DC Security

Les White

Les White

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This past weekend I took Jenny and her girls to DC to see the sights. I hadn't been since May of 2001, just before the WTC attacks and at all the Smithsonians you just opened the door and walked in.

Being that it was DC I knew trying to CC was a bad idea, but not wanting to be completely unarmed I carried a pocket knife.

We walked into the Air and Space museum and were greeted by lines, metal detectors, guys with wands, and a belt to an x-ray machine for bags.

Fark. :(

Not wanting to just give up my knife - it's my favorite - I figured I'd make them work for it. I put my phone and smokes in the tray to run thru the x-ray machine, but left the knife and wallet on my person. The wallet is also a money clip with a hefty magnet, but it's my wallet and the place was a zoo, leaving that out of eyesight wasn't going to happen. When I walked thru the metal detector I alerted as expected. What I didn't expect was seeing the guy with the wand playing grab-ass with another security guy and neither one noticed me or the alert on the metal detector. I just picked up my things off the conveyor and off we went.

The next day heading into Arlington, more metal detectors and x-ray machines. I honestly thought my knife was in my back pack this time and sent it thru on it's side hoping for the best as the blade profile would be harder to spot. I still had my wallet and smokes on my person. Walking thru the metal detectors I alerted again but this time the guard was paying attention. He asked what else I had in my pockets, I pulled out the smokes and lighter and he literally said "Oh, that's it, come on thru". I was in. The backpack didn't draw any additional attention. Then I found the knife still in my back pocket.

I'm guessing the sheer volume of tourists keeps their efforts to a minimum? Either way, their "security" is more or less a joke.
 
concepthomes1 said:
It’s the illusion that something is being done.

It’s also the illusion that sells the feeling of safety to the masses.
Click to expand...

Real security is very expensive and would only aggravate the masses rather than making them feel safer.
 
Depends on the crowd and venue. I got pulled aside at the archive for a magnet in my pocket. Several other folks got wanded too. And the ladies by the Constitution were carrying L frame Smith’s. She really liked it, I had to ask. The company doing the museum security issues them. They do have a heavy presence though. And I drew a lot of their attention because my head was up looking around all the time.


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Brian K said:
This past weekend I took Jenny and her girls to DC to see the sights. I hadn't been since May of 2001, just before the WTC attacks and at all the Smithsonians you just opened the door and walked in.

Being that it was DC I knew trying to CC was a bad idea, but not wanting to be completely unarmed I carried a pocket knife.

We walked into the Air and Space museum and were greeted by lines, metal detectors, guys with wands, and a belt to an x-ray machine for bags.

Fark. :(

Not wanting to just give up my knife - it's my favorite - I figured I'd make them work for it. I put my phone and smokes in the tray to run thru the x-ray machine, but left the knife and wallet on my person. The wallet is also a money clip with a hefty magnet, but it's my wallet and the place was a zoo, leaving that out of eyesight wasn't going to happen. When I walked thru the metal detector I alerted as expected. What I didn't expect was seeing the guy with the wand playing grab-ass with another security guy and neither one noticed me or the alert on the metal detector. I just picked up my things off the conveyor and off we went.

The next day heading into Arlington, more metal detectors and x-ray machines. I honestly thought my knife was in my back pack this time and sent it thru on it's side hoping for the best as the blade profile would be harder to spot. I still had my wallet and smokes on my person. Walking thru the metal detectors I alerted again but this time the guard was paying attention. He asked what else I had in my pockets, I pulled out the smokes and lighter and he literally said "Oh, that's it, come on thru". I was in. The backpack didn't draw any additional attention. Then I found the knife still in my back pocket.

I'm guessing the sheer volume of tourists keeps their efforts to a minimum? Either way, their "security" is more or less a joke.
Click to expand...

Its a dog and pony show just like the airport. Wife went through security twice with a lighter this past weekend. She forgot it was in her backpack.
 
The only place that security is no joke in DC is at the Capital. To go on tour you have to go through that plus they more or less dumped everything out of my son's backpack and went through each item. The only airport security that wasn't a joke was at Heathrow in London. They don't care if you miss your flight
 
wvsig said:
Its a dog and pony show just like the airport. Wife went through security twice with a lighter this past weekend. She forgot it was in her backpack.
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Curmudgeon said:
The only place that security is no joke in DC is at the Capital. To go on tour you have to go through that plus they more or less dumped everything out of my son's backpack and went through each item. The only airport security that wasn't a joke was at Heathrow in London. They don't care if you miss your flight
Click to expand...
Haven’t had an issue with lighters for several years. If you think Heathrow is tough, been thru Munich or Frankfurt?
 
A lot of security exists to fulfill an insurance requirement. They don’t really care.
 
Jeppo said:
Haven’t had an issue with lighters for several years. If you think Heathrow is tough, been thru Munich or Frankfurt?
Click to expand...

It was my understanding that they had to be on your person. Maybe I I am mistaken but thought they could not be in your carry on or check luggage.
 
Jeppo said:
Haven’t had an issue with lighters for several years. If you think Heathrow is tough, been thru Munich or Frankfurt?
Click to expand...
Frankfurt in the late 70's was no joke. I got searched by one guy while the other covered with an MP-5 and it weren't slung over his shoulder
 
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wvsig said:
It was my understanding that they had to be on your person. Maybe I I am mistaken but thought they could not be in your carry on or check luggage.
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I’ve always got some everywhere; pocket, carry on and checked. ;)
 
Pay no attention to the Kabuki Theatre that is security checkpoints........just know your rights get checked at the gate.
 
wvsig said:
Its a dog and pony show just like the airport. Wife went through security twice with a lighter this past weekend. She forgot it was in her backpack.
Click to expand...
I came home on leave from Afghanistan in 2010. On the way back I had picked up 3 large bottles of Listerine mouth wash. One was in my shaving kit and the other two were in the bottom of my ruck. I’m in uniform traveling on military orders, with my military baggage. They ran me through the ringer! “You test positive for explosives!” Ya think!? I’m a Combat Engineer! It’s my job! After finally getting a supervisor and getting through, they ran my ruck. Saw the mouthwash bottles and told me they had to open it. Fine. Open it. They found the one in my shaving kit and confiscated it. Left the other two and sent me on my merry way. Idiots!
 
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chiefjason said:
Depends on the crowd and venue. I got pulled aside at the archive for a magnet in my pocket. Several other folks got wanded too. And the ladies by the Constitution were carrying L frame Smith’s. She really liked it, I had to ask. The company doing the museum security issues them. They do have a heavy presence though. And I drew a lot of their attention because my head was up looking around all the time.
Click to expand...
Yes nice service weapon and the female officers were pretty my last visit.;)
 
Same at the Capitol Building, super heavy blast doors at the underground entrance, great cafeteria inside.
 
We went through the same thing when we were up there last year. The only museum I got more than a customary search of my backpack at was the Holocaust Museum. Hopefully you saw the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial while up there. A little known one that is a very nice memorial. I think I posted a thread on it last December.
 
Do they still have the spooks checking out international passengers in Europe? When I came back into the States via Schiphol (2004) They took every passenger aside one by one and interviewed us while, I assume, some analyst was watching on a screen from the back room. Stupid questions they never would have been able to ask in the US because they still pretended we have rights back then.
 
Catfish said:
Do they still have the spooks checking out international passengers in Europe?
Click to expand...
Both times that I went to England, they asked me two questions: are you here for business or pleasure? Are you planning on staying for more than 90 days?
 
Ive been to DC a lot in my life, and even in the past decade it's been about a dozen times. I like DC a lot.

Anyway, I do two things when traveling in big cities:
a) I prefer having SOMETHING on me. Not necessarily for defense, but as a tool. So I keep a small leatherman (keychain size) on my person at all times. When traveling, I put it in an Altoids tin, along with other things that I think I might need during the day - bandaid, handwipes, a shoelace, pain meds.
They never check the tin when I put it in the plastic bins

b) I got a TOPO camera bag a year and a half ago, and took it up to Philly with me. Went to see the liberty bell, had my camera in the bag, along with a small bottle of water, and, on the outside of the bag, I had a pocket knife in some molle straps (it's not a 'tactical bag' at all, but it does have two straps on each side of the bag). No issues when ran through the metal detector.

I'll continue these habits as I travel places like DC (which I'll be back in no later than April, possibly a trip before then too though).

Good on you for posting this thread to help others know how to have the tools they need even in a big city with security in place
 
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