Leatherman Wave & Airport Security

Vampire Gerbil

Vampire Gerbil

Gone, but not forgotten. RIP Dave
Platinum Member
Joined
Sep 21, 1999
Messages
1,819
Howdy!
I just got back from Newark Airport, in the loveable state of New Jersey.
I was dropping off my wife (she gets a break from me for a week) and had to pass through security. When the kind lady with the plastic basket asked for my keys, I placed my Leatherman Wave in it and walked on through. I set of the beeper thingamabob cuz of my steel toed boots, so the lady handed me back the Wave and told me to step over to the other nice lady with the magic wand. I explained the boots and was allowed to go on my merry way.
The reason I post this adoreable little story is that I figure that there's a few folks here that might want to take a knife onto a plane but are hesitant. This is about the 5th time I went through security with the Wave andhave never had a second glance.

I have a question though, if anyone's familiar with airline security.
I wear large motorcycle boots with a zipper up the side.
I always set off the metal detectors and have the magic wand passed over my boots, then allowed to pass.
The question is, what's to keep me from hiding a big old knife or even a pistol in my boots?
No, I have no plans on carrying anything like that aboard airliners, but I'm still curious.. like a duck. (Cats scare me)

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Vampire Gerbil: similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.

 
Imagine what you could hide if you wore a suit of armor.
smile.gif


jeff
 
curious.. like a duck,

It is really up to the screener or their supervisor. If they want to take it to the next level they could ask you to take off your boots. If you refuse you can't enter
smile.gif
I used to be a airport rent-a-cop and supervisor for a while. What you described makes it sound like they fell down on the job and didn't verify if they were really steel toed boots or not.

People tested us all of the time with cheap knives. They were told they couldn't take it beyond the security point and left it. I've never heard of any passengers being questioned or charged for a simple but oversize knife.

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb


 
Stray - I get enough looks as it IS!
Besides, there's not enough metal to make a suit of armor for me.
frown.gif


DW - I'm sure that you speak with authority, but I'm not sure that they "fell down on the job".
The reason I say this is that I've worn boots like these for 20 something years and must have gone through about 50 checkpoints in that time. In the past year, I went through Oklahoma, Kansas, NJ, Las Vegas and Atlanta. I figure that if they profile folks, I'd be the type to detain. (You've seen me, so you know what I'm talking about).
I've also gotten through with a Random Task with a smallish blade.
Maybe my EMT badge has something to do with it, I dunno.

Uncle Bill - I can imagine! ALL too WELL!!

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Vampire Gerbil: similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.

 
Hey VG, does it seem like that wand is pretty accurate? If so they could probably pinpoint metal near the top of a boot where the steeltoe isn't. By the way, good to have you back!

jeff
 
VG-good post. I fly to Michigan every year to hunt (my old hometown). Every year, the metal detector goes off cause of the steel D rings on my Danner boots. I explain this to them, they "wand" the boots, then I go on my way. I too have wondered about how easy it would be to hide something in the boots. And as far as the Wave, that "tactical" serrated blade and "tactical" saw should have stopped you dead in your tracks! Isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever heard? You could have a 1" blade, but if it's serrated, no way. But my Carnivour can go first class. Go figure.
 
Hello, I have flown several times with my old gerber ez-out partially serated 3" blade. Does anyone know the real rule for blade length on an airline? I just got a benchmade 710s and wonder if I would have any trouble.
 
i have a pair of tanker boots-the ones with straps that wrap around. the buckles on the boots set off the metal detectors every time, i get pulled aside, wanded, and im allowed to go back on my way. never had anyone request me to remove my boots.

how about belt buckles, i have a belt buckle knife, but i always leave it at home. how carefully do they inspect beltbuckles?

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AKTI member #A000911

 
Pepsi,
The FAA rule is 4" blade
However, there have been plenty of posts about harassment due to the knife being 'menacing' (serrations and black coating etc...) Another contributing factor is the security personel who can be low wage workers on a power trip. Some members even carry postage paid envelopes to mail their knives to themselves if they get stuck at the airport.


If you want to read some of the tales do a search on the discussion - year one I used the terms FAA and airport with the 'any word' option and turned up 5 threads


JE


[This message has been edited by Jeff Edmonston (edited 18 October 1999).]
 
You can get a good idea of how much metal is in a boot by how far away it sets off a hand-held metal detector and how loud a beep it causes, and you can tell right where the metal is. If you stuck a boot knife or a derringer behind that zipper the guard would probably notice there was a lot more metal there than you'd expect from a zipper, and investigate further.

I've had a belt buckle set off a walk-through at the courthouse and they made me take off the belt and they looked at the buckle pretty closely -- a belt-buckle knife would not have slipped through that time. That same day they let me through without a glance at my laptop computer, though; I could have had all kinds of things in that case ... a full-size pistol ... or a bomb big enough to kill a couple of dozen people ... or two or three ferrets....

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
When I travel by air, which is as infrequently as possible I always wear a sports coat shirt and tie, etc. (urban Camo.)

As I approach the security point I remove every thing metal. right down to the pens in my pocket, and my watch, and put them in my coat pocket which I then put on the conveyor belt with my brief case.

I have never had any trouble with anything, and I am generally through security faster than anyone else. I just pick up my jacket and breif case at the other side of the conveyor and keep walking.

Last year I did have a security guard want to look inside my Stetson, Maybe he just wanted to see the label.


Mike
 
VG
I'm surprised they haven't heard of your infamy/ deadliness with the LM Micra. I would hate to think what you could do with a Wave....


chizpuf
 
Well, Chizpuf, to be honest, when I go through any kind of security checkpoint, I make sure to keep my "Intimidational Face" off the front of my head.
smile.gif


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Vampire Gerbil: Nosferatus Rodentus Moderatus; similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.


 
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