Vampire straw gets passenger arrested at Boston airport

BOSTON (AP) — Authorities say an airline passenger was arrested for carrying a self-defense item known as a vampire straw through security at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The Massachusetts State Police said Tuesday that 26-year-old Arman Achuthan Nair was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon. Police were alerted after the titanium straw with a beveled end was found in Nair’s backpack Sunday evening. The Transportation Security Administration doesn’t allow vampire straws on flights, though they can be stored in checked baggage. The company that makes the straw bills it as a self-defense weapon since it can be used like a dagger. It can also be used for drinking.