Let's Get the TSA to Change Its Policy on Pool Cues

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
Hi gang,

I was a DJ for over 30 years, but I'm a Social Worker and have been for 25+ years.
Part of my training is how to get organizations & the Government to change policy.
Getting the TSA to change their policy on Pool Cues is in all likelihood just a matter of someone willing to to put in a little leg work.
Since I know how to do this, I'm in.

It's always easier to get things done when you have a sympathetic or empathetic partner on the inside. To that end:

QUESTIONS:

Does anyone know any Congress Person or U.S. Senator who is a big pool enthusiast? If not, I'll take any well known politician.

Does anyone know any trade association that can get me reliable industry stats on:

# of Pool Players in the US
avg # of cues owned per player
travel habits of average pool players
# of miles most tournament players typically travel

Can anyone get someone in a position of authority of any formal Billiard organization (tour, association, etc.) to get behind this with me?

The United States Figure Skating Association got the TSA to change their policy banning Figure Skates as carry-on items post 9/11.
I have a dear friend who can put me in touch with the right people at the USFSA to see how they went about it.

This should be a relatively quick fix folks if just a few people are willing to put in some effort with me. Let's see who stands up! Let's do this!
 

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
OK, I just shot off an email to the BCA to see if we can get them on board to help. -Z-

Hi, my name is Steve. I represent an informal, grass-roots band of Pool players who believe the TSA needs to change their policy that forbids pool cues (in pool cue cases) from being carry-on items on commercial flights.

We would like your support and assistance. The United States Figure Skating Association was successful in getting the TSA to change their ban on Figure Skates as carry-on items post 9/11. I have access to the folks who helped steer that effort.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best, Stephen Kinsella.
 
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greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
Hi gang,

I was a DJ for over 30 years, but I'm a Social Worker and have been for 25+ years.
Part of my training is how to get organizations & the Government to change policy.
Getting the TSA to change their policy on Pool Cues is in all likelihood just a matter of someone willing to to put in a little leg work.
Since I know how to do this, I'm in.

It's always easier to get things done when you have a sympathetic or empathetic partner on the inside. To that end:

QUESTIONS:

Does anyone know any Congress Person or U.S. Senator who is a big pool enthusiast? If not, I'll take any well known politician.

Does anyone know any trade association that can get me reliable industry stats on:

# of Pool Players in the US
avg # of cues owned per player
travel habits of average pool players
# of miles most tournament players typically travel

Can anyone get someone in a position of authority of any formal Billiard organization (tour, association, etc.) to get behind this with me?

The United States Figure Skating Association got the TSA to change their policy banning Figure Skates as carry-on items post 9/11.
I have a dear friend who can put me in touch with the right people at the USFSA to see how they went about it.

This should be a relatively quick fix folks if just a few people are willing to put in some effort with me. Let's see who stands up! Let's do this!



Push the precheck authorization side if we join marked as pool players.

To be perfectly clear cues are no more
Effective as a bludgeoning device than your standard cane, most of those metal canes are actually much harder and will take larger sideways forces.....

If United 93 was hijacked by boxcutter wielding terrorists a few good players coulda shiskabobed them some them gobblers



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

JC

Coos Cues
The TSA tried to relax the rules in 2013 to allow billiard cues among many other common-sense items, but it was forced to reverse itself following a heavy negative response:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-reverses-itself-no-knives-on-planes/

I don't see anything in the current environment that would make a change to the reaction to such a change today than in 2013.

Seems pretty simple to me.

Remove knives from the exemption for sporting goods. Watch the objections magically melt away.

JC
 

Z-Nole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just landed in tampa and the lady next to me was knittting with metal knitting needles the entire way. How the hell did those get though security? When I asked he she jokingly said to shut up or she’d poke my eye out.
 

AuntyDan

/* Insert skill here */
Silver Member
I just landed in tampa and the lady next to me was knittting with metal knitting needles the entire way. How the hell did those get though security? When I asked he she jokingly said to shut up or she’d poke my eye out.

Wasn't the TSA worried she might knit an Afghan?

Sorry, couldn't resist.
 

Celophanewrap

Call me Grace
Silver Member
Hi gang,

I was a DJ for over 30 years, but I'm a Social Worker and have been for 25+ years.
Part of my training is how to get organizations & the Government to change policy.
Getting the TSA to change their policy on Pool Cues is in all likelihood just a matter of someone willing to to put in a little leg work.
Since I know how to do this, I'm in.

It's always easier to get things done when you have a sympathetic or empathetic partner on the inside. To that end:

QUESTIONS:

Does anyone know any Congress Person or U.S. Senator who is a big pool enthusiast? If not, I'll take any well known politician.

Does anyone know any trade association that can get me reliable industry stats on:

# of Pool Players in the US
avg # of cues owned per player
travel habits of average pool players
# of miles most tournament players typically travel

Can anyone get someone in a position of authority of any formal Billiard organization (tour, association, etc.) to get behind this with me?

The United States Figure Skating Association got the TSA to change their policy banning Figure Skates as carry-on items post 9/11.
I have a dear friend who can put me in touch with the right people at the USFSA to see how they went about it.

This should be a relatively quick fix folks if just a few people are willing to put in some effort with me. Let's see who stands up! Let's do this!

It's a good idea but not a sexy cause that any politician is willing to get behind. The US Figure Skating Association is full of respectable young
Olympic Athletes that take planes to make their country proud, whereas we're a bunch of slick, oily degenerate gambling pool players that would
gamble their mothers rent, or at least that's the stereotype.

It's just not a big enough deal for anyone in authority to want to get involved in or take up as a bill to congress. No Representative or Senator would be willing
to introduce a bill to make things more convenient for a pool player.

I would think (and I'm serious) your best bet would be to write directly to the White House and try to contact POTUS, after all, have you looked at NPR?
At least 90% of the posters there are what you might consider "his base" and the word is he'll bend over backwards to cater to those folks.

He's owned casinos and is at least familiar with the misunderstood groups, such as the pool playing community. Besides, everyone else has said no

Perhaps he'd issue an executive order to the TSA that would allow cues in a cue case as a carry-on, pursuant airline policy of carry-on bags of course.

Anything dealing with a member of congress from either party would be futile and a waste of time and regardless of who in the TSA you might reach,
even if they wanted to they don't have the authority on their own to change the rules.

Good thought though, and I admire your passion, but most of it's been done before, with minimal to no success.
 
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Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My last post came off more harshly than I the sentiment intended. Sorry and it is nice to have someone who is willing to be my advocate.

Would have been more accurate for me to say that influencing the matter to change has a very low likelihood of success.
 

VonRhett

Friends Call Me "von"
Silver Member
"This should be a relatively quick fix folks"

OP, no offense but changing Federal Law is NEVER a quick fix.

Though bureaucracy disgusts me, I'm somewhat glad that it's not as easy as you claim.

Imagine laws getting changed every time a special interest group wrote a letter and requested it.

Plus, Billiards is not a respected Industry like Olympic Figure Skaters.

Anyway, good luck getting a member of Congress to get behind this.

FYI, walking canes are protected by the ADA, pool cues are not.

FWIW, I would LOVE to see this changed, but I don't bother with futile exercises.

-von
 

michael4

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Best bet is to piggy back onto other common products that should be de-regulated by TSA..........for example, if pool cues were included in the figure skate exemption bill, they would have sailed through......

But as mentioned above, I assume not much enthusiasm for pool cues by themselves....
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
The whole TSA thing is a joke. The purpose is to make us feel like someone is doing something. They have a penetration test program where the examiners try to get contraband through the screening. A couple of years ago they reported their percentages: only 5% of the attempts are stopped. 95% get through.

I paid to be one of the special people who don't have to take off their shoes or jackets or take my laptop out of my carry-on (automatic TSA-Pre). At about $20 per year, it's worth it to me. I also don't have to stand in the customs/immigration line to get back into the country.

As far as pool cues, I'm used to traveling with a large enough bag to pack it. On short stays that only require a carry-on it would be irritating but I usually fly Southwest and the first two 50-pound bags are free.
 

Coop1701

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
TSA should ease up the restrictions. If anything. Just because Airline workers treat everything so horrible. I don't want 1000's of dollars of cues in my case destroyed because of some Delta baggage handler who is having a bad day cause his wife cheated on him.

I stand with DJSTEVEZ..., I want the TSA to ease up on us pool players.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My last post came off more harshly than I the sentiment intended. Sorry and it is nice to have someone who is willing to be my advocate.

Would have been more accurate for me to say that influencing the matter to change has a very low likelihood of success.
No, you were right. This topic is deader than HulaHoop. TSA/airlines don't give a rats ass about pool players and their equipment. There are many ways to pkg. a cue for air travel in the planes hold. I just don't see getting them classified as carry-on happening.
 

chefjeff

If not now...
Silver Member
This should be a relatively quick fix

lol

Are you taking bets?


th




Jeff Livingston
 
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KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
First, we are confusing things. There is not a federal law that prohibits these items. These items are prohibited by regulation, not by law.

Congress passed laws to establish the TSA. Which empowers TSA to make rules that get established through regulations. Thus, you don't need a new "law" and go back to Congress on every little thing. Though, many regulations are published and you can provide feedback and such in newly propose regulations. But, adding and subtracting items on their list is most likely not one of them.

So, regulations are just new "guidelines" from existing laws already on the books. Thus, TSA can add or take off items off their list when needed based on security.

And TSA already prohibits baseball bats, cricket bats, bowling pins, hockey sticks, snow cleats, walking sticks, etc, so its' not about our little "niche" sport they are picking on.

Thus, having them allow pool cues is not likely to ever happen, as they consider these items "blunt objects" that can be used as a weapon. Though, not really sure how tennis rackets are not blunt objects either, but whatever ;)

PS: Knitting needles and scissors are on the OK list. Not sure how, but they are. So, you can't run with scissors, but you certainly can FLY with them ;) LOL
 

GideonF

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good luck with this endeavor. When I go to the Derby, I am always struck by the fact that the airport sells small Louisville Slugger bats that are TSA approved for carry on and make a far more effective weapon than a pool cue ever could. But I suspect that some Senator or Congressperson from Kentucky supported getting those on the approved list, which is just not likely to occur for pool.
 
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