Comments on: At least it wasn't a nail clipper...

At least it wasn't a nail clipper...

FormlessOne — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:32:52 -0800

A woman gets a stun gun and a knife past security at LaGuardia and actually alerts authorities after she discovers them in her purse. Anybody feel safer yet? Anybody?

By: clavdivs

clavdivs — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:45:11 -0800

Anybody feel safer yet? Anybody? yes, yes i do. thank you for asking

By: Tenuki

Tenuki — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:49:17 -0800

At least they didn't arrest her this time.

By: shagoth

shagoth — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:59:07 -0800

Arrest? No, she was taken into custody for questioning. No mention of how she was treated. For that matter, clavdius, glad you feel safer because it's clear that the probulating is keeping this stuff off of commercial airliners. Oh wait, no it doesn't.

By: adamgreenfield

adamgreenfield — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:02:38 -0800

Wait wait. Is shagoth related to FormlessOne? Hmm? In his house in R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu lies posting on MeFi.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:06:32 -0800

Shouldn't this post be over at Metatalk in the "airport security" category?

By: Ryvar

Ryvar — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:31:58 -0800

Shagoth: She was released without charges. "She did the right thing by giving up the items voluntarily, and she was never malicious," Bennett said. "We never considered her a threat." She was taken into custody and let go, in other words. First time that's happened in one of these overblown scares since . . . well, 9/11 near as I can recall.

By: Durwood

Durwood — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:56:38 -0800

Of course, if she were an arab man she probably would have been searched a little closer...maybe?

By: tomierna

tomierna — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:05:24 -0800

A friend of mine just got taken to task for bringing a box cutter through security. It was a complete accident - he uses the damn things for his job and switched out carry-on cases last minute, leaving one in a pocket of the new case. Despite being an accident and his record being squeaky clean, he's still got a court date for a misdemeanor charge. Someone with the desire could do as much damage with a ballpoint pen. The desire to hurt or kill isn't caused by the weapon.

By: o2b

o2b — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:23:58 -0800

I would damn well bring them to security as soon as I discovered my mistake... What if someone besides me discovered it? I'm sure security wouldn't be as polite.

By: stoneegg21

stoneegg21 — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:25:06 -0800

No, the desire to hurt or kill isn't caused by the weapon. The weapon just makes it easier. Sometimes, very easy. This is the entire "Guns don't kill people, people kill people," arguement. But it has to be admitted, a gun makes it far easier and quicker to kill someone than a knife. I don't want other people to be able to kill me as easily as they could. I want them to have to work for it.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:31:55 -0800

Well, it's heartening that this woman wasn't charged with anything (or, for that matter, incarcerated without charges) for being honest enough to report it. Maybe things are looking up.

By: namespan

namespan — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:37:06 -0800

Could've been worse. Could've been a fish.

By: tomplus2

tomplus2 — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:42:19 -0800

I don't feel safer, shouldn't have to, and don't plan to. I didn't feel unsafe 9/11 either. The people who "they" are protecting us from will still hurt us no matter what we do to prevent it. I had a friend apprehended for carrying "too much cash" onto a plane. They made him miss his flight because of the questioning. He was going to buy a car in cash, thought he was doing the drdug thing. Ok, not terrorist, but the dea showed up. What a pain.

By: Joey Michaels

Joey Michaels — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 20:29:38 -0800

I will feel safer once the pilots are armed. That way if anything happens that annoys me, I can get the gun from the pilots and start firing away. Yee haw!

By: wendell

wendell — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 20:38:07 -0800

And here I thought this whole "airport security" problem was fixed when they gave Alton Brown back his omelette pan. Now go wash your blogging hands. And get permalinks.

By: swell

swell — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 20:45:32 -0800

A friend of mine just got taken to task for bringing a box cutter through security. Tomierna - your friend is a dumbass. Get smarter friends. Glad I could help.

By: jmd82

jmd82 — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 21:09:23 -0800

This reminds me of then I had a had a layover in Washington DC (coming home from Vienna to Atlanta). The lady in front of me accidently left a swiss army knife in her carry-on bag that the security dude found. He was really nice about it, and just confiscated it without making a big deal about it (though I wonder what would happen if she was Arab or some "red-marked" ethnicity). I was the next person, and I had a really nice Habana cigar case. Being metal and cylindrical, it went off in the x-ray and the dude looked for the object...I even saw the damn thing they were looking for on the TV and I knew it was the cigar case. Alas, he only looked through the main pocket and didn't bother to look BELOW the main pouch in the smaller compartments where I had stashed the case. Long story short: as with many people out there, I coulda' easily stashed something in that cigar case and got away with it. Shorter story longer: Hate to say it, but if some terrorist wants to do something on a plane, its only a matter of time (then again, as my brother put it: If a plane is highjacked in the US again, you'll see a LOT of pissed of people who all know what happened last time a plane was highjacked over US skies...)

By: fenriq

fenriq — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 22:00:55 -0800

I think hijacking as it was once done is over. At least for flights into or out of the US. People will swarm hijackers and die on their feet rather than be used as a flying bomb. As for the security blunders. Hate to say it but people who "forget" to remove weapons should get the third degree. Its a new age, take some responsibility for not being stupid. Just like the densest of the bunch that still make jokes about bombs at security checkpoints. I understand some mistakes but a knife? What? If people do not accept the seriousness of the situation then they should either not fly or kow tow for now. I get searched each and every time I fly. I'm a white 30 something man, I'm used to it but don't really like it and would actually probably travel by some other means if it were feasible. Because, in between terrorist security measures, potentially hungover pilots, fatiqued aircraft and good ol' mother nature, flying has gone from fun to suck. We all know its just a matter of time before someone's successful and another plane is brought down or worse. Because, as several have already touched on, the most dangerous weapon of all is the will. And a determined foe will find a way. Even if its years from now. Thats what sucks about terrorism.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 22:24:38 -0800

We all know its just a matter of time before someone's successful and another plane is brought down or worse. so fucking WHAT? it's just a matter of time, no matter what *anyone* does, before another plane falls out of the sky for no apparent reason, before another plane skids off a runway and explodes into flames or undershoots a runway and impales itself on radar or lighting pitons. they always have, and likely always will. christ, you people and your "it's a different world now" crock are nothing but patsies for the scumbags posturing and pretending to solve the problem. you even talk in coded little fear-bites: "the seriousness of the situation", "it's a new age". you don't realize you contradict yourself - " the most dangerous weapon of all is the will. And a determined foe will find a way". on this you are absolutely correct, and no amount of citizen harrassment, dumbass judgement-impaired "security officers" or even the complete absence of knives, boxcutters and sharpened objects of every kind from the face of the planet will prevent it. the entire country seems to have taken leave of its senses.

By: Orb

Orb — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 22:46:07 -0800

flying has gone from fun to suck Actually, flying always sucked, but the illusion of it being fun, safe and easy was a little better pre-9/11, and the lines weren't quite so long. You think it's dangerous now, because some evil terrorist might hijack the plane? It's always been that dangerous, if not more-so before the added "security". It's just that no one ever really thought about it before.

By: arse_hat

arse_hat — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 23:09:42 -0800

"It was an honest but odd mistake," Bennett said. "But it's true that people often don't think about what's in their luggage." By now if you don't think about what's in you luggage you are an idiot. From namespan's link "no small pets, including fish, were permitted through security." Since when??? I fly home from LA to Detroit every week and my flight continues on to NYC. There are always 2 or 3 older ladies from NYC with butt ugly dogs in their handbags. "Anybody feel safer yet? Anybody?" Well yes I do. But not because of the federales, but only because I think most people would rather die fighting than go along with hijackers these days.

By: quin

quin — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 01:23:49 -0800

i'm going to take a slice of quonsar's indignant pie and add my own wrathful ice-cream; i am in my mid thirties. i have been carrying a pocket knife since i was 12 years old, i mean it was one of the first things you got as a boyscout and we were taught to 'always be prepared,' right? In the over 20 years that i have been 'armed' by airline security standards, i have stabbed exactly zero people. i have, however, used my pocket knife (or SAK, or Leatherman, or whatever) to open countless boxes, cut and strip wire, fix my car, and on at least one occasion to cut someone's seatbelt after a car accident. The knife is one of the first tools that humans ever developed and i say this with no intent towards hyperbole; it has been carried and used daily by ever culture on the planet since the dawn of man. It infuriates me that one of the most pivotal tools in the development of mankind has been co-opted, and that by carrying one i may somehow me in congress with the Devil himself. God lord, i'm a tool user, what are they going to take next, my fire? As to the lady in the article, glad they treated her well, but aren't stun guns illegal in New York? i realize they got her in Denver, but still... [deep breath, /rant over, sorry 'bout that]

By: biffa

biffa — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 02:32:06 -0800

A woman gets a stun gun and a knife past security at LaGuardia and actually alerts authorities after she discovers them in her purse. Anybody feel safer yet? Anybody? How can one possibly feel safe when there are people walking the streets carrying knives and stun guns as a matter of course?

By: quin

quin — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 02:46:15 -0800

biffa: How can one possibly feel safe when there are people walking the streets carrying knives and stun guns as a matter of course? Not to single you out in any way, but thank you for making my point.

By: gluechunk

gluechunk — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 02:53:27 -0800

what are they going to take next, my fire? Maybe. There are these limits: "Up to 2 lighters or 4 books of safety matches are allowed in your carry-on baggage - NOT checked baggage. Disposable lighters and absorbed liquid lighters are allowed in your carry-on baggage. Lighters with unabsorbed liquid fuel are NOT permitted. Strike anywhere matches are NOT permitted." And since the title tag here mentions nail clippers, remember that nail clippers are now allowed on flights again. The official Yes/No list for items on US flights can be viewed as a PDF file at http://www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/Permitted_Prohibited_12_18_2003.pdf

By: magullo

magullo — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 03:37:38 -0800

Anybody feel safer yet? Anybody? It's getting better, thanks for asking.

By: y2karl

y2karl — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 03:41:43 -0800

Could've been worse. Could've been a fish. Now you can fly and no tropical fish can possibly be pointed at your head. Wow. It's like a miracle of cloning--a Barney Fife for every airport: If power corrupts, then petty power corrupts pettily.

By: Mossy

Mossy — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 03:52:38 -0800

Why do they still have duty free? Break a bottle and you have a pretty scary weapon. Unless they've switched to plastic bottles?..

By: biffa

biffa — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 04:08:09 -0800

Break a bottle and you have a pretty scary weapon. Unless they've switched to plastic bottles? They haven't, plus they still serve wine in glass wine bottles which can be drunk from glass glasses on board.

By: swordfishtrombones

swordfishtrombones — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 04:08:12 -0800

Why do they still have duty free? Break a bottle and you have a pretty scary weapon. Unless they've switched to plastic bottles?.. I've been wondering about that myself. Didn't ask it, because I didn't want to end up missing my flight.

By: tomierna

tomierna — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 06:03:40 -0800

swell, My friend is most certainly not a dumbass. He flies about 60 days a year, and uses knife-tools every day he is not flying. That simply increases his chances of making a mistake. I suppose you've never forgotten to take things out of your pockets before you wash your pants? This is the same problem. By the time you get to the security checkpoints, you've already checked the bags you can carry these "weapons" within. In the cases of other tools, like Leatherman or Gerber tools, they just confiscate them, which hurts financially, but for boxcutters - an arguably less vicious weapon than the serrated knife-saw in my Gerber - you get strip searched and an automatic misdemeanor court date? Asinine.

By: kgasmart

kgasmart — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 07:05:44 -0800

Eh. I went to a pro football game this past fall and got the most cursory of patdowns by the obviously disinterested "security" staff imaginable. It would have been no trick whatsoever to smuggle in, say, a few grenades. The people who "they" are protecting us from will still hurt us no matter what we do to prevent it. You got it, which means it's absolutely pointless to live in terror; but the fearmongering that's going on now virtually ensures this. Which is, of course, politically expedient for those who claim to be most effective in protecting us from things for which there is, in the long run, really no protection.

By: ilsa

ilsa — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 09:08:24 -0800

God lord, i'm a tool user, what are they going to take next, my fire? Just be glad they don't want to confiscate your opposable thumb. [btw, best rant i've read all day.]

By: kaemaril

kaemaril — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 11:40:41 -0800

It's a sad reflection that this woman, who is absent-minded enough to just forget that she just happened to be carrying lethal weapons around with her to an AIRPORT, gets more slack than pupils in zero-tolerance schools who are expelled for accidentally bringing a dinner knife to school, or for leaving a knife in their car or for any other number of asinine things. It seems paranoia in airports is not as rampant as that of paranoia in the classroom. Whether or not this is a good thing ...

By: bashos_frog

bashos_frog — Wed, 28 Jan 2004 17:59:41 -0800

>>what are they going to take next, my fire? >Maybe. There are these limits: >Up to 2 lighters or 4 books of safety matches are allowed... Not for long, apparently. I'm having a vision where everyone boards a 21st century aircraft only to find the interior replicates the state of the world, 2.25 million years ago. You won't be allowed to bring any anything on board that didn't exist before that time, including clothes(NSFW).