Security Theater - laptops get their own ride through the scanner

Skip Miller

Skip Miller

Final Approach
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Skip Miller
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Most of the "security" is indeed theater, no matter what course your laptop takes to the airplane. The next bombers will bribe the TSA, or the airport employees, or someone else on the ramp with a low salary and questionable morals.
 
Shhh, it's a secret! Matter of national security!

A spokesman said the agency has its reasons for still requiring that traditional laptops go through X-ray machines in a separate bin. But he declined to share them, saying the agency didn’t want to betray any secrets.
Click to expand...
 
Even after I take my laptop of the case and run it through, I've got so many cables and other stuff (CF card reader, power adapter, zillions of cables, cellular mode, etc...) that about a third of the time they hand search the computer case anyhow.
 
The laptop is run seperately, because there are only 4 or 5 differant versions (on the monitor) of laptops when they are X-rayed. All the internal components are similar and a good X-ray person can spot the differances in their sleep. TSA is very slow to adapt to new threats. Someday they will come out with instructions for the other newer electronics.

Other then the improvements to the cockpit doors and better checked bag procedures, it's not any safer now then before 9-11.
 
Last night I airlined out to meet up with the family half way through spring break. I was going to fly myself out and back. But at the last minute decided to airline so that I could drive home with them. Normally, I go in uniform so I can use the crew line. But it was such a last minute decision that I was in comfortable clothes. When I got to security I threw on my ID and threw my crap onto the belt for the scanner and walked up to the old school detector and they actually just let me go through it. Then when my junk came out of X-ray i realized that I didn't even pull out my computer. No one said a word. I was feeling pretty good about that so karma bit me in the ass. my flight was delayed 2:10.
 
Somebody I know very well has gotten this gem

41PJiHfypAL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/SE-Function-C...6LI4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334016370&sr=8-2

in the wallet past county sheriff courtroom scanners a couple or three times.
 
Last edited:
From the comments:

"I can explain the questions posed in this article with a simple story. My girlfriend and I were sitting near a door slightly ajar to a room where the TSA personnel took their breaks. On the wall within the room we caught sight of the following sign:

To all TSA personnel: please check your appearance before exiting for work. Check the following:
1. Shirt buttoned
2. Shoes tied
3. Hair combed.
4. zipper zipped up?

That pretty much says it all regarding the TSA security department level of excellence."
 
At DCA they have now decided that holding a frequent flyer card from Delta makes your laptop a low enough a security risk that it can travel through the scanner in the comfy confines of a laptop bag.
 
weilke said:
At DCA they have now decided that holding a frequent flyer card from Delta makes your laptop a low enough a security risk that it can travel through the scanner in the comfy confines of a laptop bag.
Click to expand...

The TSA at DCA will also call you a doucheb.g if you opt out of the naked gov picture machine....

That made for an entertaining conversation with her supervisor.
 
jasc15 said:
From the comments:

"I can explain the questions posed in this article with a simple story. My girlfriend and I were sitting near a door slightly ajar to a room where the TSA personnel took their breaks. On the wall within the room we caught sight of the following sign:

To all TSA personnel: please check your appearance before exiting for work. Check the following:
1. Shirt buttoned
2. Shoes tied
3. Hair combed.
4. zipper zipped up?

That pretty much says it all regarding the TSA security department level of excellence."
Click to expand...

They left one off the list.

At BWI one day, I observed a TSA screener - still in blue gloves - use the urinal. I watched as he left the restroom without washing his hands and proceeded back to the checkpoint where - without changing those blue gloves - he resumed duty doing pat-downs (including running his fingers through passengers hair).

Remember that if they want to do a pat-down, and especially if you opt-out of the strip-search machine, you should demand that they change their gloves before the touch you or your stuff.
 
wsuffa said:
They left one off the list.

At BWI one day, I observed a TSA screener - still in blue gloves - use the urinal. I watched as he left the restroom without washing his hands and proceeded back to the checkpoint where - without changing those blue gloves - he resumed duty doing pat-downs (including running his fingers through passengers hair).

Remember that if they want to do a pat-down, and especially if you opt-out of the strip-search machine, you should demand that they change their gloves before the touch you or your stuff.
Click to expand...
Those gloves aren't there to protect you. No real need for cleanliness.
.
 
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