http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/03/05/swiss-army-knives-will-be-allowed-on-planes-next-month-what-do-you-think Comments On: Swiss Army Knives Will Be Allowed on Planes Next Month: What Do You Think? by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Fri, 24 May 2013 22:45:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by DRF]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:54:18 -0800 The Stranger
This is long, long overdue.

@35 Only if the wielder knew exactly what you were doing, exactly where to strike and exactly how hard to push could someone kill another person with such a short blade. Actually hurting someone is a lot harder than it looks in the movies.
Posted by DRF]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:49:00 -0800 The Stranger Posted by venomlash]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:36:24 -0800 The Stranger
And why exactly is it a bigger deal for explosives to be snuck onto planes than explosives being snuck into a movie theater, a cafe, a disco, a govt building, a school, a bus, . . ?

I don't get it, we've all been used to the TSA not allowing blades on planes and I thought we all understood why, just fine, with no fuss. TSA went totally robust after 9/11 because of the hijackers with boxcutters, so this makes no damn sense to me
Posted by i'm pro-science and i vote]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:10:53 -0800 The Stranger
I always thought it was ridiculous that from the early days after 9/11 until recently the TSA didn't allow sharp objects like knitting needles and nail files, but had no problem with pens. Anyone who's seen a movie or two (ie, "GoodFellas", "The Dark Knight") knows you can inflict as much damage on a person with a Mont Blanc pen as you can with a nail file, but one was prohibited and the other allowed.

And has been noted in other comments, anyone trying to use (or actually using) a small sharp object to threaten, injure, or kill a flight attendant during a hijacking attempt is going to get his ass handed to him on a plastic tray by the other passengers.

Speaking of which - and on the same principle - can we *finally* have real cutlery for those increasingly rare in-flight meals? Pleeze?
Posted by Jared Bascomb]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:57:34 -0800 The Stranger
Since 9/11, I've probably brought it with me in my bag on at least a dozen flights, and TSA hasn't noticed it a single time.

Soi, yeah, ban them or don't. Makes no difference.
Posted by Reverse Polarity]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:40:29 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Sinclair]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:29:10 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Sandiai]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:20:31 -0800 The Stranger
Which is why, of course, Americans aren't interested. Our leaders, both elected (the government) and non-elected (corporations) aren't interested in getting things done, they're interested in fleecing more money from the populace (you & me).

We are seeing the end-game of the American Empire, as the goal is no longer "being successful", but being a host to the parasites. Thus we have ludicrous entities like the TSA which only produce anger & frustration, taking our tax dollars, and offering zilch in the form of security.
Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:16:41 -0800 The Stranger Posted by wxPDX]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:47:12 -0800 The Stranger white gas doesn't explode. Just like diesel doesn't explode. It's just lights on fire. Which is, of course, a terrible thing in a small airplane cabin. But it doesn't explode. That's why it's a great camping stove fuel.
Posted by treacle]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:36:46 -0800 The Stranger the human population has doubled to around 7 billion, I would imagine that is a seed factor leading to other things, such as gross political inequality, access to mass transportation, and the desire by small groups to use violence to bring down 'The Man's' authority regime.
Posted by treacle]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:32:25 -0800 The Stranger A Quaker can do it.
Posted by K]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:29:44 -0800 The Stranger
Years before 9/11 I was on a small palne out of Dillingham AK once where a drunk fellow passenger went nuts and tried to drink his bottle of white gas camp stove fuel. In his craziness he spit that shit all over about eight people.

Again. Highly flammable white gas. On an un-pressurized twin engine plane. Filled with people wearing polyfill and pile fleece outdoor wear. The slightest static spark... KABOOM.

That made a fucking terrifying thirty minutes let me tell you.
Posted by tkc]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:29:01 -0800 The Stranger
But they should really get on the toothpastes and fluids thing. Or, maybe, you know, bust these plots before they occur, like they have before, and should have the on 9/11, since the intel was already there.
Posted by treacle]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:26:47 -0800 The Stranger
Well, the important thing is that that billions of dollars were channelled through TSA to Michael Chertoff's buddies and the other 0.01%ers. Thank God the people who matter got paid! We can only hope they shared a bottle of Chateau Lafite with Pheebles.
Posted by ScrawnyKayaker]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:22:27 -0800 The Stranger At a sneak preview to a movie the other night I was astounded that they had security with wands (which I think detected electronic devices on people) and every single person with a cell phone had to check it at the door. Yet in the aftermath of the Batman movie theater massacre, when people suggested theaters should have metal detectors and personnel to check for guns people thought that would be way too invasive. A "Gun Free Zone" sign is worthless without the equipment to guarantee that the zone is indeed gun free. Why not just have "Gun Free Zone" signs at the airport and skip all that security nonsense...works so well at schools.
Posted by Cycle]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:17:18 -0800 The Stranger
But then I think - 1965 wasn't so great for women (coffee, tea, or me, y'know), or for people of color, or for gay people most certainly. But I've often wondered where we went so wrong. When did life get so threatening, dangerous, and crass? Was it something we did or didn't do? Is there anything I could have done that would have changed anything? Will things continue to get worse in this regard or might there be a reversal someday and people start respecting and valuing each other?

By the way, has anyone read the new proposals for flight pricing structures based on things such as frequent flying, seat location within the same cabin (e.g., more for an aisle seat), etc? I know the airline business is one of the worst business to be in because of operational expenses and very low margins. But if you've always thought it was kind of screwy that your seat cost $99 and the guy next to you paid $416 for his (or vice versa), well, get ready for a lot more of that:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/opinio…
Posted by Bauhaus I]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:17:16 -0800 The Stranger At a sneak preview to a movie the other night I was astounded that they had security with wands (which I think detected electronic devices on people) and every single person with a cell phone had to check it at the door. Yet in the aftermath of the Batman movie theater massacre, when people suggested theaters should have metal detectors and personnel to check for guns people thought that would be way too invasive. A "Gun Free Zone" sign is worthless without the equipment to guarantee that the zone is indeed gun free. Why not just have "Gun Free Zone" signs at the airport and skip all that security nonsense...works so well at schools.
Posted by Hump Lover]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:16:13 -0800 The Stranger Posted by decidedlyodd]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:11:35 -0800 The Stranger Posted by floater]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:58:43 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Urgutha Forka]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:56:31 -0800 The Stranger Posted by swing state voter]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:56:22 -0800 The Stranger Posted by motofly]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:54:45 -0800 The Stranger Posted by originalcinner]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:54:23 -0800 The Stranger