America's "theatrical" airport security

[Diligence109]

My roommate posted this article on his facebook:
The Things He Carried - Magazine - The Atlantic


if you don't want to read the whole article, which I recommend because it's pretty well written and pretty interesting (especially to an American, at least,) these couple snippets should give you the idea of what's in there:

The Things He Carried
Airport security in America is a sham—“security theater” designed to make travelers feel better and catch stupid terrorists. Smart ones can get through security with fake boarding passes and all manner of prohibited items—as our correspondent did with ease.

...I’ve also carried, at various times: pocketknives, matches from hotels in Beirut and Peshawar, dust masks, lengths of rope, cigarette lighters, nail clippers, eight-ounce tubes of toothpaste (in my front pocket), bottles of Fiji Water (which is foreign), and, of course, box cutters...

We took our shoes off and placed our laptops in bins. Schneier took from his bag a 12-ounce container labeled “saline solution.”

“It’s allowed,” he said. Medical supplies, such as saline solution for contact-lens cleaning, don’t fall under the TSA’s three-ounce rule.

“What’s allowed?” I asked. “Saline solution, or bottles labeled saline solution?”

“Bottles labeled saline solution. They won’t check what’s in it, trust me.”

They did not check. As we gathered our belongings, Schnei er held up the bottle and said to the nearest security officer, “This is okay, right?” “Yep,” the officer said. “Just have to put it in the tray.”

“Maybe if you lit it on fire, he’d pay attention,” I said, risking arrest for making a joke at airport security. (Later, Schnei er would carry two bottles labeled saline solution—24 ounces in total—through security. An officer asked him why he needed two bottles. “Two eyes,” he said. He was allowed to keep the bottles.)

the reality of what our (American's) tax dollars are enforcing in terms of "security" on a venue that will likely not be the next target of terrorism makes me cry @_@

Lemons, can I come live with you in Canada?

[HamadaLFC8]

LOL Fail :P

[Jokersvirus]

Actually, Airport security has done better in the past years but it is true smart terrorists can get anything by, and they have after 911, but none of the devices have gone off or were detected before anything could happen.

Some major overhauls are needed.


and that article is too long to keep my attention for more than 5 seconds...

best solution... get a computer system that can analysis any material or liquid form and compare it. means you would have to hire a chemist to check the results but hey it would work.

[W1CKEDTW1STED]

I read this online a few days ago. Needless to say, I was appalled. The fact I just flew to Chicago from Boston last week.

The fact is any other given day, it wouldn't bother me that much, but now I am married with my first on the way, god forbid if anything ever happen to me you know.

This article really pissed me off. To the point I almost wish to question our home-land security. I hope this article really makes the public wake up and our government smell the roses.

[Jokersvirus]

Ehh, DHS is still new, it will take time for it to all work properly, that is the main thing that needs to be understood. Im not going to sit here and say they arent to blame, no they are. Article says workers didnt check some bottle with a label on it, thats lazy.

But for the most part, I think DHS is working out well. Alot of programs and systems in place to help out incase of different situations, got people who plan for the worse and help different agenices enact these plans.

I know it looks bad when stuff happens, fruit of the boom, Fedex, etc etc, but like I said I blame that on lazy workers.

[vepanator]

OMG. I can't stop myself.
Please forgive me.




BUT back to topic, or atleast very close to it, I just can't help myself while the security check, if the machine that you walk under goes *BEEB* and the guy/gal wants to check you closer, and it happens to ME, I just can't stop laughing I don't know why and I rly dont like it but as soon as they ask me to step closer i start giggling.

But if we want to start about killing the pilot and taking over the plane, you don't have to be MacGyver or Chuck Norris to do it. IM NOT SAYING that I could do it, but you dont need to be a superman either.

[jango]

hehe nice

Just as a matter of curiosity, is the title "The Things He Carried" a twist on Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"?

[Jokersvirus]

That is funny, +rep vep

I want that wallpaper XD
500 gfp if someone can find it for me

[vepanator]

That is funny, +rep vep

I want that wallpaper XD
500 gfp if someone can find it for me

http://www.nostate.com/wordpress/wp-...vitysearch.jpg