Originally Posted by
Boggie Dog
The point remains that TSA considers these LGA a large enough threat to not permit them through the checkpoint.
Yet TSA casually tosses these same LGA's into common trash at the checkpoint without any concern they may actually be dangerous.
The two actions do not add up.
Unfortunately, they do add up. To 100%. Here's how:
Originally Posted by
SATTSO
They consider LGAs a potenial threat, not a threat, and recognizes hat it would take too long to screen all LGAs.
Deep down, the screeners know that there is a 99.999999999% chance that
Spiff's water bottle contains water. And a 0.000000001% chance that it contains the mythical stable-enough-to-carry-but-volatile-enough-to-destroy-a-plane-undetectable-by-ETD explosive that TSA told them about. (Or, as SATTSO puts it, "a potenial (sic) threat".)
In the first instant that they see the water in Spiff's bag, they're focused on the 0.000000001% chance that it's the bogeyman explosive. But as soon as they have possession of it, their minds shift to the 99.999999999% chance that it's just water, and they throw it in the trash. (Or "it would take too long to screen" in SATTSO's words.)
The article in the OP suggests that
some screeners in
some airports on
some days are able to see the 99.999999999% option when they first spot
some bottles, and take the statistically sensible (in)action of letting them pass. Spiff's experience indicates that some are not capable of this. It is also clear that no one in TSA is capable of seeing the 0.000000001% option after the bottle is in their hand, and disposing of it as if it really is the mythical liquid explosive.
(I'm also guessing a lot of screeners play the lottery. And lose.
)