I have a metal comb that I have owned for about 10 years. It has been on, literally, hundreds and hundreds of flights--27 since 9/11. On Wednesday a security agent at PDX took great glee in taking away from me. (I ended up checking it in a box.) When I asked what they thought the chances were of an old lady 1k highjacking a plane with her comb, the National Guardsman said, "We have rules. We are not required to think". Therein lies the crux of the problem.

It is, I believe, generally accepted that El Al has the best airline security system in the world and that is precisely because their security agents are specifically trained to think. They have also been at war long enough to relieve them of the necessity to allow political correctness to blind them from simple common sense.

IMHO, reviewing the manifest 24-48 hours out, and looking for suspect profiles could easily have avoided the tragedies of 9/11. People who buy walk-ups should also always get a lot closer attention.

I seriously doubt that any amount of airport screening of baggage would have had any effect on 9/11 at all. There is evidence that the box cutters were not carried through security by the highjackers, but were instead smuggled in by employees. That makes perfectly good sense to me. I and my employees have travelled with Exactos and box cutters, and even before 9/11 they were frequently confiscated.

I can't believe that the highjackers, who were doing something that was so important to them that they were willing to give their life, would take the chance that they might be able to get a box cutter through security or take any chance of calling attention to themself. I personally believe that a huge portion of what has transpired with airport security in the last couple of months is a huge waste of resources that could be allocated far more wisely.

[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 11-03-2001).]