Security Gone Too Far?

[beloitpiper]

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither.

-Benjamin Franklin

I've always liked this quote.

[Nervous Jock]

I've always liked this quote.

You need to get a happy medium

My Dad

I've always liked this quote

[Galician]

Back in '06 I had a nasty experience at the Asheville airport. Now I show up in cotton shorts and a tee shirt. No metal on me at all. After waltzing through security I head straight for the men's room and get properly dressed. Evidently you can carry a kilt outfit through security without problem or comment, but actually wearing one is another matter.

I had to stop at the Asheville airport in Nov 2001 to exchange a rented car which was giving me trouble. Coming from NYC and having experienced the destruction of the WTC firsthand, the degree of security struck me as mindboggling, given what to me was a very out of the way locale. It seemed that there was a whole troop of machine-gun bearing soldiers on duty there.

The priest who was riding with me wasn't even allowed to stay in the car and enter the airport grounds with me. He had to wait at the entrance to the airport grounds till the exchange was complete and I could pick him up on the way out.

[Coemgen]

I've always liked this quote.

Actually, that's not what he said. It's a common misconception, but the actual quote is:

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Anyway, since we're brandying quotes around:

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it. — Thomas Jefferson

Back on topic: I think that while security is important, it does, in general, go too far these days. Putting your sporran through the scanner I can deal with. Confiscating nail clippers, sgian don'ts, and shampoo and toothpaste, not so much.

Personally, I think that the airports should have control over it, not the government. It seems that if it were a private enterprise, there would be a bigger incentive to have security done quickly and effectively.

[Darkislander]

Okay, glad to see the topic has generated interest. Last year going to the conference had 2 main differences. Firstly, my kilt was in my case so as I could surprise my colleagues travelling with me at the conference. Whilst standing in line at security check I asked what was allowed. I was told that the dummy sgian was fine to wear, but a real one should be packed in the hold. I only had to remove the sporran and dummy sgian through security coming through east midlands airport back home. Kilt pin was still on. Secondly, yes we had the failed attack since then so things probably got tighter. However, I still had the pin on this year, but had to remove the belt. I was offered the chance to go back into the airport and either check the sgian in or post it back to myself. I really couldn't be bothered as I got this one really cheap, but have since priced them at around $24 or 12 - 14 pounds.
I will be flying from Glasgow again in June, but I won't be kilted. No, I was really just saddened that no allowance was made for being a national. Airports - beware of raving looney scotsman trying to stump you to death with their plastic sgians !

[Nervous Jock]

Airports - beware of raving looney scotsman trying to stump you to death with their plastic sgians !

As I said earlier the person with it held to his throat will unlikely know the difference.

[elrond]

An italian journalist succeded some months ago in carryon on the plane a knife, a lighter and some other dangerous things... sometimes the inspections are absolutely stupid...
On saturday in my town we will have a visit from the Pope, Benedetto XVI in a chirch 1 miles far from my house.... we have here the army, the navy, the air force, local and national police and belileve me, if I would do some terroristic act I think I could do it easily... Luckily for the pope I'm not a terrorist! LOL!!

Sometimes I think that a lot of this precautions are really unnecessary, the only aim it is to show some strenght...

However.. lets' go on working for a peaceful world in which we can travel with much more serenity!

[BonnieT100]

Not kilt related, but a security story. While on the way to Iraq, we stopped at JFK airport in NY. We were allowed to go outside the secured area as it would take a while to refuel. As we were coming back in, we had to go through security, including removing our boots. The funny thing was, I had a rifle, 30 rounds of ammo, a bayonet, a multitool, and a folding knife all sitting on the plane. We were all wearing our uniforms and travelling together. When I went home on leave recently, I never had to remove my boots, but my lass had to remove her flip-flops to go through security with me. At least they let her come to the gate with me.

[Moski]

I think what some are missing is the the sgian don't had no blade and they confiscated it. There was no reason for this.

[Geoff Withnell]

Ok, I agree that confiscating a bladeless Sgian Don't is a little silly, but a plastic knife can be a significant threat. Look at the knives here: http://www.coldsteel.com/nise.html

Notice that one of them is in fact a sgian dhu. I own one of these and, and as a test with the head of security's knowledge, walked through a checkpoint carrying it without setting off the metal detectors. It is a very serious weapon, and while it doesn't have the durability of a steel blade would do the job just as well. Airport security guards in any country have neither the training nor the time to make judgement calls on the seriousness of the threat in anything remotely resembling a weapon, and should err on the side of caution. Pack them in your checked luggage.
Geoff Withnell