Winston Aldworth: Stay sharp and follow the rules

Remember to ditch your knives before heading through aiport security. Photo / Thinkstock

It's bad news for Wogistani knife-wielding loons and non-Wogistani knife-wielding loons alike.

Over in the US, the Transportation Security Administration has backed down on plans to let passengers carry knives on board aircraft. They clamped down - understandably, most would agree - after that business in September 2001, when a couple of blokes armed only with knives turned four passenger aircraft into suicide missiles (please, no conspiracy theorist emails).

Since that day, pre-flight security checks have gone gang-busters. Little old ladies have had tweezers and knitting needles taken off them before boarding and many a Swiss army knife has been ditched at the security gate.

But, as NZ First MP and knife fan Richard Prosser pointed out last year (after he'd had to hand in a pocket knife before boarding), it's kind of a drag for the many of us who have no intention of hijacking an aircraft. His robust solution: "If you are a young male, aged between say about 19 and about 35, and you're a Muslim, or you look like a Muslim, or you come from a Muslim country, then you are not welcome to travel on any of the West's airline."

Hmmm. Or, you could just make sure you haven't got a knife on you. It's not that hard.