Tsa At Work?

[Garfield1966]

I went on a trip. I packed in a rush so I forgot to take out my little inch and a half long Swiss army knife with a 1 inch blade and I also left my dinner knife and fork in my back pack (I brown bag it to work). The dinner knife is one of those stainless steel jobs about 8 or nine inches long with a rounded tip along with a stainless steel fork. The one every one has in their utensil drawer.

I'll give you 3 guess as to what they took away and what they let me keep. If you thought I could keep the harmless Swiss army knife and they took the dinner knife ... You were wrong. I have a hard enough time opening a orange with a thick skin with the Swiss. I could easily kill someone with the dinner knife. I think I would have a hard time of it with the Swiss. It could be done but I'd have to work at it.

Can someone please give me a plausible explanation for this? I need to have some faith that these apparent idiots guarding my safety at the airport (shudder) know what they are doing. By the way, two airports did this, not just one and if you are thinking they did not see the dinner knife, they had it in their hands at both airports.

 

[jimntx]

Theoretically, Gar, they should have taken both knives AND the fork. However, as you probably know, The Theory is where the rubber meets the sky.

A friend of mine had her needlepoint scissors--blunt nosed, approx. 3 inches total length--taken from her; yet, the next day, a woman was allowed on my flight with knitting needles that were each approx. 12 inches long, pointed, and very rigid because they were made of metal.

There was some scary info coming out of the 9-11 hearings recently--some testimony got declassified. A security expert showed how he got a gun past TSA screeners every single time he tried. I'm not going to repeat it here, but it was so obvious and simple, I'm surprised that no one at the TSA had thought of it before. Oh, and the gun set off the metal detector every single time also.

The overall assessment was that the TSA was no better--and in some cases, worse--than the private security system pre-9/11; just a LOT more expensive.

 

[DFWCC]

I don't know where you work, but here at DFW all employees who work at the terminals have to go through TSA. We are not aloud to bring even a household butter knife in. A metal fork is ok. Like you you couldn't threaten someone with a fork thine at a person's jugalar vein.
I've had former military "Secret" clearence, 20+ yrs at AA, and a 10yr Fed recheck for any criminal background. As an AA employee, DFW airport board makes us enter through TSA. Ah ha! Unless you work in freight or mail then there is no security ck. You can bring in TNT or whatever and just drive to the ramp with no additional security. As a matter of fact these same rampers who do not pass security do in fact drive mail and freight down to shipside.
Now, here is the best part all the construction workers (and there are 100's everyday on the ramp) are bussed on to the ramp direct from their parking area. No security check. Many of them don't even have badges. "Where is your badge" I would ask. Those that understood enough english said they are working under escort, "well where is your escort?". He's over there, where? well he was here.... Have I complained you bet.. All on deaf ears. I have even called the local news, but working for AA was afraid to give my name. Reprocussions.. troublemaker.. you know AA mgnt
Someone must be paying off the DFW security board because construction costs would soar if they had to have background cks on these midnight unsupervised workers.
S E C U R I T Y.... A real laugher............. :blink:

 

[LD max]

Yep. and you may have heard recently that the TSA is thinking of allowing 'non-passengers' to go through security to greet relatives (or in the case of SJU..jam the jetbridge exits so no one can get out into the terminal). This will also allow rapidly rising petty theft (which dropped dramatically in DFW after 9/11 when the proffessional thieves were blocked out). Oh, and more of a chance for a terrorist to get himself or a gun on a plane but we won't worry about that.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

In some cities, the TSA hiring was "politically correct", so they hired the same dropouts and street people that the private screeners had. In my travels, I have seen the full gamut, from quite professional to arrogant losers with attitudes. Heck, some even appear to be English-impaired.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

The TSA at airports is a joke, a big expensive pile of smoke and mirrors brought to you by the republican dictatorship in the white house. It's all a front, and those of us who travel a lot know that the TSA is nothing more than a government sanctioned hassle. There is no consistency, and gawd help travelers on any given third week of the month when half the TSA screeners are PMS impaired!!

Oh the agony!!

 

[A/C FIXER]

Next time anyone travels look at the shirt of the TSA people on the neck you will see TSA, It has become a joke around the country, TSA= Thousands Standing Around. Best part is they are getting paid, and quite highly I might add.
Add to this we now pay a tax on a ticket for each leg we travel, certain non-revs also have to pay this tax, but what I'd like to know is, is this revenue paying for the abuse you receive when you travel or is it being channeled into something else, much like the tax that was placed on tavellers years ago to help fix the air traffic control system, IIRC, the amount in the bank was in the billions, but the ATC system is still quite antiquated, seems the politicians saw all this money and just couldn't wait to get their hands on it, God sometimes I wish we could limit the politicians to two terms, one in office and one in prison.

 

[jimntx]

Did anyone see the picture of the mockup uniforms that was floating around the net before the TSA took over. The shirts had an agency emblem on the sleeve.
Federal Aviation Transportation And Security Service! 😛

 

[Rusty Bullethole]

Any would-be terrorist just has to get his hands on a readily available wine bottle or glass, smash it on the side of the galley and hey-presto! Instant sharp implement to stick into someones jugular. Forget the knives and forks that TSA might miss at security........... Bring on the cheap wine in a cardboard box!

 

[DOA@Airport]

Gar,

I'm no particular fan of the TSA...but their list of prohibited items at their web site addresses the two knives you mentioned. Rounded dinner or butter knives are OK...other knives with any blade length are not allowed.

 

[Garfield1966]

I don't know where you work, but here at DFW all employees who work at the terminals have to go through TSA. We are not aloud to bring even a household butter knife in. A metal fork is ok. Like you you couldn't threaten someone with a fork thine at a person's jugalar vein.

It was DFW.

 

[Garfield1966]

Gar,

I'm no particular fan of the TSA...but their list of prohibited items at their web site addresses the two knives you mentioned. Rounded dinner or butter knives are OK...other knives with any blade length are not allowed.

I guess I just question how a 9 inch steel butter knife is less dangerous than a 1 inch swiss army knife. But OH I feel so safe now.

 

[mjk]

Maybe they thought hotel was on the flight you were taking?

Otherwise they probably would have let you take everything on board.

 

[jimntx]

Maybe they thought hotel was on the flight you were taking?

Otherwise they probably would have let you take everything on board.

Tacky, tacky! 😛

 

[Garfield1966]

I guess I just question how a 9 inch steel butter knife is less dangerous than a 1 inch swiss army knife. But OH I feel so safe now.

Seriously, I have not read the regulations on knives but two airports (one of which was DFW) saw the knife, had it in their hands, and gave the dinner knife back to me. If would have had a sharp edge (verses a serrated dull edge) on the dinner knife, would they have still let me take it on board? Still does not make sense but I guess that’s the logic of he US government at work.