[Kerberos]

Geeze, and this is what the government is trying to pass off as increased security?

[E Rocc]

I issued this request in an agreeable voice, but judging from the employee's response, you'd have thought I'd been caught with a firearm. His eyes hardened. The sloping shoulders suddenly stood erect. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by three or four of his security cohorts. "See, you should've done like I told you."

Saying what this hemmorhoid deserves would get this post pulled.

-Eric

[Darth Sidious]

You vill take uff de shirt undt you vill LUFF itd!!

The more stories I hear about these gestapo-wannabes, the more I wanna see the whole sorry lot of 'em pistol-whipped black and blue.

[blackbart1]

Is this stupidedness what the public is paying increased wages for? No way I would have been as calm as this fella. Hope this gets more coverage.

[Senator_Blutarski]

Zero tolerance meets airport security.

As a person with a low BS tolerance flying is becoming very difficult for me.

Watching the airport security goons frisk 80 year old grandmothers while Mohammed and Ahmed waltz through the lines drives me crazy. Even worse, I start my travels out of a small midwestern terminal where the average passengers are Ole and Lena Oleson on their way to Duluth to attend a Lutefisk dinner honoring Ole's cousin Luther from Bemidji. It is common to have more security personnel than passengers.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I had to fly to Washington recently from upstate NY.

I got on the plane at home no problem.

We had to change flights at LaGuardia. We got off the plane, walked to out next gate and waited for the next flight.

Now, mind you I could only have gotten to our next gate by passing through the previous airport security, either in upstate or Laguardia.

When it was time to board the plane, they pulled me out of line. They asked me to open my brief case. Fair enough. Clipped onto the inside of my briefcase was my badge and ID. The ID says on, BTW, that I am authorized to pass through all local police, fire and security checkpoints. (And before you ask I didn't flash or reference either my badge or ID in an effort to get out of something).

The security guy keeps rifling through my briefcase. I'm not overly concerned. He has me empty my pockets. Okay I say. I even offer to remove my jacket because of its metal buttons.

He then runs the handheld metal detector wand over me. Nothing goes off. So I figure: well, that's that.

Wrongo.

Now the guy tells me to spread my arms and legs and FRISKS me.

Now I am getting seriously PO'd. However, I keep reminding myself that I am in an airport in New York City and better to remain calm.

Finally, he stops patting me down, tells me to close my brief case (which aint easy, given he has totally disorganized everything in it) and lets me on the plane.

I get on the plane and tell my wife "well, honey, enjoy the trip, because its the last time we are flying anywhere."

I am convinced that they pulled me precisely because I was the "waspiest" man in that line.

I didn't set off any of the metal detectors I had gone through previously, security I had my ticket and one form of government ID out, I had a badge and other government ID in my briefcase and I was traveling with my wife. Hardly the profile, racial or otherwise of a terrorist.

Furthermore, on the way back through, I noted other people getting pulled out and they were, you guessed it, middle aged and older white (usally Irish looking) business men wearing suits and ties.

Maybe they are expecting a big IRA strike next time?

Yeah, right.

[Emile]

Who says the Soviet Union is dead? In many material ways, our government apparatus has become the "evil empire". Question is, will we collectively rise from our gulags and do something about it, or just let it go on?

[Darth Sidious]

"Take off your jacket please," said a security attendant. He was young, maybe 21 or 22 years old, slope- shouldered and pimply- faced.

[VOA]

Before leaving the security checkpoint, however, I threw a look over one shoulder.
The pimply-faced kid with sloping shoulders flashed a victorious grin.

And this little Hitler will probably soon be a Federal employee...

[Wings-n-Wind]

These useless drills are time-2-time norm for airline crewmembers.... even when ON DUTY!

Power trip.... about sums it up.

Regards,

[Red Jones]

bump

[Taft in '52]

Airline security horror stories such as this have made me bearish on flying. The last time I traveled from Los Angeles to New Mexico, I went by car, rather than by plane. Airport security hassles played a major role in my decision to travel by road.

[Savage Beast]

The captain with the green card had a point. The passenger with the Coke probably didn't. But, it's true, these screeners et al. can be annoying.

However:

"The security guy was out to get me. What had begun with confusion over a simple garment had become an issue of power."

Elliot, you had as much of a power issue as the security guy did. If you had just removed the shirt, you could have saved yourself some trouble, and the guy wouldn't have won, which he did:

"The pimply-faced kid with sloping shoulders flashed a victorious grin."

I probably would have removed the shirt, flexed a few times for the benefit of the bystanders, looked at the guy like he was an idiot, and been on my way. But that's just me. --The Beast

[Joe Hadenuf]

While all this goes on at our airports, millions upon millions of illegal aliens are flowing across our borders and into our country at will.

[Phantom Lord]

When I fly with my golf clubs, which is most of the time, my long drive drivers are too long to fit into those "hard side" travel cases for golf clubs. So i put those in a hard side case that is made for fishing poles.

On the side of this hard case, in giant letters is the word BAZOOKA. The brand that makes it. I bet next time airport security is gonna go bonkers when they see that. I think I am going to fed ex my clubs to Nevada when I fly there in October. Am driving to all my other tournaments this year since they are on the east coast. Nevada is too far to drive and a train or bus takes to long to get there.

[buffyt]

My mother recently came for my youngest son's HS grad. She is tiny, under five feet tall, thin, petite, frail looking. White hair and pale white skin. She is healthy, but just so tiny and pale - not threatening looking in any way. Her bag was searched at Houston Hobby Airport and they ran the wand over her. She was cool with it. But even if she had knitting needles (she doesn't knit - has no needles) there is NO way such a frail person could overpower a steward or stewardess. Heck even if she had a gun you could over power her, no problem. I said out loud where the security people could hear me that this is not making anyone feel safer and that Hobby Airport is anal retentive! I was so emabarrassed to have my dear old mother treated like a suspect! She never even runs stop signs, usually....

[Kermit]

They're from the government. They're here to help you. :^|

[justlurking]

I fly almost every week on business and I've been watching the "random" searches. From what I've seen, these factors will get you singled out:

• You are traveling on a one-way ticket.
• You bought your ticket within the past seven days.
• Your ID is not "perfect" (i.e. an expired driver's license).
• You are standing in front of the pack waiting to board the plane (frequent flyers are typically waiting there, having just come from the airline's club and not bothering to sit down).
• You are the last person on the plane (the screener admitted this to me)
• You have any significant metal on you (even if it doesn't set off the alarm). I got hung up last week because I forgot to take about $2 in change out of my pocket. Don't forget about metal eyelets for shoelaces.

I can't avoid the "random" check for explosives in my carry-on bag, because it has so many cables, power converters, PC cards, etc. I'm now required to take my computer out of the bag and run it through separately and that can be a real pain at some checkpoints because they don't have a table that I can use.

But, I've learned the routine and have figured out how to minimize my delays. Now that American has opened separate checkpoints for first-class and frequent flyers in a few airports, it makes things even easier.

I no longer fly unless the drive exceeds 4-5 hours. Even if the flight is less than an hour, I have to start to the airport about 2-1/2 hours before my flight departs and expect another hour on the other end.

Airlines are starting to figure out that people aren't flying because it's too much hassle -- not because they are afraid it isn't safe.

[RichardsSweetRose]

If ever you have a problem at the security checkpoint, never, ever ask to see the manager.

And remember to take off your jacket, even if it's actually a shirt.

AND IF YOU ARE A WOMAN, ESPECIALLY A WELL ENDOWED ONE, NEVER, EVER, AND I DO MEAN NEVER WEAR A LONG LINE BRA!!