If Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi were alive and advising us I suspect he would advise a course of civil disobedience, where all professional pilots refused to remove from their person, normal tools of trade, such as
On one occasion recently, I refused to remove my shoes, these are the same shoes that I wear everyday and have not caused an airport security machine to go off previously.
On the day in question for some reason I beeped, as usual I had removed every metal object from my person. I explained that I go through these machines evryday wearing the same shoes and had not once in 6 months of wearing these shoes beeped.
"Could your machine possibly be wrong"?
"NO" was the gruff reply.
"Could it perhaps be wrongly calibrated"?
An even stearner "NO"
"now you will have to take off your shoes mr.......(looks at ID) Hughes.
"Well I will submit to a screening with the wand but I will not remove my shoes"!!
"YOU MUST REMOVE YOUR SHOES AND BE RESCREENED"!!
"NO" I reply.
At this point the shift supervisor intervenes and says "let him go" "It'll be OK".
Two days later, the boss calls me to explain that they have been approached by security, about one of our staff members who refused to submit to a security screening.
"That was me" I exclaimed, I then proceeded to explain my case, no action was taken by my company and nothing heard from security either. However for the next 3 weeks I got an evil look from the guard concerned. I have'nt seen him for months and have had no further problems.
I'll take your advice Capt Claret.
Cheers, HH.