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"They didn't have a problem with my steel Cross pen though. I could ram that sucker right through your heart, but no nail clippers. "

Actually, you could not, at least while facing me. You might be able to get my lungs from behind, but that would still leave me capable of turning around, and the end would shortly come. Your Cross pen in a frontal attack would be useless against me. I would disarm you and you would start with a broken wrist as a deficit if you wished to continue the attack.

You make a mistake here, in assuming that all those who do not find a problem with the current security measures are some kind of wussy folks. That's not the case.

The reality is that the security procedures are designed to remove serious weapons. The initial screening these days does a very good job of it, as we saw in the number of weapons siezed during Thanksgiving. The secondary screenings are probably superfluous, particularly those at the boarding gates. And, indeed, that is being scaled back now, which you would know if you had really been following this.

The entire system has changed now, to the TSA system, and that's still being sorted out. Lots of new employees to train and to weed out if they're the wrong ones. The recent changes have lightened this stuff up.

In the meantime, air travellers must either get used to increased security or quit flying. Nobody's insisting that you fly. I've taken my shoes off now at least 25 times in the past six months for security. No biggie. I've stopped wearing belts, since buckles trigger the metal detectors. I'm going to switch to sweat pants for flying now, since zippers also set of the detectors and force some TSA guy to run the back of his hands down my pants. I'm sure he doesn't want to do that, either. I put all metal stuff in my carryon before going through security. I even have a brand new leather holder for my boarding pass and my driver's license. So, I go through cleanly now, and haven't been pulled aside for a long time. I don't waste the screeners' time, nor the time of the people behind me.

In my carryon, I don't put funny looking stuff. No hair-dryers, fruitcakes, etc. Those go in the checked bags or did. Now I'll be shipping them ahead.

I travel light...always. My carryon is a small briefcase, with one change of undies, my toothbrush, any prescriptions I'm taking, and little else. If I must take my notebook PC, I have it out and on as I approach security. My wife, having been flagged for an underwire bra once, now wears a sports bra for travelling. It's so simple to travel easily now. You just plan ahead.

And guess what? It takes less time now to go through security than it did before, because most travellers have figured all this out and are doing similar things. It's the amateurs who are getting pulled aside because they haven't figured it out.

I'll give you another tip. Don't rush to the gate to board. Most random screenings are done to folks who are early boarders. Just wait a bit, until all the screeners are busy, and you'll get right on your plane with your carry-on that fits under the seat, sit right down, and get out of everyone else's way. Oh yeah...do buy a sandwich to take on the plane with you. It's much better than the food on the plane.

Just in case you give in and fly again.

No, no.. the pen thing was a hypothetical. Like the hypothetical "threat" of someone getting on board with nail clippers.

Honest, if you ever saw past the gate and the store fronts in the airport it would shock you what you actually goes on.

Many of those procedures are meaningless.

Another good example is controlling access to the ramp, I had a security card and door codes, but I seldom if ever used them. Polite people, strangers. Pilots, flight attendants and so on just hold the door wide for anyone who wishes to pass.

There is really allot missing from this debate. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to actually work there and see for themselves how things go, as opposed to just seeing armed military personel at the checkpoint and assuming everything is safe.