# Frank Abagnale question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-abagnale-question/343666>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 9, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-abagnale-question/343666 "2006-02-09T07:05:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-abagnale-question/343666/81 "2021-07-07T13:58:49Z")

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> [@md-2000](#):
>
> Out of curiosity - where did they screen passengers there? Was it part of the boarding gate? Or did they simply not screen for weapons at all? Or did they allow non-passengers to also go through the security screen?
> 
> (Certainly some airports did screen, since the 9/11 hijackers were reduced to using boxcutters).

Security was pretty much located where it is now, but it was very limited. Think your local county courthouse or a federal building. A very simple metal detector and scanning system to run your bags through.

Put your change and a small pocket knife in the tray and if you don’t set off the metal detector then off you go. Ten seconds max. And there was no requirement to have a boarding pass to go through. If you were following a family member to the gate, you walked through just like them. They also weren’t TSA as that only came about as a result of 9/11. They were basically rent a cops.

The 9/11 hijackers were legally able to get the box cutters on board because the blade was under the permitted size.

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frank-abagnale-question/343666/82 "2021-07-08T07:36:27Z")

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> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> Honestly, what evidence are you all going by that says he didn’t do what he said? “Well, he’s a conman” just isn’t that convincing a rebuttal. Is it just because you don’t like him? All the cool kids say he’s lying, so it must be?
> 
> I’m not a butt hurt fanboy, I don’t really care. I’m not defending him, but I don’t find his stories that hard to believe, either.
> 
> But this revisionism seems petty. We set up our “heroes”, and then we knock them down.

You make it sound like I’m kicking a puppy.

Go ahead and read the link PastTense put in his May 5 post.

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