TSA warns of cat eyes in carry-on bags

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) warns of cat eyes, a form of brass knuckles, that may be found on keychains. The TSA warns they are weapons and cannot be in carry on bags.

“Cat eyes,” which perhaps are better known for their dangerous ears than their eyes, fall along the lines of brass knuckles. A user places their fingers through the cat’s eyes and the ears become dangerous weapons, much like a set of brass knuckles, only sharp and pointy.

“The frequency in which we are seeing these items among carry-on items is disappointing,” said Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for 13 airports in Upstate New York. “Our officers are diligent in their duties and are good at spotting these weapons using the technologies at our checkpoints. I commend them for their continued vigilance and ask travelers to be equally diligent themselves and leave these items at home when packing for a flight. We come across these items daily and it slows down passengers who must stop and wait for our officers to remove the offending item and it backs up the line for the other travelers.”

When spotted, TSA officers give the traveler their choices to either return the item to their vehicle; hand them off to a non-traveling companion; return to the airline counter to place them in a checked bag; or voluntarily surrender them to TSA for disposal.