Somehow, our plane made it to Buenos Aires, you know?

The female security guard pulled it out and flipped open the knife part (which was still covered in flakes pecorino romano cheese) and ran her gloved thumb over it (it was sharp enough to tear the glove). I thought she’d take it, which would be fair but instead she popped it back in my handbag and sent us on our way, onto the plane with a knife.

I appreciated her discretion and ‘human’ treatment- with a bag full of maps of Rome and camcorders and cameras and cords and guidebooks and metro tickets and cheese still on the knife, it was clear I was a tourist. But seriously, as much as i appreciated her discretion, I would have preferred she confiscate it from me- I’d hate to think that this was a standard thing for all flights, and it was a major security lapse from my point of view.

Would be interested to hear from those flying into/out of Israel as to their experiences with security there.

Here’s the insanity of it all from my perspective. There is a belief that barriers can screen out bad guys and prevent ugly/dangerous events. But what we don’t seem to notice is that barriers are simply an invitation for people bound and determined to wreak havoc to get more inventive.

When the last big kerfuffle happened in the US and some guy got through the system the response was to build more barriers – at enormous cost both economically and to ‘quality of travel experience’. What amazes me is that the guy who got through the system did so because of human error. Was anybody ‘in the system’ held accountable for not doing their job properly? I sure didn’t hear about it if they did.

Did anybody think for a second about increasing the training these front line folks got? Did anybody think for a second about paying front line folks a decent wage so that they are incented to be more proficient? Has anybody thought that if they paid more than marginal wages for these front line folks that they could get a different calibre of people?

No, it is easier to buy bigger, more invasive machinery. You curry more favour with the business elite when you keep buying new technology, whether it negatively impacts travelers or not.

I’m afraid I am getting into a rant so will stop! Needless to say, I believe absolutely that our humanity has been forgotten. We are as sheep to the slaughter! And considering that I’m heading for Portugal tomorrow – - – baaaaa! – - – humbug!

Jim, that just says it all. All the hassle, all the strict procedures, and they miss a 7 in knife? I guess they were too busy looking for the nail clippers… and yes, politeness and doing a good job should not be an either/or.

To be clear, he got the knife through UK securitiy having flown from the UK to Turkey with the knife in his pack and stayed a week there not realising he had a knife in his bag. Ataturk security caught it on his return journey and had the common sense to assume that a terrorist probably wouldn’t try to hold up a plane with cake covered knife and it was most likely a misunderstanding.

If you care, here’s a piece about my liquids-related experience during airport security at STN: http://www.anjci.com/2011/02/my-most-embarrassing-airport-moment.html. Most of my friends found the story outrageously funny, but I was only partly entertained.