Aye,that's the item, but here's the rub:<br>a few days ago, such items were LEGAL, just frowned upon by the airlines. If you were caught with one it needed to be checked or otherwise kept from you (depending on the airline). NOW if you try to carry one, you will be violating federal laws, and dealt with as if you were a terrorist.<br>JB<br><br>Expect poison with the standing water.<br> -William Blake

Bravo AndyO,<br><br> Wonder what the terroist would have done if Crocadile Dundee was on the jet. If the men on the jet were carrying Buck 110 folding hunter's along with, or instead of, cellphones, these tragedys might have been avoided. I think the pilots might need some training in extreme tactics. There is no way the terrorists could have stayed on their feet if the pilots would have done a dive and hard bank. I know some of the passengers might get hurt but they would still be alive. It's like the Doctor told the rescue worker when that little girl fell in the well in Texas. If you break her arm, we can fix it, but we can't bring her back to life. Take the knives away and they will make them out of the hinges of their briefcase. Does titanium leave a signature?<br><br>

>>and ban from society anyone who makes any item from paper or draws on paper any item that bears the likeness to anything not politically correct. Then we should be safe.....<<<br><br>You might think you're kidding. An associate's child was sent home from a school Halloween party with a stern reprimand and warnings because a homemade Peter Pan costume included a cardboard representation of Peter Pan's dagger. It was referred to as a "weapon".<br><br><br>

>>Does titanium leave a signature?<<<br><br>Yes. More to the point, last night on the news they were talking about the possibility of forcing full-body x-rays at airports.. they showed the equipment, and said the president of the company had been called to Washington. They specifically said it can detect plastic knives. Apparently, it can also confirm your dental records and show whether or not you've been circumcised.<br><br><br>

This just copied from the FAA's website http://www.faa.gov/apa/faq/pr_faq.htm:<br><br>"Can I carry my pocket knife on board? <br>No knives or cutting instruments of any size or material will be allowed in the aircraft cabin. Knives may be transported only in checked baggage. Airlines will no longer provide steak knives for on-board food service." <br><br>

>>>There is no way the terrorists could have stayed on their feet if the pilots would have done a dive and hard bank. <<<<br><br>But at least one of the hijackers claimed to have a bomb. The pilot would not know if that were a valid threat. He or she would also not now the hijacker's intentions, such as suicide crashes. Until Tuesday, such events were not part of our normal thought processes.<br><br>The pilots are trained to respond in a manner that should normally provide for the safety of the crew and passengers. There's little that can be done to prevent the suicide outcome unless that outcome is known, as seems to be the case in the Penn. flight where the passengers learned via phone and/or internet that the previous flights were crashed into buildings. <br><br>The press has been covering the changes in airport security extensively the past few days, and rightly so. But what I haven't heard is what operational changes have been made, if any (and I hope there have been changes made).<br><br>I don't know if any of these suggestions are valid, but here are a few that I have thought of:<br><br>1. Immediate communications to all airborne craft that a hijacking is in progress on another plane. This would alert aircrews to be on the alert and help reduce surprise attacks if another synchronized hijack is planned. Of course the hijackers prevented the hijacked transponder code from being entered, which would have delayed such a warning.<br><br>2. Automatic backup transponder that activates if primary transponder fails or is manually turned of while in flight. The backup transponder would be programmed by the primary settings during the preflight check and could not be changed during the flight. Only a hijack code in the primary could overwrite the secondary in flight. The secondary transponder would also be inaccessible from inside the aircraft to prevent in flight tampering.<br><br>3. Secure area autopilot. Certain high density or secure areas could have a transmitter that kicks in an autopilot setting if an aircraft encroached within a specified range. This is a little more "Buck Rogers" but it may be possible to develop a system that prevents over flying certain areas, such as the White House. Or prevents planes from dropping below a certain altitude over others, such as Manhattan. The planes could not have hit the towers if the plane could not drop low enough. Of course, such a system has its risks as well. Like all machines, it is susceptible to failure and it also takes control out of the pilot's hands, which may actually prevent a pilot from controlling a plane in an emergency.<br><br>Sorry for the rambling.<br><br><br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

>> last night on the news they were talking about the possibility of forcing<br> full-body x-rays at airports.<br><br>I do not like the sound of that.... Why do you suppose that you wear a big lead vest whenever you get dental X-rays, and why does the hygenist leave the room?<br><br>I would not want to fly too often, as I may wish to have another child!!!!<br><br>

Significant health risks will result from routine full body x-rays at airports. And, not only is the reproductive system at peril, but other organs including the thyroid gland and eyes. As invaluable as dental x-rays are, they are used only when absolutely necessary. Full body x-rays dwarf<br> dental x-rays so far as exposure is concerned. <br><br>