Clipped Wings -- Airport Security and the "No Fly List"

Airport security is the main reason that I try to take trains whenever reasonably possible for mid-ranged travel. Regrettably, that's near impossible for coast-to-coast travel, or even from Philly to Columbus.

The one thing that is conspicuously missing from US airport security is people knowledge - the simple power of informed observation.

The TSA is willing to look at everything except the one thing that matters. The passenger.

They look at documents, IDs, computer monitors, risk assessments, phony-baloney detection technologies and time sheets.

They don't look at people. They've learned nothing since 9/11. Not a damn thing.

If it's any consolation, I've been what they used to call "yellow lighted" by the TSA in the past. I don't know why--probably that pesky alien resident thing. It seemed to clear up once I got my Green Card, but before then I packed with the expectation that everyone in the B terminal would learn my cup size before I made it through the metal detector.

Glad you made you flight, though!

Actually my mother's first cousin on her mother's side. What does that make us?

According to this, First cousin once removed.
But it's a very peculiar naming system.

I fly out of DFW and never allow more than an hour pre-flight and once walked past security because there was no one in line.

But the really funny one is my husband, who hardly ever flys, is 6'3", long hair and beard, can walk through security with keys in his pocket and never set the thing off. It's absolutely amazing.

I'm flying from Frankfurt to the states next week, the funny thing about Frankfurt is, they supposedly have the same guidelines as the TSA, but when I came into the country, there was no one at customs, just checked my passport and grabbed my bags and left, I could've had pineapples or frogs or something that I would have to declare...

The day before they lifted the ban on lighters in carryons, my mother-in-law made it out of frankfurt and into Atlanta with her lighter fine, no one looked twice at it. When she flew from Atlanta to Jacksonville, FL, a measly hour long flight, the security agent confiscated it and yelled at her for it, even after a coworker said "they lift the ban tomorrow, why are you doing this." She replied, "the ban is lifted tomorrow not today."

I can walk on the plane with an Epipen (syringe anyone?), pre-9/11 was the only time they asked for a doctor's note. Maybe it's just because I look soooo innocent... I've been able to get through with some other assorted liquids too. In both instances I specifically asked the TSA people and they said "Oh no, don't worry about it."

Our tax dollars at work.

By the way, great tite.

TSA regs are comically bizarre and useless. I had to have my deadly dangerous hygiene products in approved sizes, containers, and clear zip loc bag, and no way of lighting a cigarette for hours, but apparently TSA has no problem whatsoever with a bag of over 150 very sharp colored pencils. Seriously. I carried my art supplies on and had literally at least that many sharp pencils along with two pencil sharpeners.

hair gel: too dangerous

sharp mini-spears: no problemo

I find everything about the TSA to be ludicrous. I fly commercially (sadly) quite often for business, and I fully expect to be issued an outfit of paper clothing sometime in the near future...

There is a John Mayer song that goes "I'm a hundered kinds of crazy but I only want to fly" I think that should be the motto of each American who struggles through airports. I will tell you this though. I do feel safer with all the gizmos and whozywhats. Why? Because they make those who work there stop and think just a bit more. They make many stop and think. And maybe...just maybe, stopping to think could be what helps us stop these crazy suicidal nut jobs from destroying our country. I do know how I feel when I board Amtrak. It's every man for himself and you better hope there's a river to jump into when the dining car blows up. I would rather fly then anything else. Great article though.

KF you've successfully highlighted what is yet another government ploy to rob the people of their common sense. A place everyone needs to go, the airport, can exemplify our common practice of making a show out of being sensitive by pretending to check obviously innocent people alongside people that happen to fit a stereotype while looking suspicious. Forcing people into rank-and-file and controlling them, at huge expense to ourselves due to increased expense of the airport/airlines. . .just another step in dumbing us down and controlling us so they can manipulate us as willing slaves. This goes deeper than most people think. Being PC is just another distraction. Don't want to be offended? Toughen up. Get me where I'm going and leave me alone.

The TSA is the reason why most citizens from neighbouring countries (like Canada) like to avoid connecting international flights via the US.

On a trip returning from Brisbane, Australia with the ashes of my late grandmother, at LAX, they scanned her ashes (in the certified box, with proper documentation) and decided that the box was suspicious. So much for reading the documentation...

And more bizarre was that when they rescanned it with a quarter underneath the box, and the quarter came up, suddenly the box contents were valid to be passed through? *puzzled*