TSA Is getting Silly, Part 2

[eris]

New fun with the TSA...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tossing out cans of soda and discarding makeup and hair gel, passengers at U.S. airports on Thursday adjusted to new security measures prompted by news of a foiled plot to bomb flights to the United States.

The U.S. government raised the security alert on passenger planes to its highest level for the first time, invoking a red or "severe" threat level for commercial flights from Britain.

"My initial reaction was kind of uncertainty but I figure today was the safest time to fly," said Shannon Miller, a 29-year-old teacher from Boston who was waiting to fly home from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.


Many more police were on duty at JFK than usual, some carrying rifles or leading sniffer dogs.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department barred passengers from carrying liquids, including drinks, hair gels and lotions, on planes. A British police source said the plot was believed to involve a "liquid chemical" device.

[jur1st]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

I wonder how fruit roll-ups will be received today..

[mfreeck]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

I wonder how fruit roll-ups will be received today..

It was really coloured C4, rolled real thin.

[theprez98]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

All criticism of government authorities aside, I for one applaud the Brits for rooting out this network of terrorists before they were able to cause wanton destruction (assuming of course they are guilty, which is yet to be seen).

[Abby_Normal]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14286217/?GT1=8404

The Transportation Security Administration instituted the following
measures after a terror plot in Britain was thwarted:

Liquids are banned from carry-on luggage and cannot be taken through
security checkpoints.
That includes drinks, toothpaste, perfume, shampoo, hair gel, suntan
lotion and similar items.

Drinks purchased in the airport cannot be carried onto flights.

Medications will be allowed but must be presented for inspection at
security checkpoints.

Mothers can bring baby formula on board, but only after drinking it in
front of security officials first.

All shoes must be removed and placed on an X-ray belt for screening.

Passengers are also asked to arrive at least two hours early to allow
for additional screening.

Passengers traveling to the United Kingdom should contact their airline
for information about any extra security measures or precautions that
might be required. Laptop computers, mobile phones and iPods are among
items banned on British flights.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have also been hearing reports of the TSA banning car key fobs, any one have conformation on that? Many modern car keys have chips in the fob that you can't start the car without. You can copy the key, but without the chip it won't work. And the new vettes don't have keys at all. Just a electric fob.

This is insane.

[TheCotMan]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

I have also been hearing reports of the TSA banning car key fobs, any one have conformation on that? Many modern car keys have chips in the fob that you can't start the car without. You can copy the key, but without the chip it won't work. And the new vettes don't have keys at all. Just a electric fob.

This is insane.

I've got a buddy in London who stopped off on his way to Bulgaria, who is now trapped in London, last I head. (10 hours ago.)

What a mess.

Exceptions for medications may become the path.

Other paths?
Tennis or Athletic shoes marketed with "gell packs"
Crevice searches, as people not only stick drugs up their asses, but have been known to do the same with knives and other items restricted by laws, or swallow ballons filled with same.

Now airlines will have a monopoly of food/drink on board planes and will be allowed to charge whatever they wish.

[converge]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

That is freaking nuts, considering I flew back Monday with a backpack FILLED with cans of soda/energy drinks .. and they didn't give a rip about that bag at all.

[mfreeck]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

Now airlines will have a monopoly of food/drink on board planes and will be allowed to charge whatever they wish.

or you can bring an empty water bottle/camelbak, get through security and fill it up on the other side with whatever. i wonder if security would even notice a camelbak bladder if it was tucked away.

On the way to vegas i had my camelbak bladder in a special chamber of my pack stuffed full of frozen margarita with a ziplock baggie of frozen water in the middle of it. I tucked the hose inside the bag so it would be less obvious. No problem whatsoever.

But watchout for those fruit rollups!

[Abby_Normal]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

or you can bring an empty water bottle/camelbak, get through security and fill it up on the other side with whatevers

According to what I read, you can buy drinks in the airport, but you will not be allowed to bring them on the plane. You can't bring any liquids on the plane. No matter which side of security you get it on.

This is going to kill duty free shops.

[Z^2]

Re: TSA Is getting Silly, Part 2

No, this is just idiotic of them. You're supposed to get 3-4 liters of water a day (including from food) and they only give you about 2 cans worth of liquid per 5ish hours of flight. That is not enough, and they're going to be dealt a nice lawsuit soon if they keep up. Dehydration is not a fun thing - in response to this silly rule, they should give out free water bottles to everyone as they board the plane.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: TSA Is getting Silly, Part 2

we talked about this at our Toool-USA meeting tonight and many of us came to the decision that we're not going to fly anymore... at least not for a while. this is all horseshit. if the airlines and the TSA can't get their act together in such a way that protects people without turning their lives upside-down then we don't want anything to do with the industry.

some of us are trying to make it to our first ToorCon ever this fall... we're likely going to catch a train. you know, aside from the great increase in travel time, trains aren't humongously more expensive. they're actually about the same price if you just opt for standard seats (which can be hell on any journey more than 24 hours) and only a hundred more or so per person if you book those little compartments with chairs, beds, etc.

by the time next summer rolls around, however, some of us on the east coast will have obtained and retrofitted a bus to use as a caravan RV. the memory of pac-bell's rockin' metro rides will live on.

[mfreeck]

Re: TSA is just getting silly

According to what I read, you can buy drinks in the airport, but you will not be allowed to bring them on the plane. You can't bring any liquids on the plane. No matter which side of security you get it on.

This is going to kill duty free shops.

So they will be searching before being allowed to wait for your plane and before you get on the plane? They can't possibly catch all the water bottles and hidden camelbak/platypus bladders. Hell, I could (carefully) strap one to my body. and if i were nefarious, that's just what i'd do, then dress very nicely, because according to tsa, mostly only the scruffy or threatening build (aka large build) are suspicious. Sure, there's random searches too, but i don't think they are as likely to get you as profiling.

[renderman]

Re: TSA Is getting Silly, Part 2

Am I the only one who thinks that the TSA finally discovered basic chemistry?

[erehwon]

Re: TSA Is getting Silly, Part 2

At this rate its only a matter of time before airports start handing out a couple xanax's before getting on the plane, and the gates look like a Spencer Tunick photo shoot...

[dYn4mic]

Re: TSA Is getting Silly, Part 2

"Mothers can bring baby formula on board, but only after drinking it in
front of security officials first."

That may not be entirely accurate or widespread, on the TSA's website:
"Exception: Baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling; prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket; and insulin and essential other non-prescription medicines"
src: http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/threat-change.shtm

Among other things... this just seems rediculous. I'm not even going to go into the many ways this could obviously be subverted.

Purely for the fact there are so many ways to conseal weapons, bombs, explosives, etc on an aircraft... We all know this is a pointless battle. Airplanes are just one piece of the puzzle trying to secure an entire country (see: impossible, war on drugs, etc).

I do admit that given the recent threat, these measures are needed with some exceptions. But this shows how stupid the TSA really is... I was thinking on the flight home and talking (quietly) how easy it really is to bring something your not supposed to onboard a plane. When it comes to chemical explosives, its nearly impossible to defend against becides TONS of checking, scanning, probing, searching and screening. Even then it would still be easy. Just like that saying, "Your lock doesn't have to be any better than your neighbors" ..somewhat.. applys to this. As terrorists target flights because of their high usage, demand and ease of bringing down.. there is a myriad of other targets (although, many are not as high profile).
Its just still easy enough to bring things onboard a large aircraft with lots of people that go boom.

Checkout this concealed weapons PDF from the FBI 2003:
http://datacenter.ap.org/wdc/fbiweapons.pdf

As expected, bruce makes a post: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archive...rline_sec.html
(some good links from that post too)

I'm not looking forward to flying to San Diego for Toorcon, while I am close enough to drive in theory.. I would much rather fly. I wish i was hardcore enough to take deviants position because... the power is in the people.. but there's too many sheep to make a difference. (doesn't mean you join them though).