I flew from Australia back to the US about a week after 9/11. I had my nail scissors etc confiscated from my checked luggage before the flight along with hundreds of other passengers. When we boarded the flight we were all given metal knives and forks for our meals....
Me too. God I fucking hate airport security, become such a farce. No bottled water? I'm drinking it right in front of you... All that plastic thrown to unnecessary waste. Surely you have ways to detect nitroglycerin without banning ALL liquid. 9/11 was 18 years ago and -- there were no bombs involved! They just hijacked the planes.
My favorite experience was in Amsterdam, when the American-style security officers told me I couldn't bring cream cheese (it was very obviously cream cheese)... The metallic butter knife was ok! But the cream cheese was too unsafe!!! I refused to waste food, so I sat in the check-in area to eat my damn bagel and cream cheese, and then the cops come over to tell me I can't sit there...
God I hate how stupid airport security has become, with a vengeance. Sure doesn't make me feel any safer at all, just fucking fascinated at what stupid rules they'll come up with next.
Cheese has nothing to do with the terror stupidity. Food is normally about either A) health rules about food (still stupid) or B) invasive species and such (important).
The only notable exception of this that I am aware of is Surströmming, which could be used as a terror bomb. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surstr%C3%B6mming "The pressurized can is usually opened some distance away from the dining table, and is often initially punctured while immersed in a bucket of water,"
Strangest incident for me was when we were flying from Singapore to New Zealand to go bicycle touring there. We had connection in Melbourne, and when we were leaving the place one of the stewards told us that we shouldn't have brought the bicycle helmets in the cabin, since they could be used as a weapon. Yeah, my helmet's visor is certainly more dangerous than high heel shoes.
I don't know any ways to kill someone with one finger, but I know plenty of ways to kill someone with those seatbelts with the nice heavy metal clasps. Guess it's time to outlaw those.
I fly between Cairo and Athens. They confiscate lighters leaving Cairo, but don't care in the other direction. There's a joke here somewhere about directional combustibility...or maybe they just need a lot of lighters in Cairo.
I flew from Australia back to the US about a week after 9/11. I had my nail scissors etc confiscated from my checked luggage before the flight along with hundreds of other passengers. When we boarded the flight we were all given metal knives and forks for our meals....
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty interesting experience… I guess the paranoia turned into something more constructive later on?
DeleteI'm still waiting for something constructive. I've had quite enough of many years of "security theatre".
DeleteMe too. God I fucking hate airport security, become such a farce. No bottled water? I'm drinking it right in front of you... All that plastic thrown to unnecessary waste. Surely you have ways to detect nitroglycerin without banning ALL liquid. 9/11 was 18 years ago and -- there were no bombs involved! They just hijacked the planes.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite experience was in Amsterdam, when the American-style security officers told me I couldn't bring cream cheese (it was very obviously cream cheese)... The metallic butter knife was ok! But the cream cheese was too unsafe!!! I refused to waste food, so I sat in the check-in area to eat my damn bagel and cream cheese, and then the cops come over to tell me I can't sit there...
God I hate how stupid airport security has become, with a vengeance. Sure doesn't make me feel any safer at all, just fucking fascinated at what stupid rules they'll come up with next.
Deep breaths.
DeleteCheese has nothing to do with the terror stupidity. Food is normally about either A) health rules about food (still stupid) or B) invasive species and such (important).
DeleteThe only notable exception of this that I am aware of is Surströmming, which could be used as a terror bomb.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surstr%C3%B6mming
"The pressurized can is usually opened some distance away from the dining table, and is often initially punctured while immersed in a bucket of water,"
Strangest incident for me was when we were flying from Singapore to New Zealand to go bicycle touring there. We had connection in Melbourne, and when we were leaving the place one of the stewards told us that we shouldn't have brought the bicycle helmets in the cabin, since they could be used as a weapon. Yeah, my helmet's visor is certainly more dangerous than high heel shoes.
ReplyDeleteI mean, your hands and teeth and feet and fingernails are weapons, too...
DeleteI know 42 ways to kill you with one finger...
DeleteI don't know any ways to kill someone with one finger, but I know plenty of ways to kill someone with those seatbelts with the nice heavy metal clasps. Guess it's time to outlaw those.
Deletee house, I bet you also know at least few ways to kill someone with just with two hands, and probably at least one way with single hand.
DeleteI fly between Cairo and Athens. They confiscate lighters leaving Cairo, but don't care in the other direction. There's a joke here somewhere about directional combustibility...or maybe they just need a lot of lighters in Cairo.
ReplyDelete