As long as current levels of security theatre remain in force, I'm not flying if I can possibly help it, and travelling by train instead.

It doesn't help that the powers that be seem to be hell-bent on making train travel as much like flying as possible - see the hideously claustrophobic interior of Virgin Trains' Pendolinos as an example.

How few people now ever experience silence, at least as it once existed in nature where the Oregon heard "no sound save its own dashing;" and now is found only with extreme difficulty.

Now there seems to be this hunger for continuous sounds, however fragmented, sourced by iPods, Zunes, elevators, public ways and even "on hold."

Much as I hate the security crap, I still find the getting there makes it worth it.

I am in complete agreement with Tim in being baffled by the need of people running railways to make train travel more like air travel and then promote it like it is a good thing. Very odd.

I have just (last night) flown from Gatwick to Nice. Passing through Gatwick's security I suddenly realised that I had failed to take my Swiss Army "Jelly" out of my pocket and place it in the hold baggage. Instantly the security detail turned from helpful, yet slightly suspicious, bored bureaucrats into full-blown Al Queda terrorist scum alert. The 'knife' was instantly confiscated and I was given a stern warning about carrying 1/2 inch sharp blades onto any flight. A few minutes later a rather sheepish airport security officer caught up with me and informed me that after some discussion they had decided that I should be permitted to keep the knife set, but that they had to remove the blade "for safety reasons".

What I find amusing is that they removed the sharp little 1/2 inch blade, yet left the even more sharp 2 inch scissor blade and the 2 inch sharpened nail file. Easyjet pilots may breath a sigh of relief ... the Julian Taylor Red Swiss Army Knife Faction has been effectively disabled.

How to make flying enjoyable?

Don't use public transport.

No one expects busses to be more enjoyable than BMWs. Why expect anything different in the air?

Julian: There used to be a postbox at Gatwick that had a letter slot wide enough that you could fit a Swiss Army Knife in an envelope into the box. I twice managed to prevent myself from having a knife confiscated (after I forgot to leave it at home) by buying an envelope in WH Smith and posting the knife to myself. Alas, the postbox no longer has a wide slot. That too was a security risk, apparently.

Ear Mufflers? Noise Canceling Headphones. I've even gone to the extreme of buying a new set if I leave one at home, so terrified of the prospect of a flight having to actually hear what's happening in the cabin am I.

+1 for noise cancelling headphones. I have a pair of Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones which are pretty good. They aren't any good for cutting out the sound of a crying baby - that is what music is for. What they are great at is cutting out consistent noise, especially bass - such as the drone of jet engines. I promise that constant low-level buzz causes you more irritation than you realise when flying.

I carry a Swiss Army knife when I travel and keep it in my suitcase which I always check. However one trip the group I was in was to travel by charter between Managua(Nicaragua) and San Jose(Costa Rica). On a charter you carry your own bags and the bags were scanned. With a flourish the guard says "Open the case", he then pulls out the knife", in Spanish of course. I thought that's the end of the knife, but the pilot came by and the guard suggested the pilot take it and give it back when we landed in San Jose. I still have that knife, 6 years later.

Not just noise canceling ear muff, but the actuall headphones for listening to music. Turn them on and they cancel most everything with a barely-audible white noise. Bliss on a long flight with children around.

My wife and I have been flying with Bose QC2's for the past four years, motivated initially by a very garralous foursome seated behind us in Steerage on an overnight transatlantic flight. Voice does come through -- there is a processing notch to insure that -- but the incessant engine noise and general hubbub are things of the past. Also, they work great with our MP3's.

My wife and I have been flying with Bose QC2's for the past four years, motivated initially by a very garralous foursome seated behind us in Steerage on an overnight transatlantic flight. Voice does come through -- there is a processing notch to insure that -- but the incessant engine noise and general hubbub are things of the past. Also, they work great with our MP3's.

My wife and I have been flying with Bose QC2's for the past four years, motivated initially by a very garralous foursome seated behind us in Steerage on an overnight transatlantic flight. Voice does come through -- there is a processing notch to insure that -- but the incessant engine noise and general hubbub are things of the past. Also, they work great with our MP3's.