Airport Booty For Sale!

I guess with my pliers I could have started to dismantle the plane(giving enough time) and then threatened the pilot. I suppose. :)
The funny thing is I have a large safety pin on my keyring, and that, they left on there. They took the micro-pliers, but let me keep my safety pin, 3 ink pens, and 1 pencil. Hmmm.....
I'm thinking of learning to knit because you can still carry the knitting needles on board. Go figure.



Blades
 
Sheesh! They are taking Sebertools? No sharp points on those at all. Should I leave my Photon LED light off my keychain now? :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by numberthree
buying those knives is like taking dirty money. I won't do it. Why pay them to continue to steal from the public...? Let them choke on their booty...
Click to expand...

I agree.

Down here in Florida, there was a newspaper article that quoted Palm Beach County Sheriff's officials as saying that they DESTROY all contraband items.

Tell me you (any of you) believe that and I'll call you a damned moron. There's NO WAY that they're not taking their pick of the best stuff and then sending the crap on to wherever. Call me jaded, but I just don't trust human beings to not be crooked scumbags when they know they can get away with it.

But out in Kalifornia, where rights don't mean sh*t and the State is ALL, it surprises me not at all that they would pull that kind of cottage-industry-based-on-the-sham-of-"security" crap. Those corrupt thieves should rot in hell.

Anyone care to guess why the next time I go back home to the northeast for vacation I'm DRIVING up?
 
How about we each go to the ebay auction, click on "Ask the Seller a question" and send our comments and suggestions to CaliforiaGold2000 this way?
 
I borrowed Rev.Pete's suggestion and sent them the following comments and suggestions myself.


I want to register my objection to this practice. I object to paying government beaurocrats to continue to steal from the public (you should see what I write to Congress). I don't believe for a moment that security employee's don't cull out the best items for themselves, or that the proceeds from the items sold is actually used to reduce costs to the taxpayer. I also know from first hand experience, travelers are not often given the option of leaving with their property, and not taking their fleight. I lost a cherished family heirloom this way, a very expensive gold and diamond stickpin I inherited from my Grandfather. It was confiscated, I was not allowed to leave with it, When I tried to reclaim it, I was told that it had been "LOST", and it's not been sold on eBay, so I have few doubts that it's now in one of your employee's jewelery collection, or adorning their tie. I'm offended by your offering them for sale.

That being said, I have a suggestion. Since new rules are confusing and somewhat arbitrary, I propose a solution that would enable people to retain their legal property, and still make their flights. If a small legal but prohibited item is found at a security checkpoint the traveller can pay a small fee (say $5), and be given a large padded and numbered envelope to address. The legal, prohibited item would be sealed in the numbered envelope, the owner given a receipt with the envelope number, then the envelope could be deposited in a collection box, and ultimately stamped and mailed. The agency could actually turn a profit from this system. This could be extended to all checkpoints, not just airport checkpoints. It would require no more manpower than is required to confiscate these items in the first place. It gives people the option to simply and easily retain their personal property, at an affordable cost, without compromising security in any way. Government agentcies can still generate revenue from the process, and I believe that it will reduce the number and veracity of objections your screeners have to deal with at the security gate. Of course items that travellers are not willing to pay to have shipped back to them can still be disposed of in the same manor they are currently. I have my doubts that this suggestion will ever come to fruition, because being in a sealed, numbered, and receipted envelope, might keep the most valued items from being as easily available to be stolen by your personell, but I do hope to see the current arbitrary and offensive practices end!
 
Originally posted by Don Rac
Actually, I agree with not buying it. It's the people's stolen property, so, the people selling it back to the highest bidder can shove those things up where the sun don't shine.
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I agree also. None of these items were "donated" for charity. Theft is theft no matter how you whitewash it! I wouldn't take this stuff if it was offered to me for free.

:mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Originally posted by Rev. Pete
If a small legal but prohibited item is found at a security checkpoint the traveller can pay a small fee (say $5), and be given a large padded envelope to address. The legal, prohibited item would be sealed in the envelope, deposited in a collection box, and ultimately stamped and mailed.
Click to expand...

The only problem with that idea (aside from it making wonderful sense) is that they're not the least bit interested or worried about your rights or property.

Dan
 
My youngest brother lost a small good folder at the Moline, ILL.(MLI) airport a few weeks ago. They did give him the choice of mailing it home, but it was the first time he had flown and didn't have the time to mail it, had it give it up. I worked for airlines for 2 years back in the 80's. Worked for Britt Airways. 1. show up an hour before bording time MINIMUM so you have time to check bags in, ect.There is a real chanch your bags won't make it to your dest. unless you are checked in an hour early. 2. Gives you time for any unexpected events like mailing an item. A large percent of travelers don't allow enough time for counter, bags,boarding security. Where the knives REALLY probably end up is in an agent's pocket. We locked up a guy's set of Buck knives one time in our safe at Britt Air for him to pick up when he returned to our station(BRL). At the larger ports such as ORD in Chicago where I went to on company airline business I noticed the average agent could care less if you just dropped dead and he had YOUR knife in HIS pocket.
 
They can shove those knives right up their Arse!! I could careless if the airlines go out of business.I will drive before I forfeit my freedoms to fly.I will not support these official criminal acts by supporting the airlines financially.Maybe if people refuse to fly and let them know why, perhaps they will rethink certain unecessary security measures.We lost far more than almost 3,000 lives that day on 9/11.
 
By "airport booty", I thought you meant that strip club right outside JFK Airport.
 
While I support California and am proud to be a Native Son of this state, I am also appalled at the state government's actions and have written eBay accordingly. Not suprisingly, I was notified that my post was removed because I violated the policy of linking some items in question within my post. Here is the original post before it was removed:

Auctioning of stolen property allowed? Aparently (sic) so.
***personal info deleted***
02/27/03 11:17 PM

There's been some discussion on other boards that eBay
user "californiagold2000" may be selling items stolen from people at
airports as a result of 9-11.

For example, they describe item number

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1403&item=2162088699

as being "18 SwissCards that have no logos on them and 18 with
different company logos." Why would the state of California own Swiss
Cards with different company logos? I know Davis probably owes a lot
of political favors but this borders on the ridiculous.

Another example is item number

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1403&item=2161692186

described as "...30 pounds of knives and most of them are in fair to
good condition with a few real nice ones," again not emphasizing
where they obtained these items and not even attempting to explain
why "Some of the knives have company logos on them."

In fact, many of californiagold2000's auctions contain lot items such
as these. While I am a Californian and know the budget deficit we are
in, I'm surprised eBay would allow suspect property to be auctioned.
Click to expand...
 
What's remarkable is that the officials in charge of this program openly acknowledge that they are selling other people's property. Every one of the articles on this has included the "justification" for this program that the items are "too numerous to return to their owners". That's right, "owners". They are admitting, in public, that they are selling stolen goods.
 
Or maybe just don't keep any knives on your person when you fly? I don't think the rules are arbitrary at all. The rule is: If it looks remotely like a pointy object, it's not allowed.

It isn't hard to keep your knives from being confiscated: Just don't wear them to the airport. People complain that now tweezers and bladeless tools are being confiscated. Well, don't bring those either. I've never seen an instance of somebody tweezing their eyebrows on a plane, I'm not sure why you can't just check this stuff.

Airlines are taking drastic steps because they don't want to see tweezers jammed into eye sockets. Could somebody actually hijack a plane with a pair of tweezers? Maybe. I didn't think it was possible to hijack a plane with a boxcutter until 9/11. By all logic, they should confiscate ball point pens as well, but people won't get the message until a plane really is hijacked with ball point pens.

Airplanes are not public land. They are pieces of multi-million dollar equipment operated by private companies. They HAVE to take security measures, because in lawsuit-happy America, they WILL get sued for not taking appropriate steps if somebody hijacks a plane with a swiss-army knife or tweezers. They aren't stealing anything, you have a right to turn around and go home with your blade rather than flying with it.

I suggest simply putting it in your suitcase and checking it.

-Chris
 
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