If anyone here bothered to notice, I was on vacation for the past week. And I, for this fun-filled time, used the airlines to my destinations (pictures soon). Also, I rode airplanes on past vacations awhile ago. Anyway, I haven't noticed any real upgrades in security since 9/11. It seems like the same-old security practices for the flights. Personally, I don't really "feel" any safer. And I bet there are many "gaps" in the airline security force. But America paid a ton of money for upgrades and such to stop potential problems to secure the safety airline passengers and citizens. Where are they? I just see the same machines, same bored-as-hell workers, and same old procedures. It is understood that there is a limit to the extent of the security, but if someone was determined to bring a weapon on a airplane, I bet they could get by.

So anyone care to share any thoughts and experiences?

I actually find it easier to get through security now. Sure they have more equipment, but now they just think they have to do less work so they give less of a ****.

I just got back today from a trip to a robotics competition in Atlanta Georgia where our university was sponsoring a high school team. We managed to take our robot onto the plain as CARYON!

The first time through security they make us take the batteries out of the bag and send them through separately, but the second time they just x-rayed the duffle bag it was in and sent us through (It was about twice the size of normally allowed carryon, but no one said anything).

The best thing is that it was RC and we left the transmitter in the bag with the robot. Given we had removed the frequency crystals, but they were in a bag right next to the transmitter... and they never even gave to thoughts to it...

FYI, the robot was 90% metal, and many pieces could have easily had very sharp edges...

Many of the security measures are pretty simple, like only letting ticketed passengers into the terminals. They also scan/search more luggage behind the scenes. There are also more security personnel in the terminals and such.

I did notice some workers with "Dept. of Homeland Security" badges on their uniforms. I can't really say if I notice an increase with security personnel, but I remember small things like the ban on cigarette lighters and removing shoes at the detectors (was that before 9/11?).

I remember hearing about this article on my trip.

The shoe thing was probably after that shoe bomber.

Funny though. Don't you need some piece of metal for the bomb?

Shoe bombs? Thats a waste of shoes.

There are also more Air Marshals and armed police officers/federal agents on planes these days. My brother works for Homeland Security (formely FEMA) to some extent, and he always carrys his gun when he travels.

I was allowed to bring a pocketknife with me last time I went on a plane, I even put it through the x-ray machine with my jacket, I mean... stupidity has it's limits... that was just insanely idiotic. The gaurds were fine with it.

Because you can hijack/bring a plane down with a pocketknife.

I just got back from Germany with a foot long dagger I bought (Not sharp, but it's still a dagger), a bottle of wine, and 2 butane lighters. I love the Stevie Wonder-esque security.

Box cutters got four planes hi-jacked on 9/11.

CVG (Cincinnati-Kentucky) airport is nothing like what you all describe.

They are masters of security. Every single bag is scanned, your shoes must be off, they WILL restrain you if you go through hte metal detector 3 times and set it off all three times. You can't go further than check-in if you don't have a ticket, they check all the bags very carefully (They made me open my laptop, and take the battery out.), and even questioned my PSP. I think the only thing they didn't check was for lice in my hair :p

It was sarcasm.

Nevermind -_-

Although the point still stands. Why are things like tweezers and nailclippers banned from hand luggage, too?

And how does that change the fact that your comment was idiotic?

I had my nail clippers taken away. I keep them on my keychain to keep myself from chewing my nails. I came back from my trip, and had chewed my nails away. On top of that, they had lost my nail clippers and couldn't give them back to me.

Bastards.

THAT'S WHAT YOU DIRTY TERRORISTS GET.

Security isn't the problem, Baggage handlers are.

Haha, remind me to pack all my electronics in my carry-on next time I fly.

I so wanna label my case "secret hidden nuclear warhead, do not open, risk of severe boom"

You'd probably be arrested for attempting to incite panic.

Yeah... You can get in some very, very serious trouble just for saying the word "bomb" at an airport. They take those kinds of things very seriously (and even make a point to post signs about it all over the place)

I came back two years ago from Mexico to Denver. I had plenty of alcohol with me...I simply denied it and they let me go. This last spring break I was coming from the same place but going to Chicago. In the airport in Mexico, I bought $50 worth of alcohol to bring back. That ******* customs agent ripped all 3 of my bags apart, takes all of the alcohol, and then says "I'll let you pack it back up the way you like." I barely made my flight after repacking it. He then turns to his buddies and says "were gonna have a fun night tonight" (talking about the confiscated alcohol.) To this day, I cringe when I think about this.

That's because you're not allowed to pack that much alcohol. I think the limit is one bottle, but it may have changed to where you're not allowed to bring it at all. It's your own fault for trying to bring it on the plane.

Raising security is like putting a humongous stone gate in front of a building, while the wall is just a garden fence.



"I'LL CUT YOUR FINGER NAILS TOO SHORT IF YOU DON'T FLY THIS PLANE INTO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!"

They'll start handcuffing us soon for sure.

Well in my case all of its illegal. I suceeded though in Denver and kept all of my alcohol. Why should Chicago have been any different.

... so you're saying that, because you got away with something illegal in denver, they should let you get away with other illegal activities in chicago? where's the logic in that?

just because you got away with doing something illegal doesn't make it okay. it's still against the law, and you still deserve to be punished for it. you have no right to complain.

God forbid the system work once in a while.

How was his comment idiotic?

My limited experience has shown me some much improved security measures. I've also seen some lapses. For example:

One time when my father-in-law was visiting from Panama my wife got a special pass to accompany him to his departure gate for his return flight. They found something in her purse that she had to leave with me (don't remember what, Spiderco knife possibly) but when she returned she realized she forgot about her deadly Leatherman Micra which security missed.

One time, before I deployed to Iraq, I had an escort detail (where you escort the remains of a deceased soldier) that I had to accomplish in Class A uniform. Because we where so many metal dodads I was escorted to a private screening area. Don't get excited, no full body cavity search here, but the inspector never bothered to look at my gym bag sized carry on.

On our return flight from Iraq many soldiers failed to pack there bayonets in stowed baggage so the screeners said "screw it" and hardly screened anyone at that point. Like we really would have hijacked that plane anyway!

So I have noticed a few issues but it is also true that not only did none of us meet any hijacker profiles but that we also didn't possess anything which could have facilitated a real incident. Well, except for tens of soldiers with knifes but you kind of expect soldiers returning from war to have one or two deadly weapons.

He was implying that you couldn't take down a plane with a pocket knife. The way he was sarcastic also implied that airport security was stupid for banning pocket knives.

9/11 happened with boxcutters, and I've seen a lot of pocket knives which are much nastier than boxcutters. To think someone couldn't take down a plane using only a pocket knife is idiotic, especially after 9/11 when it was proven to be possible.

To expand your last sentence abit, it was proven to be a possibility. That sort of thing never happened before (that we know of). Now that people are aware that this a tactic terrorists use, what do you think the chances are that a similar number of terrorists could accomplish the same thing on an airplane today? I think negligible. They would be beat down so fast it would be hillarious (ala the Shoe Bomber).

My dad works for the gov't in aviation and so sometimes when he goes on trips they get him to do a little test. The last time he got through the security at Vancouver airport with plastic explosives and a hand grenade. The guy who let him through was fired. Moral of the story...vancouver airport security sucks (and so does many airports' security)

I'm not sure that I see your point. Now that people know that it's possible, the weapons involved shouldn't be banned from flights? How does that make sense? Might as well let guns aboard planes, because we all know that it would probably be possible to hijack a plane with a gun, so that means it won't happen!

I don't mean to sound mocking, but I'm really failing to see your logic.

I didn't say they didn't need to be banned. What I'm saying is that the passengers on those planes had no idea they were going to die like that. Previously planes had landed and hostages eventually escaped/released/whatever. Now that people realize the possibilities they would probably put the smack down on any terrorists who attempted a similar feat.

Anyways, I just responded because I thought you were rude to Boco. I think how he meant it was: Yeah, because it's not like anyone could hijack or bring down a plane with a pocket knife. With the sarcasm implying that it could and indeed has happened.

Yeah, I think Wookie is right. If the passengers had known what was about to happen to them on 9/11, they wouldn't have let themselves be bullied around by mere pocketknives and boxcutters.

Acctually I was being sarcastic towards the people that let him on the plane with the pocketknife.

That seems to prove the actual point about how the war on terrorism should be fought. Just improve secuirty (er.... thats not the case) In Britian we have airport security, like we've always had.

Just a little note. I believe it was stated that the terrorists also used a spray to fill the cabins (mace?)