TSA Rules: Belts Off & Knives at Restaurants?

Ryan talks with Market and Air Travel Analyst Jay Ratliff about why travelers can now keep their shoes on during TSA screenings but still have to remove their belts. They also discuss Ryan's experience receiving a knife past security and a Delta Air Lines flight that was struck by fireworks while approaching Chicago Midway International Airport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So Ryan Gorman Show Podcast presented by Farah and Farah
Accident Attorneys TAPA.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Let's bring in our aviation analyst, Jay Ratliffe, who's back
with us once again, and Jay, thank you so much
for joining us at a couple of security related observations
from my recent trip to New York City that I
wanted to talk to you about. First of all, it's
so much more convenient not having to take off our

(00:27):
shoes at the airport. But why do I still have
to take off my belts?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Great question.

Speaker 4 (00:35):
It's what we've done and that's what we continue to do.
The answer, per the TSA is that the equipment that
we have at our disposal is not accurate for what
we need. If it remains on us, if it scanned,
that technology allows us to see with certainty if the

(00:56):
belt is anything else. Of course, many belts got the
hidden compartments, things of this nature, and as a result,
that's something that the TSA wants to keep an eye on,
which is why, at.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Least currently that's required.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
Once the technology advances to the point that we can
get past that, then it's going to be a completely
different scenario. But you know, eventually we will the plan
is to walk down a security hall where we are
screened along the way bags person and we are only
stopped at the end of that hallway if there's something

(01:30):
on us or within our bag that appears curious or
something that requires a closer look, because the thought process
is just to have us walk through this hallway and
keep on walking to the gate if that's the case.
So that's what we're trying to get to. And obviously
we have several steps along the way. But you know,
we all get excited about the increased technology with phones

(01:51):
and drones and all of the other things that we have,
and Ryan, it's continuing on the security side of things,
and that's why over the next few years we're going
to see some changes in how we fly and how
we're screened.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, the reason I had that question was because you know,
now we don't have to take off our shoes, and
I just would have thought that the shoes issue would
be a bigger one than the belt issue, if that
makes sense.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
So, oh, total total sense, Because here's the deal. The
older magnetometers, not so much to the neworans, but the
older ones there was a dead area at the bottom
end at the top and one of the concerns we
had back then was you could actually scuff your feet,
have something over your head that wouldn't be detected. And

(02:38):
now we've gotten away from most of that, but that
was one of the other things that did that. I mean,
you want attention, scuff your feet or have your hands
clenched when you go through the security checkpoint, they will
stop you in a heartbeat and have you do it
over because sometimes if you have something clenched in your hand,
it's not detected. And sometimes in our shoes that was
the case. So but yeah, most of that technology has

(03:00):
been upgraded, but right at the time it was put
in place, that was one of the concerns is that
there would be materials that were in that dead zone
wouldn't be detected and passengers were able to pass with
that through from to the steril or secured area.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
I'm joined by our aviation analyst, Jay Ratliffe. Again, Jay,
it's been a long time since I've flown. Another thing
that stood out to me is that once you get
through security. When I was eating at one of the
restaurants at Guardia, I had like real silverware that I

(03:35):
was using, including a real knife.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
Now you know, like a button, N imagine that. Yeah,
so that's okay.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
You know, we go through all this security and then
I'm in the restaurant and I'm like, all right, well,
now I got a knife in my hand that I
could just take with me on the plane.

Speaker 4 (03:53):
If I wanted to absolutely get some seal next to
the thing, I could kill you with that or a
bunch of other things.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
So yeah, it's it.

Speaker 4 (04:00):
It really goes to show that a we've made advances
and some of the things on board that we're able
to have and enjoy and those kinds of things. But
you're right, once you're inside security, those kinds of things
can be brought on board. And it's the big issue
I have with Federal Abase ministration is many times we
are guilty of managing the perception of security as opposed

(04:21):
to security itself. And while they do a lot of
things very very well, I get so frustrated with the symbolism,
the idea of managing that perception that seems to be
where all the effort is at. And that bothers me
because I'm.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Like, hey, let's make things safer.

Speaker 4 (04:38):
Let's just not make things seem to be safer and Sadly,
many times we drop the ball and things that we
should be doing correcting and spending more time with we're not.
We're spending time on the semantics of security and a
lot of times that just just annoys me to no end.
And yes, things have bothered me for the last twenty
five thirty years, and that if we're serious about security,

(04:59):
then we need to get serious about security.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
We're joined by our aviation analyst Jay Ratliff. I want
to talk about this Delta flight that got hit by fireworks.
This happened near Midway, and I was explaining yesterday morning
on the show that you haven't flown in or out
of Midway before. I flew in and out of it
many times. It's in a neighborhood, so you had people

(05:24):
in the neighborhood. They were shooting off fireworks and it
hits one of the Delta flights. And what struck me
about the pilots and air traffic control, especially the pilot
once again, so calm, just yeah, we have a little
issue here where firework apparently hit our plane. It's amazing

(05:46):
to me during these incidents, how calm the pilots are
and air traffic control.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Oh, they these men and women, you know, many of
a military train and others that have just flown for
a lot as far as the total number of flight hours.
They know what they're doing and they're never going to
say they've seen it all, because you always have something
else that happens. But this was Delta ten seventy six
final approach into midway on the fourth of July, when
the crew heard and felt a firework that apparently hit
their aircraft. Now it's one thing to hear the boom

(06:15):
below you and that startle you, quite another.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
To actually feel it.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
That's apparently what happened with the crew. They landed the
plane without incident, and the FAA they've always said, you know,
fireworks strike is exceedingly rare, and you know, sadly, the
authorities are gonna have a very difficult time locating those
that were responsible. But they weren't about two three hundred
feet I think two hundred fet at the time of
the of the incident. And yeah, when you hear the

(06:41):
air traffic control back and forth, it's just like a
you know, just kind of a calm, every day kind
of thing. But look, I've been exposed to that through
many years in the industry where crew would call back
with a mechanical problem where one of the engines shut down.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
They've got to come back. No big deal.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
It's like they forgot this, you know something, the grocery list,
and they're swimming back to the house to pick it
up before they go on their way. It's not a
big deal to them, and that's because they constantly are
rehearsing and practicing when things go.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Wrong, we're going to do this or that.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
If you and I were pilots before we took off,
we would say, okay, at this point in time rolling
down the runway, if we reach this point it's a
point and overturn, we've got to take off, and if
we've got to come back, this is how we're going
to do it. Imagine how good we would all be
as drivers that kind of thought process if we had
a simulator training throughout the year to make us even
better as we practice how to crash. All of those

(07:36):
things is what makes the you know, the pilots as
good as you are. And as the technology continues to improve,
you know, it only makes the process easier. Unless the
technology advances to such a degree that pilots become dependent
on it and start to lose some of the skills
associated with the piloting of the aircraft.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
All Right, our aviation analyst Jay Ratliffe with us this morning. Jay,
really appreciate the insight answering some of those questions, and
we'll talk to you again real soon.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
Looking forward to it.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
Usten Live to have a Ryan Gorman Show on iHeartRadio
every weekday morning on WIOD in Miami, w FLA and Tampa,
presented by Farah and Farah Accident Attorneys, Tampa,