Security is way past the point of laughable.
No airline or governmental agency seems to have a clue that confiscating petty personal items and medical supplies which have never been given a second thought and were never a problem is not the solution. It only creates longer lines, delays and passengers who are
rapidly becoming disgusted and flying less.
What does it take to get the point across? They can't keep searching all carryons.
X-raying checked bags is fine, but what will the proceedure be when they detect something which "looks" suspicious? Ask you to open the bag or just blow it up? Why does the media focus on how much travelers appreciate and welcome all this aggravation? Have you ever seen they interview anyone who really unloaded a negative opinion? I will be making another 7 hour drive next week as my own way of prostesting this * *.

I haven't yet had my carry on searched on a domestic flight. Even on an int'l flight recently departing from IAD they did not search my carry-on. Only x-rayed it.

I wouldn't fret about this too much though. There are a million ways for terrorists to commit acts of death and destruction and if you just go about your business without worrying unduly about it I think you are a lot better off.

No question about it, airplane security is going to keep improving. They are going to scan bags, they are going to scan luggage, things can't change overnight but they will change rapidly, you can bet on it.

I think it was about 30 years ago when security as we know it was put into place. In the golden age of air travel, there was no security for domestic flights. Can you imagine the reactions taht must have taken place when all passengers were required to go through metal detectors? It must have been a nightmare in its time.

Airports were redesigned to accomodate.

How will airports change now?

I agree totally with the flowerchild. Security is absolutely pathetic now. I have had the pleasure of being searched on 6 of my 13 flights since 9/11. I guess I fit the profile of a terrorist (20 something white guy from Texas).

My latest favorite was the confiscation of a toy airplane at IAD before I could get through security (nevermind this toy made it through AMS and LHR security with no incident).

And one more thing.... why are we wasting the money on the National Guard at the airports? Its one thing if they are there to help our non-english speaking screeners commmunicate and pick out my lethal tweezers and razors, but they do NOTHING but stand there and try to look tough.

flowerchild-I concur! I flew home ALB-PHL yesterday. The screeners were so laser focused on looking for nail clippers, I doubt they would notice anything else. My bag was searched so the the screener could confirm that he did indeed see a nail clipper in my shaving kit. Once found, he said, "well, this is legal." Great, why bother holding up the line to search through my bag to find it and tell me. Meanwhile my boss's screener confiscated his nail clipper and said it was illegal, but he was welcome to go back down and check it. What a joke! Luckily we had the national guardsman overseeing the process with his rifle slung over his back and useless (and probably unloaded). Security needs to improve DRAMATICALLY! This windowdressing is doing nothing.

Security Boondoggle.

I just flew Buf-Atl-SJO-Cartegena,COlombia past holiday weekend. I could have had shaving equipement, all other things. Ihad illegal 10 pcs 1mg Xanax for sleep. US authoritied do nothing. There is no security. They are just scanning your belt buckle or zipper. Winter is good for them because the ladies wear jeans and jeans have metal zippers. Here is a soultion. You read and sign a discolure stating that you are not holding these items. If you are found with any of these items, levy a $500 fine and detain you for a few days. It is just not taken seriously. We can be killed.

-B

would we solve the problem by putting arm and leg irons on all pax at check in? of course, they would have to be made of plastic to avoid further delays @ security!

The simple answer to the original question is that the so-called leaders who are in a position to do something are showing their true colors in the face of adversity - that they are merely incompetent social-climbers.

They've only hand-checked my bags once in the 20-odd flights I've had since 9/11.

Of course, they failed to notice the Swiss Army knife that I had in some small compartment of my carry-on, and had since forgotten about. Not so great of a hand inspection, I suppose.

I've since discovered the pocket knife (I was wondering where it went) and removed it, but it still makes me wonder at the quality of even the hand searches.

I have had a lot of conversations with friends and clients about flying. Only one has mentioned that they are afraid of flying, a large number of the others don't want to fly because they are afraid of the airports...the lines, the searches and waiting around.
If they don't their act together of thids issue, it will kill the industry.

Xanax, available by prescription only, is far from illegal and available in strength up to 2mg/pill.

In any case, what is the security risk involved here? Do as I say or or I will make you extremely relaxed and/or groggy?!?

"This medicine is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and panic disorder. It may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor."

I guess I've been lucky too so far, 22 flights since 9/11 and I've only had my bags searched once either at security or at the gate, and that was on a LHR-JFK flight at checkin.

This is the experience I have had while traveling in India:

1. Security procedure is standard across all the airports irrespective of whether its for domestic or international travel.
2. The moment you enter the airport, your luggage that is intended for checking in is x-rayed by airport security personnel (they carefully watch the image on the screen and sometimes ask you what one or two particular object in the bag is). Then a 'screened OK' sticker is placed covering the lock/zipper so that you cannot open the baggage before checkin in (well, not that foolproof, but I have seen that the sticker is designed such that it does not come out as a single unit, it breaks into pieces if you pull it out, making it very difficult to open and close the baggage).
3. After checking in, you move to the 'security check' with your boarding pass. You are quickly scanned using a hand held metal detector (female inspector for female passengers, always). Your cabin luggage is x-rayed (more carefully than the checked in baggage). Your boarding pass and tag on cabin luggage are stamped indicating that you have been checked.
4. You reach the departing gates area. You cannot go back to the check in or security screening areas without seeking the help of a police/security officer (remember Atlanta).
5. At the boarding gate, the tag on your cabin luggage and boarding pass are checked for security stamps.
6. If there is a specific security threat situation that has been declared (such as intelligence reports of a possible Pakistani/Kashmiri terrorist threat), a 'police officer'(in uniform) hand searches your cabin luggage. In such situations you also might notice a few strategically positioned police officers/RAF(Rapid Action Force) personnel with light machine guns in the airport.
7. Baggage matching is always done for domestic and international flights.

At the end, you feel 100 times safer when you get into the plane in any airport in India than JFK or LAX or IAD or MIA.

I know air traffic is far less in India compared to USA. But, can't we at least standardize the security procedure in all the airports for christ's sake?!