Posted on 11/19/2010 10:46:33 AM PST by My Favorite Headache
Another day, another tale of the seeming absurdity of airport security. This one comes from a soldier coming home from Afghanistan on a military charter plane. The troops aboard the plane all went through security at Baghram Air Field, the soldier says in an email to RedState, passing through full-body scanners and having their bags inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs.
Yet when the plane stopped in Indianapolis to let 100 National Guard members off, the TSA insisted on re-searching all the passengers. “It’s probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons,” the soldier writes.
“All of us were carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying pistols,” though they weren’t loaded, and everyone had already been searched for ammo. Yet when the TSA found nail clippers on one of the soldiers, they insisted on confiscating them. “You can’t take those on the plane,” the TSA official said. “They can be used as a weapon.”
When the solider replied that he was permitted to take an actual weapon on the plane, the agent replied, "Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets." Asked the soldier, "And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?" Apparently. He reboarded without them ... but with his weapon, along with 232 other gun-toting fliers.
Did the guardsmen have bayonets?
Now I know how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole.
Hey, he could threaten to ruin the pilot's manicure!
/sarc
Can the pilots carry nail clippers? I mean, a pilot with nail clippers might try to take control of the plane.
“They can be used as a weapon.”
That would pretty much mean every Marine, Green Beret, Navy Seal, and Delta Force member cannot fly.
With each passing day I become more convinced that TSA only hires Obama voters..... my G*d these people are stupid.
A friend of mine works in a large airport. All of the airport employees were forced to empty their lockers, and clear the contents through airport security. My friend had a large, and very sharp steak knife in the locker. Put the knife and other items on the x-ray belt, and was handed back the steak knife after passing security. Back into the locker it went.
LOL... good one.
Gee, I’d actually feel safer if an armed US soldier was on a plane.
TSA - True Stupidity in action!!!
Excuse me, Ahmad, but I must confiscate that knife before you get on the plane.
But, why? I need it to strip the wires to connect the bomb I am holding in my hands!
Oh, OK. Keep the knife.
Soldiers are still trained in how to kill people with their unloaded weapons, right?
Why the hell are even DOING this American soldiers - with or WITHOUT loaded guns????
Suppose they were in a plane being transported to a military theater with loaded weapons? They wouldn;t be screened then.
So why the hell are soldiers on a military transport being screened for weapons at all???
Am I crazy or is the TSA?
Exactly...are the going to handcuff the soldiers next? I mean...they could take over the plane with their bare hands if they were so motivated.
Every day I get more and more worried about my hubby. He’s leaving on a hunting trip the day after Thanksgiving. He walks with a cane as a result of a too close encounter with an IED in Iraq, and has little patience with aggressive behavior directed at him. I know he will refuse the scanner, partly for health concerns (he’s had so many x-rays over the past few years and he jokes about glowing in the dark)...he read the thread yesterday (?) about wearing kilts, and I think he was seriously considering his Utilikilt for a few minutes. I’ll just spend Black Friday morning praying that he behaves himself in addition to the usual first day of the hunt prayers for safety.
232 battle hardened soldiers on an aircraft, or anywhere for that matter, ARE A WEAPON! Whether they’re armed or not. If they wanted that plane, it was theirs for the taking.
Flippin morons these TSA goons.
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