Originally Posted by atl runner
Well Spiff as I said I agree with you that some of the stuff is pointless, but if I recall correctly the 9/11 guys didn't have guns but sharp, pointy objects and wasn't Richard Reid trying to blow up a plane with explosives in his shoes? I don't know where to draw the line between safe, effective measures and needless hassles anymore than anyone else. All I'm saying is this ain't a particularly friendly world right now (and that street cuts in both--or multiple--directions) and I'd rather go for a little overkill.
Most of us who post here fly regularly and should know how to clear security 90% of the time without having a major hassle (although I agree the inconsistencies are annoying). If someone is constantly having fights with the security folks, I'd say they are having an authority issue thing getting aroused. When I'm flying, my goal is to get from point A to point B in the easiest, quickest and most comfortable way possible, and most of the time that's relatively easy to do.
1. Sharp pointy objects did not cause 9/11, cooperation with terrorists and opening cockpit doors did. Broken wine bottles, martial arts, even a Cross pen, would have all worked that day because of the way we were trained to deal with terrorists.
2. Richard Reid could have put his bomb in his underwear or in his butt. Anyone else can still do this. Shoes not only are not the only place that explosives may be places but focusing only on them and ignoring all other possibilities actually makes it easier for someone to smuggle explosives past the check point. The Shoe Carnival puts people in danger and it doesn't do a damn thing for security.