How To Get Liquid Explosives Aboard An Airplane
 

I had my laptop inspected by TSA the other day. The agent had me power it on, and when the Windows theme played, he waved me through.

"Aren't you going to look in the spare battery compartment?" I asked.

"Nah - as long as it boots up, you're okay."

Gosh. I wonder if there are any terrorists smarter than TSA policy-makers.

And I've only just finished explaining to Mrs F how much space there'd be in a laptop for explosives if you just put in enough kit to show and play the Windows startup, but dispensed with fans, hard discs etc.

"Nah" she said. "The security people will just randomly choose a file and make you open it".

She's never over-estimated MY intelligence though.

Why would you suggest someone look anywhere for something they probably wouldn't recognize even if they found it?

I would hope that if they found anything in a spare battery compartment that didn't look like a spare battery, questions would be asked.

It's called "erring on the side of caution."

"I'm not sure they would know a spare battery from a lot of other things."

My point precisely. Since they wouldn't know, banning laptops altogether is the only rational course.

Why do you think TSA know computers? And even know there are compartments?

The other day I went to a computer shop to buy a printer cartridge. I had to point out the proper cartridge to the salesperson who MUST know those things!!

"Why do you think TSA know computers? And even know there are compartments?"

I know they don't. That's why the rule needs to be changed from "must boot up" to "no laptops allowed." Our safety depends on it.

I wonder why they don't have dogs at all airports. Would it take that much longer to have a dog at the end of the x-ray conveyor belt, sniffing every piece of carry-on? I'm sure a dog can smell the difference between a spare battery and a liquid explosive. I know I would feel safer if dogs were used as back-up, perhaps to catch anything that the human eye missed.

BennyB, a dog can't work 24/7. Like a person, it burns out. And there are very few dogs to smell out explosives.

Robespierre, I agree, the rules are... let's be polite here... imperfect. Can we do anything to change them?

I know dogs are hard to come by, but it's been 5 years since the 9/11 attacks, couldn't the TSA have been training new dogs during this time?

They (dogs) are not a perfect solution, but really, how much better is it to have national guard troops with loaded M-16s? What exactly are the national guard troops supposed to be doing to keeps explosives off the planes? Dogs are just another option, one that I would support. They have been very useful in other aspects, such a detecting drugs.

Well, I guess we could do away with all inspections. Then after all of us get blown up, there would be no more griping and moaning.

I still think that the limitations of the TSA staff force some of the more stringent rules.

I still chuckle over one of my inspections after I rang the alarm bell.
I always touch that thing off because of my new hip - titanium and plastic.

Once I walked up to the gate and said to the attendant, "I am going to ring your bell." I stepped through and the alarm sounded. I went to the detention center for further inspection.

Somebody called out in a voice that pierced ears for 15 feet, "Male ASSIST."

Finally some guy came wandering over who looked for all the world like he did not know a femur from a radius bone. "Whassa trouble?" he asks. I replied, "I have a metal hip." He looks at me, and then says, "Yeah? Where 'bouts?"

I pointed to my right hip. I figured that any additional conversation would be wasted.

This is an interesting article about a ringing cellphone on a BA flight:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4791595.stm

Are dogs trained to alert to all of the dual-use components that can be combined to explode? I doubt it. I imagine they can recognize common explosives like nitrates. We're far from a solution.

Since people like to criticize the TSA employees, and they may be due...would you opt to pay $5,000 for a roundtrip coach airfare to Europe to provide funding for more qualified people. I would venture to say that virtually all of you would say no. So, you need to deal with the stupidity or get your own plane because the TSA is just there to make you think you're safe, they aren't really making you safer.

Buongiorno, if I don't talk about stupidity, I will explode. To obey all rules and not to react to things like scissors allowed on board, I have to let the steam out somehow. I do it on this website.

I see your way to deal with the situation is to criticize me, so be it! I will live.

Robespierre,

I use my laptop on virtually every flight but you are right. I would gladly give it up for security.

BTW, during Gulf War I we flew to Germany. There was heavy security at that time. The airline we used, one of the European carriers, required that all batteries be in checked lugage. I could bring my laptop and camcorder into the cabin but no batteries -- and the airline checked. Is this not simple and foolproof? Nobody is going to want to check their expensive and sensitive equipment.

Also back in those days, or earlier, BA at LHR had strict control over items going into the cabin. For duty free booze and such it was delivered to the gate by the duty free shop. You claimed your goods as you boarded.

Somebody on another Fodors thread reported that one of the arrested London would-be murderers was employed by security so this duty free delivery system is not a sure solution. I think that hiring secure people for the security department is another matter.

Faina - I'm not saying you can't criticize anyone...go right ahead. I'm merely pointing out that as a practical matter, very few if any of us would be willing to pay the price for real security. You could look at the TSA and realize how many potential presidential candidates there realy are out there.

Checking all batteries across the board would be a good first step - evidently the carrier was able to hire people who knew a burrow from a burro, so there may be hope for TSA to do the same.

Laptop addicts could even power their machines from the aircraft system.

No, no! Potential presidential candidates don't come from TSA! They come from hairdressers and taxicab drivers! :))

Here's one: I was going through security at Bradley Int'l Airport, Hartford, CT and TSA took my two Clinque lipsticks, one Tide-to-Go and one Blistex.

They did NOT take the four lithium AA batteries nor the CR-V3 batteries which were both in my handbag.

Go figure.