4 ms·

At least I could take nail clippers on an airplane in 1999.

UnoriginalGuy 13y ago
You still can today. That is a myth. http://www.seatguru.com/articles/tsa_prohibited_items.php http://www.seatguru.com/articles/tsa_prohibited_items.php
- mrtron 13y ago
  I have had nail clippers removed from my bag by the TSA recently.
  - UnoriginalGuy 13y ago
    Here is TSA's own blog saying nail clippers are allowed: http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/01/lighters-nail-clippers-and-lithium.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/01/lighters-nail-clippers-and-lithi... http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/05/tsa-urban-legends-nail-clippers.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/05/tsa-urban-legends-nail-clippers.... http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/tsa-response-to-claim-that-nail.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/tsa-response-to-claim-that-nail.... http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/updated-tsa-response-to-claim-that-nail.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/updated-tsa-response-to-claim-th...
    - moens 13y ago
      wtf? The OP just (implicitly) agreed that this was the case, and that nail clippers had been taken anyway... who reads the TSA's blog?
- thedufer 13y ago
  It is a myth that taking nailclippers is TSA policy. This has not stopped them from doing it anyway.
pekk 13y ago
People die and lose their limbs, and your first move is apparently crying about how the government takes away your nail clippers.
- jlarocco 13y ago
  Harsh as it may be, the people dying and losing their limbs will have no direct impact on my life, or on most other people's lives. It's a tragedy for their friends and loved ones, but I'm not in that group, so it's a very abstract thing - I feel bad, but it won't affect me personally. Losing freedom has the potential to affect me personally, so I'm more concerned about it. And I don't necessarily agree it's too early to discus the consequences of this. The authorities on the scene are handling the immediate situation, and there's very little to be done from 2K miles away.
  - Zancarius 13y ago
    > And I don't necessarily agree it's too early to discus the consequences of this. The authorities on the scene are handling the immediate situation, and there's very little to be done from 2K miles away. I agree. Chance are, the friends and family who are directly affected by this aren't going to be trawling through comments on HN--there are more pressing concerns. The rest of us, and maybe this will sound equally harsh, need to divorce ourselves from the emotional impact if there's nothing we can do (or donate to the appropriate organizations if so inclined). Right now, there's little that can be done, and even less information still. That leaves the most objective option as what we're doing right now: That is to say the discussion of potential policy changes. I'm not sure this event is significant enough to affect anything on a large scale (e.g. TSA on every street corner), but you do have to wonder what changes might be made to future marathons as a consequence. I don't necessarily think that's harsh as much as it is objective.
- aethertap 13y ago
  People losing lives, in this case, will likely not be the end of the tragedy. I think it is legitimate to be concerned about how much worse it may get with political involvement and the resulting unreasoned "do something" responses.

You still can today. That is a myth. http://www.seatguru.com/articles/tsa_prohibited_items.php http://www.seatguru.com/articles/tsa_prohibited_items.php

mrtron 13y ago
I have had nail clippers removed from my bag by the TSA recently.
- UnoriginalGuy 13y ago
  Here is TSA's own blog saying nail clippers are allowed: http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/01/lighters-nail-clippers-and-lithium.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/01/lighters-nail-clippers-and-lithi... http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/05/tsa-urban-legends-nail-clippers.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/05/tsa-urban-legends-nail-clippers.... http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/tsa-response-to-claim-that-nail.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/tsa-response-to-claim-that-nail.... http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/updated-tsa-response-to-claim-that-nail.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/12/updated-tsa-response-to-claim-th...
  - moens 13y ago
    wtf? The OP just (implicitly) agreed that this was the case, and that nail clippers had been taken anyway... who reads the TSA's blog?
thedufer 13y ago
It is a myth that taking nailclippers is TSA policy. This has not stopped them from doing it anyway.

pekk 13y ago

People die and lose their limbs, and your first move is apparently crying about how the government takes away your nail clippers.

jlarocco 13y ago
Harsh as it may be, the people dying and losing their limbs will have no direct impact on my life, or on most other people's lives. It's a tragedy for their friends and loved ones, but I'm not in that group, so it's a very abstract thing - I feel bad, but it won't affect me personally. Losing freedom has the potential to affect me personally, so I'm more concerned about it. And I don't necessarily agree it's too early to discus the consequences of this. The authorities on the scene are handling the immediate situation, and there's very little to be done from 2K miles away.
- Zancarius 13y ago
  > And I don't necessarily agree it's too early to discus the consequences of this. The authorities on the scene are handling the immediate situation, and there's very little to be done from 2K miles away. I agree. Chance are, the friends and family who are directly affected by this aren't going to be trawling through comments on HN--there are more pressing concerns. The rest of us, and maybe this will sound equally harsh, need to divorce ourselves from the emotional impact if there's nothing we can do (or donate to the appropriate organizations if so inclined). Right now, there's little that can be done, and even less information still. That leaves the most objective option as what we're doing right now: That is to say the discussion of potential policy changes. I'm not sure this event is significant enough to affect anything on a large scale (e.g. TSA on every street corner), but you do have to wonder what changes might be made to future marathons as a consequence. I don't necessarily think that's harsh as much as it is objective.
aethertap 13y ago
People losing lives, in this case, will likely not be the end of the tragedy. I think it is legitimate to be concerned about how much worse it may get with political involvement and the resulting unreasoned "do something" responses.