basingstoke1

I just saw a breaking news bulletin that a Heathrow - DC flight was diverted to Boston because of a woman acting suspiciously. She was found to have a screwdriver, jar of vaseline, matches and Al Queda literature of some sort. So much for the intense screening. I hope it is not true.

basingstoke1

I just saw a fodors cross post that seems to say it was a hoax.

walkinaround

the following is also being reported this morning:

-man boarded plane at gatwick to "look for wallet". he was carrying a briefcase.

-12 year old boarded an internationaly bound plane without a ticket or passport. also at gatwick.

when i was at the airport on saturday night, i saw family waiting for arriving pax walk unchallenged through the doors into "security controlled" arrival hall to meet the pax as soon as they saw them through the doors.

what is going on???

GBbabe

I just read that a passenger did get upset and caused some problems, but that she did not have any banned items. This from ABC online and MSNBC.

There is a report on the London Times site that mentions the items, but that is not repeated by US sources.

Christina

This is reported in Boston news sources and elsewhere -- but mainly that she had some mental issues and freaked out from anxiety/claustrophobia. TSA did say she had some type of hand lotion, but not the other stuff, which I think is part of the problem. Other than voluntary compliance, how are they really screening for those lotions? They don't show up on those detector machines, do they? She will be charged with flight interference or something like that.

kswl

I could believe the story about the 12-year-old, and in my opinion the airports should bring in a few to test the security measures. In Rome my son left the boarding area to purchase bottled water. Once at the shop our flight was called. He saw the long line and abandoned his plan for water, circumvented every single security line (which he should have gone back through) by ducking under barriers, going around x-ray machines and completely bypassing the long security line. I watched him do this in amazement, fully expecting a guard to grab him or at least shout something at him. But NO ONE even noticed. As we got on the plane I asked him sotto voce what the heck he thought he was doing, and he replied unconcernedly that he didn't want me to lose our place in the boarding line if he was late!

Dukey

The only way to effectively screen for lotions would be to hand-search every bag and I suppose do some sort of pat down of each passenger.

I hope no terrorist figures out a way to use BODY HAIR to create an explosive...or fingernails!!!!