Airport Security Stumped over MacBook

[Skeletor]

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/14047

The suspiciously thin, port-free laptop sends airport security into a tizzy, until cooler heads prevail. Maybe it's time for some tech briefings at the TSA, no?
On his blog, programmer Michael Nygard (by way of the Unofficial Apple Weblog) writes that during a recent trip through the airport, his solid-state MacBook Air stopped TSA agents—puzzled by its lack of rear-facing ports or a standard hard drive—in their tracks.

Nygard said the agents put him and his suspicious "device" in a holding cubicle as security staffers huddled nearby, looking at X-ray printouts of the sinister-looking Air and scratching their heads.

A younger TSA agent—who, apparently, was aware of Apple's newest laptop—tried explaining to the group that the Air uses solid-state memory in place of a traditional hard drive. The senior staffer, however, was still reluctant to let it go: "New products on the market? They haven't been TSA approved. Probably shouldn't be permitted," Nygard writes.

Finally, after booting up the Air and running a program, the agents let Nygard go, he said—but only after he'd missed his flight.

I've been hearing stories like these all too often, which leads to the question: how exactly are TSA agents being trained, anyway? How about, I dunno, some regular briefings on the latest gadgets that might be making their way through security checkpoints? And while TSA agents are wasting time fussing with laptops, undercover investigators with bomb parts in their bags have been sailing though security checkpoints.

Anyone else out there get stopped by airport security because of a "suspicious" gadget in their luggage? Feel free to vent right here.

[Sharessa]

I had a fear of flying before TSA was created. Now I have a solid reason for not flying.

[Steeveeo]

Airport Security = Oxymoron?

[Nightmare Doom]

Danarchy said:

Now I have a solid reason for not flying.

You know, I have weird feeling that all this fear mongering and police state style security they have over at the Airports is just another strategy to subjectively keep people (especially those who want to move out) confined in their home countries so there would be no escape when the right time comes. I may sound like a conspiracy theorist but it's something that's entirely possible...

[spank]

http://www.philonoist.net/2008/03/14/im-done-with-reddit/

[GreyGhost]

The TSA sounds like it's staffed by the usual assortment of imbeciles, luddites, control freaks and rulebook-following cyborgs who are attracted to "security" services like dung beetles to fresh manure.

[Mechadon]

Steeveeo said:

Airport Security = Oxymoron?

Apparently so.

[Patrick]

I got a knife through airport security at DIA. wooo.

[deathbringer]

The TSA sounds like it's staffed by the usual assortment of imbeciles, luddites, control freaks and rulebook-following cyborgs who couldnt get into the police due to incompetence, stupidity or excessive violence. Or all 3

Fix'd

[Quasar]

Airport security isn't about actually stopping terrorists. It's about making gullible people think something is being done while instilling fear in everyone and putting the common people "in their place" by proving that the citizenry will submit to any sort of indignant treatment as long as it is government mandated.

I never liked the idea of flying before. There's almost no way I'd ever do it now that you have to get by the Gestapo first.

[Bank]

Good thing jetpack air traffic isn't monitored.

[BJ Blazkowicz]

Bank said:

Good thing jetpack air traffic isn't monitored.

Someone's going to pay for making me find all these colored keycards.

[Stupid Bunny]

I travel by air regularly, and I've found the same thing anybody else who does similarly does: airport security services love to be inefficient. And I must point out, that along with their penchant for being overly thorough, there have been cases of TSA officers stealing stuff from bags while searching them. It's a pain, but I enjoy traveling too much to stop.

Anyway, I've only had one distinct case of security freaking out about something I was carrying. It was a little understandable. While in New Zealand I had bought a little capgun. I'm not sure how much a four-inch-long capgun resembles an actual pistol, but they went in and started searching thoroughly through my bag. Once they figured out that it was a fake, they let me through. And I even got to keep it. :)

[Technician]

Quasar pretty much summed it up.

[skadoomer]

last week my girlfriend was flying out of rochester when she was stopped by security and interrogated for about 45 minutes about the gun she has sumggled in her bag. Confused, she stated that there was no gun only to have security tear through her stuff (and i do mean tear) until they found this so called gun, which turned out to be her digital camera in its carrying case. Afterwards they yelled at her for not cleaning up the contents of her bag quick enough (nobody helped at all) and almost missed her flight. It really dosn't suprise me that airport security know dosn't anything about technology, given the story.

Still statistics show i'm more likely to die driving so i'll take flying anyday. At least you have time to say a prayer before the impact of the crash kills you. (unlike driving where the last thought before an accident are "oh shi...." *crash*)

[Joe]

skadoomer said:

Still statistics show i'm more likely to die driving so i'll take flying anyday. At least you have time to say a prayer before the impact of the crash kills you. (unlike driving where the last thought before an accident are "oh shi...." *crash*)

Unless you get shot by a terrorist's Canon.

LAL!

[Grimm]

Holy shit, for the first time I agree with ALL of you. This probably means the world will end in 10 minutes, but I'm glad I could share this moment with you all before it happened.

Quasar, me and you will have to swap stories about airport security inefficiency and flat out ineffectiveness

[Kid Airbag]

When in doubt, just don't bring your shit in a carry-on bag. Check it all through. Pretty much the only things I bring in my carry-on anymore are my iPod and a book to read. Of course, you do run the risk of your bags getting lost, but it's happened to me about a half-dozen times over the years and I've always gotten my bag forwarded to me within a day or two, which is a much smaller inconvenience than getting pulled aside because you're trying to carry something on that may or may not be kosher and missing your flight because of it. You can also put a change of clothes in your carry-on if you're especially worried about bags getting lost, just to be on the safe side.

[Ralphis]

Nightmare Doom said:

You know, I have weird feeling that all this fear mongering and police state style security they have over at the Airports is just another strategy to subjectively keep people (especially those who want to move out) confined in their home countries so there would be no escape when the right time comes. I may sound like a conspiracy theorist but it's something that's entirely possible...

I work at an airport and I can assure you that outside of a few people like Danarchy nobody gives a shit about said fear mongering

Also anyone who is running their mouth about how bad airport security is, especially you guys that are white as snow, have most likely not even BEEN in an airport within the past 10 years (post-911 in particular). Despite what you think about the "gestapo" conspiracy bull crap, there really is rarely a problem and people don't typically have "fear instilled" into them. Just letting you know.

[TheDarkArchon]

Nightmare Doom said:

I may sound like a conspiracy theorist

I wonder why that could be...

[Tipster]

Not to be an ass or anything but when I first read the story I felt bad for the guy. Then I thought about it and I realized that it was a MacBook. I hate Mac's.

But seriously, airport security may need to be a little more intelligent though in my opinion.

[Grazza]

Stop bumping long-dead threads. Read the FAQ, thx.