Friday, November 16, 2007

More dodgy airport security

Also from Crypto-gram:

"A classified 2006 TSA report on airport security was leaked to USA Today. (Other papers covered the story, but their articles all seem to be derived from the original USA Today article.)

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20071018/...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/...
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/watercooler/...

Weirdest news: "At San Diego International Airport, tests are run by passengers whom local TSA managers ask to carry a fake bomb, said screener Cris Soulia, an official in a screeners union." Someone please tell me this doesn't actually happen. "Hi Mr. Passenger. I'm a TSA manager. You know I'm not lying to you because of this official-looking laminated badge I have. We need you to help us test airport security. Here's a 'fake' bomb that we'd like you to carry through security in your luggage. Another TSA manager will, um, meet you at your destination. Give the fake bomb to him when you land. And, by the way, what's your mother's maiden name?" How in the world is this a good idea? And how hard is it to dress real TSA managers up like vacationers?

TSA claims that this doesn't happen:
http://www.tsa.gov/approach/mythbusters/fake_bomb.shtm
Here's someone who said that it did, at Dulles Airport:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=737223"

Reality beats fiction every time.

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