i guess this is kind of sort of a half ass way of the TSA admitting that shaking down old ladies with knitting needles and seizing cigaretters won't stop terrorists!!!!! Original Article Easing security rule at airports spurs criticism Ryan G. Murphy Los Angeles Times Dec. 3, 2005 12:00 AM WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration said Friday that it would allow airplane passengers to carry such previously restricted items as small scissors and tools starting Dec. 22, but that it would expand random security screenings in an effort to increase protection of airplanes and passengers against onboard bombs. The agency said the changes would let it focus "on more serious threats." Several legislators, flight attendants and families of the victims of the Sept. 11 hijackings said that allowing sharp objects on airplanes might lead to terrorist attacks. "While changes to the prohibited-item list may attract the most attention, they are not the most important piece," said Kip Hawley, director of the agency. He said that after evaluating potential threats and vulnerabilities, the agency decided to focus more "on higher-threat areas, like explosives." Under the new plan, randomly selected passengers will undergo body searches, and their carry-on items will be given increased examination. The agency said that the new screening could include checks for explosives in shoes, the use of hand-held metal detectors to check individual passengers for weapons, and pat-down searches. Passengers also may notice more bomb-sniffing dogs roaming airports. Hawley said there are 420 teams of such dogs, 70 percent more than in 2003, at about 80 airports. The administration also plans to increase the number of walk-through bomb-detection machines from 43 now to 340 by September, he said. The now-standard screening at security checkpoints will continue for all passengers and the items that they carry on board. No longer prohibited from airplanes will be: scissors less than 4 inches long and such tools as screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers measuring less than 7 inches because, an agency spokeswoman said, "those size items are easiest identified by the screener." She said that agency policy prohibited her from being identified by name when expanding on the director's remarks. Brian Sullivan, a retired Federal Aviation Administration special agent, expressed skepticism about the new plan. He said that locked cockpit doors might be opened by someone with a sharp object. The transportation agency, he said, "may be acting prematurely, focusing all of their attention on bombs." Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a telephone interview that the agency was trying to save money, but the result would be less security. Hawley said at a news conference that from March through September of this year, airport screeners found more than 9.5 million prohibited items in carry-on bags. "We are opening a lot of bags to take away objects that do not pose a great risk," he said. Hawley said that small scissors and tools account for approximately 25 percent of the prohibited items found in passenger carry-on bags. Passengers' willingness to confront terrorists - along with other post-Sept. 11 security changes such as air marshals, armed pilots and bulletproof cockpit doors - are why the Safety Administration believes bombs are now a bigger threat than objects. Airline attendants and families of the Sept. 11 victims criticized the decision. "This seems like a step backward in aviation, and it hasn't been thought out," said Corey Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants. "This seems to be a staffing issue in TSA. They want to develop more resources to search for explosive devices but in order to do that, they shouldn't have to sacrifice another portion of security." But flight attendants said more needs to be done to make commercial aviation safe. The flight attendants' unions have been lobbying for mandatory self-defense training and for screening of the cargo that's loaded onto passenger airplanes. Tommie Hutto-Blake, president of American Airlines' flight attendants' union, said, "We are appalled that we are not being listened to by the federal government as they downgrade cabin security standards." The Associated Press contributed to this article.