3/15/2003: Airport security's taken items

This is a shot of items that were confiscated at Baltimore-Washington International Airport by security. And a PSA: if you're flying, you can't take scissors with you. Or garden tools. Or corkscrews or specialty tweezers or wrenches or utility knives or toenail clippers or swiss army knives or medical clamps.

Says here that airport screeners have seized more than 4.8 million items in the last 13 months, including a circular saw.

Not sure why the wrench is prohibited, but maybe an industrious terrorist could unbolt pieces of the plane during flight.

I am certainly amused at the number of people who were all ready to open a bottle of wine ... but why the heck did someone expect to do a little gardening on the plane?

I think they should have a little post-office at the security screening area ... overcharge you for a puffy envelope to mail stuff like this to yourself.

(I have a some OVERPRICED pairs of scissors I use for craftwork that I would be very unhappy about if I had to surrender them to a screener.)

I remember seeing another box o' stuff that had supposedly been recovered from an airport security checkpoint that was supposedly for sale at a Salvation Army store near one of the major city airports ... was that posted here?

I remember a Fark link not too long ago about a California airport selling some of the nicer confiscated items on ebay.

When I see stories like this, all I can think about is how ppl in prison still manage to kill each other w/o scissors. This is such a minor setback for somebody who's really out for blood.

Don't worry.

Soon enough, you won't be able to take fists or even hands on an airplane, because terrorists might strangle people with them.

Doesn't anybody think of the children? One of the future leaders of America could be on that plane!!

You don't understand why you can't take a wrench on the plane? BECAUSE WE SAID SO!!! We are Deutch...I mean Homeland Security. You will obey!

20 years ago I was boarding a flight in Kansas City, Kansas for Philadelphia carrying a fiberglass toolcase. It contained a hammer, chisels, screwdrivers, wrenches, wire cutters, soldering iron, utility knife, hacksaw, etc, etc. They demanded I remove the hacksaw blade and surrender it or put in a checked bag. I told them that was bullshit. They told me it was a policy based on the hardness of the metal. I insisted letting me on with all the other tools but not that blade was stupid. After 15 minutes they relented and I boarded with everything. I would have had no objection to having to put everything in checked baggage, but
just couldn't stand the idiocy.

They won't let us carry our razors, so we grow beards. With beards we look like Taliban.

The vicious cycle continues...

So why would a person take a garden trowel on an airplane? Perhaps he was a Shrubber, as in Roger the Shrubber.

About a month after the Sept. 11 incident I had to fly on business and forgot that I had a little Swiss Army knife on my key chain. I stood around not far from the security check point trying to figure out what to do with my knife and decided to take it off my key ring and stick it in the plastic plant mulch in the lobby.

3 days later when I got back I went to the fake tree and dug into the mulch and got back my knife.

Which brings up a good point. How about a storage business at the airports that secures your item until you return.

When I was 17 or 18 I worked a maintenance job at a hotel that had a polo theme for one of the bars. They were remodeling and I asked for the 4 polo mallets on the wall.

I had a cousin I was visiting for the summer in Minnesota who lived on a farm and had some horses so I thought that it would be funny to give her the polo mallets.

So when I checked my luggage at the Northwest Airlines counter they told me to take the clubs on the plane. But the security folks had other ideas. "Take them back" I was told as they could be used as a weapon to take over the plane. As I recall the clubs were about 5 feet long. I don't know if you could actually swing one on a plane let alone hit what you were aiming for.

The focus of all this airport security crap is in the wrong direction. Do we trust our citizens with firearms or not. I am always amazed at the gov't ability to twist reality into fantasy. Allow CCW holders to carry *on the fucking plane* and they will be your airport security willingly *for free*!!

This is such a fucking no brainer, it makes my head hurt even talking about it.

Responsible , law abiding people carry weapons every day without incident. If you are in Pa, look around you sometime and realize that statewide, 1 in 12 that you see may have a loaded firearm on them*! Are they causing trouble? No. This is the cost effective solution to all this security non-sense.

* I originally meant legally with a permit but the same applies to some parts of the city by the criminals.

slang, are you Archie-fucking-Bunker?

Did you ever see Goldfinger?

I even had to warn Pussy about firing a weapon inside a pressurized cabin.

Especially when the passengers are as numerous and packed in as tight as on a commercial flight.

It's the OK Corral in the sky folks!

Fucking brilliant!

WTF are you thinking? The fantasy of it all is fun, but the reality sucks.

When the armed pilot debate started up there were quite a few mentions of explosive decompression (and mentions of that scene in Goldfinger.) Actually it was the first thing I thought of ...

But apparently it doesn't work that way in real life. I had hoped that my answer would be found here but unfortunately the good people at Intuitor have not looked at explosive decompression in film recently.

The nice people at packing.org have discussed the topic at length.

Aw schnap! NBN, WTF were YOU thinking?

Dunno what you're all worked up about, Juju ... the fantasy of seeing large people sucked through tiny holes is still fun, even if it's only a fantasy ...

Canada Post post

"I think they should have a little post-office at the security screening area ... overcharge you for a puffy envelope to mail stuff like this to yourself. "

Up here, we have exactly that, for a gigantic mark-up of course. My mom had to send her Swiss Army Card to herself. They let her leave the screening area, so she walked to the real post office in the terminal and sent it home for a third the cost. (i guess they have to pay some 14 year old kid to carry it from security to the drop box.)

juju ... I think he thinks that's how it works too ... which was why I looked up the "how it really works" stuff ...

mebbe i should have highlighted the [sarcasm] [/sarcasm] tags on my post??

Well, in that case I guess it's my turn to have missed the joke.

I was kidding about Goldfinger. I know that isn't what would really happen.

Most of you know I am not anti-gun. Hell, I own one.

But do you honestly think it would be a good idea to allow the general public to carry guns onto planes (CCL or not)?

Sure, having a gun makes you feel safe. But does it actually make you safe? Isn't it possible for someone to subdue you before you have a chance to draw your gun? Isn't it possible for them to then take your gun from you and kill you with it?

Despite the numbers of times that the million moms and the Brady Campaign people tell us that happens (evil criminals disarming and then killing poor hapless homeowners with their own guns), it basically really DOESN'T. That's one of the Myths ...

"According to FL State Univ. criminologist Gary Kleck, US Citizens use guns to defend themselves from criminals about 1 million times per year. In 98% of those cases, no shots are fired. The criminal flees at the mere sight of the gun. Citizens only have to shoot their attackers in only 2% of the cases. In only 1% of defensive gun uses do attackers manage to take the gun away from the victim."

(From The Seven Myths of Gun Control - Richard Poe (2001))

You know, Hitler carried guns..

Hitler also liked German Shepherd Dogs, and was charming around small children.

And for the most part, he only carried guns when he was serving in the German Army in WWI. I've seen a lot of pictures, and while Hitler is often shown in uniform, he rarely, if ever, has a sidearm.

Nazi Germany was one of the first "modern" nations to pursue gun control, registration, and ultimately confiscation.

German Firearms Law

Version for everyone other than me and Dave

"This year will go down in history! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" --Adolf Hitler

I swear I found a buncha sites that said that quote was false, though. Hmm.. where are they?

Ah, here's one:

http://www.urbanlegends.com/politics...n_control.html

Hey, what else did Hitler do? Oh, that's right! Spread propaganda!

well how about that. The JPFO FAQ addresses just that very question. They state that the "This year will go down in history" quote cannot be verified.

But they do provide a MUCH better, verified quote about taking arms away from the "subject races".

Whelp, you know not with whom you trifle!

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership to the rescue yet again!!!

Gun Control Is Racist

Found this leaflet too.

That is ridiculous. I reject it outright.

Guns on planes making holes in plane: Frangible handgun ammunition was developed to ameliorate that problem.

Nazi Germany: Mussolini made the trains run on time, not Hitler (presumably German trains already ran on time). Actually Mussolini didn't either, but he shot anyone who said they didn't.

Nail clippers: Not forbidden. Specifically listed as permitted.

Shooting someone with a concealed carry weapon, or taking gun away from civilian and using it on them: Happened just recently (a couple of weeks ago) in PA, I heard. That's the first time I've ever heard of that happening for real, though.

Guns on Planes

Heh, the thought of guns on planes makes me think of "Starship Troopers" when everybody forms a big circle to shoot at something in the middle. Those guys would have a tough time with the Girl Scouts.

So, guns means you might make a hole in the plane which would make everyone get to choose whether to wear an oxygen mask (leash!) or lose consciousness and possibly die. Or they might hit somebody other than the target.

And hmmmm, if there are several hijackers which there would be and if they're carrying the heaviest stuff they can which they will be, hmmm, they might just win a firefight. Especially with how an airplane is laid out.

And hmmm, give the pilot and copilot guns, well maybe one will shoot the other and take over. Sure it's hard to get there, but it's possible. And they'll be behind those locked doors. And nobody will know what's going on.

I have to think that guns on planes is a lousy idea.

A better one, obviously, is to let hijackers take over planes and crash them into tall buildings. What's 3,000 dead when the wrong person might get shot on a plane?

Welcome to the Cockpit

Got this in my email during the last round of hearings on the issue of armed pilots.

Mmmmmm... scones!

Re: Guns on Planes

(even if it is stupid)

(stupid is a little harsh. I really meant "foolish and not well reasoned.")

Quote:

Originally posted by slang 2 non-hunting related shootings. (and 3719 hunting related shootings )

And people wonder why I want to move ... I think phila had three in the last 35 hours ... (okay, so it's an exaggeration, but not much of one). Cooling bodies lead off the newscasts here every night.

I had a coworker murdered within the last year.

I aspire to be rural, gang. For a number of reasons. (kinder, gentler, rural, ass ... sweetie (that's better) notwithstanding)

I Currently have two ambitions i'd like to accomplish eventualy; to become a CCW, and to get this really cool Tatoo i designed put on me.(I'll let yall know when i Get it and what it looks like). As for the Gun I want to carry a Sig Sauer 9mm. But the Process for becoming a CCW in Fairfax, VA is a long process.<br> Currently i only have and older model of an <a href="http://jga.anschuetz-sport.com/pm/main.php?kid=6&l=e&project=jga_de"> ANSCHÜTZ</a> wich i keep under my bed.

From what I've heard, getting a carry permit in VA if you're male is very difficult.

Move to PA; they're shall-issue here. Even in Philadelphia. Not that I'd get one. If I feel the need to carry, I'll carry; I'm not going to ask the state for permission.

I Recommend

http://www.benelliusa.com/m1_tactical/

And thank you for your opinions slang and wolf, even if they're waiting for the clue train at the bus stop and you couldn't take the trouble to read my post.

For what it's worth, Texas is one of the few states that allows non-residents to get a Texas CHL. (Concealed Handgun License)

Texas had recirpocity agreements with many states (Akransas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and others) and virtual agreements with others. A Texas CHL is honored by Virginia, for instance.

In Texas, you hafta take a 10 hour class (Usually costs in the $150 range, and usually covers finger prints, pictures, etc) and a $140 (I think) fee to the state. If anyone's seriously interested in making a weekend trip to Texas to get their Texas CHL to cover themselves in their homestate, lemme know and I'll dig up more details and some good contacts for you.

Oh, and if anyone's interested, my carry weapon is a Springfield Armory Micro 1911 in .45 ACP. Nice lil' pea-shooter.....