Restaurants in airports: security risk?

Factual Questions
1

Hope this hasn’t been discussed. I poked about and saw nothing. Googling failed to illuminate.

My question concerns restaurants in airports beyond security checkpoints: don’t they employ knives and other sharp objects in food preparation? Could such an establishment serve as a hijacker’s source for edge weapons?

2

Last time I checked, airport restaurants employ people who use knives and other sharp objects in food preparation.

That said, is it possible that any of those edge weapons could make it into a potential hijacker’s hands? Yes.

I have friends and relatives in the airline industry (several airlines). All tell me that passengers are the least of their worries when it comes to hijackings and terrorism with aircraft. There are too many back doors at airports for people and weapons to go through that are unattended – back doors in the sense that passenger screening and security are window dressing to the real security issues.

3

I look at all the heavy handed security at airports and just shake my head these days. What is the point? If I were a terrorist the very last place you’d find me is at the airport. They already struck there once, why go through the hassle of doing it again when there are much, much softer and more dramatic targets they could get to, probably without the hassle.

4

Even prisons have knives. They can be secured to a counter via cable and lock, and then locked up under key.

As far as hijack threats, secure cockpit doors ought to stop plane takeovers. I’d be more worried about explosives than metal or non-metal (ceramics / plastics) knives.

5

Read this story to learn about the reality of airline security.

Some points to note:

  1. The man was wearing only pj bottoms. (Nothing can be wrong there!)
  2. He left the concourse thru a door that had both an alarm and a security camera.
  3. He got into a baggage truck and drove onto a taxiway.
  4. He was finally stopped by baggage handlers who detained him and called security.
  5. All at one of the busiest airports in the world. One where many 9/11 hijackers flew out of on their way to get to their target airports.

In short, the security at US airports is all show and nothing more. It is quite effective at scaring regular people (the actual main goal) but wouldn’t deter a bad person for a second.

And yes, you will have plastic utensils removed from your bags at the security checkpoint which you can quickly replace if you are in a hurry at a concourse cafe. If you are not in a hurry, you can obtain even nicer ones during your meal on the plane.

6

the old: “the first time wasn’t a fluke, we’ll do it again and again till you get the message”

7

And the employees employ the knives. “Employ” meaning “use”, in this situation.