A Common Travel Aid For Better Mobility Might Get Confiscated By TSA

You'd be amazed by the kinds of things you can bring onto a plane. Tiny bottles of liquor? Check. Cremated remains? Check. Well cleaned car parts? No problem. Pop culture fans can bring a replica lightsaber or Harry Potter wand aboard, and if your musical instrument is small enough to fit in an overhead compartment, you can bring it, too. Most incredible of all, you're allowed to transport a live fish, swimming inside a bag of water (or other transparent container). TSA should be A-okay with your colorful betta, and we can guarantee it'll be a conversation starter with fellow passengers.

But you probably can't bring a stick. You know those souvenir walking sticks, the carved-and-varnished ones for sale in gift shops? You almost certainly can't get this item past TSA. No matter how many peaceful miles you've trudged with it, leaning against that sturdy shaft for support, a walking stick is a no-go. This is just one of the many surprising things you can't — or at least probably can't — take through the security checkpoint.

Size isn't the issue either. A collapsible stick is just as forbidden as a full-length one, even if it fits into your carry-on bag. Even worse are trekking poles, which serve much the same function but often have pointed ends, designed for digging into the soil. Don't even get us started on those "tactical walking sticks" you sometimes see advertised online. In short, if your stick could conceivably be used as a weapon, TSA may very well have a rule that results in its confiscation.

The general guideline is that (a) walking sticks used by people with clear mobility issues are acceptable and (b) anything else should be checked. The distinction is often obvious; an older passenger with a painful limp should probably keep the curved cane he's leaning against. A person with a seeing impairment should absolutely keep a white cane, along with any other mobility aids. But should a spry youth bring aboard a lacquered Gandalf staff? TSA will likely say no.

In many ways, this rule makes perfect sense: Carry-on items shouldn't include anything that could be used for physical violence. These include ski poles, baseball bats, canoe paddles, and crowbars. With the right motivation, anyone could turn these innocent toys and tools into deadly instruments, and airlines can't take that risk. But the rule can also seem arbitrary. Why are you allowed to carry a monopod through, when this hefty piece of camera equipment could be wielded exactly like a club? What is the difference between a wooden walking stick and a wooden cane, which is permitted? Flashlights are almost always acceptable, but what about those heavy-duty flashlights police sometimes use as backup batons? This wouldn't be the first time passengers have questioned TSA's policies. 

At the end of the day, TSA agents have the last word. These folks have one job — to make sure no one smuggles anything dangerous onto your plane, whether they intend to or not — and in the end, air travel is safer because of their judgment. A walking stick may seem harmless, and if you really use it for balance, it's possible you'll convince TSA to let you carry it aboard. If you don't want to take the risk, store it in your checked luggage. As with all airport security, you're better safe than sorry.