Lax Laws/Regulations?

[countrigal]

Something that Laundryhater said made me stop and wonder... are the rules about weapons and airports too lax?  



I find it hard to imagine someone able to carry any kind of a weapon on a plane.  I speak from an experience I had.  Flying home to see my mother I was stopped by security when my carry-on was selected for detailed reviewing because of something questionable they saw on the x-ray.  No, I wasn't trying to smuggle a weapon on board, but that's what they thought.  The culprit?  A very small ornament, still in it's box.  Sears has a line of ornaments which are steel casts of their power tools.  I had bought a drill ornament for my mother, which appeared to them through the x-ray to be a gun.  Now mind you, this thing wasn't 1-1/2" long but they had to take it out of the box and inspect it.  We ended up getting quite a laugh out of it... I didn't get upset with the search and teased the guards a bit about it, and the story has become a yearly tale when mom goes to hang up her drill/weapon.  



So, if our security is so strict that a drill ornament can't make it through, how are they getting a weapon of any sort on board in order to hijack a plane?  And what kind of security do you set up to catch those plastic, non-metal items that are being used?  Do we start inspecting everyone's luggage?  What's the cure?  I agree with Laundry that the regs need to be accurate and followed equally across the board (a knife is a knife is a knife... if it has a blade, it can be used as a weapon after all).  So if you were asked to correct/change the regs to make it safer for passengers, what would you do?

[winkiebear]

What I heard about the weapons was that 'boxcutters' were used.  If you're not familiar with these, it's a piece of plastic that holds a razor blade.  And many men use straight razors for shaving ...

[execsec]

I have been stopped twice at airports in the last 2 years.  Two years ago, I was flying somewhere for the day to attend a seminar and when I went thru the security pass, they took my purse and asked me to "step over to the side" where they rubbed some cloth or something all over my purse.  I started laughing and asked what they were doing, and they said they detected a substance on my purse!  Never did find out what that was, they let me go.  



And just this summer, I was taking my daughter to the airport to put her on a plane with a bunch of other Girl Scouts and the buzzer went off when I stepped through the security pass.  Mind you, all I had on was a pair of sandals, bra, panties, sleeveless top and an ankle length skirt.  The security guard asked if he could "wand me" and I said yes, meanwhile all these teenage Girl Scouts were looking at me kind of funny (including my own daughter and her friend).  When they "wanded" me, the wand went off near the buckles on my sandals and near the closure on my bra.  I'd say that's pretty sensitive.  The security guard asked me if they could "pat me down" which I let them but of course, they found nothing.  With something so sensitive (to me anyway) to use, why can't they catch these people trying to get through with other metal-like substances?  I'm a Girl Scout leader, for crying out loud!

[radaro]

Kinda makes you wonder what they would have done if you said "no"?

[msmarieh]

Current law had allowed knives with blades shorter than 4" to be carried on board (such as Swiss Army type knives or pocketknives).



Obviously this law has now been rescinded and no weapons are permitted.



Also, curbside check-in has bit the dust (not surprisingly). May not have had any relationship to these particular incidents, but it's no longer available.



Marie

[bethalize]

So it's to be changed to "A right to carry arms - except on aeroplanes" is it?

Liz

[donnap99]

I'll share a story:  In 1985 we went on our honeymoon, to Israel.  We flew El Al, of course.  At the time I was having knee problems and wore braces some times.  



Actually, before the knee braces...  El Al security was quite wary because my passport was in my maiden name but the travel agent had written the ticket in my married name.  Big problem!



Beyond that, my suitcase set off alarms because of the metal in the braces.  We and all of our luggage were taken to a room where every piece of luggage was opened and searched, as were we.  They were not satisfied until they had searched everything!



On the way home it was different, because I was wearing the braces - but under pants that were very narrow at the ankle (remember the style?).  So before I walked through, I told them it would go off, and that I had knee braces on.  After I walked through they "wanded" me, and felt down my braces, but were hesitant because - they said this - there could still be a knife in there.  They let me go without actually making me drop my pants so they could see for themselves...



Whew!

 

[radaro]

I went to Israel in 1972 (and since in 1981, 1984 & 1992).  When we went through security EL AL did not just x-ray the bags you went into a separate room claimed your bags and then the security staff hand checked every single piece of luggage.  I still remember this girl who was moving to Israel who had a trunk and the security people unpacked the entire trunk.



I also remember (being 8 years old at the time and impressionable) the security guards opening up my magic markers and examining them, and spraying some of my mother's hairspray on a window.



My mother, sister and I were taken into a curtained area and asked to remove our coats and shoes.  I can't remember if we were patted down but I do remember hearing my dad's voice on the other side of the curtain where he was being examined.



Needless to say, not a single suitcase, carryone or purse got on that plane that was not claimed or gone through with a fine tooth comb.



BTW the security people for EL AL are all army trained.

[countrigal]

Liz, unfortunately the constitution has been taken out of context quite a bit... The right to bear arms, as it was written, was in order to have an armed military if the populace was called out to protect the country.  Why? Because there was no large scale military force at that time.  Since then we've built up a large military force (though it's been shrinking for many years now), but folks still feel a right to bear arms.  I'm not trying to make this a gun issue (right to carry them or not) but to clarify a common misunderstanding and the issue that is debated in courts and Congress yearly.  (for the record, I'm pro-guns, but that's another issue).



No where is it or should it be a right to endanger the lives of others for any reason - carrying guns, knives or explosives on a plane should not be allowed.  I'm glad to hear that knives of any sort will not be allowed on planes, including plastic knives in the meal kits.  I'm just hoping that they really crack down on security in all aspects of the airport and start doing complete background checks on those employees working for the airport and more strident searches of luggage and folks flying.  And praying that God watches over those men and women who are waiting word of loved ones, who are missing, who are searching, and who are helping in all areas.

[laundryhater]

We honeymooned in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico in October of 1999.



We brought our birthcertificates (proof of U.S. citizenship) and were fully prepared to present them to customs on our way back into the states.



To our surprise, we did not need to present these. When we got off the plane there was a stop light thing everyone exiting the plane had to pass through. If the light was green we were free to go without being frisked or anything. If the light was red, you were taken aside and frisked and everything. It was a very random screening process. I was shocked to realize how lax airport security was. Any one of those passengers who was allowed to pass through on the green light could have been a terrorist or illegal alien or smuggling in drugs, etc.



From that time on, I have lost a sense of security and trust in our U.S. customs practices.

[phoenix55]

Just one month ago a coworker of mine flew to Europe.  She was all of two months pregnant and advised security.  She was not asked to pass through the magnatometer, she was not "wanded," and her "patting down" was at the very most minimal.  She said, "I could have been carrying an Uzi in my pants and it would never have been detected."  This happened not only here, but twice in Europe as well.