...the further trials of airport security.
 

On a business trip, my father approached a security checkpoint at the airport. The National Guard shift was rotating and a guard, in full iniform, was in line in front of him.

As with everyone else, the soldier was ordered to go through the metal detector. Before doing so, he haded his M-16 rifle to security personnel along with other items such as handcuffs and a flashlight.

Still the alarm sounded when he walked through. Further inspection revealed a Swiss army knife inside on of his pockets.

"Sorry sir," security said to the soldier, "but this item is prohibited." Taking the knife away, the airport worker then handed him back the M-16.

--Samantha Couchoud

"On 11 January 2002, retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph J. Foss of Scottsdale, Arizona, was attempting to board an America West flight bound for Arlington, Virginia, when airport security held him for 45 minutes while they debated what to do with a variety of suspect items he had about his person. This 86-year-old former governor of South Dakota was on his way to attend a National Rifle Association meeting and to speak to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and he carried with him his Medal of Honor, as well as a Medal of Honor commemorative nail file and a dummy bullet which had been made into a key fob.

Each of these items was regarded as a potential security risk by airport personnel: the bullet for being a bullet, the nail file for being a nail file (metal nail files are now banned on flights in the USA), and the Medal of Honor for being a suspicious five-pointed metal object that might have been a weapon (similar to the Japanese throwing discs known hira shuriken).

After being repeatedly searched, Foss was allowed to board the plane with his Medal of Honor, but he had to mail the bullet and nail file home to himself. Foss' experience prompted the piece quoted above, which is the text of a Bob Greene article from the 24 February 2002 Chicago Tribune."

http://www.snopes.com/military/medal.htm

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/special42/articles/0216FOSS16.html

As the newspaper article said, it is indeed hard to teach common sense.

The worst, and IMO the reason for security miss-management is that security doesn’t always work. Without going into too much detail, I went through airport security a few months ago with a weapon and no one caught it. I wasn’t even aware that it was in my fanny pack.... until later in the day...

Let these security folks do their job and don't toss too much poop at them. Look at the consequences if it is not done, even if not done too perfection