Warning about transporting snowglobes on planes!

[Deb & Bill]

I flew back from DL on Monday and a lady waiting for the same plane was told to throw away her gel-insoles. She argued with them, but I had seen them listed on the TSA site. She said they were custom orthotics and cost $200. Tough lesson.

 

[dollcollector1]

I think that the liquid ban is a reaction, not prevention. Apparently, it is a good tactic for the airline industry from the posts here. People feel safer flying when they immediately ban items(think knitting needles in the past/snowglobes now) similar to what terrorists had used. Although I personally don't feel any safer with that approach, if it keeps the airlines in business I guess it's not all for nothing. But no way I feel any safer. JMO.

I don't feel any safer. I feel grimier, dirtier and look as though I just strolled off a Greyhound bus. Banning the likes of tooth paste and hair gel aren't the answer. EL AL has taken preventive measures against this type of terrorism over 30 years ago. Leave grandma alone and let her take her eye drops on the plane. Give baby back the sippy cup and take back the sky instead. Below is what El Al airline did to get the security right . You'll also get a real steak knife to cut your steak on board. No plastic utensils on these flights !

El Al has the reputation for being the most secure airline in the world for the following reasons:

On the plane
Approximately six undercover agents (formerly two, exact numbers are never given for security purposes) accompany each international El Al flight, sitting amongst passengers with hidden firearms. All El Al pilots are former Israeli Air Force fighter pilots, and all El Al flight crew members are trained in hand to hand combat. In fact, most El Al employees have served in the Israel Defence Force (since national service is compulsory in Israel for most citizens).

El Al airliners have double doors to keep passengers away from the pilots. A code is necessary to access the doors, the second door will only be opened after the first has closed and the person has been identified by the captain or copilot.

There are reinforced steel floors separating the passenger cabin from the baggage hold [3]. This is intended to strengthen the plane in case of an explosion in the hold or vice versa.

The El Al fleet is also the only commercial airline fleet in the world to be equipped with anti-missile countermeasures (the radar-based Flight Guard system). Switzerland has refused El Al flights landing rights because of fears that flares dropped by such an automated system might cause fires on the ground near airports, and other European governments have expressed similar views. El Al does not comment about the specifications of these systems.

On the ground
Passengers are asked to report three hours before takeoff. In Israel, they are checked at a security barrier on the road to the terminal. All El Al terminals around the world are closely monitored by security agents in plain clothes, who patrol the premises for explosives, suspicious behavior, and other threats. Inside, passengers and their baggage are checked by a trained team. El Al security procedures also require that all passengers be interviewed individually prior to boarding, allowing El Al staff to identify possible security threats with probing questions, such as their origin, goal and occupation. The likelihood of potential terrorists staying cool under such inquisitive probing is considered low. All passengers are classified on a basic 3 tier threat scale: Israelis and Jews are usually classified as the lowest threat, Westerners are usually classified as medium level threats, and Arabs (particularly males) are usually classified as high threat.

At the check-in counter, ground staff scrutinise the passport and the ticket. They won't accept a ticket without a sticker from the security checkers. Once through passport control, where the person's name is checked through a computer, which utilizes information from both the FBI and Scotland Yard terrorism databases, the person and their hand luggage go through rigorous screening, including hand searches. In addition, all luggage must pass through a decompression chamber; this simulates pressures during flight which may be triggers for explosives [4]. El Al is currently the only airline in the world that passes all luggage through such a chamber.

Incidents and accidents
Since implementing many of their stringest security procedures in 1970, El Al has never fallen victim to a successful terrorist attack on board any of its aircraft over the past 35 years.

 

[sammi]

Thanks for bringing up this subject as I wouldn't have ever thought about it! My DS and his GF are leaving with 8 other members of her family for WDW this Sat. and I'll have to be sure and let her know as she is an avid collector of the Disney snowglobes. I just wish that the baggage handlers would go easier on the handling of our luggage since these new rules came into effect!

The Mom of my DS's GF also had to go and get a special note from her Dr. because she has a gelled prosthesis as she underwent a mastectomy 1 1/2 years ago......so sad that we have to live like this now.