News & Politics - Airport Screener Misses Butcher Knife in Purse

Lain · 02-15-2005, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Airport screener misses butcher knife in purse

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- A security screener at Newark Liberty International Airport failed to spot a butcher knife in a passenger's pocketbook and was removed from the post for retraining, officials said.

Katrina Bell, 27, had cleared security and was waiting with her sister to board a flight on Saturday morning when she discovered she was carrying a knife.

Bell had put the knife in her bag "just in case" before going on a blind date earlier that week, her sister and travel companion, Tikisha Bell Gowens, 30, said in The Sunday Star-Ledger of Newark.

"She said to me, 'Oh my God, I have this butcher knife in my pocketbook,"' Bell Gowens said. "My first thought was, 'They're going to think we're terrorists."'

The North Carolina women immediately told airport personnel, who summoned police and officials of the Transportation Security Administration, which employs the screeners.

The women were not charged.

The screener was removed from the checkpoint and will undergo remedial training, TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis said.

"The knife was in a cluttered handbag," Davis said. "It was characterized to me as difficult to detect."

The incident was only the latest embarrassment for screeners at one of the airports from which some of the September 11, 2001, hijackers took off.

In December, baggage screeners at the airport lost a fake bomb planted in luggage by a supervisor during a training exercise. Despite an hours-long search, the fake bomb made it onto an Amsterdam-bound flight.

Two security supervisors were fired after the incident.

On Saturday, officials asked Bell to go through security again with the knife in her pocketbook. It was discovered during the second check.

"Suppose someone else had this knife and their motive was to hijack the plane?" Bell Gowens said. "Come on, now. We had a butcher knife. How do you miss that? How many years do you need to get this right?"

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/02/14....ap/index.html

No offense but ever since the 9/11...there had been a lot of screw ups. I'm not surprised...

**Mio** · 02-16-2005, 01:45 PM

It's also the person's fault who brought the butcher knife.

People know what things cannot be brough on an airplane, but yet they do it anyways. You really need to work in an airport (as I did) to see what complete idiots these people are.

One moron brought his pocket knife and then screamed at me (I didn't even work security, I worked in a magazine store) because he couldn't bring his knife on the plane.

Lorna · 02-16-2005, 02:44 PM

The woman was definitely an idiot for forgetting to take it out her bag.

What is more worrying is that she managed to get through security! And, it doesnt really surprise me that she did. Although the security procedures have improved since 9/11, they are still - clearly - not tight enough.
I know that over here, in the UK, no one would be able to get through with any kind of weapon. Its not like it was even a small, pocket knife! It was a big old butcher knife! There is no excuse really for missing it, and I am glad the employees were fired who missed it.

Profaine Angel · 02-16-2005, 03:51 PM

Quote:

"The knife was in a cluttered handbag," Davis said. "It was characterized to me as difficult to detect."

That's ridiculous. I went on a plane trip the other day and if any bags were "cluttered" and objects hard to define, they made the person tip everything out into boxes and scan them through again.

That said, how on earth do you miss a huge knife?

mh67511 · 02-18-2005, 01:36 PM

You want bad security? Ride Amtrak.

I took the train to Chicago a month ago and if my suitcase had been full of explosives I could have easily taken out Union Station in downtown Chicago. Baggage security on Amtrak is NON-EXISTANT (at least on the California Zephyr.)

xallyx · 02-18-2005, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Bell had put the knife in her bag "just in case" before going on a blind date earlier that week...

Ok...anyone else besides me find that a little bit weird?

A little extreme?

WalkingOnSunshine · 02-21-2005, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh67511

You want bad security? Ride Amtrak.

I took the train to Chicago a month ago and if my suitcase had been full of explosives I could have easily taken out Union Station in downtown Chicago. Baggage security on Amtrak is NON-EXISTANT (at least on the California Zephyr.)

Very true - the security or actually lack of security on Amtrak is amazing.

Semmer · 02-23-2005, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xallyx

Ok...anyone else besides me find that a little bit weird?

A little extreme?

Yeah, I was thinking that. I mean, pepper spray works fine too.


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