I can't see a reason to search a passengers wallet unless, during a secondary screening, the hand wand alarms on the wallet. This will happen if the passenger keeps coin, keys or a prohibited item in the wallet. If the handwand alarms on the wallet the search would be necessary.

THANK YOU for speaking Common Sense!

As for placing my wallet through the X-Ray, That is NOT going to happen. Even though I keep my cash in my pocket as a rule, I am NOT leaving my credit cards exposed to theft.

Metal detectors are sometimes so sensitive they pick up a dime in my wallet, or the magnetic stripe on the credit cards.

I never put my wallet through the x-ray machine and I never take it out unless I have to, but I have had things go off because of the above.

OTOH, it has struck me as particularly invasive when they insist on going through my wallet. It *is* invasive, and as others pointed out it is ridiculous because so many things in an airplane cabin can be made into much more effective weapons anyway. I am sure that I could file down a credit card to have a knife edge, come to think of it.

Amazing how that price goes up, yet the amount of freedom we enjoy decreases.

If we were talking about Hershey bars shrinking, Consumer Reports would have something to say about it. But since we're talking about "security," we get self-appointed security "experts" talking about how valuable their work is.

Spare me. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...m/rolleyes.gif

Thank you JPT!



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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Exactly, the price of freedom seems to just go higher and higher. For the price we're paying now, you'd think we'd be as free as the wind. Instead, we just seem to get less and less freedom. Quite paradoxical...

As printed in Merriam-Webster Online

Main Entry: free·dom
Pronunciation: 'frE-d&m
Function: noun
Date: before 12th century
1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care> d : EASE, FACILITY <spoke the language with freedom> e : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken <answered with freedom> f : improper familiarity g : boldness of conception or execution h : unrestricted use <gave him the freedom of their home>
2 a : a political right b : FRANCHISE, PRIVILEGE
synonyms FREEDOM, LIBERTY, LICENSE mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. FREEDOM has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated <freedom of the press>. LIBERTY suggests release from former restraint or compulsion <the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty>. LICENSE implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom <freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license>.

My son told me the best way to control a country is to make its' citizens think they are free.

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

There's no incentive for non-compliance.

They are cutting corners every place possible to keep their jobs. I hear this from them almost daily.