Screwdrivered Security (a little long)

OK... So I flew home from Tom Ridge airport in Erie, PA today.

I couldn't fly myself there because of weather (freezing rain, snow, ice
and such), so I took the bus (Airbus, that is)...

Anyway, flying out from LGA everything was smooth as silk. I fly
commercially enough to know the routine and generally avoid beeping and
getting wanded because I forgot to take off my watch, etc.

Now I fly commercially on average once or twice a month (especially in
the winter). I carry two spare car keys in my wallet, which never goes on
the belt, and never go off. I have had this shirt-pocket-pen-style
computer screwdriver that I have had in my laptop bag for about 2 years.
I never take off my sneakers because there is no significant metal in
them, actually I didn't think there was any at all.

Until today...


On my flight home today, tho, I experienced the Tom Ridge treatment...
First of all, I beeped. I didn't actually hear the beep. Apparently it
would be a security breach to hear the beep go off.

So as the guy directs me to the wanding booth, my laptop bag is being
attacked and held up by two TSA agents. Of course, at the same time, the
third security agent is taking my laptop, my coat, and my other bag, and
shuffling them down to the end of the line for anyone to help themselves
to.

Immediately, I request the Wander to ask the Shuffler to give my laptop
and my other stuff to the Holder Upper to keep securely together while I
am getting wanded. Fortunately, they were willing to comply.

So the guy wands me for like 10 minutes. First, he somehow finds metal in
my sneakers. Not in the sole, but on the top. Now these sneakers are the
velcro-type - they don't even have laces, or metal grommets for laces. So
I have no idea where the metal is.

So he takes my shoes off, throws them in a box, and passes them off to
Mr. Shuffler for XRays.

Next, he wands every inch of my body. Quite thoroughly, I might add.
Several times, he had to adjust the position of my arms and legs to
ensure he properly hit all the crevices. Every single grommet and stud in
my pants pocket was thoroughly examined, as was the belt buckle, and my
zipper! It was quite interesting, although would have been much more
enjoyable if I had gotten Ms. Wander instead!

So now we go over to Mr. Holder Upper with my stuff. Now I happened to
have some computer connector wire assemblies that are fairly non-
standard. You might be able to buy them at Radio Shack, but the average
non-geek probably wouldn't even know what it was. So I figured that's
what the problem was, and started directing him toward them. He says,
"no, that's not it." Instead, he pulls out my little, narrow, pocket-pen-
style screwdriver, and shows it to his supervisor.


Then he takes the bag and runs it through the XRay again. At this point,
Mr. Supervisor explains to me that the airport has a policy prohibiting
passengers from carrying tools on the plane. I explain to him that I am
going home, and that the screwdriver has been flying with me for several
years now, and I have had no trouble with it at other airports. I did
have trouble with a crimping tool once, and they told me at that point
that there was a size limitation.

Bear in mind, of course, I have the computer connectors in my bag (wires
and such), I have my toiletry bag which has a couple of bic disposable
razors, and my fingernails haven't been cut in a couple of days.

But somehow, this teeny, precision slotted computer screwdriver is
considered a risk. At the end of the day, I didn't think I would have
time to go back and check it and then get wanded again and still make the
flight. And mailing was not offered as an option. So I told him to keep
it, but I got dibs on anything else they find in my bag.

This is just ridiculous already. Do they think that a terrorist's photo
ID won't match their ticket? Are they afraid that I might unscrew the
seatbelt during taxi, takeoff, or landing?

Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

"For the land of naive, and the home of afraid..." ?

"Judah" wrote in message
...
|
| Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

Bingo.

On 2004-02-05 21:59:41 -0800, "C J Campbell"
said:

| Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

Bingo.

He stole my line!

--
Larry Fransson
Seattle, WA
E-mail address changes regularly to thwart spam.

This is just ridiculous already. Do they think that a terrorist's photo
ID won't match their ticket? Are they afraid that I might unscrew the
seatbelt during taxi, takeoff, or landing?

Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

'Enjoyed' your account..... your last sentence hit the issue of the
absurdity of it all right on the head..

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security
will deserve neither and lose both. "

-Benjamin Franklin-

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures complete with pictures and text at:
www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
"Judah" wrote in message
...
OK... So I flew home from Tom Ridge airport in Erie, PA today.

I couldn't fly myself there because of weather (freezing rain, snow, ice
and such), so I took the bus (Airbus, that is)...

Anyway, flying out from LGA everything was smooth as silk. I fly
commercially enough to know the routine and generally avoid beeping and
getting wanded because I forgot to take off my watch, etc.

Now I fly commercially on average once or twice a month (especially in
the winter). I carry two spare car keys in my wallet, which never goes on
the belt, and never go off. I have had this shirt-pocket-pen-style
computer screwdriver that I have had in my laptop bag for about 2 years.
I never take off my sneakers because there is no significant metal in
them, actually I didn't think there was any at all.

Until today...


On my flight home today, tho, I experienced the Tom Ridge treatment...
First of all, I beeped. I didn't actually hear the beep. Apparently it
would be a security breach to hear the beep go off.

So as the guy directs me to the wanding booth, my laptop bag is being
attacked and held up by two TSA agents. Of course, at the same time, the
third security agent is taking my laptop, my coat, and my other bag, and
shuffling them down to the end of the line for anyone to help themselves
to.

Immediately, I request the Wander to ask the Shuffler to give my laptop
and my other stuff to the Holder Upper to keep securely together while I
am getting wanded. Fortunately, they were willing to comply.

So the guy wands me for like 10 minutes. First, he somehow finds metal in
my sneakers. Not in the sole, but on the top. Now these sneakers are the
velcro-type - they don't even have laces, or metal grommets for laces. So
I have no idea where the metal is.

So he takes my shoes off, throws them in a box, and passes them off to
Mr. Shuffler for XRays.

Next, he wands every inch of my body. Quite thoroughly, I might add.
Several times, he had to adjust the position of my arms and legs to
ensure he properly hit all the crevices. Every single grommet and stud in
my pants pocket was thoroughly examined, as was the belt buckle, and my
zipper! It was quite interesting, although would have been much more
enjoyable if I had gotten Ms. Wander instead!

So now we go over to Mr. Holder Upper with my stuff. Now I happened to
have some computer connector wire assemblies that are fairly non-
standard. You might be able to buy them at Radio Shack, but the average
non-geek probably wouldn't even know what it was. So I figured that's
what the problem was, and started directing him toward them. He says,
"no, that's not it." Instead, he pulls out my little, narrow, pocket-pen-
style screwdriver, and shows it to his supervisor.


Then he takes the bag and runs it through the XRay again. At this point,
Mr. Supervisor explains to me that the airport has a policy prohibiting
passengers from carrying tools on the plane. I explain to him that I am
going home, and that the screwdriver has been flying with me for several
years now, and I have had no trouble with it at other airports. I did
have trouble with a crimping tool once, and they told me at that point
that there was a size limitation.

Bear in mind, of course, I have the computer connectors in my bag (wires
and such), I have my toiletry bag which has a couple of bic disposable
razors, and my fingernails haven't been cut in a couple of days.

But somehow, this teeny, precision slotted computer screwdriver is
considered a risk. At the end of the day, I didn't think I would have
time to go back and check it and then get wanded again and still make the
flight. And mailing was not offered as an option. So I told him to keep
it, but I got dibs on anything else they find in my bag.



"For the land of naive, and the home of afraid..." ?

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 05:29:51 GMT, Judah wrote:

OK... So I flew home from Tom Ridge airport in Erie, PA today.

I couldn't fly myself there because of weather (freezing rain, snow, ice
and such), so I took the bus (Airbus, that is)...

Anyway, flying out from LGA everything was smooth as silk. I fly
commercially enough to know the routine and generally avoid beeping and
getting wanded because I forgot to take off my watch, etc.

Now I fly commercially on average once or twice a month (especially in
the winter). I carry two spare car keys in my wallet, which never goes on
the belt, and never go off. I have had this shirt-pocket-pen-style
computer screwdriver that I have had in my laptop bag for about 2 years.
I never take off my sneakers because there is no significant metal in
them, actually I didn't think there was any at all.

Until today...


On my flight home today, tho, I experienced the Tom Ridge treatment...
First of all, I beeped. I didn't actually hear the beep. Apparently it
would be a security breach to hear the beep go off.

So as the guy directs me to the wanding booth, my laptop bag is being
attacked and held up by two TSA agents. Of course, at the same time, the
third security agent is taking my laptop, my coat, and my other bag, and
shuffling them down to the end of the line for anyone to help themselves
to.

Immediately, I request the Wander to ask the Shuffler to give my laptop
and my other stuff to the Holder Upper to keep securely together while I
am getting wanded. Fortunately, they were willing to comply.

So the guy wands me for like 10 minutes. First, he somehow finds metal in
my sneakers. Not in the sole, but on the top. Now these sneakers are the
velcro-type - they don't even have laces, or metal grommets for laces. So
I have no idea where the metal is.

So he takes my shoes off, throws them in a box, and passes them off to
Mr. Shuffler for XRays.

Next, he wands every inch of my body. Quite thoroughly, I might add.
Several times, he had to adjust the position of my arms and legs to
ensure he properly hit all the crevices. Every single grommet and stud in
my pants pocket was thoroughly examined, as was the belt buckle, and my
zipper! It was quite interesting, although would have been much more
enjoyable if I had gotten Ms. Wander instead!

So now we go over to Mr. Holder Upper with my stuff. Now I happened to
have some computer connector wire assemblies that are fairly non-
standard. You might be able to buy them at Radio Shack, but the average
non-geek probably wouldn't even know what it was. So I figured that's
what the problem was, and started directing him toward them. He says,
"no, that's not it." Instead, he pulls out my little, narrow, pocket-pen-
style screwdriver, and shows it to his supervisor.


Then he takes the bag and runs it through the XRay again. At this point,
Mr. Supervisor explains to me that the airport has a policy prohibiting
passengers from carrying tools on the plane. I explain to him that I am
going home, and that the screwdriver has been flying with me for several
years now, and I have had no trouble with it at other airports. I did
have trouble with a crimping tool once, and they told me at that point
that there was a size limitation.

Bear in mind, of course, I have the computer connectors in my bag (wires
and such), I have my toiletry bag which has a couple of bic disposable
razors, and my fingernails haven't been cut in a couple of days.

But somehow, this teeny, precision slotted computer screwdriver is
considered a risk. At the end of the day, I didn't think I would have
time to go back and check it and then get wanded again and still make the
flight. And mailing was not offered as an option. So I told him to keep
it, but I got dibs on anything else they find in my bag.

This is just ridiculous already. Do they think that a terrorist's photo
ID won't match their ticket? Are they afraid that I might unscrew the
seatbelt during taxi, takeoff, or landing?

Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

"For the land of naive, and the home of afraid..." ?

It is irritating that there isn't an option to mail your stuff back
home at the airport. It is so easy to be in a rush on the way to the
airport and to forget to take something out of your pockets or laptop
bag. At ORD, they are collecting 100s if not 1000s of items a day
from passengers. Wonder what happens to them? Maybe the TSA workers
get a nice pocketknife collection.

-Nathan

Nathan Young wrote:
Judah wrote:

Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

It seems so.

"For the land of naive, and the home of afraid..." ?

So chips are "naivety fries" now, eh?

It is irritating that there isn't an option to mail your stuff back
home at the airport. It is so easy to be in a rush on the way to the
airport and to forget to take something out of your pockets or laptop
bag. At ORD, they are collecting 100s if not 1000s of items a day
from passengers. Wonder what happens to them? Maybe the TSA workers
get a nice pocketknife collection.

There's one obvious solution to this stupidity for items which are
permissible in hold baggage: check the passenger and *all* his baggage
in one go and allow him to transfer items between his cabin and hold
bags.

Judah wrote:

Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

No, the people who are running the show are, so they think the rest of us are too.

George Patterson
Love, n.: A form of temporary insanity afflicting the young. It is curable
either by marriage or by removal of the afflicted from the circumstances
under which he incurred the condition. It is sometimes fatal, but more
often to the physician than to the patient.

Judah

Just came home from Xmas at my daughters in FL. Forgot and left my
'little' pocket knife in my pocket (I was in a wheel chair). Said I
could mail if I went back out to someplace but being pushed in wheel
chair and going through the checkpoint again, I just said keep it. He
threw it to one of his friends and said here is a nice knife for you.

Next time if I get caught I'm just going to break the blades off the
knife and take home. No freebee for the checkers (.

They let me take my ball point pens of course which I have demostrated
to Ridge and company that they are dangerous instrumenets and will
kill someone.

In one word (pardon me ladies) CRAP.

Big John


On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 05:29:51 GMT, Judah wrote:

OK... So I flew home from Tom Ridge airport in Erie, PA today.

I couldn't fly myself there because of weather (freezing rain, snow, ice
and such), so I took the bus (Airbus, that is)...

Anyway, flying out from LGA everything was smooth as silk. I fly
commercially enough to know the routine and generally avoid beeping and
getting wanded because I forgot to take off my watch, etc.

Now I fly commercially on average once or twice a month (especially in
the winter). I carry two spare car keys in my wallet, which never goes on
the belt, and never go off. I have had this shirt-pocket-pen-style
computer screwdriver that I have had in my laptop bag for about 2 years.
I never take off my sneakers because there is no significant metal in
them, actually I didn't think there was any at all.

Until today...


On my flight home today, tho, I experienced the Tom Ridge treatment...
First of all, I beeped. I didn't actually hear the beep. Apparently it
would be a security breach to hear the beep go off.

So as the guy directs me to the wanding booth, my laptop bag is being
attacked and held up by two TSA agents. Of course, at the same time, the
third security agent is taking my laptop, my coat, and my other bag, and
shuffling them down to the end of the line for anyone to help themselves
to.

Immediately, I request the Wander to ask the Shuffler to give my laptop
and my other stuff to the Holder Upper to keep securely together while I
am getting wanded. Fortunately, they were willing to comply.

So the guy wands me for like 10 minutes. First, he somehow finds metal in
my sneakers. Not in the sole, but on the top. Now these sneakers are the
velcro-type - they don't even have laces, or metal grommets for laces. So
I have no idea where the metal is.

So he takes my shoes off, throws them in a box, and passes them off to
Mr. Shuffler for XRays.

Next, he wands every inch of my body. Quite thoroughly, I might add.
Several times, he had to adjust the position of my arms and legs to
ensure he properly hit all the crevices. Every single grommet and stud in
my pants pocket was thoroughly examined, as was the belt buckle, and my
zipper! It was quite interesting, although would have been much more
enjoyable if I had gotten Ms. Wander instead!

So now we go over to Mr. Holder Upper with my stuff. Now I happened to
have some computer connector wire assemblies that are fairly non-
standard. You might be able to buy them at Radio Shack, but the average
non-geek probably wouldn't even know what it was. So I figured that's
what the problem was, and started directing him toward them. He says,
"no, that's not it." Instead, he pulls out my little, narrow, pocket-pen-
style screwdriver, and shows it to his supervisor.


Then he takes the bag and runs it through the XRay again. At this point,
Mr. Supervisor explains to me that the airport has a policy prohibiting
passengers from carrying tools on the plane. I explain to him that I am
going home, and that the screwdriver has been flying with me for several
years now, and I have had no trouble with it at other airports. I did
have trouble with a crimping tool once, and they told me at that point
that there was a size limitation.

Bear in mind, of course, I have the computer connectors in my bag (wires
and such), I have my toiletry bag which has a couple of bic disposable
razors, and my fingernails haven't been cut in a couple of days.

But somehow, this teeny, precision slotted computer screwdriver is
considered a risk. At the end of the day, I didn't think I would have
time to go back and check it and then get wanded again and still make the
flight. And mailing was not offered as an option. So I told him to keep
it, but I got dibs on anything else they find in my bag.

This is just ridiculous already. Do they think that a terrorist's photo
ID won't match their ticket? Are they afraid that I might unscrew the
seatbelt during taxi, takeoff, or landing?

Or have we become a country of bumbling, cowering, idiots?

"For the land of naive, and the home of afraid..." ?

Big John wrote in
:

snip

They let me take my ball point pens of course which I have demostrated
to Ridge and company that they are dangerous instrumenets and will
kill someone.

Geez! I'm surprised they still let people take these things on!!!

Judah

I also have demonstrated my ability to sharpen the edge of a credit
card and slice an orange in two. Could do the same thing to a neck. If
I have my way they will be confiscating your credit cards next as
dangerous weapons.

If I hadn't gotten a pace maker and now have neuropathy (sp) (dead
nerves in feet and legs) I'd still have my turbo Mooney and fly myself
and to hell with Ridge and company.

It's hell to wear out and have to fly with the great unwashed masses.

Big John

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 20:30:40 GMT, Judah wrote:

Big John wrote in
:

snip

They let me take my ball point pens of course which I have demostrated
to Ridge and company that they are dangerous instrumenets and will
kill someone.

Geez! I'm surprised they still let people take these things on!!!