Airport security

[46 and 2]

I was reading this article and it made me so mad at Airport security for being so over the top with these new security tactics.

I was just wondering what you all thought of all these new "saftey measures".


p.s. any airport horror stories from any of you ?

[Diff-chan]

This type of thing is what El Al, Israel's airline, does.

I have no problems with it.

I wanna be safe when I travel, and I travel across the country 3 or 4 times a year. I'd rather read this stuff than read that they're doing nothing.

[Matt]

Airport security crap is annoying, and apparently not very effective since people have managed to sneak stuff on flights anyways. They just do it to make people feel "safe" and don't focus on the things that really might be a threat.

My fav airport security incident:

I had to fly to Vancouver and back a year and a half ago, not too long after the "show bomber" episode. I was only going to be there for a day and a half, so I packed light in order to save space and make room for all the Canadian food products that I was planning to bring back. So, I didn't bring shoes or socks and just wore a pair of slippers (what you call "flip-flops" in the rest of the world).

After going through the metal detector, the security guy asked me to take off my shoes to have them examined. This impressed me, because I had no idea how somebody could conceal something dangerous in what's basically just a half-inch-thick piece of spongy rubber. After I was pronounced safe, I asked him "wow, you can even hide stuff in slippers?". He replied "No, of course not, but we have to check everybody's footwear anyhow". Since then, I've never had anyone ask me to take my shoes off at the airport, no matter what I was wearing.

I also remember hearing a story on the radio about a lady who went through the security check right after a "sky marshall" went through. They let him keep his gun, but they confiscated his nail clipper.

[negitoro]

I hate the new security it's a total waste of time and effort.

It doesn't make me feel safe to stand in line forever, in my socks, with my pants hanging loose (coz I have to undo the belt) and cold because they took my jacket. It just makes me feel annoyed.

There are perks though.

Once I saw a woman go through the airport... obviously not a seasoned traveller. She had on like some thigh high boots and a micro mini skirt with a skimpy tank top with a jacket on. Of course, they made her take off her jacket and boots... so she's standing in line, trying her hardest to take off her boots, standing up, while not flashing everyone in line. She only partially succeeded and ended up giving a lot of people a generous look of cleavage and her underwear. She looked flustered and embarassed as hell....

[Diff-chan]

After going through the metal detector, the security guy asked me to take off my shoes to have them examined. This impressed me, because I had no idea how somebody could conceal something dangerous in what's basically just a half-inch-thick piece of spongy rubber. After I was pronounced safe, I asked him "wow, you can even hide stuff in slippers?". He replied "No, of course not, but we have to check everybody's footwear anyhow". Since then, I've never had anyone ask me to take my shoes off at the airport, no matter what I was wearing.

Whats the big deal here? Just take off your damn shoes. It takes about 2 seconds and zero effort of your time.

When I traveled from LAX two weeks ago they were telling everyone to take off their shoes and put them through the metal detectors. Everyone.

[DArque Bishop]

Whats the big deal here? Just take off your damn shoes. It takes about 2 seconds and zero effort of your time.

When I traveled from LAX two weeks ago they were telling everyone to take off their shoes and put them through the metal detectors. Everyone.

Hell, my normal shoes have some kind of wire mesh in the soles, so they set off the metal detectors. So, even when I'm not asked to I take them off and have them go through the X-ray machine.

Actually, it was kinda funny... last time I went through LAX (coming back from E3 in May), they singled my laptop out and ran the chemical detector over it, looking for explosives. I was kinda relieved they didn't ask me to boot it up; not sure how a security drone would have reacted to a laptop booting something other than Windows (in this case, Red Hat Linux 9).

As far as the original post goes, though... I agree that the quoted article does show blatant fuckery on the part of our officials. Personally, I take the attitude that shit like that should NOT be left to an agent's "discretion". Either everyone needs that I-Visa, or no one does. Too many opportunities for abuse there...

As for the current security measures... well, yeah, they may not be all THAT effective, but look at it this way: after a security breach like 9/11, do you think the public would have accepted no changes at all? I'm not saying the current system is working, but they had to make some changes and tightening of rules...

Oh, and finally, here's an article Slashdot posted a few days ago on tips for travelling with tech gear... might help you guys avoid a bit of hassle.

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=0...id=126&tid=172

Just my $.02...

[Rich]

I missed a flight to Boston about a month and a half ago because I got to the gate 10+ minutes early and the fucking lady wouldn't let me on...then when I went back the next day a few hours early, they were letting people on until 5 minutes before takeoff.

[Lobo]

You should have pulled your box cutters out of your shoes and forced your way on to the plane.

[mollipen]

It's gotten ridiculous. Typical American attitude to totally blow things out of proportion and come up with all of these "fixes" which actually do next to nothing to fix anything.

When I was coming back from Japan, immigration was ludicrous. The problem isn't just the extra security, though - if it were just that and only that, I'd have no problem. The problem is that everybody working these security places are total assholes. In front of me were a few Asian men who were having trouble understanding the security guy. Instead of trying to work with them, he was being a total dick, and threw their stuff on the floor because they didn't understand everything he said.

When my girlfriend came over a week ago, she was pulled aside, interviewed for two hours, I got a phone call asking me a bunch of personal questions, they looked through every bit of her luggage asking what everything was, and they guy told her that since she was coming for three months, she could never again come to America for another three-month visit. (Utter bullshit.)

If this weren't America, and the people working these kinds of security jobs could actually have a bit of manners and respect for the travellers, I'd be fine with all of the security. Unfortunately, this is America, and thus the people working these jobs are finding every way possible to be assholes. And if you want to call this stupid anti-Americanism or whatever, bite me. When I went to Japan, the difference in the way you were treated was night and day.

[Shine]

I remember hearing this story of a pregnant woman that was strapped to a hospital bed and given diarhetics because the customs agent thought she might be a drug mule despite the fact that a stripsearch turned up nothing. Four days of the drugs and no food later she hadn't passed a single drug filled condom and was "cleared" of all charges. She gave birth prematurely and nearly lost the child. Fuck customs. If they really wanted to stop terrorism stop asking stupid questions and just do your job of checking baggage. Not one single terrorist is going to get off a plane and answer the first question with "I've come to blow this country the fuck up with my mack truck of divine allah justice." so stop with the stupid questions.