# What are the purposes of various security screenings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841 "2022-10-26T21:04:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/61 "2022-11-04T14:52:50Z")
The definition is going to depend on why you are trying to define it, and if you are trying to see if something is legal to carry , you have to look at how it’s defined in the law. In my state > “Switchblade knife” means any knife which has a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife. If it even matters - apparently Pennsylvania included all automatic knives as prohibited “offensive weapons” until [yesterday](https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/11/wolf-signs-bill-making-switchblades-legal-in-pa.html). It didn’t matter what it was called before yesterday - switchblade, [assisted opening](https://www.tektogear.com/blogs/news/pennsylvania-decriminalize-automatic-knives) as long as the blade was exposed by a switch, push-button or spring mechanism it was prohibited. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/62 "2022-11-04T15:18:44Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > If it’s something you always carry, you just don’t think about it much. When I was a kid, I had a chain wallet with a heavy choker dog collar, suitable for the largest dogs. It was properly denied entry on my first trip to jury duty. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/63 "2022-11-04T15:55:37Z")
I had a Swiss-Army knife hiding in my backpack and the X-ray caught it at the TSA screening. My options were to surrender it, or run it back to my car. Since I was early enough, and the knife had sentimental value to me, I chose the latter. I made the flight just fine, but got a little sweaty in the process by getting a workout I had not planned on. TSA also caught my water bottle half-filled a couple times and had me pour it out into a trash can in front of them. Those were on me, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/64 "2022-11-04T16:11:36Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I fully agree with you, Omar. Which sorta suggests a different tack. How do travelers feel about the security? What percentage of travelers feel, “No hassle is too much, because we want to eliminate ANY potential risk?” I think current security is calibrated to this. And it is generally set up to look like it would prevent whatever the _prior_ means of attack was. Whether it actually would prevent it is usually quite debatable, if not patently false. > [@running\_coach](#): > > There are a large number of articles from 2015/2017 detailing how the TSA failed to detect (fake but real looking) weapons, bombs, etc in undercover testing 70-95% of the time. > A lack of any more news leads me to believe the problem was solved by not conducting further undercover testing. Yeah, I read an article a while ago about how bad the human brain is at looking for something that is very rarely found. It’s hard to figure out when you’ve looked long enough to conclude that the thing is _not_ present. One thing they do to keep TSA on their toes a little bit better is to occasionally project an image of a gun or a knife or whatever for them to detect. But it’s still a big issue. > [@sciurophobic](#): > > Everybody else is searched to some extent based on TSA risk analysis. What’s the evidence that it’s based on risk analysis? As opposed to calibrated to efficiency and the degree of scrutiny that people want/need to feel safe, regardless of whether it actually keeps them safe. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > The security mavens were going to drop the ban on small knives, except the public threw a fit, because it was too scary. Exactly. No one will successfully hijack a plane in the US again using something like a knife or box cutter, but obvious knives and box cutters are prohibited. But, knitting needles are allowed… There are other things to fear, like a chemical or biological attack in an airport or on a plane, but I don’t think the current security system is built to detect and prevent that. I mean, they allow huge groups of tightly packed, completely unscreened passengers to build up at the TSA checkpoints themselves. I have noticed intrinsic parts of the briefcase I carry for work that could easily be used as a sharp weapon, but would never fail security. But when I accidentally left a tiny knife on my keychain, I had to take it off and mail it to myself. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/65 "2022-11-04T16:30:13Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > I have noticed intrinsic parts of the briefcase I carry for work that could easily be used as a sharp weapon A friend constructed a blade sharp enough to cut off a hangnail from the aluminum can they gave him on the airplane. He nearly got into serious trouble for that, but only because he made a point of showing it to the flight attendant. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/66 "2022-11-04T16:44:32Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > What’s the evidence that it’s based on risk analysis? It’s TSA’s official policy. [Risk-Based Security | Transportation Security Administration](https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/factsheets/risk-based-security#:~:text=TSA%20risk%2Dbased%20security%20practices,high%2Drisk%20and%20unknown%20passengers). ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/67 "2022-11-05T08:48:25Z")
I got my wallet stolen while vacationing in Hawaii and obviously the only way out was via an airplane so they seemed to already be familiar with the process. To board the plane without ID you needed either 1. Any form of official ID with a photo (School, Military, Job etc) 2. A bank or credit card with your name and signature on back (Signature would be cross referenced with signature in a database) If you had neither you were taken to a special area where a TSA Agent would give you 3 questions that could cross reference with a US government database, which were IIRC 1. Whats your primary phone number? 2. What year did you start your current job? 3. Name me the closest school to your place of residence? I aced all three and got on-board, whole process took about 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/68 "2022-11-05T14:38:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Not necessarily “folding”, in fact in the more common switchblades the blade does not fold. Blades do not fold–they would be pretty useless for cutting things if they did. But knives do often fold. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/69 "2022-11-05T16:12:37Z")
The blade folds into the handle ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/70 "2022-11-06T05:00:32Z")
Funniest incident I can think of was helping my dad move cities several decades ago. Not TSA. The police pulled us over un a U-Haul with some song and dance about licensing. They eventually wrote him a ticket for the state license not matching the rental location or some such BS\> (He said the rental would straighten it out). The policeman searched the cab, and fished out an item of my dad’s from under the seat - a lead container about the size of two hockey pucks with the big yellow-and-black radiation symbol sticker on it - a sample from my dad’s lab. He told the policeman “don’t open that.” The policeman wisely did not open it, just put it back. That was a different time. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/71 "2022-11-06T13:02:40Z")
I travel a lot. TSA is staffed by borderline high school dropouts with toy badges and fake uniforms. They miss up to 95% of test items put through their checkpoints. They’re power-hungry goblins who shouldn’t be trusted to guard a bagel shop, let alone airport security. They used to advertise for TSA jobs on pizza boxes for Christ’s sake. Just be polite, say “thank you officer” (they LOVE that!) and they’ll let anybody through. They make me feel less safe, not more safe. Because they’re f\*cking idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/72 "2022-11-06T20:15:30Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > If you had neither you were taken to a special area where a TSA Agent would give you 3 questions that could cross reference with a US government database, which were IIRC > > 1. Whats your primary phone number? > 2. What year did you start your current job? > 3. Name me the closest school to your place of residence? I’d have fun with each of these. 1. do they mean our house number, or my cell (which I am increasingly using instead of the house) 2. Do they count the year my current employer bought my previous, or the year I started there? 3. It’s one of to (or three) and I’ve never measured the distance! As long as they were good with my giving them multiple answers, and one of them matched, I’d bse OK. #2 in particular, I’ve often had to answer as part of clearance processes, and I always say “xxx, but here’s an explanation”. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/73 "2022-11-06T23:23:29Z")
I have the same issues with questions 1 & 2. People ask for my phone number and it turns into a conversation. (My cellphone doesn’t work in my home, so I can’t just give it out.) I live around the corner from a public elementary school, so that one is easy ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/74 "2022-11-08T01:11:02Z")
For #1 at least is was based on whatever phone number I had given them for something specific (I forgot what it was but they had access to a database with my phone number in it) so when I asked which one they told me what the phone number it was attached to which is what I gave them. Do you have to register your phone number for the DMV? Might have been that. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/75 "2022-11-09T04:30:15Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I got my wallet stolen while vacationing in Hawaii and obviously the only way out was via an airplane so they seemed to already be familiar with the process. > > To board the plane without ID you needed either > > 1. Any form of official ID with a photo (School, Military, Job etc) > 2. A bank or credit card with your name and signature on back (Signature would be cross referenced with signature in a database) > > If you had neither you were taken to a special area where a TSA Agent would give you 3 questions that could cross reference with a US government database, which were IIRC > > 1. Whats your primary phone number? > 2. What year did you start your current job? > 3. Name me the closest school to your place of residence? > > I aced all three and got on-board, whole process took about 20 minutes. I had something similar happen to me, and I needed BOTH 1 and 2 for ID. I had the bank and credit cards, but I didn’t have the photo ID at first, then I dug through my wallet and found a very old temporary ID I once used to access a construction site, but it had a photo and my name, so they accepted it. Everyone at TSA seemed very relieved that I found that ID, because IIRC, they were having technical issues and couldn’t access that government database. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/76 "2022-11-09T16:41:20Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Name me the closest school to your place of residence? I’d be sunk. I don’t go to school. I don’t have kids in school. I know there are schools in the area but that’s where it ends. I certainly don’t know which is closest. Would they allow a person to pull up a map on their phone, say “I live here” and then look for schools? (And what would be the point in that?) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/77 "2022-11-09T16:52:07Z")
I’m the same way. I know where the high school is, as I pass it on the way to work. And I think there’s a grade school in the other direction but can’t be sure. I think some vagueness like that is more believable than someone having the information memorized. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/78 "2022-11-09T20:40:27Z")
I would think the purpose is that only somebody who really lives at the address would be able to name a nearby school. It’s not something someone committing identity theft is likely to know, or even think to learn. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/79 "2022-11-09T22:11:16Z")
I’ve lived in this apartment for over 20 years. I can NOT name the nearest school. I only know it exists because it was my polling place during one election and I had to walk there. It is also entirely possible that there is an even nearer school- I just don’t know about it. “Name the nearest school” is a terrible question. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841/80 "2022-11-10T00:20:16Z")
There is a school near me that I think is an elementary school. I happen to know the name of that one. There is one that might be a bit closer that I am fairly certain is a middle school and I don’t know what it’s called. I am going to look them up now just in case. I am certain that if you named the one that is the second closest, you will have passed the test and they probably have different questions because, as we have demonstrated, a lot of people legitimately don’t know the correct answer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-purposes-of-various-security-screenings/973841.md?page=5)