Security Gone Too Far?

[george7]

I always wear flip flops, jeans or shorts, no belt, no coins etc, and carry only a laptop and bagpipes... that and my active duty ID get me through security nice and quickly.

[randal]

I wear clogs and jeans, usually not even a jacket. I carry a small rucksack and put whatever I need in there (ie reading material and snacks). You can't take water through security any more ( I guess it might detonate?) and I just put my belt and wallet in my rucksack when going through security.
Granted it seems extreme to search every pleat in a kilt, but consider what would happen if security was relaxed. It's a sad world we live in and these are the side effects we must learn to live with.

[English Bloke]

... a plastic knife can be a significant threat. Look at the knives here: http://www.coldsteel.com/nise.html

Jeepers Geoff. If you don't mind me saying so, those are Bl**dy terrifying.

It must be a pretty harsh neighbourhood a Bloke lives in where he needs one of those hidden in every room!!

By the way, I do like the way threads get recycled on here and new input added to the subject.

[freddie]

Recently I saw a thing called a 'sgian brew' which is a traditional sgian dhu handel on a bottle opener instead of a blade. I wonder if security would confiscate one of these ?
Talking about airport security, during a recent trip to Minneapolis I gave my Father In Law a couple of bottles of beer and when we came to leave the hotel he realised he hadn't drank one of them. He was hurridly going to consume it when his wife said "Take it to drink at the airport". Of course they confiscated it at the security check in and I've never seen him looking so upset!

[Geoff Withnell]

Jeepers Geoff. If you don't mind me saying so, those are Bl**dy terrifying.

It must be a pretty harsh neighbourhood a Bloke lives in where he needs one of those hidden in every room!!

By the way, I do like the way threads get recycled on here and new input added to the subject.

I would agree. I don't have one in every room. But as a friend of my once said on a pro-keep and bear arms discussion board, "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!" Weapons aren't terrifying. These knifes cannot do any more damage than a good carving knife such as you probably have in a kitchen drawer. It's the bloke holding the thing that scares me.

Geoff Withnell

[O'Callaghan]

I like the phrase 'security theatre' i think a lot of what we see nowadays is security theatre and not real security.

[BoldHighlander]

But as a friend of my once said on a pro-keep and bear arms discussion board, "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!"

Indeed....I'm a private security guard, however I do work twice a week as part of "homeland security" (rail & bus), and I can attest to what your friend said from personal experience. Thats why when on the job I'm loaded for bear, even if not required, I've had to deal with alot of nuts out there!

[bowser]

I think I would have been tempted to tell them where to get off, there is no justification for that at all, it does not breach any of the CAA regs regarding what can be taken on an aircraft, is just a molded plastic lump.
I think I would be winging a letter to the operator of the airport. That is just a jobsworth security guard !!!

On Friday 25th April I was flying from Glasgow airport to East Midlands. I was then bus'd to Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire for my companies 1 day conference.
I went kilted, as last year it went down well with the English.
I was wearing my plastic molded, no blade sgian dubh. Last year this was no problem, but it seemed to be this year. It was confiscated on the grounds that "the threat is still there". I also had to remove my sporran and belt, which thankfully were returned okay.
It's a sad day that we can't even wear our national dress through an airport.
Anyway, here's a poor photo of me taken with a cellphone outside the hotel awaiting pick up to the conference.

[Tetley]

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

Ouch!!!

Those are seriously nasty knives.

Reminds me of one of Dick Francis' book where the baddie had concealed knives everywhere, including one disguised as a tie.

Mark

[BEEDEE]

I find it easier not to wear a Sgian dubh in public, unless I am going to a formal occasion. In the USA I always remove my kilt pin and put it in the sporran before sending it through the x-ray. I also use sporran hangers when travelling as it makes it easier to get the belt and sporran off for security.

Because of my ankle replacement, I am always diverted to full inspection and have never had trouble wearing a kilt. They just make you stand with one leg forward when they run the wand down your legs.

Brian