I kind of halfread this article, but the whole time I was under the impression it was written by a stewardess. I then saw the "Ask the Pilot" headline and saw it was written by a male pilot.

That explains my confusion. After working close by pilots for a summer, I found they are very similar to WHINY GIRLS!

Don't know if its the 100's of thousands they make in salary, but nearly all of the ones i met were such primadonnas and crybabies. Totally explains this article!

Writing representatives doesn't help. I've tried that, In fact, I do it every time I go through the stupid TSA line and find yet another example of incompetence and meanness by petty nazis.

How do we get the media to do a story on how ridiculous the set up is instead of doing more fearmongering claptrap? (Ooh, we're so investigative, we snuck a gun and a disposable shaver through security!)

Surely someone at Salon.com is connected toa media mogul.

I can't even be sane about this stuff any more, it enrages me so. I'm on a plane a couple of times a month and it drives me completely nuts that I'm treated so badly when I'm spending so much money. I mean, if I was treated like crap every time I bought a pair of shoes, well, let's just say signore Blahnik and Ferragamo would be much poorer today.

Seriously, though, I can't imagine what those security guards think I'm going to do with my lip balm — that's balm, not BOMB, you idiots. And I'm pretty sure you only need to get a glimpse of the ol' double Ds to figure out what the underwire is for, so what's with all the pat-downs? Oh, wait.

The funny thing is, I'm a travel writer, and the one part of my job I actively hate is the actual travel part. At least I'm based in Canada, where things aren't quite as draconian as they are in the States. In fact, I recently cancelled a trip to New Orleans in large part because I just wasn't up for the hassles of flying in your country. And that's just damn sad.

The frightening, frustrating part of it is that there's no one to complain to! Worse, we've all become obedient sheep nodding our heads and putting up with all manner of insult because it will make things safer. Seriously? You really believe that confiscating cupcakes — the icing was considered a 'liquid" — makes your flight safer? Sounds to me a lot more like what my parents fled from in Eastern Europe 50 years ago.

Anyway, so grateful to Patrick Smith for his eloquent rants; seems to me he's the only one voicing the dark thoughts I'm thinking each time some security guard starts riffling through my handbag.

That's nice, dear. Why don't you go back under your bridge now? I think some goats will be coming along in a minute that you can hassle.

Salon has a new motto:

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Recently I had to attend a court trial. My husband was hospitalized at the time and I often brought him food to supplement the wonderful hospital stuff. Going thru courthouse security the guard discovered I had a fork in my bag! Can you imagine the mayhem a 70 year old woman could cause with a fork? (Especially one she thought she had left at the hospital.)

Is it my imagination or did "American Psycho" not feature the unorthodox use of a butterknife? Perhaps the TSA is merely very well read in Modern American Fiction!!

Shortly after the gels and things rules were established, I tried to go through security with my makeup in a little see-through pouch. They were going to confiscate the stuff because I didn't have it in the correct container.

"I thought the purpose was so that they could see what was there," I asked.

"No. It has to be in a ZipLock bag." I was told.

I found one and transferred the stuff, and was allowed to go through.

I ask you. What difference does it make what KIND of see-through container makes, as long as you can SEE THROUGH.

Damn it - yes if your employer asks you to harass people, then you are responsible too. Not as much as the employer maybe, but you have personal responsibility for your own behaviour.

I understand that pilots are allowed to bring guns on board an jetliner. I have serious issues with this rule and we already saw at least one incident of a gun accidently going off.

But, it does seem strange that you as a pilot was causing issues because the TSA checker pulled out a butter knife. However, he she had reached in your side pocket and pulled out a Glock semi-automatic pistol, it would have been okay.

And, still to this day, the contract workers who go out and service the planes between flights are not searched and have minimal background checks done before they're hired. It would be so easy for one to slip something dangerous aboard a plane being serviced for a colleague to use once that plane is in flight -- like a butter knife. Then, we'll all be toast.

We should invest in better more efficient technology like other countries and get rid of the idiots that work for TSA. Do these people make you feel safer?

I check all my baggage, even my cosmetics now. I quit taking perfume, after TSA undid the lid to a $50/ounce channel and it ended up pouring out into my bag. More than they uncapped my hair gel an it was all over my bag. Then I started putting little notes inside my bag: "TSA if you are going to riffle through my bag, Please, Please,Please put the caps back on."

I Pack all my cosmetic items double plastic bags inside another bag and check it all. I quit carrying perfume.

Funny thing I always carry my medicine and lipstick in my purse and they have never stopped me for that. I even had a nail file in there, I forgot to take out an they did not catch it.

My husband a titanium hip replacement. We have to make sure we add extra time. Some airports can pick up with one scan other he gets a strip search. I got into a laughing fit one time when this young guy kept running that scanner up and down and in between my husbnads legs, as my husband kept pointing to his right hip. My husband thought they were going to haul me off.

At the United at SFO they have person who appears to be an ex-marine shouting orders to passengers. Not a pleasant experience if you have not had your morning coffee.