Well, considering that ever since September 11, 2001, the government's strategy has been to do exactly what the terrorists want every time, it seems likely to me that DHS will indeed adopt this technology. Then, as you say, the bad guys will just have to figure out how the thing works, and they'll be able to hold a plane for ransom pretty damn easily.

Personally, I hope they do adopt it. Since it would likely be the straw that breaks the camel's back for the majority of flyers, I figure it would be the end of the whole fucked-up pile of sewage that the commercial airline industry has become. Then perhaps we can build something sane and usable out of the wreckage.

Me, I've sworn off flying. There is no trip that is worth putting myself in the hands of these petty, tin-plated dictators. I'd rather take a vacation train to San Francisco than fly anywhere. Fuck 'em. Until sanity has been restored, I'm staying on the ground, and good riddance.

Oh, and one more thing. Most of your audience out there and probably the TSA would be shocked to know that beside that serrated knife in your possesion while flying the airplane, there is a medieval weapon of destruction mounted on the wall of every US airliner cockpit -- the crash axe. Patrick, the next time you go tete a tete with the TSA, ask them if they want to go out to your airplane and confiscate that as well.

I'm so relieved that the pilot (that can even carry a gun if they jump through the hoops) can't have a butter knife, but the food service guy can load boxes of stuff and himself all uninspected onto the plane. Don't even start me on the cargo...

I'm decidedly non-threatening (I try to be edgier to no avail)so I can bring all sorts of things through that should get me stopped.

My sharp brass dividers, some antique irons that would be better in any fight than brass knuckles, my leatherman that I always forget I have and they always seem to miss....

It is all for show and it seems to be getting to be more of a hassle.

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X32679&key=1

It wasn't always insane. The above URL references the murder-hijacking of PSA 1771, 12/7/1987. A recently fired US Air (US Air had recently taken over PSA, sadly) station agent at LAX brought a handgun through the terminal security checkpoint and eventually shot a fellow "non-rev" traveller enroute to SFO before storming the cockpit and shooting both pilots and forcing the four-engine BAE-146 jet into a steep dive impacting the idyllic hills of northwestern San Luis Obispo County, California leaving not much of a debris field, as I understand it. This occurred about 20 miles from where I grew up and lived at the time. The next day, upon reporting for work at the San Luis Obispo County Airport where I was a 23 year old station agent for Wings West Airlines, it was made clear that no longer would an airline ID badge be suitable for bypassing security screening. Forthwith, all airline pilots (and other employees), whether reporting for duty on Wings West or SkyWest (also operating out of SBP) or uniformed and credentialled major airline pilots commuting to work out of LAX or SFO, etc. would have to submit to regular screening, just like the passengers. But here's the rub: flight crews (pilots, there were no FA's there then) for Wings West didn't have to comply with the screening process when accessing their aircraft from some point other than the terminal (in view of the public, in other words), e.g., from the maintenance hangar/corporate offices facility a short walk from the terminal apron/ramp (or "tarmac" for you faux-romantic avio-anglophiles; though it was made of concrete, not tar-macadam, i.e., asphalt), demonstrating that the new, knee-jerk regulatory reaction was simply public-relations "look-we're-doing-something" falderol by the FAA. No one seemed to understand then, as now, that cockpit flight crews don't need to carry weapons on board to commit murder-suicide. Either pilot is in a position to do something rash and irreversibly fatal at any of several highly critical phases of flight that the other has little, if any, ability to counter effectively... I'm thinking of things like pulling one (of 2) engine's power lever into reverse thrust immediately after takeoff (SA-227 "Metroliner" turboprop and the like, back then) or similar theoretical suicidal hijack highkjinks now. But you know, nothing like that has ever happened (I'm aware of FedEx's bloody attempted hijack by an insane jump-seating flight crew member using hammers and a spear-gun or the like; and with the possible exception of that Egyptian airliner a few years back)– and I think the TSA should seriously consider removing those truly wickedly sharp crash-axes (hatchets) from airliner cockpits. Not only can those things easily chop through aluminum, they can swiftly split a skull in half. They should ban those dangerous things before an airline pilot goes berserk. It seemed to me at the time, as it does now, that if we can't trust our properly credentialled and attired flight crew members to not bring bombs, guns and large blades aboard, should we really be trusting them with the whole airplane? Just a thought. Maybe I'm missing a crucial detail.

the silly regulations and the reaction of the public are both priceless.

it's not like a bomb falls on a crowd of innocents in cleveland every time it happens in bagdad, but at least america is paying some kind of price for being mass murderers.

While missing mine.

Clearly you are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Is there any order you would not obey? Any ridiculous security regime you could not rationalize?

I bet you are one of those people who says, "thank you for keeping us 'safe'"... while pulling down your pants.

Keep your papers ready. You'll need them.

Passengers need to strike. One day when no one flies anywhere. Empty planes, empty airports. We protest the stupid TSA rules, the nickel and diming charges to cover increasing fuel costs (just raise the damn fare!) and the bus terminal mentality. Maybe then the airlines will finally say enough to the TSA.