TSA to Klingons: Check your bat’leth
Klingons flying through US airports take note - the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will make you check your traditional weapons including bat'leths.
PROVERB: "LeghlaHchu'be'chugh mIn lo'laHbe' taj jej." ("A sharp knife is nothing without a sharp eye.") Klingon Honor Guard manual, pg 47
— Angry Nerd WIRED (@AngryNerdWIRED) October 13, 2014
While not officially found on the TSA’s prohibited items list, a smaller version of the double-grip fictional megaweapon was removed from a carry-on bag at Puerto Rico’s main international airport last year, as revealed by a TSA blog post this week.
The agency said 2015 was a busy year after screening more than 700 million passengers, about two million per day, and 1.6 billion carry-on bags.
While this was the only Klingon weapon confiscated last year, a similar bat’leth was discovered at New York’s LaGuardia airport in 2012.
Among the other notable baggage discoveries last year were live dogs, a knife disguised as a miniature Eiffel Tower, and an alarming amount of throwing blades, including another fictional weapon - Batman’s ‘batarang’ version of a boomerang.
#EiffelTower disguised knife found in baggage last year by the #TSApic.twitter.com/XFHXd6UzgL
— Colm McGlinchey (@ColmMcGlinchey) January 23, 2016
Batarangs found in luggage by the #TSA#Batman#RTpic.twitter.com/SLOMNylbgJ
— Colm McGlinchey (@ColmMcGlinchey) January 23, 2016
Bat’leths and Klingons have long captured the imagination of Star Trek fans.
This blacksmith/TV host got to make the authentic weapon on his show.
Other fans hold bat’leth tournaments, although their weapons have safety covers on them.
"Star Trek" is known for its epic battle scenes, but the original series also had its less-epic, more-ridiculous fights as well.
