TSA strikes a blow for airline security

I got this from an email list I am on. It really is interesting and I wanted to know what y'all think of it. And also, to my fellow military brothers on the board, have any of you ever encountered any problems with airline security? I find it very interesting that EVERYTIME I fly, I am always "randomly" selected to be have a more extensive search of my person and my belongings, even if the ID I use is my Military ID. Kind of ironic when the ones who are getting screened are the very ones trying to protect our country from another 9/11. The TSA really does lack some common sense from time to time.

Before deploying from Savannah, Georgia, to Iraq by a chartered airliner, the troops of the 48th Brigade Combat Team, a National Guard unit, had to go through the same security checks as any other passengers. Lt. Col. John King, the unit's commander, told his 280 fellow soldiers that FAA anti-hijacking regulations require passengers to surrender pocket knives, nose hair scissors and cigarette lighters. "If you have any of those things," he said, almost apologetically, "put them in this box now." The troops were, however, allowed to keep hold of their assault rifles, body armour, helmets, pistols, bayonets and combat shotguns.

TSA continues to display its usual lack of common sense approach to security as the most junior of Federal agencies.

 

That is absurd. Absolutely ridiculous.

Yeah, keep the guns but give up the nose-hair scissors. What kind of crap...

 

I am all for tight security but some of these TSA guys (and girls) really do need a dose of common sense (the nose hair cutter/assault rifle thing being a prime example). I fly 100,000 miles a year and have for the past 12 years. I always fly out of Lafayette. I walk up to security and it's "Hey Mr. Angelle, where to this time?..Now please spread your arms." I always want to say, "Look, if I was going to hijack this plane and fly it into a building, I would have done it by now", but, of course, I can't because I'll get arrested.

Another pet peeve is the total lack of respect for your belongings. I carefully pack a weeks worth of clothes and strap everything down. I check a large suitcase and leave it at security so they can make sure I didn't pack a bomb just this once. When I open my suitcase in the hotel, the straps are undone and the underwear is where the shirts used to be. I put my laptop in there one time and securely strapped it between suits and shirts. When I opened the suitcase, the laptop was on top and unsecured.
Don't even get me started...

 

And the sad thing is, it seems like there isn't a damn thing we can do about it. :dis:

 

i will set the odds

this story is true as told, around 15%.

this story is true, with some details screwy 20%

this story is a total massacre of an actual story that is totally different 35%

story is completely made up: 30%

 

Indeed, it does seem a bit far-fetched. But at the same time, the owner of the email list I am on does a pretty good job of not emailing out bum stories, so I have reason to believe its a valid story.

There is no question to the fact that the TSA has no common sense with regards to military personnel, in my experience.

 

would the guys have their gun s in the cargo hold, or actually on them? if they are actually phsically carrying assault rifles with them, that makes the story tough to believe.

however i still agree with the point that they are over the top with the restrictions.

 

I fly weekly and regularly see soldiers, and Marines in the airport security lines. They do not have rifles, pistols, or combat shotguns. I would say that story is 100% bs.

 

That wasn't just a normal commercial flight. It was a chartered airline flight for that particular National Guard unit headed for Iraq.

For those that don't believe that they take their rifles on the flights with them and think this story is BS, check this picture out:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/88699837/88703267qHkgeV

 

I'd love to see Abdul pull his box cutter out on that airplane.