Ahira's Hangar

From 1992 to 2001, I probably made between 4 to 7 airline trips per year for business or personal reasons. From 2001 til now my average is slightly off that base. Since 1983 I've had a metal surgical implant in my left arm hen I broke my arm and it was surgically reduced. This implant has never activated the scanning equipment, but we're all supposed to believe removing our shoes and belts are going to make a difference. IME during my last trip I had to be personally scanned, or 'waned', because I forgot to take my cell phone out of my back pocket (yeah! I'm stupid). This scanning did not pick up my sugical implant, however, it got its beeping all going due to the metal snaps on my Western shirt

This is a trick of smoke and mirrors that would make Doug Henney envious. It's like that movie with Dorothy and Lion and Tin Man, and then we're all told to 'ignore the man behind the curtain'. Do I think the metal scans are wothless, am I precluded from thinking them less than worthless? Between the inefficiency of the scanning equipment and incompetency of the personnel administering the equipment, I do not have much faith. However, I'm not changing my travel habits.

I'm cynical and cranky. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Buffy fans Chicago
my livej<i></i>

Scary thoughts tw!! *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

My guess is that the equipment is only as useful as the people who use it are well trained and how well staffed the airport is on any given day...

Even the best equipment and the best trained workers in the world are going to be harried and pressed on any day with extremely low staffing.

I say that as a long time government worker. I know that the most mistakes are made on days when we simply do not have enough people to handle the workload (and that is something for all of you to think about the next time you are admitted to a hospital ).

But I could definately see the airport people being more likely to miss something on very busy days...and from the usual lines at Detroit Metro, every day looks like a very busy day... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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A charming picture of how efficiently we're making things safer huh?

Very interesting. While Duchess has a point, I think the fact that it has never set off an alarm suggests that whatever it's made of, it doesn't register, whether because of it's material, or it's placement in the human body. *shrug*

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

It is odd that his arm will not set anything off, as I have heard urban legends that the wires in underwire bras and that sparkly lip gloss with little metal sparkles in it will set off the alarms... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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Of course, the airlines and security people want you to believe things like that. Because if you believe in the omnipotence of their scanners and things, you'll be less likely to try something...

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>