Boggie Dog

It's clear that new polices are in place for screening paper items, food items, and small electronics. But why in the world would TSA deny these changes when asked?

I am much more likely to cooperate when told up front what needs to be done and a bit of the why surely doesn't hurt anything. That just doesn't happen with TSA, even when asked directly (TSA Blog), which in the end alienates the public and makes TSA look incompetent although the later is probably actually the case.

GUWonder

You know the "I don't want to broadcast to the enemy exactly what my plan is" line? Those words came from the very top, the ultimate governmental boss of the TSA.

Boggie Dog

Knowing the broad scope of plans would in no way compromise the security process. Once one of these odd ball procedures is announced its all over various internet sites such as twitter and here.

TSA is their own worse enemy.

KRSW

Un.....believable. DHS'/TSA's war against the business traveler continues.

I've said it before, but... any competent engineering-type can figure out how to take out an aircraft with items commonly taken or found on an airplane. You don't even need to bring explosives on-board.

Putting laptops/batteries in the cargo hold is insane. At least in the cabin people can see what they're doing, especially with unstable chemistries like the LiPo cells.

chollie

Just out of curiosity...I wonder if the TSA 'academy' training includes letting trainee (and re-trainee) screeners actually handle plastic explosive disguised as a sheet of printed matter.

You know, because there are many different types of paper. Presumably if a TSO is flipping through printed matter of mine, carefully creasing each page and trying to decide if the printed matter is calligraphy or (gasp!) Arabic, s/he has the specialized training that enables him/her to detect a sheet of plastic explosive disguised as ordinary printed matter.

I think the new 'paper' and 'snack' and 'crotch' initiatives are all part of a public information (fear) campaign. TSA needs (wants) one big 'catch' (fake is OK) in any one of these categories. Then, just in time, Neffy or Pistole or one of their cronies will announce an expensive new machine designed specifically to detect threats lurking in post-it notes, paperback books, granola bars, and genitals.

petaluma1

I'd posited that perhaps one reason for these new procedures was an effort to increase PreCheck enrollment.

However, yesterday I read that travelers in Pre lines were also being told to take everything out.

chollie

It's very curious When breast milk gets confiscated, the excuse is that the amount is too large to fit in a Kippie bag.

I have yet to hear what the reason is for confiscating granola bars. I can think of only two categories of reasons: failed the swab test (potentially dangerous substance) and weapon (xray looks like the granola bar conceals a gun). Neither makes a bit of sense.

holland

Yep. Food started ~2 weeks ago at MCI. Paper started this week... security was a mess with everyone leaving Monday after Comic-Con! Another frequent traveler told me one of the TSA guys told him next week it would be "everything" out of the bags... not just food & paper. "Expedited" doesn't mean much these days beyond keeping your shoes on.

Boggie Dog

That's interesting. TSA hasn't been positioning bins in the Pre Check lanes. Seems that will have to change requiring more bin transfers. More busy work if true.

What I'm thinking is that the OIG was reportedly in the process of testing TSA (again) and I would be willing to bet that TSA again failed miserably and we can see where the OIG inspectors were able to sneak more weapons through TSA's wonderful security theater. Or, some info leaked on how the OIG was going to test TSA and this is what the public gets, more abuse by the hands of TSA.

chollie

Has anyone seen how Pre works at an airport with the new checkpoint installations?

Supposedly they save time because multiple pax can be loading bags on the belt at the same time and bag searches won't back up the entire line.

Perhaps the assumption is that the time savings will be offset by having pax do more and more unpacking: one bin for LGAs, one bin for paper, one bin for 'foodstuffs', one bin for electronics, etc.

I saw an entire lane get shut down (mechanical) in PHX a few months ago. Pax was told to take off his flannel shirt. No bins in Pre (and no exceptions), so he put it on the belt and got in line for the WTMD. As I was grabbing my things off the belt, I tried to get the xray operator's attention, because I could see the shirt had gotten hung up on the rollers past the xray. The xray tech ignored me after barking at me to keep my hands out of the post-xray 'tunnel' (which I knew enough not to do anyway).

By the time I got my things together, the belt was jammed, the line was backing up, the shirt was badly jammed and the guy who owned the shirt was standing there shirtless.

sunshinekid

Two things

1. TSA is reactionary, so I would tend to support your assesment about war on Food & Paper.

2. In my experience it appears Airport screeners do not want to do things like pat downs, bag checks, deal with animals that alarm. The lack of interest is taken out on the traveler via the yelling and barking by the screener demanding that tic tacs and pocket lint removed from pockets

holland

Yes, EWR terminal C. I'd take pictures, but would probably be tackled.

Basically there are 4 "stations" in front of the belt, with rollers. The bins are automatically ejected down below; when you take one out another is shoved forward to replace it. So you reach down to about chin high, pick a bin up, put it on the rollers waist high, and throw your bag in the bin. Then you push the bin away from you (straight toward the TSA guy, not "down the conveyer" like you'd think.... as it rolls onto that rearward conveyer, the automation takes over and it heads toward the Xray. If they see something they want to inspect further, they "flag" it - every bin has an RFID tag, so when it comes out, a little arm pushes the flagged bins to a third "holding area" conveyor, and everything else rolls out as usual.

The TSA then grabs the flagged bins, takes them to a station at the foot of the conveyor, and scans the barcode on the side of the bin, which matches up with the RFID tag and brings up the xrays of your bag on a big screen for them to target the granola bars and go a-hunting...

What people don't realize is that there are 4 positions at the conveyor in front of the xray, and they're so used to being herded into a line, that usually the first 1-3 positions open up and everyone stands there and waits for the guy in #4 to finish up, then 4 people walk up and fill the 4 positions. I always just walk around whoever is there to any free position (sometimes TSA tells people to do this, but more often than not they stand there indifferently)....

FliesWay2Much

Guess I should start carrying a copy of the Koran. Actually, a copy of the Greek New testament or the Hebrew Old testament would do the trick.

gwade

I know I am asking the obvious here, but if you take everything out of a bag, what the hell is the point of an X-Ray? Are they just trying to move to a 100% visual approach? Jesus, at some point I really hope the airline industry suffers a major downturn...major layoff inducing downturn, maybe put a few carriers out of business...on lack of travel so someone decides to do something about it.

Then again, there is probably a less than 1% chance that ever happens...

Boggie Dog

I don't think it's a matter of being reactionary. I think it is more a matter of utter incompetence from the top person down to the new screener hired today. I don't think TSA has any concept of security or how to carry out security screening.