*Exactly!* I am so tired of being asked if that's my luggage. Because it's so insulting to my intelligence. They think I feel safer because they ask? That's the only reason they could be asking, because we all know a terrorist would like totally lie about the luggage. It's all designed to make us *feel* safer, but in a way that really insults anyone with half a brain, which is most of the people that fly regularly. I wish the FAA would do something useful and hire actual professionals to screen luggage.

Actually, I think they ask those questions so that they can prosecute you more easily if they find something illegal in your luggage. They can't begin to hope that a terrorist would tell the truth, but if they find drugs, they don't want you to be able to say that it must have been put in your luggage by someone else.

I was on one of those perpetual delays one Sunday where five hours after arriving at the airport I found myself having to be re-ticketed through a second airline because the first one had canceled the flight and told me that it wouldn't provide me with transportation. When the lady at the United ticket counter asked whether my luggage had been in my control since being packed, I nearly screamed, "No, those blankety-blank idiots at America West have had it for the past five hours."

WFTR
Something that Hasn't Changed (Stop Blaming America!).
Bill

First Thread

<SARCASM>Well, heck...the ban on plastic knives and nail clippers will solve this problem. </SARCASM>

If he was already in the cockpit then he used a fake I.D of an FAA or airline employee (from any airline) to fly jumpseat. That would explain the guy in Toronto with the Lufthansa I.D's and uniforms. Sorry work by gate agents to check it out, IMO.

(if that is the case of what happened)

All this "even confiscating fingernail files!" pablum is only to help the sheeple go back to sleep,secure in the "knowledge" that they are "safe" because their benevolent gooberment and loving politicians are "doing something". Anybody who actually believes that crap is more than window dressing isn't as smart as my cat.

I wish I could let your cat cast the average Democrat's vote.

I think the fingernail clipper fiasco is worse than that. In three cases, the terrorists succeeded because Americans are largely conditioned to be passive in the face of evil and wait for "proper authorities" to handle everything. I'm not criticizing those people. I'm conditioned the same way and would probably react the same way. On United Flight 93, brave men finally shook off the conditioning and fought the evil. They won that battle. They were too late to save themselves, but they saved other Americans.

Forcing us to give up fingernail clippers, sewing kits, cuticle scissors, disposable razors, and similar items only conditions us to be more passive. We give up what we want to have on our persons because someone said so even though the danger of these items is negligible. If we can be herded like sheep by a guy with fingernail clippers in spite of a ten to one numerical advantage, then nothing can make us secure. If we want real safety, we have to change our attitude and fight evil at every turn.

WFTR
Something that Hasn't Changed (Stop Blaming America!).
Bill

Thanks for the link to the first thread. The title at the top should also work.

Today a co-worker told of having a very tiny pocket knife confiscated, but realized after the flight was over he had forgotten about his food thermometer. It was also missed by security. It's essentially an 4 inch ice pick with a temp gauge on top and is stored in a pen-like case with pocket hook.

I think they are starting to decide that people can fly with pens and pencils. (I hope that none of them hears the old saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword.") If they thought it was a pen, I guess it was okay.

Forcing us to give up fingernail clippers, sewing kits, cuticle scissors, disposable razors, and similar items only conditions us to be more passive.

That's a very good point. In other words, not only will this not help solve the problem; it will, in fact, likely make the problem worse.

I ALWAYS THANK PEOPLE FOR CHECKING MY BAGS AT SECURITY POINTS & ASKING THE REQUIRED SECURITY QUESTIONS!

I KNEW PEOPLE KILLED ON PAN AM FLT. 211 & ON TWA FLT. 800, THATS WHY!

I ALSO KNEW BARBARA OLSEN KILLED ON THE UA FLT. THAT HIT THE PENTAGON.

I ALWAYS THANK PEOPLE FOR CHECKING MY BAGS AT SECURITY POINTS & ASKING THE REQUIRED SECURITY QUESTIONS!

I KNEW PEOPLE KILLED ON PAN AM FLT. 211 & ON TWA FLT. 800, THATS WHY!

I ALSO KNEW BARBARA OLSEN KILLED ON THE UA FLT. THAT HIT THE PENTAGON.

I ALWAYS THANK PEOPLE FOR CHECKING MY BAGS AT SECURITY POINTS & ASKING THE REQUIRED SECURITY QUESTIONS!

I KNEW PEOPLE KILLED ON PAN AM FLT. 211 & ON TWA FLT. 800, THATS WHY!

I ALSO KNEW BARBARA OLSEN KILLED ON THE UA FLT. THAT HIT THE PENTAGON.

"A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." - Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Thank you for flying Liberty Airlines
Have a safe flight.

To arms, to arms, the terrorists are coming!

America's Militia wants YOU!

Nine out of ten Americans will fight to keep George W. Bush in the white house, and Osama bin Laden out!

Congress has provided (Article I - Section. 8, U.S. Constitution) the Militia with a means to arm themselves: CMP (Civilian Markmenship Program).
Bible quotes in favor of annihilating jihadists
Poll: bin Laden's skull can be best used as an ....

Molon Labe !

That's a very good point. In other words, not only will this not help solve the problem; it will, in fact, likely make the problem worse.

I believe that by reinforcing the behaviors that cause terrorists to hold us in contempt, the authorities are making flying less safe. I don't think most of us would have thought that someone with a knife or boxcutter could have gained control of a plane. We would have thought that "someone" would have prevented it. The attitude that we need to inculcate is that the "someone" should be the guy who stares at you from the mirror. The terrorists figured out that most people would die while waiting for that "someone."

America's response has Already Started.
Bill

I know of a case (one degree removed from direct knowledge) of an individual private pilot who was finally allowed to board his own plane, ALONE, to fly it back to his home airport, and had his pen and pencil taken by airport security authorities.

Presumably he was considered at risk of stabbing himself in the neck with his pencil in order to hijack himself.

If there were a Liberty Airlines, you bet I'd fly it! And I bet you terrorists would stay far away. They don't want to meet up with armed Americans. :-)

I agree with your point that we need to be certain what really happened. However, we need to use that knowledge to make effective changes in security and our own attitudes and not just use the confusion to condition people into further passivity.

This is worse than I thought

Looks like "airline pilot" will be the new career choice for thousands of young Arab Muslim men if it isn't already. And we can't discriminate against them in the US if they go the lawful route right? Even John Ashcroft will sue the airlines on their behalf! And pilots are gonna have guns now right?

Guess what people, the new terrorists who have nothing to live for will be "pilots for Allah" flying the "friendly" skies until they get their terror assignment. People will refuse to fly with them. Because just like the Egypt Air flight a couple years ago one of the pilots will be the terrorist.