Shortly after 9/11 I took a job with a major air freight company in Memphis TN. I had to pass the FBI screening to be able to drive on to the airport apron - part of my job to meet the planes as they came in.

Each time I would enter the airport security fence we would be "screened" by security guards. This was a joke of the highest order. Up until 9/11 happened these guys could have been best described as unemployable. Indeed, none of them were armed, none of them could have chased even my old cigarette smoking butt even a block. Not only that but I have no doubt that if I had ever leaped, screaming out of the truck at one of these guys he would either soil himself, have a stroke, or both.

This is not to vilify these guys at all, they needed jobs and now have them and that is good. But if that is who they are hiring to keep our airports safe how serious can the threat be? Some of these guys could barely walk!

At one point they were not allowing bottled water into the airport and we would have to submit to a search - actually a rare thing - and the bottled water would be held for us until we came back out. I know for a fact that some drivers relinquished their water bottles but the handgun they carried on a daily basis was never found. I carried one in my car but never took it onto the airport.

Why did drivers carry handguns in Memphis? Well, because Memphis for three years took the title of most violent city in the US from Detroit. On morning I was nearly carjacked as I waited for the overpaid # to come open the terminal. Luckily I speak Spanish, and when I spoke to the guy in his own language he seemed to change his mind and leave, although there was a thirty-eight in the back of the waistband of my trousers and my hand was on it in case he didn't.

If terrorism were real, the guards at the airports would not look like they were candidates for full disability would they?

Thoughts?

Similar experiences?

What's the most challenging part of a TSA officer's job?

Think about that for a minute, then it will make sense.

I find it funny how terrorists managed to get on a plane with some form of weapony and hijack a plane unless ofcourse they had inside help. There is no way they are getting through security armed.

so they either hijacked a plane with their bare hands... or they had inside help.

P.s I find it highly doubtful the passengers would allow this to go on if the terrorists did not have some form of weapony(guns obviously)

Originally posted by Ittabena
Shortly after 9/11 I took a job with a major air freight company in Memphis TN. I had to pass the FBI screening to be able to drive on to the airport apron - part of my job to meet the planes as they came in.

Each time I would enter the airport security fence we would be "screened" by security guards. This was a joke of the highest order. Up until 9/11 happened these guys could have been best described as unemployable. Indeed, none of them were armed, none of them could have chased even my old cigarette smoking butt even a block. Not only that but I have no doubt that if I had ever leaped, screaming out of the truck at one of these guys he would either soil himself, have a stroke, or both.

This is not to vilify these guys at all, they needed jobs and now have them and that is good. But if that is who they are hiring to keep our airports safe how serious can the threat be? Some of these guys could barely walk!

At one point they were not allowing bottled water into the airport and we would have to submit to a search - actually a rare thing - and the bottled water would be held for us until we came back out. I know for a fact that some drivers relinquished their water bottles but the handgun they carried on a daily basis was never found. I carried one in my car but never took it onto the airport.

Why did drivers carry handguns in Memphis? Well, because Memphis for three years took the title of most violent city in the US from Detroit. On morning I was nearly carjacked as I waited for the overpaid # to come open the terminal. Luckily I speak Spanish, and when I spoke to the guy in his own language he seemed to change his mind and leave, although there was a thirty-eight in the back of the waistband of my trousers and my hand was on it in case he didn't.

If terrorism were real, the guards at the airports would not look like they were candidates for full disability would they?

Thoughts?

Similar experiences?

The only threats we have are the per-approved ones. You know Dick Chaney's famous quote "of course the order still stands, have you heard anything different!"

please someone explain to me how these boxcutter wielding rookies hijacked the plane???? how did they do it???? i keep hearing it but no oser will tell me how they did it...i always have an idea of how something happened before i go spouting off that it happened....