FARK.com: (45785) 3 Northwest employees breach security to prove a point

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		3 Northwest employees breach security to prove a point (washingtonpost.com)		25
		More: Scary

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3443 clicks; posted to Main » on 14 Sep 2001 at 7:29 AM | Favorite | share:

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Appie		2001-09-14 07:32:50 AM

Scary indeed, but they made a good point.

substrate		2001-09-14 08:26:50 AM

For years I've carried a swiss army knife (since about grade 4 or 5 I think) with me. I never even knew that carrying a pocket knife onto an aircraft was illegal. I've passed through the metal detectors, sometimes beeped and sometimes not. I've placed my pocket knife, in plain view, into the little baskets and walked through again. Nobody has ever raised an eyebrow.

My present pocket knife is a Swiss Army Camper Lockblade. It's not really a small knife. It's an obvious thing in the basket. Apparently its no longer in production, but the closest equivalent is this.

I would have had no problem if I had ever been told I had to stow this away. Heck, I'd be annoyed (no advanced notice, like "Thou shall not carry pocket knives") but understanding if I wasn't allowed to board with it. But its never, ever, happened.

fusillade762		2001-09-14 08:27:46 AM

"We would ask that nobody intentionally try to break security,"

Well, gee, since they asked so nicely...

Jodibug0975		2001-09-14 08:41:36 AM

now watch the employees be discharged for bringing it to their attention!!! very scary indeed.

jumbotron		2001-09-14 08:57:26 AM

I once was told to take a drink from the soda I was carrying through security at O'Hare but no one even mentioned the Gerber Multitool I had on my belt with 2 3"+ knife blades and a saw blade. At Dulles at least 70% of the screeners are of middle eastern decent. How hard do you think it would be to get a couple of accomplices in there to let an armed person through. Ya get what you pay for when you contract with the low bidder.

Appie		2001-09-14 09:03:27 AM

Jodibug0975,
That is called killing the messenger and is still accepted practice in a lot of places (happened to me when I pointed out a hole in the computersecurity at work, but I got the last laugh, their shares went down the drain without me doing anything or telling anybody outside the company).

someguy		2001-09-14 09:20:32 AM

I've carried a swiss army knife for years, too. It has a 3 inch, serrated main blade. I've never had a problem with getting it through the metal detectors at the airport.

I think the big problem is with things like this:

soupgoblin		2001-09-14 09:21:57 AM

"We would ask that nobody intentionally try to break security,"

What they are realy saying:

even after this terrible incident we are going to be as lax in security as always, please don't attempt to show the nation how much disregard we have for it's safety

Doofus		2001-09-14 09:29:26 AM

Well, this makes me a little jittery. I was supposed to be on a Northwest flight out of Denver to Birmingham, Al this morning. Needless to say I had changed my flight plans as of yesterday to give things a chance to settle down before I got on a plane. I haven't been home in over a year, but I guess waiting a few more days to fly was probably a good idea. Regardless, unless they ground all the flights again, I'm outta here next week. Considering the mood I'm in, I think I'm fully capable of beating a terrorist to death with a goddamned airphone if anything happens.

rooskiemark		2001-09-14 09:35:39 AM

This pisses me off almost as much as anything I've heard in the past three days.

Absolutely inexcusable.

When are we going to hire some god_damned real security for these airports? We've got barely trained retards doing it now.

Ozhead		2001-09-14 09:49:01 AM

So the CIA paid for this : SCARy

Experts said that besides bin Laden -- who honed his guerrilla skills against Soviet troops in the 1980s commanding Arab fighters funded by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency -- few have the cash or expertise to mount such attacks.

topane		2001-09-14 09:54:07 AM

From what I saw on ABC this morning, they didn't intentionally do it, they accidentally carried items they always flew with and realized what happend. Farking Washington Post.

Doofus		2001-09-14 10:25:07 AM

FARK!!! Jesus, I hope everything settles down by Monday or my hubby isn't going to let me get on a plane. You guys have no idea what it's like trying to convince your Significant Other that you're capable of taking care of yourself.

PGM_00		2001-09-14 10:38:23 AM

One of the things that is being discussed by congress is federalizing all airport security. You will pay extra (a little)but I think fully trained feds will be better than "mall security" and rent-a-cops that we currently depend on.

Umlaut		2001-09-14 12:00:35 PM

PGM_00 - Amen! Airport security is serious business, even before Tuesday.

BassetHound		2001-09-14 12:53:55 PM

Amen again. As a person who travels of 150,000 air miles each year, I can safely say that almost all the security screening personnel at US airports aren't intelligent enough to serve up french fries at McDonald's. Now that's bad!

bmartin		2001-09-14 01:00:24 PM

Why federalized airport security is a good thing:

The type of people that join the military or the FBI are proud of their jobs and do them well, even if the pay is poor, and it usually is. It is a matter of honor and pride to do their jobs to the best of their ability, and to give 110%.

The type of people that do airport security get $5.75 an hour, less than a halfway competent person can make at McDonalds. Would you take a bullet, or jump on a bomb for $5.75 an hour? I sure as hell wouldn't.

Fooshnik		2001-09-14 01:22:08 PM

Airport security has always been joke, and having trained monkeys doing security checks doesn't help. I've always been able to get through with knives.

10 bucks says I could pass a stinger off as a rod tube and walk right by those idiots.

Doofus		2001-09-14 01:34:11 PM

Geez, Foos, thanks so farking much. Just what I needed to hear considering I'm going to be hopping a plane Monday.

Walljasper		2001-09-14 02:11:03 PM

"If you want the job done right, do it yourself", so the old saying goes.

So when I leave on my next trip, I'm arriving at the airport 5 hours earlier so I can search EVERYBODY that gets on that plane.

Some of theser folks are going to get their Christmas goose early.

Mr_Frog		2001-09-14 02:38:22 PM

I once walked onto a plane with a bag of telecommunications repair tools including a hammer, several screwdrivers, a utility knife and several other potentially dangerous items. This not including the 4" pocket knife I had. It would be interesting to pull a "Spinal Tap" (watch the movie if you don't know what I mean) to see what they would do.

LittleFark		2001-09-14 02:43:16 PM

Ozhead: I understand you have the right to speak your opinion. But, please quit posting the same shiat in every thread. Honesty, it comes off as Anti-American. Not because of the actual post but becuase of your incessient need to post it at every oppurtunity.

HPZ		2001-09-14 02:56:37 PM

All of you who say you've had no trouble getting pocketknives past security in the past- it wasn't an issue in the past. Blades shorter than 4" were allowed. As of yesterday, they are not.

Yaysnfekshun		2001-09-14 03:22:12 PM

After reading the above posts, makes me wonder why I get busted every time I try to get my keychain kubotan thru security. It's nothing but a 6" aluminum rod with annular grooves, blunt on both ends. I must look suspicious or something.