travel warning: TSA took my allen wrenches

It's **** like this that creates so much public hostilityand lack of
confidence toward the TSA. Someday our congrssmen will get the balls to
force sensible screening legislation.

S.

"Gary Edstrom" wrote in message
...
Last year, I took my 90 year old mother to Oklahoma to visit my sister
and so she could get to see her brand new great-grand daughter.

I guess the fact that I was traveling with my mother marked me as a
suspicious character. They signaled me out for special screening.
This, of course, sent my mother into hysterics. She thought they were
arresting me and taking me away. I kept telling her to go down to the
other end of the security area and I would meet her there. Of course,
she just couldn't understand that. After I cleared the screening, it
took me quite a while to get her calmed back down.

On the way back home, the situation was reversed: SHE was the one
signaled out for special screening. There we went all over again! She
thought that she was being arrested.

So much for the friendly skies!

I just hope things go better on this year's trip!

Gary

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 08:10:24 -0700, "Roger N. Clark (change username to
rnclark)" wrote:

About two weeks ago I left for Hawaii from the
Denver airport. I was carrying a small photo backpack
with my usual gear, including 2 small allen wrenches
for the screws on my Wimberly mounting plates.
These are small, ~1 mm and ~2 mm, allen wrenches.
I've carried these for a couple of years without a
problem. I was flagged for carrying a potential
weapon, my bag went through secondary screening, including
taking it all apart to find the wrenches.
In discussing the issue with TSA, they said there is a
"New" rule that says no tools of any kind are allowed as
carry-on. A TSA guy said you could poke someone with
these wrenches. I pointed out how much smaller and
less effective small allen wrenches were than keys
or nail clippers (which are allowed). His answer was
that the higher ups know more than we do, and the
allen wrenches were banned.

So don't take any tools on board any more.

Roger

It's **** like this that creates so much public hostilityand lack of
confidence toward the TSA. Someday our congrssmen will get the balls to
force sensible screening legislation.

S.

"Gary Edstrom" wrote in message
...
Last year, I took my 90 year old mother to Oklahoma to visit my sister
and so she could get to see her brand new great-grand daughter.

I guess the fact that I was traveling with my mother marked me as a
suspicious character. They signaled me out for special screening.
This, of course, sent my mother into hysterics. She thought they were
arresting me and taking me away. I kept telling her to go down to the
other end of the security area and I would meet her there. Of course,
she just couldn't understand that. After I cleared the screening, it
took me quite a while to get her calmed back down.

On the way back home, the situation was reversed: SHE was the one
signaled out for special screening. There we went all over again! She
thought that she was being arrested.

So much for the friendly skies!

I just hope things go better on this year's trip!

Gary

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 08:10:24 -0700, "Roger N. Clark (change username to
rnclark)" wrote:

About two weeks ago I left for Hawaii from the
Denver airport. I was carrying a small photo backpack
with my usual gear, including 2 small allen wrenches
for the screws on my Wimberly mounting plates.
These are small, ~1 mm and ~2 mm, allen wrenches.
I've carried these for a couple of years without a
problem. I was flagged for carrying a potential
weapon, my bag went through secondary screening, including
taking it all apart to find the wrenches.
In discussing the issue with TSA, they said there is a
"New" rule that says no tools of any kind are allowed as
carry-on. A TSA guy said you could poke someone with
these wrenches. I pointed out how much smaller and
less effective small allen wrenches were than keys
or nail clippers (which are allowed). His answer was
that the higher ups know more than we do, and the
allen wrenches were banned.

So don't take any tools on board any more.

Roger

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 12:50:00 -0500, Dave Fouchey
wrote:

I drive, saves an awful lot of trouble and I get to carry anything I
want...

Dave

Plus, you can always stop to see whatever you want.
On a plane, you could theoretically get out to see the world's largest
mud house, but getting back in again is a bitch.


On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 09:30:23 -0800, "C J Campbell"
wrote:

That is right, the prohibited items list (conveniently available in .pdf
format on the TSA web site) includes tools, but specifically says nail
clippers and safety razors are allowed.

Furthermore, if you attempt to bring Allen wrenches to a checkpoint again,
you can be fined $250 - $1500, because now you are supposed to know better;
you have been flagged. Do it again and they will assume it is intentional.

Perhaps Homeland Security believes that the best way to protect US citizens
is to lock them up on any pretext possible in order to keep them out of
harm's way.

I am firmly convinced that TSA is the best possible argument for learning to
fly. You can carry anything you want on your own airplane.


--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 12:50:00 -0500, Dave Fouchey
wrote:

I drive, saves an awful lot of trouble and I get to carry anything I
want...

Dave

Plus, you can always stop to see whatever you want.
On a plane, you could theoretically get out to see the world's largest
mud house, but getting back in again is a bitch.


On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 09:30:23 -0800, "C J Campbell"
wrote:

That is right, the prohibited items list (conveniently available in .pdf
format on the TSA web site) includes tools, but specifically says nail
clippers and safety razors are allowed.

Furthermore, if you attempt to bring Allen wrenches to a checkpoint again,
you can be fined $250 - $1500, because now you are supposed to know better;
you have been flagged. Do it again and they will assume it is intentional.

Perhaps Homeland Security believes that the best way to protect US citizens
is to lock them up on any pretext possible in order to keep them out of
harm's way.

I am firmly convinced that TSA is the best possible argument for learning to
fly. You can carry anything you want on your own airplane.


--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

Lisa Horton wrote:

Note that I wasn't the author of the "You would be shocked..." line
above, only the lines following that one.

True. I wasn't singling you out; I was just making a generalized statement
of what I have observed within my short existence on this earth.

You make a good point though. It depends on what's in the record. A
person busted for pot in their youth is quite a different story than
someone with multiple theft convictions. Alas, both are allowed to
work in airport ground crews at this time.

I agree, I really wouldn't want someone that had multiple theft convictions
handling my baggage. But, the amazing part is when you hear about someone
getting caught doing these types of crimes is that some of them don't have a
record because they have never been caught prior to the final incident. I
consider all of this TSA crap as nothing more than a farce to generate jobs
to stimulate the economy and whittle away at our freedoms that we have taken
for granted for so long. That said, I find it easier to travel as light as
possible and carry all photography equipment onboard.



Rita
--
http://www.geocities.com/ritaberk2003/

Lisa Horton wrote:

Note that I wasn't the author of the "You would be shocked..." line
above, only the lines following that one.

True. I wasn't singling you out; I was just making a generalized statement
of what I have observed within my short existence on this earth.

You make a good point though. It depends on what's in the record. A
person busted for pot in their youth is quite a different story than
someone with multiple theft convictions. Alas, both are allowed to
work in airport ground crews at this time.

I agree, I really wouldn't want someone that had multiple theft convictions
handling my baggage. But, the amazing part is when you hear about someone
getting caught doing these types of crimes is that some of them don't have a
record because they have never been caught prior to the final incident. I
consider all of this TSA crap as nothing more than a farce to generate jobs
to stimulate the economy and whittle away at our freedoms that we have taken
for granted for so long. That said, I find it easier to travel as light as
possible and carry all photography equipment onboard.



Rita
--
http://www.geocities.com/ritaberk2003/

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.photo.digital.]
On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 16:08:32 -0500, Rita Ä Berkowitz wrote:
...... That said, I find it easier to travel as light as
possible and carry all photography equipment onboard.

The government functionaries running the Illusion Of Security
won't be happy until we show up naked -- without luggage --
and with a RFID chip in our shoulder.

No, your congressmen will not get the message unless you relieve them of
their duties!
Returning people to office for 20 years is crazy. Move them out.

"S." wrote in message
ink.net...
It's **** like this that creates so much public hostilityand lack of
confidence toward the TSA. Someday our congrssmen will get the balls to
force sensible screening legislation.

S.

"Gary Edstrom" wrote in message
...
Last year, I took my 90 year old mother to Oklahoma to visit my sister
and so she could get to see her brand new great-grand daughter.

I guess the fact that I was traveling with my mother marked me as a
suspicious character. They signaled me out for special screening.
This, of course, sent my mother into hysterics. She thought they were
arresting me and taking me away. I kept telling her to go down to the
other end of the security area and I would meet her there. Of course,
she just couldn't understand that. After I cleared the screening, it
took me quite a while to get her calmed back down.

On the way back home, the situation was reversed: SHE was the one
signaled out for special screening. There we went all over again! She
thought that she was being arrested.

So much for the friendly skies!

I just hope things go better on this year's trip!

Gary

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 08:10:24 -0700, "Roger N. Clark (change username to
rnclark)" wrote:

About two weeks ago I left for Hawaii from the
Denver airport. I was carrying a small photo backpack
with my usual gear, including 2 small allen wrenches
for the screws on my Wimberly mounting plates.
These are small, ~1 mm and ~2 mm, allen wrenches.
I've carried these for a couple of years without a
problem. I was flagged for carrying a potential
weapon, my bag went through secondary screening, including
taking it all apart to find the wrenches.
In discussing the issue with TSA, they said there is a
"New" rule that says no tools of any kind are allowed as
carry-on. A TSA guy said you could poke someone with
these wrenches. I pointed out how much smaller and
less effective small allen wrenches were than keys
or nail clippers (which are allowed). His answer was
that the higher ups know more than we do, and the
allen wrenches were banned.

So don't take any tools on board any more.

Roger

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
I drive, saves an awful lot of trouble and I get to carry anything I
want...

Dave


I want to take photos in Hawaii...and I too would rather drive. I know
Hawaii has an interstate highway...but I can't find where it joins any other
interstate highway....please help!

"Dave Fouchey" wrote in message
...
I drive, saves an awful lot of trouble and I get to carry anything I
want...

Dave


I want to take photos in Hawaii...and I too would rather drive. I know
Hawaii has an interstate highway...but I can't find where it joins any other
interstate highway....please help!