"Homeland Security" in Iowa

In article , Blanche
wrote:

As far as I'm concerned, it's theft by the US Government if there
is no way to return the object to the owner at a later time.

An interesting program on this topic was heard on NPR yesterday
afternoon.
It seems that if a passenger complains that something has been stolen
from his/her luggage, there are now multiple forms that must be filled
out. Then, you wait.
Under new legislation, the TSA and airlines share losses 50-50.
The only problem is, Congress limited the TSA's amount to $2 million.

Blanche opined

And what's wrong with taking the object in question and mailing it
from the airport? TSA doesn't like it? Fine. Take your bags and the
object over to another counter or perhaps the gift shop, get a
mailing box and send it home. I was under the impression that
the objects were confiscated only if you agreed to allow it in order
to continue to the aircraft.

As far as I'm concerned, it's theft by the US Government if there
is no way to return the object to the owner at a later time.

The TSA should have bags ready for Leathermen, jack knives and nail
clippers. They could even make a few bucks by selling them. The bags could be
mailed or even gasp put in a secure part of the airplane and then returned
at your destination.

What a concept; nice security.


-ash
for assistance dial MYCROFTXXX

I'm beginning to think that we all demand to fly commercially.... NAKED! It
would make things so much easier.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:84_Hb.6418$xX.15221@attbi_s02...
So we took my 26 year old, blonde, blue-eyed, 6' 4" nephew back to the
Cedar
Rapids airport last night, to catch his red-eye flight back to Seattle.
He
was as sick as a dog (flu?) and weak as a kitten, but go he must, so off
he
went...

The "Eastern Iowa Airport" is a pretty sleepy place on a Sunday night --
even the airport bar was closed (gasp!) -- and there were MAYBE 50 people
in
the entire airport terminal, including employees. Since we were no longer
allowed to go to the gate with him, we said our goodbyes at the entrance
to
the security checkpoint.

This area was staffed by TEN (10!) uniformed TSA guys, waiting to pounce
on
the terrorists who were (no doubt) thronging into the heartland. My
nephew
strolled through the X-ray machine, passed uneventfully, and then put his
single carry-on bag (a back-pack) on the conveyor...

...from our distance it was obvious that the TSA guys were suddenly tense,
and -- although we were beyond earshot -- it was easy to see that
SOMETHING
was wrong. My nephew, weak with flu, stood staring numbly at the people
who
had suddenly gathered around him. He was obviously confused.

Soon he was taken to the side. Within 30 seconds two uniformed police
officers strode purposefully past us, coming from another part of the
airport but obviously on their way to see my nephew. The other officers
were holding something that we couldn't quite see, and were speaking quite
seriously to him, all the while keeping him surrounded by a minimum of
four
TSA guards.

After 10 minutes of this, they took him into an area we could not see.
With
visions of rubber hoses and bright lights, we paced back and forth, unable
to do ANYTHING to help.

What could it be? He certainly fit the terrorist "threat profile" -- for
the "Swedish Liberation Army", perhaps. Since, to our knowledge, Sweden
had not been named an "Axis of Evil" country, we couldn't fathom what had
triggered this response.

After an interminable five minutes he emerged and gave us a weary wave as
he
headed off to his gate. Of course we were unable to find out what had
gone
wrong, or why he had been detained -- the TSA folks simply would not tell
us, and my nephew had no cell phone.

We drove home wondering what the hell my nephew could have done?

Today my sister called, to drop the other shoe. Turns out my OTHER sister
(his aunt) had given my poor nephew a wrapped Xmas present, to give to his
Dad. Inside this present was a "Leatherman Multi-tool" -- obviously
something that could be used as a weapon! My poor nephew had NO idea
what
was in this wrapped gift, and my sister had assumed that he would carry
the
present in his "checked" baggage -- not in his "carry-on" baggage.
Because
he didn't know if it was breakable, he had opted to carry the present
where
it could not be broken.

So, he is now on a permanent list of "potential terrorist threats", is
being
threatened with a $50.00 fine, was put through an awful situation over
which
he had no control or knowledge, and my sister feels thoroughly awful. He
barely made his flight, and (of course) his Dad didn't receive his Xmas
present, since the TSA confiscated it.

And the final irony of the whole story: the "Leatherman" tool, as with so
many things these days, was sealed in one of those plastic containers that
(you guessed it!) requires a knife or scissors to open...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article , Jim
wrote:

I'm beginning to think that we all demand to fly commercially.... NAKED! It
would make things so much easier.

Naw... a french woman stripped down to her undies at the checkpoint
here in Columbus last summer and got arrested.

Darn, missed that. I would have vouched for her, and even taken her home if
necessary.

"EDR" wrote in message
...
In article , Jim
wrote:

I'm beginning to think that we all demand to fly commercially.... NAKED!
It
would make things so much easier.

Naw... a french woman stripped down to her undies at the checkpoint
here in Columbus last summer and got arrested.

EDR wrote:
In article , Jim
wrote:

I'm beginning to think that we all demand to fly commercially....
NAKED! It would make things so much easier.

Naw... a french woman stripped down to her undies at the checkpoint
here in Columbus last summer and got arrested.

Yeah, but that could happen only in the US of A.
In France she would have been invited to a champaigne brunch.

jue

We drove home wondering what the hell my nephew could have done?
So, he is now on a permanent list of "potential terrorist threats",

Him and 5 million others (as of almost a year ago)...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/03/10...t.security.ap/

However, I can't imagine someone this day and age carrying a box they have
no idea what's inside as carry-on.

However, I can't imagine someone this day and age carrying a box they have
no idea what's inside as carry-on.

Yeah, that was dumb. But he flies commercially maybe every other year, so
he just wasn't aware of the possible problems that could cause.

Had he told any of us what he was doing, we could have warned him...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

One reality is that in the hands of someone young, strong, and willing to
die, a Leatherman tool is a weapon when he is the only one so armed in an
enclosed cabin...

The other reality is that as a nation we no longer have any balls... We
cower at the mere threat that someone may try to hurt us... I am ashamed of
my country....

Denny

"Jay Honeck" So, he is now on a permanent list
of "potential terrorist threats", is being
threatened with a $50.00 fine, was put through an awful situation over
which
he had no control or knowledge

We
cower at the mere threat that someone may try to hurt us... I am ashamed of
my country....

I'm more embarrassed than ashamed. But you make a valid point.

We are terrorizing ourselves . . . check out Fox News--they have "Terror
Alert--HIGH" permanently on the lower left corner of the screen.

I refuse to be terrorized. I don't care what the hell they threaten to do,
what the intelligence "buzz" is, or anything else.

I suggest everyone simply stop being so afraid and we can declare the War on
Terror over and get back to the really important things--like Michael Jackson
f'rinstance. :-)


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