Carrying stuff onto plane

[Inspector Gadget]

My favorite perfumes are Channel No 5 and No 19; then Dolce Vida which was discontinued....


I feel that I should have the right to bring my Channel No 5 purse size with me for emergency spraying if I see someone cute that I'd like to flirt with.

However, this right was denied me, by a big fat hippopotomus, who took away my purse size spray of Channel No 5 and I never got it back.

OKAY???? Get it???

Weigh in.

[I_luv_saber]

The airlines are all following the old corporate rule: CYA. All these policies are for making sure they aren't held liable for anything, and some of them have been put in place, or strongly encouraged, by the government in an effort to make things safer.

That said, I think we are crossing the line between prudent and silly. There is a certain level of prudence in having decent security and certain policies in place... but the notion that we are gaining vasts amounts of safety from these policies and concessions I think is simply a false sense of security and nothing more.

Anecdotally, when Nusy came to the States she had accidentally left Budapest with a small pocket knife and a butane lighter in her purse (both prohibited items). They made it all the way to Fresno, through Security checkpoints at Budapest, Frankfurt, and San Francisco (the one in San Francisco having involved USCIS since it was her first trip to the US, and she was immigrating).

Yeeeah... I'm so glad I have to put up with the PITA of not having any liquids and taking off my belt and shoes at every security checkpoint so that I can be made "safer" by making sure people with knives and flammable/combustable items don't get on board and hijack the plane. Oh, wait...

[Capt. Slo-mo]

In the days immediately following 9-11, I was on a business trip with a co-worker of the opposite sex. We went all the way through the process, with two checks of our IDs and tickets (including being pulled aside for "extra gateside screening") before I discovered--as I presented my ticket to the agent to go thru the door to the jet--that my co-worker and I had each other's e-ticket boarding passes.

That's some secure feeling.

[CMiner]

Another anecdote: Went through the same security hoops and all, take off your shoes, do you have any explosives, etc etc. I get on board, start reading, and notice that a person two seats in front and on the other side has taken out a set of knitting needles and started knitting. Six inch long metal spikes. And yet I was told I'd have to leave my bottled water behind.

I do agree that "security" has really gotten silly. If that woman had stood up and tried to take over the plane with knitting needles, all 100 passengers would have just got up and tackled her. I wasn't worried in the least, just amused at things that get through while pretty well harmless items (nail filers, clippers, etc) get confiscated.

I'm a bit less opposed to the liquids ban simply because an educated chemist can get on a plane with a few bottles, even following the current rules about bottle size and all, and make an explosion or noxious gas.

That being said, we can't stop everything, and fear over small items that would make truly inefficient weapons should be set aside so that security can focus on finding -actual- threats.

[lindajdunn]

Did you verify those were metal needles?

I travel with PLASTIC knitting needles and I guarantee you cannot tell the difference at a distance. Admittedly, they sound different but the plastic knitting needles are no more a weapon than a ballpoint pen or a #2 pencil.

Airline policies about knitting needles vary and this is why I carry CIRCULAR, PLASTIC knitting needles. I suppose I could use them to strangle the person in front of me, but I suspect a necktie would do a better job.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Actually, I would think that circular needles would be easier to weild as a weapon. On the other hand, they confuse non-knitters more....


Honestly, some pens could be good weapons, as could some knitting needles, but I think that there's quite the range in either case. Most pens and most knitting needles (metal or plastic) just wouldn't work all that well.

Any knitter worth much wouldn't bring super long straight needles on a plane. They're a ***** to work with in tight quarters.

[Empty Wallet]

I was in Hong Kong airport last year. Had a nice look at all the really cheap duty free booze.

Luckily I had been warned that if I bought any it would be confiscated when I tried to board my plane to Australia. Saw a couple people get caught.

No liquids over 100ml or so.

[Purple Fencer]

I was in Hong Kong airport last year. Had a nice look at all the really cheap duty free booze.

Luckily I had been warned that if I bought any it would be confiscated when I tried to board my plane to Australia. Saw a couple people get caught.

No liquids over 100ml or so.

Yeah...that was a pain when the Sr drum corps I was in in 06 flew back east for championships....we had to put our valve oil on the equipment truck that was driving cross-country.

Not such a big deal for the travel, but getting everyone's individual bottles back was a major pain because someone had moved the box in the trailer....took an hour to find it and we needed it!

[telkanuru]

I was in Hong Kong airport last year. Had a nice look at all the really cheap duty free booze.

Luckily I had been warned that if I bought any it would be confiscated when I tried to board my plane to Australia. Saw a couple people get caught.

No liquids over 100ml or so.

They can't confiscate what's already in your GI!

[Superscribe]

These policies are government, btw. Not a decision of corporate airlines. That's why some of the policies and the execution doesn't make any sense.

[Hauptman]

These policies are government, btw. Not a decision of corporate airlines. That's why some of the policies and the execution doesn't make any sense.

True... the airlines are only interested in how much they can charge you for the stuff you carry on a plane.

[I_luv_saber]

These policies are government, btw. Not a decision of corporate airlines. That's why some of the policies and the execution doesn't make any sense.

Some are, but some are CYA policies.

[migopod]

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security
Security theater at its finest.

[CMiner]

Did you verify those were metal needles?

I travel with PLASTIC knitting needles and I guarantee you cannot tell the difference at a distance. Admittedly, they sound different but the plastic knitting needles are no more a weapon than a ballpoint pen or a #2 pencil.

You're right, they could have been plastic, I didn't closely inspect them. But my point was that if you could be allowed on with those needles (that from looking appear to be metal), but detained for saying "bomb", or have toenail clippers confiscated, it makes things seem a bit ridiculous.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/airport-security
Security theater at its finest.

Very interesting report. I didn't know about the saline solution, I'm going to have to try that next time so I don't keep having to buy a tiny bottle every time I fly.