Cues Carried On Plane

Cornerman · May 23, 2016

I'm not sure I'm pissed off or amused. A friend of mind recently has been rebitten by the pool bug,l and has started to amass some pool equipment. He had no idea that there have been US restrictions on carrying on pool cues and other sporting items viewed as potential weapons on planes since the 9/11 terrorist attack on the WTC.

He's been traveling via plane, blissfully unaware that he's not allowed to travel with a cue as a carry on. He traveled this morning, cues in tow in an Instroke Buffalo, through security and right into the plane. Again.

Nobody said a word. Again. He's been doing this for a couple years now.

Freddie <~~~ yay, TSA

Poolplaya9 · May 23, 2016

I have a couple of friends who also traveled with their cues as carry on the last couple of years going to the BCA Nationals even though the websites for the airlines in question specifically said that pool cues were not allowed as carry on right on the website. I felt the same way except decidedly more scared by it than amused by it.

Bob Jewett · May 23, 2016

Cornerman said:
...
Freddie <~~~ yay, TSA

Maybe they just didn't hit the 1 in 20 "success" rate the TSA boasts of, as discussed in this article.

Bavafongoul · May 23, 2016

Let's see how he still feels if they ever take his case while boarding the plane and stow it in the cargo hold below......I wonder what he'd likely be thinking about the rest of that flight?

raise1 · May 23, 2016

I have personally seen several people got thru TSA and brought their cues on the plane.

I don't think they *TSA* would do anything if you get caught -except telling you to have them checked in.

ctyhntr · May 23, 2016

civil disobedience

9Ballr · May 23, 2016

Cornerman said:
I'm not sure I'm pissed off or amused. A friend of mind recently has been rebitten by the pool bug,l and has started to amass some pool equipment. He had no idea that there have been US restrictions on carrying on pool cues and other sporting items viewed as potential weapons on planes since the 9/11 terrorist attack on the WTC.

He's been traveling via plane, blissfully unaware that he's not allowed to travel with a cue as a carry on. He traveled this morning, cues in tow in an Instroke Buffalo, through security and right into the plane. Again.

Nobody said a word. Again. He's been doing this for a couple years now.

Freddie <~~~ yay, TSA

When I travel with cues, new or used, I always check them.
Always!
Even if I just bought a brand new super expensive cue at a show, it still gets checked.
End of story.......keeps everything so very nice simple.

DJSTEVEZ · May 23, 2016

This past weekend I took my cue (1 cue/2 shafts in a Whitten case) to Florida from Westchester County, NY. The JetBlue rep said the rules have been relaxed and "Carrying On" a pool cue case, with a pool cue in it, "would be no issue, it happens regularly". Not nearly convinced, I asked him to make sure the TSA agent standing by wouldn't have problem with it either. I couldn't hear the conversation from where I was, but when he asked the TSA agent you would've thought he asked him if I could carry a loaded Glock on board with me; arms waving, face contorting, all that. I ended up checking my cue :frown: -Z-

9Ballr · May 23, 2016

I've never had any problems checking my cues.
Just use a good case and a case around that case and you're good to go.
Besides I don't want to think about this stuff when I'm flying.
I take a small backpack on board and that's it.

lorider · May 23, 2016

Well here is my one and only experience so far.

After reading on here I decided to buy a 4by 8 to carry mine and my g/f s cue to Vegas nationals in 2013. We put the case inside a large suitcase with our clothes.

At the Memphis airport o da a guy holding his case ready to board our plane.i asked him if how he got through tsa with that case. He replied he flew into Memphis from Louisiana and was transferring planes with out going through Memphis security.

Upon arriving in Vegas we saw quite a few people getting off planes with their cases.

During our stay in Vegas my g/ f bought a shot load of stuff to take back home..I suggested she buy another bag to put that stuff in. She replies why dont she just put that stuff in the suitcase and I carry our cue case on the plane..

I reply ...just because people got off here with cases dont mean they are flying out with them . Well you cant argue with women....well you can but its a waste of time .

When we get to the airport guess what ? I am told j cant carry it on..needless to say I was a little irate..so it gets put in baggage and you probably know the outcome. When j retrieve the case in Memphis its scratched all to hell but the cues were fine..also found a note in my case that it had been checked by home land security.

Next time my g/f might....just might listen to me.

trob · May 24, 2016

heading to vegas and I'm going to try to carry it on. I only play with predator so if they want to check it and throw it in the baggage area no big deal lol If it breaks I can buy another just like it nationals haha One of the reasons I don' play with customs any more. I just got tired of worrying about what was going to happen to it. It's like having a sports car.. at first it's great but after a while you get tired of worrying about every little stone and chips and parking in the back of the parking lot.

gunzby · May 24, 2016

You don't carry on that sweet three piece cue with the mini case?

DJSTEVEZ · May 24, 2016

trob said:
One of the reasons I don' play with customs any more. I just got tired of worrying about what was going to happen to it. It's like having a sports car.. at first it's great but after a while you get tired of worrying about every little stone and chips and parking in the back of the parking lot.

Exactly! I retired my Huebler & my Scruggs just for those reasons. I like that with my Lucasi I can keep it in my trunk in any kind of weather and it won't warp. If someone swipes it at the pool hall or at the airport, I can get another one just like it. Granted I wouldn't like shelling out a few hundred bucks to do so, but that's way better than losing the kind of $ I have invested in the Huebler and/or the Scruggs. Don't get me wrong, there's a difference in how the Lucasi plays (vs. the Huebler or Scruggs) but if my game is depending on that difference to win, I've got much bigger problems. -Z-

FranCrimi · May 24, 2016

I used to pack my cues in my suitcase with my clothes and carry on the empty case. Never had a problem except once when I forgot I had a cue ball and some key chains in the case. It caused all kinds of problems when the case went through x-ray. They said it looked like a plastic explosive with wires coming from it.

I realized what it was and went to open the case to show them but they wouldn't let me open it. We had to wait for the bomb experts to come and open the case.

bbb · May 24, 2016

lorider said:
Well here is my one and only experience so far.

After reading on here I decided to buy a 4by 8 to carry mine and my g/f s cue to Vegas nationals in 2013. We put the case inside a large suitcase with our clothes.

At the Memphis airport o da a guy holding his case ready to board our plane.i asked him if how he got through tsa with that case. He replied he flew into Memphis from Louisiana and was transferring planes with out going through Memphis security.

Upon arriving in Vegas we saw quite a few people getting off planes with their cases.

During our stay in Vegas my g/ f bought a shot load of stuff to take back home..I suggested she buy another bag to put that stuff in. She replies why dont she just put that stuff in the suitcase and I carry our cue case on the plane..

I reply ...just because people got off here with cases dont mean they are flying out with them . Well you cant argue with women....well you can but its a waste of time .

When we get to the airport guess what ? I am told j cant carry it on..needless to say I was a little irate..so it gets put in baggage and you probably know the outcome. When j retrieve the case in Memphis its scratched all to hell but the cues were fine..also found a note in my case that it had been checked by home land security.

Next time my g/f might....just might listen to me.

next time maybe go with a different girlfriend....:grin:

Bob Jewett · May 24, 2016

FranCrimi said:
... They said it looked like a plastic explosive with wires coming from it.

I realized what it was and went to open the case to show them but they wouldn't let me open it. We had to wait for the bomb experts to come and open the case.

I see two possibilities. They enjoy jerking people around and you were in the wrong place. They really thought that it looked like a bomb because they are idiots and likely think bombs look like portable hair dryers. In any case they do nothing useful at airports.

Bob Jewett · May 24, 2016

Not that it will help with cue sticks, but it might....

The TSA has a new program where you can sign up and go in for an interview and if you look like "a nice, quiet person that you would never suspect is a mass murderer", they will sell you a 5-year pass to go through the pre-check line where you don't have to take off your shoes or separate your laptop.

I signed up for it last month -- my appointment to go in for the interview is in August at SFO.:angry:

Does anyone remember the National Guard troops who were at the airports for a while after 9/11? The automatic weapons they carried weren't loaded. Maybe they had bayonets in their pockets. I think they were there to make us be afraid.

FranCrimi · May 24, 2016

Bob Jewett said:
I see two possibilities. They enjoy jerking people around and you were in the wrong place. They really thought that it looked like a bomb because they are idiots and likely think bombs look like portable hair dryers. In any case they do nothing useful at airports.

I don't know what you mean about portable hair dryers, but yes, they were deadly serious. They saw the plastic composition of the cue ball with the key chains in the pouch as my cue case passed through the x-ray machine and it looked like a heavy piece of plastic-like material with wires coming from it, the way the key chains sat around the cue ball, I guess.

9Ballr · May 24, 2016

trob said:
One of the reasons I don' play with customs any more. I just got tired of worrying about what was going to happen to it. It's like having a sports car.. at first it's great but after a while you get tired of worrying about every little stone and chips and parking in the back of the parking lot.

I've played with custom cues for years, never worried.
I don't care if there's a ding or a scratch that happens.
Part of using the cue.
It's new when it's new but after that it's used.

Celophanewrap · May 24, 2016

lorider said:
Well here is my one and only experience so far.

After reading on here I decided to buy a 4by 8 to carry mine and my g/f s cue to Vegas nationals in 2013. We put the case inside a large suitcase with our clothes.

At the Memphis airport o da a guy holding his case ready to board our plane.i asked him if how he got through tsa with that case. He replied he flew into Memphis from Louisiana and was transferring planes with out going through Memphis security.

Upon arriving in Vegas we saw quite a few people getting off planes with their cases.

During our stay in Vegas my g/ f bought a shot load of stuff to take back home..I suggested she buy another bag to put that stuff in. She replies why dont she just put that stuff in the suitcase and I carry our cue case on the plane..

I reply ...just because people got off here with cases dont mean they are flying out with them . Well you cant argue with women....well you can but its a waste of time .

When we get to the airport guess what ? I am told j cant carry it on..needless to say I was a little irate..so it gets put in baggage and you probably know the outcome. When j retrieve the case in Memphis its scratched all to hell but the cues were fine..also found a note in my case that it had been checked by home land security.

Next time my g/f might....just might listen to me.

bbb said:
next time maybe go with a different girlfriend....:grin:

...or take the same girl, but pack her in a big suitcase with clothes around her.
Much cheaper flight for her

Cues Carried On Plane

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