened and searched to remove the item.
Passengers then have four options: return the "cat eyes" to their vehicle; hand them off to someone who's not traveling with them; return to the airline counter and place them in a checked bag; or give them to TSA officials, who will dispose of them.
"Our officers are diligent in their duties and are good at spotting these weapons using the technologies at our checkpoints," Johnson said. "I commend them for their continued vigilance and ask travelers to be equally diligent themselves and leave these items at home when packing for a flight.
"We come across these items daily, and it slows down passengers who must stop and wait for our officers to remove the offending item, and it backs up the line for the other travelers."