Why are fishing rods prohibited in hand luggage when travelling by airplane in Europe?

Question

Can anyone explain why exactly we cannot take a cheap collapsible fishing rod in hand baggage? (Europe, e.g. UK and Spain)

I mean seriously, what am I going to do? poke someone gently from a distance?

Answer 1

Generally speaking, you are not allowed to bring on board things that can be used to hurt someone or to hide something dangerous, and a foldable fishing rod fall into both categories at once, even if mostly in the first.

It's the same problem photographer can have with tripods and similar (and that I had once with an old lens). If you can take something on board and (reasonably) change it into a weapon (of sort)...it's a no no.

Think it this way: even if it's an annoyance, it's a way less annoyance than blowing up in mid-air or paying a really quick visit into a building.