Originally Posted by Spiff

The private screeners never, ever harassed me the way the The Second Al-Qaida does.

Originally Posted by PatrickHenry1775

Please cite the U.S. Supreme Court opinion holding that the mere fact an American is trying to board an airplane is probable cause to search that American.

Originally Posted by n5667

Being groped? I'd file charges over that one, the rest I'm not sure you have much of a case...

...And there's probable cause, you're flying on a plane! :D

Originally Posted by n5667

Well, Richard Reid didn't exist before 9/11, and considering cases such as Lockerbie, perhaps it is good to have bags searched... Planes seem to be a popular, symbolic target for terrorists - and screening for incidents that have already occured doesn't seem so terribly illogical...

Originally Posted by n5667

Well, Richard Reid didn't exist before 9/11, and considering cases such as Lockerbie, perhaps it is good to have bags searched... Planes seem to be a popular, symbolic target for terrorists - and screening for incidents that have already occured doesn't seem so terribly illogical...

Originally Posted by n5667

I don't think there is - but really, this is an airpline owned by a private company operated for commercial benefit - how does the law apply in this case?

We don't search private planes, after all...

Originally Posted by n5667

Of course, where's the supreme court opinion holding that the government can't search passangers flying on commercial airliners?

Originally Posted by doober

is that according to the NY Times article:

"These kinds of sharp instruments are now found in about one in four carry-on bags."

Originally Posted by ND Sol

From my unscientific observations, I find it hard to believe that one in four bags have sharp instruments that are found by the screeners. Have others noticed this?

Originally Posted by LessO2

I have seen some scissors and a corkscrew confiscated before.

Usually about six or seven people pass me before I get all my stuff back together (longer if I'm at a stronger-setting WTMD for my belt), and I seldomly see people have stuff confiscated. Certainly not at that rate.

Originally Posted by n5667

Well, Richard Reid didn't exist before 9/11, and considering cases such as Lockerbie, perhaps it is good to have bags searched... Planes seem to be a popular, symbolic target for terrorists - and screening for incidents that have already occured doesn't seem so terribly illogical...

Originally Posted by bambi47

This was in today's Philadelphia Inquirer, page A9. Banned items intercepted by airport screeners, January 1 - Nov. 29, 2005: Lighters (banned as of April14) 8,124,525, Sharp Objects 3,041,218, Knives and blades 1,650,894 (less than 3 inches 1,599,103) (3 inches or longer 51,791), Tools, 819,450, Flammables and irritants 362,613 (not sure if they included irritating passengers), Ammunition and gunpowder 21,939, Box cutters 19,499, Clubs, bats and bludgeons 19,183. Just wondering where all this stuff came from. People that don't believe their dangerous? People that don't know the rules? (come on, its been 4 years and unless you haven't read a paper or watched television, this is a lame excuse) or people that think we should "know" their not terrorists? Or were at least a couple of them "bad guys" that wanted to harm us?

Originally Posted by LessO2

It makes perfect sense to me.

Eight out of every 10 people on a plane, on average, are NOT frequent fliers.

And those folks are the TSA's target audience in terms of contraband and public perception. It's THOSE uneducated people who fly once or twice a year are who the TSA thrives on, the ones they cater to when they point out how "valuable" the TSA is.

On the other hand, about eight out of every 10 frequent fliers feel the TSA is unnecessary.

Originally Posted by FliesWay2Much

I won't comment on the security aspects of all of this, but I thought long & hard about the date the TSA chose to implement this "improvement."

1. We all know that this will be right in the middle of all the Christmas flying period. When the inevitable chaos occurs, all of it will be masked by the normal chaos of flying during this time of year. TSA wins.

2. This circus will impress the infrequent flyers immensely. The media will follow right along, because there will be an ample supply of the "anything for security crowd" to shove a microphone and camera in front of. TSA wins.

3. The infrequent flyer mass influx will produce ample opportunities to find prohibited items, justify this change, and make examples of several of our fellow citizens. There will also be ample opportunity to detain and arrest those terrorists who get caught with dangerous items such as a joint or two or a large amount of cash. TSA wins.

4. The TSA spokesholes have reinforced the cause/effect spin to "compliance versus checkpoint waiting times." Civil liberties and security bang for the buck aren't even in the equation anymore. TSA wins.

You have to hand it to them -- they know how to work a crowd.