Leave toy guns at home, Canada tells air travelers

[dwarven1]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Exasperated Canadian air safety officials Thursday told passengers "to leave their water pistols and toy guns at home" because they were triggering big delays at airport security.

Screening staff found nearly 3,000 toy guns, water pistols, toy grenades and other items resembling real weapons between January and June of this year, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority said.

"Through an X-ray machine, those items look like a threatening object. We cannot take any chances," said the authority's Kevin McGarr.

"Canadian travelers have to know what they can and cannot bring on board an aircraft. The consequence is a stressful wait for other passengers and a misuse of resources meant for a real emergency," he added in a statement.

Last year, the interception of prohibited items at Canadian airport security checkpoints caused delays totaling 15,000 hours, the authority said.

===============================================

I'd have thought that you could tell the difference between a water pistol and the real thing with an xray scanner...

Ross

 

[Nickle]

They don't want the Canadian Army to be "outgunned". [lol]

 

[Chris]

I still wonder how long it will be before air travel is allowed only:

"Naked and Unconscious"

I don't even want to think what kind of 'services' a flight attendant would need to take care of in that case. (eww)

The whole idea of keeping the "tools of agression" out of a plane is laughable. Anyone ever notice what the first item you pass just inside an airline door is? It's a BIG rechargable flashlight made of heavy plastic. You telling me that anything I might bring on-board is no less a threat than that thing positioned only a few feet from the cockpit?

*sigh*

OK, my compact Gitzo tripod with the heavy Kirk ballhead is probably a more effective club.... (^_^)

 

[Nickle]

Well, I went to Ft Bliss last month for a few days, and noticed that some travelers aren't wearing near as much clothing as they used to. A lady I spoke to wore shorts and a t-shirt, with running shoes (and a smallish purse). She said they would be less likely to give her a prolonged search that way. I think she's right.

 

[Adam_MA]

She said they would be less likely to give her a prolonged search that way. I think she's right.

Depends how cute she was!!

Adam

 

[dwarven1]

She said they would be less likely to give her a prolonged search that way. I think she's right.

Depends how cute she was!!

Adam

You beat me to it, Adam... that was EXACTLY what I was thinking.

Hey... I'm a guy. [twisted]

Ross

 

[Nickle]

She said they would be less likely to give her a prolonged search that way. I think she's right.

Depends how cute she was!!

Adam

Not bad looking, about 37 to 45, slender, blonde, medium length hair. But not slutty, she was a lady, in the truest sense. Not a snob, either. Fairly friendly.

 

[KMaurer]

What complete unmitigated horse pucky! Anybody who can't tell a squirt gun, dart gun or cap gun from the real thing under an X-Ray machine is either brain dead or totally blind (or has been taught their trade by someone who is).

Q: Why does a dog lick his balls?
A: Because he can.

This sounds like another one of those government/police things done for the exact same reason. I'm sure that those toys will certainly slow things down now. Anybody who has one will be ipso facto guilty of disobeying the reasonable suggstions (i.e., direct orders) of their lawful minders, and will be subjected to every bit of humiliation and abuse the drones can think up. Dans ce pays-ci il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres.

Ken

 

[Nickle]

Dans ce pays-ci il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres.

Ken

Pourquoi un amiral? An ADMIRAL?

 

[dwarven1]

Dans ce pays-ci il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres.

Something about "it is good" to do something, I think for "the encouragement of others"? I've heard the phrase for years, but don't know what the whole quote is... and it's been over a quarter century since high school French.

Ross

 

[Nickle]

More like, from time to time it is good to kill an admiral to encourage the others. I think he got the wrong word (admiral), in there, and my French leaves some to be desired.

Not a bad quote, though.

 

[KMaurer]

The quote is originally from Voltaire, commenting on the British execution of one of their admirals during the Seven Years War. The admiral probably had some culpability in the failure of the attack, but the real reason was to cover up the totaly lack of material support that was the primary cause. The line probably would have ended up in the dust bin if the French hadn't proven themselves every bit as dense as the English who took "A Modest Proposal" seriously by executing roughly 60 troops chosen at random in the aftermath of a silent mutiny during WWI "pour encourager les autres". Very early in his career, Kubrick did a dramatisation staring Kirk Douglas, titled "Paths of Glory".

Ken

 

[Nickle]

Now I understand why an Admiral. I was figuring it was like The Tree of Liberty line, which is also good.