Security Gone Too Far?

[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

[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!

[English Bloke]

... 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...

I agree about the "Bloke holding the thing" sentiment. I've handled weapons most of my working life but in UK (don't quote me, I'm no legal expert) I'm sure that if your violent intruder was lying on the kitchen floor with a carving knife in his neck; because that was the first thing that came to hand during the struggle, you'd have a much easier time explaining that to the investigating authorities than if he had one of those things sticking out of him. A carving knife is exactly that, primary function, to carve stuff. Those are made to damage people (or worse) and covertly to boot. Not to mention the 'cool' factor possessing one would engender among the morons who get off on such things. You can't legally carry hand-guns in UK but I'm sure having one of those would up your street cred among your pseudo-gang mates. Too many teenagers getting killed over here for me to accept those are neccessary.

I'll stick to Sgian Brews when I eventually get round to getting one.

Sorry Geoff, not you personally of course... and I'll get off my soap box now!!

[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

[thanmuwa]

Those plastic knives that Geoff pointed out are indeed terrifying.
On the point of the ridiculous restrictions at the airport, I disagree them on the basis that less than two minutes thought would allow someone intent on harm to smuggle any manner of things on board. Whereas the people disadvantaged are those carrying drinking water, toothpaste etc on board. Who really thinks the underpaid jobsworths on security would detect one of these filled with over 2 litres of kerosene? or one of Geoff's plastic knives in a forearm sheath made of foam rubber that feels like real flesh? And those are two just off the top of my head, I am sure the loonies have hundreds more.

As a real example of how arbitrary and idiotic the restrictions are, I was travelling with an ex (a current at the time :-) ) and she accidentally put her make-up bag in her hand luggage. it had 3 sticks in it like fat cocktail sticks (something to do with toenails) which were duly confiscated. The bag had a mirror in it which was cracked although still in place. The longest shard was about 4 inches long but the bag was given back to my gf. Which would you rather be stabbed with, a tiny slightly pointy stick or a razor sharp 4 inch piece of glass!

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.

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 who have little or no training and are reading what is and isn't allowed off a list. A cynic might say that all the extra security at airports is not to protect people but to keep em panicked, but that may be going a little far down the political line......

[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