FAS1
Member
When it comes to passing through security points, it's the people and not the equipment who are really "defeated".
Soft facilities are full of holes. Disney World, for example, does a fairly thorough search of bags entering their parks, and makes use of metal detectors. The average person entering Disney World would think it's pretty good. However, anyone with any experience can look at what's being done and figure out how to slip through items with no problem. I've done it several times with my camera and have even figured out ways I could slip weapons through.
My advice for areas where no laws would be broken by the attempt is to understand the system in place and be smart enough to realize when you need to leave your pocket knife in the car for the duration of the venue or just not attend at all.
And remember...there are non-metallic options available. A simple walking staff/cane (even with metal on the ends) is one such option.
I had a recent experience at the IndyCar event at COTA last month. I left my gun locked in the car because it is a GFZ and I know that. Parking was a pretty good walking distance and when we got there they had metal detectors at the entrance. I thought to myself "I'm glad I left my gun in the car".
The metal detector went off when I went through and there were several people wanding those that set it off. An older lady got me. When it went off, immediately I remembered I had my Spyderco C07 clipped on at the SOB. It's a pretty large knife!
She asked" do you have anything metal on you as she wanded me down my sides. I said "keys and belt buckle" as I held the keys in my left hand. She wanded me again down my sides and the wand indicated again on my right side. I reached in my right pocket that I thought was empty and pulled out a COTA branded aluminum keychain canister that has earplugs in it. She said "there it is" and let me through.
I really wasn't trying to get through with a knife initially, but when I realized I had it, I was hoping to make it through and not have to go all the way back to the car to leave it since I was already past the metal detector and it would have taken me 30 minutes to go back. I really didn't expect to get through and I have never gone through that before. I have carried that knife everywhere for about 30 years now and just forgot in this instance. Certainly, she didn't do a good job and there was even another guy standing with her and nobody for him to wand. He could have had her do it differently and he did nothing.
It did little to instill my confidence that there were no weapons at the event, but I'll never do that again.