[BloodEagle]

Seriously, pilots should be allowed to have whatever they want with them, within reason.  For the flight, they are master and commander of the craft and its passengers, to the point where they can point at someone and say "they aren't boarding my plane", and that's the law.  So, unless it's explosives, (except for ammo for a sidearm, if they carry), drugs, or other such obviously improper material, I don't see why the pilot can't take whatever he wants on board the craft that he is ultimately responsible for.

Maybe they are afraid that the pilot will go crazy during a flight and do something funny with what they brought with them.

As opposed to, say, pushing forward for a few seconds? 

[Mikes]

Just like how they harass pilots over mother****ing nail clippers, yet the pilot can access a goddamned fire axe in the cockpit.  Ridiculous.

Those nail clippers are much more dangerous.... than machine guns: http://boingboing.net/2010/11/19/tsa-confiscates-heav.html

[jr2]

I do imagine the caliber of person allowed to pilot aircraft are a little less susceptible to random acts of craziness.

[General Battuta]

I do imagine the caliber of person allowed to pilot aircraft are a little less susceptible to random acts of craziness.

according to our friend swartz it's a pretty **** job and liable to drive anyone to craziness

[jr2]

Hmm.  Point.

[Tyrian]

Actually, over in America, we've had some problems with the flight crew spontaneously "losing it". 

There was this incident recently:  http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-03-27/JetBlue-captain-subdued-after-erratic-behavior-on-flight/53811070/1

And another involving a flight attendant:  http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/flight-attendant-rant-sends-american-airlines-flight-back/story?id=15886557

While I do think the TSA is security theater and goes overboard with confiscating pretty much everything, I don't think arming the flight crew is a good idea.

[Nuke]

im still waiting for a bunch of terrorists with blackbelts in some martial art try to take over a plane. i guess the tsa will need to learn to do amputations for anyone who wants to fly.

[SpardaSon21]

I really hate the circus that goes on at airports as TSA tries to convince everyone they're protecting us by taking away nail clippers.  I'm going to be flying cross-country out to Florida at the end of May, too.   Fortunately the airport I'm flying out of is only John Wayne so security isn't nearly as paranoid as at LAX.

[Nemesis6]

There's really no point to the TSA, because the terrorists won the war a long time ago. Or at least America destroyed itself, so by default the terrorists won.

[z64555]

There's really no point to the TSA, because the terrorists won the war a long time ago. Or at least America destroyed itself, so by default the terrorists won.

I think the real point is to assuage the public's fear of terrorism. Even though airport securities methods are akin to a "security" blanket, it eases the psyche of the public so that they are not constantly in fear. Remember the definition of terror?

It's not the acts themselves that cause the most fear, its the mere thought of it happening at any moment, at any place, to anyone. 

(Wondering if I should've taken up a psychology/sociology minor...)

[Klaustrophobia]

I really don't give a **** about the TSA.  The only inconvenience I've encountered with them is a long line.  I needed something to do for my 4 hour layover anyway.  Is it REALLY that hard to just put your nail clippers in a checked bag?  Or bring ones without a file on them? 

[NGTM-1R]

Is it REALLY that hard to just put your nail clippers in a checked bag?  Or bring ones without a file on them?

Considering they won't let you wear your Medal of Honor on the plane, yes, it really is that hard. That's actually happened.

[Alex Heartnet]

I think the real point is to assuage the public's fear of terrorism. Even though airport securities methods are akin to a "security" blanket, it eases the psyche of the public so that they are not constantly in fear. Remember the definition of terror?

It's not the acts themselves that cause the most fear, its the mere thought of it happening at any moment, at any place, to anyone. 

(Wondering if I should've taken up a psychology/sociology minor...)

I don't think it is the public that fears terrorism so much anymore.  There are a lot of people nowadays that don't trust our own government.  Just look at the stock values of gun manufacturing companies - people aren't arming themselves just so they can hunt.

[Dragon]

Is it REALLY that hard to just put your nail clippers in a checked bag?  Or bring ones without a file on them?

Considering they won't let you wear your Medal of Honor on the plane, yes, it really is that hard. That's actually happened.

OK, this is ridiculous (not to mention a disgrace). This is a medal that will:
a). Make every member of the armed forces salute you.
b). Show everyone that you could most likely take over the plane with bare hands if you wanted.
c). Show everyone that you're rather unlikely to do the above, for obvious reasons. 

So, I guess this is the point where TSA went overboard. They should salute that guy, not try to confiscate his medal.

[Nuke]

i usually dont fly somewhere for fun, but because im moving from some outpost at the ass end of the world to another. i know i was once asked if i wanted throw away an entire suitcase, as if its contents was meaningless. the results were something like ":wtf" excuse me?" fortunately, the person who dropped me off offered to mail it to me once i got settled in at my dest, they owed me money anyway. moving entails throwing away a sizable portion of my stuff anyway. i cram what i have into the suitcases i have and throw the rest away anyway. and the fact that they would take away the rest of my hobo gear for the sake of security, kinda sickens me. i think in that case i had 2 small suitcases and a small duffel for a carry on. and i had to pay an extra $50 for those bags. i remember before 9/11. i used to be able to take a pair of 50 pound boxes and 2 large duffels as carry ons. i mean i could take a couple hundred pounds of stuff when i moved. now its like 75.

and thats just luggage, service used to be much better. they would feed you, and give you like 4 cokes throughout the flight. they hand out decks of cards and wings to noob fliers. nowadays you get a tiny bag of pretzels and a glass of orange juice. last time i was on a plane it was awfully a lot like being on a school bus. there were some unruly passengers who didnt want to follow the directions of the flight attendants. got out of their seats early. and they said they couldnt open the doors till everyone sat down. i mean we were already at the gate. they spent the next 5 minutes taking down to the people who got up like they were children. finally they opened the doors, and we were at my stop, i grabbed my single bag and proceeded to the door but not without having a claustrophobic smoker and 2 flight attendants having a heated debate about whether or not passengers should be allowed off the plane to smoke. this was the tiny local airport it was one room and no smoking area, and the plane was 20 minutes from juneau anyway.

i remember when flying used to be fun, and an effective way to move you and your stuff. nowadays they take all the fun out of it. tsa might make it a troublesome experience. but that is only a minor inconvenience when compared to the decline of airline service in general. from now on im gonna buy me a barely functional car, load it up with my crap and drive it onto the ferry. and i bet it would cost lest than taking your 2 bags on the plane. except you are moving all your stuff.

[Mikes]

Prices for extra luggage have become hilarious over the last years.

Been wondering if those price increases are actually "necessary" for security or whatever reasons or if that's just an excuse for price gauging people who happened to pack 2-3 pounds too much lol.

[Dragon]

The latter. Prices have nothing to do with security, except maybe with paying extra workers to check luggage (considering how computerized the process is, it can't be all that much). Aside from gouging regular passengers who happen to have a lot of luggage, they may also want to capitalize on the fact that if you want to take something sharp on board (like a small multitool or nail clippers), you have to put it into cargo hold.

[Scotty]

Or, since a not-insignificant number of US airline companies struggle to stay in the black as it is, they could be trying to make more money to keep operating.

[Thaeris]

The latter. Prices have nothing to do with security, except maybe with paying extra workers to check luggage (considering how computerized the process is, it can't be all that much). Aside from gouging regular passengers who happen to have a lot of luggage, they may also want to capitalize on the fact that if you want to take something sharp on board (like a small multitool or nail clippers), you have to put it into cargo hold.

An overgeneralization at best...

Terrorism makes flight look unappealing to passengers, who choose other modes of transit. The ****ing TSA delays the movement of passengers and goods, which makes air travel look less appealing, and then puts a further strain on logistics. And the price of fuel rises as well... and baggage is heavy, which means there is more mass to move, thus requiring a greater fuel burn to get somewhere.

So, no. Everything is tied together. The airlines need to make a profit in the face of increasing challenges to their financial security, and increasing prices and slashing luxuries, or charging for previously free luxuries is the path needed to retain a profit. Strip searching old ladies and violating your personal dignity definately doesn't help the airlines give you better service.

[Dragon]

Well, OK. Your answer is less cynical, but more thought-out. Rising fuel prices obviously influence air travel prices (and we all know how bad these are), and TSA scaring people away from flying may have something to do with it as well (So yeah. Score one for the Terrorists).