Hello Fellow FTers,

Yesterday, flew from TLV-xATL-SFO. The TLV security was very thorough and the security people could not have been nicer. The X-ray caught a couple of things they wanted to inspect. Fine. No problem. Kept shoes on.

Landed at ATL, and had to clear security again. What a hassle. Shoes off! All liquids MUST be in a plastic bag. Fine. I put the liquids I had in a plastic bag.

I was hassled because of the liquids. A bottle of cologne (1.7 oz), and Clear Eyes (whatever that amount was). He held out of my reach and said they must be in a plastic bag. I pointed they were in a plastic bag. He said the liquids must be in a clear plastic bag. I didn't have a clear plastic bag. Fortunately my traveling companion had a clear plastic bag. I gave the clear plastic bag to the TSA person. That wasn't good enough. The clear plastic bag must in one gallon in size -- not the quart size clear plastic bag that I had. huh? Those were the rules. The rules must be obeyed. I just don't get it. I don't understand how the size of the bag would stop terrorist activites.

The TSA said that I did try to "honor the spirit of the law" and he let me liquids through. But arrrggghhhhh.....

I'd rather go through Israeli security anytime over US's.

To me, Israel's TSA wants to stop terrorism; USA TSA wants rules to be obeyed.

Enough of my rant.

David

Concerning security at TLV, is there a liquids ban like in the US and EU?

Given their situation which is very different than the US, methinks the Israelis can't afford to waste resources on nonsense.

Nor can the TSA afford to run the Israeli security gamut at all of our airports.

If the Israeli's wanted/needed a liquid ban to benefit aviation security, they would have instituted such a policy long ago, having known about the concept and possible threat of liquid explosives for a long time. They would not play games with security as a knee-jerk reaction to a newly uncovered "terrorist plot".

So, no, it is business as usual at TLV and it remains the airport in the world with the "best" security-- despite the lack carnivals.

Also, El-Al didn't switch to plastic butter knives after 9/11 either-- the Israeli people have enough real security to worry about that they don't have time for this type of BS, as others have noted.

For want of money, or brainpower?

Do you think they could afford to run any security?

I've not yet flown through TLV, so all I have is what I've heard:

1. Profiling all passengers starts the minute they walk in the airport
2. People are watched to see who drops them off, what they do, what they carry
3. All bags inspected
4. All passengers questioned thoroughly
5. Passengers who do not speak Hebrew or have Israeli passports questioned harder (?)
6. All passengers screened through metal detectors and go airside
7. I would assume plain clothes guards airside are still watching for suspicious behavior
8. All flights have armed FAMs

Is that about right?

My point was, Israel does not have many airports...help me out here...Tel Aviv, Eilat and maybe Haifa. Any more?

The US has literally hundreds of airports, each with a staff. Once you clear security at any one of them, in theory you are cleared airside anywhere in the US. To implement Israeli style security at US airports would first off bring air travel to a standstill due to the large volume of flights, and second would require hiring and training thousands of competent professionals. In addition, they would need to be paid well enough to keep them at the job.

1. Profiling all passengers starts the minute they walk in the airport

And let us not forget the ACLU's love of Profiling.

This won't work in America; not that it (or the ACLU) has stopped the government from doing this anyway.

This already goes on in at least two forms at a good number of US airports; one form of it also goes on at all US airports, particularly as part of the "brilliantly" implemented haraSSSSment process. Both of these forms implemented in the US (and even abroad for some US-bound flights) have lead to some ridiculous outcomes. If this became more extensive or "substantive" in America, the result would be like so many other things the DHS/TSA touches: an ever more wasteful and expensive dog and pony show.

I admire TLV, however:

El Al has, what, 40 aircraft?

Delta has 350 mainline?

AirTran has 100 aircraft?

How many flights a day does TLV see?

ATL is the world's busiest airport.

All flights from TLV are international.