Darkumbra

http://eyetap.blogspot.ca/2012/07/ph...nalds-for.html

Caradoc

What's to wonder? They'll blame the passenger for anything untoward that ensues.

chollie

He says the glasses are attached to his skull - and they retained images.

Bad luck for an agency that doesn't like unedited, uncontrolled (by itself) camera footage....

T.J. Bender

"...camera footage of the incident is unavailable, and there are certain inconsistencies between what the passenger's video claims occurred and what our investigation found. The TSOs involved acted professionally and appropriately for the situation."

UshuaiaHammerfest

How are eyeglasses treated nowadays?

I would suspect Google Glass will be treated just like any other glasses or wearable devices -- the user has to remove it and put it through the xray with the rest of their belongings, unless it's a medical device, which wouldn't be removed.

Isn't that how other devices that are worn (watches, etc) are treated nowadays?

chollie

Well, an ostomy bag has been ruptured, a pax was forced to remove a required back brace, folks have been asked/forced to disconnect insulin pumps....

And I think TSA's going to have a problem with any recording device that they can't 'turn off' or confiscate...

Caradoc

We've been told repeatedly by various TSA personnel that the TSA will not require the removal of jewelry in order to pass through a checkpoint.

Obviously, that's a matter of semantics, considering how many times we've heard "the alarm must be resolved or you will not fly today..."

UshuaiaHammerfest

As true as that all is, they're combinations of a) poor training on the part of the TSOs involved, and b) the pax not saying "no."

I have a friend who has a pacemaker. TSOs will often try to make him go through the WTMD, often by threatening him with not flying. He simply says "You make me go through there, I will die. It's that simple. Now you want to do this the right way?"

If I had a specialized medical device and knew that the rules say I don't have to remove it, I'd insist.

(And no, I'm not in any way excusing TSAs for lack of training. It's pathetic how badly trained many of them are. On the other hand, cops are often poorly trained, too, and many take try to step on rights that we have. What's more likely to happen: an individual knows which of their rights to stand up for, or law enforcement gets disbanded entirely?)

Entirely speculation, at this point. Given that the individual in the story is the first individual I've heard of with a surgically attached Borg implant, I don't see this as being a situation we'll encounter often. Google Glass can be removed.

Caradoc

Redundant. Unless, of course, you can point to any extant examples of "good training" provided to TSA clerks.

So far, we've seen TSA clerks rupture ostomy bags, cajole/harass diabetics into going through WBI wearing insulin pumps, force elderly travelers to remove incontinence undergarments, et cetera, ad absurdum, all while stealing various items from their baggage (or carefully looking away while their cow-orkers do the stealing.)

I see the whole notion of "augmented reality" or "medical assistive devices" becoming a serious problem given the nature of the typical TSA interaction with a passenger who presents other than "expected" at the checkpoint.

Especially given how many TSA clerks like to call real medical doctors "stupid."

Boggie Dog

Aren't glasses a medical device and should never have to be removed?

Darkumbra

Perhaps - doesn't stop them from insisting I take them off when they take a retinal scan. Which happens more often these days

DanishFlyer

The TSA does retinal scans? Where does that happen?

I have had CBP ask me to remove my glasses for the entry-photo. But never the TSA.

I can only imagine what would happen if I had to send my glasses through the bag x-ray: unable to see hand-signs by TSA
(including pointing), unable to keep an eye on my property, unable to reply to "who's is this bag?" etc. Really would not work.

At least for CBP I am just standing there at the desk with a camera in my face.

DanishFlyer

Darkumbra

Not TSA - various CBP around the world. Heathrow for one. YYZ for another if i remember correctly.

RichardKenner

My understanding for iris (not retina!) scans based on the NEXUS descriptions is that you should remove eyeglasses when taking the scan that will be recorded in the system, but that you usually do not have to remove them for a successful recognition scan.

UshuaiaHammerfest

I can, but I suspect it would fall on deaf ears.

Honestly, I'd have liked to hear a few TSOs talk about how they intend to handle this issue or if they have received guidance on it -- that would be pretty useful for me given what I do for a living. But it seems they've all been driven away from the constant "Who cares about rational discussion? Let's just bash the TSA."