> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Carrying box cutters and knives onto an airplane. > > On another list I'm on a representative for a computer company explained how > he *always* flew with box cutters. You see he carried a lot of printed > materials in boxes with him. And he was often asked to open them up at > security. So he carried the box cutter so he could open them and reseal > them quickly and easily. I'm not sure this, in itself, is so strange. > > And, honestly, who thought of these as weapons before Sept 11th... > Not to mention that it was not in any way illegal.
rob Which is precisely my point. Neither is buying one-way tickets in cash at the last minute. Nor, for that matter, is asking for lessons on how to fly planes but not land them. All are, however, _suspicious_ because they are out of the ordinary. Therefore they are worthy of attention. An example. A friend of mine from Israel explained to me that if anyone on an Israeli street is seen wearing a trench coat on a warm day the police will be alerted instantly and he will be stopped and searched. Why? Because that is out of the ordinary - not a crime, just suspicious behavior - and events have demonstrated that there is a significant chance that this person is a suicide bomber carrying the explosives under his coat. Now the US has not experienced a spate of such suicide bombings, so there is no need for such precautions. But because we have experienced an unprecedented attack of an extraordinary nature, it is now important to view some behaviors that are not criminal but are nonetheless, suspicious, as thi ngs worthy of investigation. Answering questions from authorities in such a situation is not in the least a violation of anyone's rights. Gautam
