Here's a thought-provoking article from today's on-line Washington Post. Knives under 5 inches???

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...referrer=email

Finally somebody with some brain cells is working at TSA. Hopefully they will adopt the very reasonable and much needed changes.

Everybody should realize that 9/11 has put an end to plane hijacking. Yes, one can still blow a plane up, but hijacking a plane will not work anymore, as other people on board will stop the hijacker(s).

Does anybody remember a single successful hijacking incident in the last 4 years?

The authorities should concentrate on bomb and explosive detection. Banning knives is a total waste of time.

And small disposable ciggarette lighters...matches are allowed. Go figger'

BWI to Ontario, CA via Dallas. Went thru the Dallas security check x2...one time they caught the lighter, one time they didn't. I missed the lighter in my briefcase, they found it. The lighter in my purse was not detected.a

MSP to SFO and back in 2003: My husband took me on a surprise trip so I didn't get the all-metal Swiss army style pocket knife out of my purse. Didn't even think about it, actually.

Actually didn't even think about it until I was already in an SFO hotel room looking at that pretty big knife thinking "Wow, I can't believe the screeners missed that."

It having some sentimental value, I intended to mail the knife home, but forgot until the final day of the trip. So I decided to take my chances at the airport and surrender it if found. (I know, not smart).

Never even a whisper from the screeners. I still have that knife in my purse.

In that light, I'm torn between thinking these changes won't make much difference and thinking "man, what will they miss when they LOOSEN the restrictions?"

My son had a really nice set of Bongo drums (he goes to college in Honolulu) and he carried them on. Low and behold the fearsome weapon of a bongo wrench was confiscated. He argued with TSA but I guess a 3inch wrench for tuning was just to dangerous. We live in a small town with a very small airport and the TSA agents there are the worse I've ever been threw. I had a complete pat down between the breasts and everything because I don't know why. After I said I had a underwire bra on she said that was it, but I wore the same bra in Barcelona,Paris, Frankfurt, New york, Seattle this summer and never have had a problem. They even made me unsnap the top of my pants. I was very good natured about the whole thing because it was so utterly stupid. The TSA agents at this airport go threw each persons carry-on and take out each item. I saw them take all the money out of one ladies wallet. I think what got me the most was when they patted this old nun down and looked up her habit. We live in this small area where almost everyone knows each other. Going threw security I think is a power control thing for some TSA agents, you know the I've got it (power) and you don't.....

Throwing stars? 4 ½ in. knives? Bows and arrows?

Whatever nitwit at TSA who came up with this brilliant idea should be transferred somewhere where he/she can’t do any harm . . .

Rkkwan: while I agree with you that hijacking is a pretty unlikely scenario, can you imagine a mentally unstable person on an aircraft with a knife, razor blades or throwing stars?

Saw an interesting interview recently with the former head of security for NW, where he discussed these insane proposals. He sums up my feelings on this issue: TSA is there for SECURITY; NOT passenger comfort.