Inane
I'll try and shy away from politics, where possible, unless it absolutely directly affects me or my employees. Which would include immigration law (and the entirety of the H-1B Visa mess / scandals), health care, and taxation as larger topics. However, I fly fairly frequently, and this article is not only inane, but ridiculous, and offensive.At what point does it become "totally unacceptable, nearly four years after 9/11, for a passenger to come to the airport and present themselves for screening with a 5-inch steak knife"? What if they eat at their favorite steak house at their destination, and they take their steak knife with them? What if it's an expensive gift for someone? What if they like to comb their hair with it? This item is only a weapon when one thing happens: someone uses it as one.
It reminds me of a trip I took to Vegas about a year ago. I live in Texas. I carry a pocket knife. Specifically, the kind I can use to cut off those VERY annoying zip cords that toy manufacturer's love to put on the back of children's toys.
It also works well on boxes, unopened mail, and the absolutely frickin' ridiculous plastics that manufacturer's love to seal up DVD's, batteries, etc... with. Ever try opening a stick of RAM from Sam's Club with your bare hands? I guarantee three or four cuts and scrapes.
Now, could my knife be used as a weapon? You betcha.
Do I know how to use it as a weapon? Sure.
Would I unless my life was threatened? No way.
So, I boarded the flight to Vegas out of Lubbock International Airport (yes, International), and notice about half way through that I have my knife on me. No biggie -- as I'm NOT a criminal. I land in Vegas, grab my stuff, and do what I need to do in Vegas.
On the flight back, I forgot again -- and I managed to get stopped by security. Why? For my knife? Nope. They stopped me because I placed my shoes on TOP of my laptop (which has to be in a separate bin to go through the X Ray machine .... can SOMEONE PLEASE explain to me WHY an X Ray machine cannot see through rubber?). This mis-placement of my footwear (birkenstock sandals), upsets everyone behind me, especially the seasoned travelers, "That guy placed his shoes on his laptop ... sheesh". On my second run through security, they notice that I have a pocket knife on me. The end result of my fifteen minute dealing with the local TSA specialist is that I have to exit security and mail it back to myself.
Did the possession of a pocket knife make me a deadly person climbing onto the airplane? I don't think so ... but then, they don't know me. But, why would it be "unacceptable" (as the article implies) for me to bring my knife to the airport? Quite frankly, it's not.
I find it offensive, actually.
Which places the TSA's attitude right up there with the standard that I MUST lock the doors to my home. Why should it be a standard feature that new homes have security alarms? I understand that it's a reality of life today ... but it should not be that way.
Shouldn't people just 'know' that my house has my belongings in it, and not theirs? Isn't it a moral / ethical / reasonable expectation to insist that other's not take my stuff, even if it's laying in front of my house, not locked down, and ripe for stealing?
But this has me wondering again .... do X Ray machines see inside of laptop batteries? I would tend to doubt it. Does that mean that a terrorist could board the plane with a laptop "bomb", and go completely undetected? I imagine that's likely the case, especially if they coat the laptop in rubber, or hide it in a bag of shoes!
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