Security Gone Too Far?

[BoldHighlander]

Different strokes for different folks !

Yep

I would still suggest also writing a letter of complaint to the director of the security company, as well as to the airport in question, and maybe even the local paper. One thing "officials" don't like is the glare of public scrutiny (it's what I instructed a passenger disembarking from Amtrack to do last night ).

[Tetley]

Or, back to the original poster, which would you rather, a whack on the side of the head with a belt with a very solid buckle or a poke with a small piece of plastic. To my mind, the belt is more "dangerous" than a plastic sgian, but it is not on the list.... yet.

Worse than a belt with a buckle, shoe laces. I kid you not. I carry two or three lengths of shoe lace string around in my haversack. Useful for tying things together with or entertaining youngsters on a boring flight teaching them to tie fancy knots. But as a garotte I would assume deadly. Yet no-one has thought about confiscating them. Makes a mockery out of all the security restrictions.

I understand why, but the execution of the security is farcical.

Mark

[McFarkus]

It's always nice to remove any metal like kilt pin, sgian dugh, or kilt chain if you use them when flying. I'm not sure if you use leather kilt hangers, but you'd probably have better luck with those. Glad to hear you only lost a plastic one though.

Kilt hangers make it very easy to remove and restrap one's sporran

[McFarkus]

The only people who are going to spot stuff like the "beer belly" and so on are people highly trained in spotting suspicious behaviour and have commensurately high salaries, not people on minimum wage

The "beer belly" is hilarious. Only it wouldn't work for me - I've already got one. But it would be great for football games.

[Wolf]

I'm going on short period from Brussels to Geneva and back, as it's only for the weekend I'll only be carrying hand luggage. I'd like to take my kilt and I guess there won't be no possibility for a kilt pin or sgian dubh, but do any of you had trouble with the chains of the sporran strap (being considered as a weapon etc)? And did it ever happen to anyone that the kilt straps set of the metal detector?
Also is it stupid to go regimental? as i wouldn't feel very comfy with a dude sticking a metal-detector wand under my kilt if I'm not wearing anything under it, nevermind stripsearching!

[CDNSushi]

It almost seems pretty bloody arbitrary as to what they allow and when. I think a lot depends on what side of the bed any given security monkey got up on that morning.

I wonder then, if sharp pins are banned, will I also no be allowed to wear the poppy for Remembrance Day? I guess as long as I'm not flying, right?

As for Ryan's comment: Maybe you should have suggested to the male security guy that his female co-worker come check you instead. (Well, only if she's cute).

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I find it interesting that a lot of people in the UK (specifically) find all of this security stuff bothersome. However, during the hey day of IRA activities in Britain (remember Warrington?) there was a huge outcry for even tighter security at airports and ferry terminals.

Is this now a matter of "how soon we forget" or is it about whose ox is getting gored? Face it, we live in a dangerous world. If you are inconvenienced by airport security, so are the bad guys. Complaining because someone took away your fake knife-- and that's what it was, a fake knife-- really doesn't seem to show a grasp of the bigger picture.

[BoldHighlander]

I find it interesting that a lot of people in the UK (specifically) find all of this security stuff bothersome. However, during the hey day of IRA activities in Britain (remember Warrington?) there was a huge outcry for even tighter security at airports and ferry terminals.

Is this now a matter of "how soon we forget" or is it about whose ox is getting gored? Face it, we live in a dangerous world. If you are inconvenienced by airport security, so are the bad guys. Complaining because someone took away your fake knife-- and that's what it was, a fake knife-- really doesn't seem to show a grasp of the bigger picture.

Well said sir!

(from one of the under paid "security monkeys" getting ready to head off to my thankless job & place myself between the bad guys and the good guys traveling tonight!)

[Carolina Kiltman]

I have to agree, it seems stupid and arbitrary, but I saw why the ban on "innocent" things like hand lotion, at least the limiting of quantities.

After they caught a crew, each with one part of an explosive disguised as cosmetic is when all this happened. I saw a film clip of the results of mixing three 8 oz (250 ml) components in a parked plane's after toilet in a salvage yard. It blew the entire tail off! Pretty scary.

There are a couple of clear or nearly clear water like common household chemicals that when mixed together produce a deadly gas, used in chemical warfare. I would rather that they be too careful than not enough.

I haven't tried flying kilted, but have developed a totally non-metallic wardrobe. I slip out of my shoes, and breeze through the gate every time.

[ozone]

Goto jetcareers.com forums to find out how little security we really have. The pilots have one story after another about how all this TSA stuff is just an illusion and sometimes actually can put passengers at risk!

like this thread:
http://forums.jetcareers.com/general...are-field.html

or this:
http://forums.jetcareers.com/general...-security.html

or this:
http://forums.jetcareers.com/general...-security.html