What happens when insane people make the rules
Thursday, 23 June 2005 | 121 readers so far
In a politically correct environment the rules make about as much sense as dipping your genitals into boiling water because “I was bored” would. I understand that there are dumb people in the world, and that I have to live with them from time to time. What I don’t understand is why we allow them to make rules about how we fly.
If you are the government, and you have issued rifles and pistols to your troops, and they will be flying with those rifles and pistols, how does it make sense to take away their nose hair clippers and lighters, as well as other “dangerous” items, while you ferry them like herd cattle into a combat zone where they may well die?
A lot of the energy in our national discourse as of late has been dedicated to complaining about desecration of various items like flags and holy books. The definition of desecration is: “blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character.”
I submit to you, the reader, that by handing our servicepeople pistols and rifles and then taking away their nose hair clippers, lighters and knives, we are desecrating them. We are mocking their willingness to give up their lives voluntarily so that we can walk around fat, happy and ignorant. And that disgusts me. Stop the insanity by speaking out against this nonsense.
I love this country, and I’m willing to fight for it, but let me keep my goddamn pocketknife, you idiots. It comes in handy on the battlefield.
Bruce Schneier comments on this topic.
1 June 23rd, 2005 at 8:24 pm
Kitanis says:
100% behind you on this one. I went on a deployment to Qatar last year.. I had a lighter in my mobility bag that I checked on the plane and a 4.5″ combat folding knive in the pocket.
When I went through the security screen.. they ingored the knive due to my military orders and told me to not take it out of my pocket on the aircraft. This bothered me at first but I paid it to no mind as I went to the gate. In fact I was in a state of shock because I planned on putting it in the mobility bag but forgot.
I was later paged to go back to the baggage check-in. They had x-rayed the bag.. found the lighter and was demanding that I open it.. remove it and dispose of it or keep it on my person.. When I mentioned that I would just give it away.. they confiscated it on the spot. I then mentioned that I would put my knive in the bag while putting everything back.. That earned me a trip to a holding area and was searched and interviewed intensley.
This inconsistent event really had my blood boiling by the time I went aboard the plane to fly to Baltimore to transfer to the government contract plane out to the Area of Responsiblity. When I went through that gate.. my name was flaged and got to endure another TSA questionining.. They even called back to my base to verify if I was who I said I was and that my militray orders were valid.
Sorry for the story but the screening on aircraft always has been a pet peave to me.. even before Sept 11th
2 June 26th, 2005 at 6:49 pm
Kevin says:
I agree as well.
Seems to me that these kind of insipid rules are what comes with any bureaucracy. With any organization of people that’s large enough you get people who justify receiving a paycheck by generating rules and forms to be filled out.
Unfortunately, such people seem to have a knack for getting elected…