Originally Posted by
XGSC
Got it! So the airport x ray operators are only looking for well known shapes? They wouldn't detect an unassembled gun for example.
Usually when looking for bombs, there's a timer, some wire, the ordnance, perhaps a power source, and a detonator. If someone wanted to bring the "alarm clock on top of a bundle of dynamite" type of bomb, the screener would probably see that, provided they weren't drooling over the pair of shoes in the bin next to it.
If someone instead component-ized said bomb, the chore is more difficult, so one focuses on the timer, the detonator, and the ordnance. Wire is prevalent in many electronics, so unless the bomb is wired, the wire is readily available. The same is true of power sources. Timers as well for that matter. If we used ETP/ETD to detect explosive ordnance and detonators (like blasting caps), then there would be little chance of failure. However, x-ray inspection really requires the bomber to be extremely sloppy, if the bomber puts the ordnance through the x-ray at all.
The same is true for guns. One has to look for gun parts as well as guns themselves. Looking for such items is a much more worthy endeavor than looking for liquids and shoes and at boarding passes and IDs - gun parts can't be taken through the WTMD like plastic explosives can.
Originally Posted by
XGSC
And could the density thing you were talking about, could they see something with the density of an explosive someplace where it wouldn't belong, like a SONY portable radio? Or a shoe? I mean couldn't the xray help you look for explosives?
If the bomber was incredibly stupid, sure. Otherwise, you can take explosives past the checkpoint at will.
Originally Posted by
XGSC
Kinda like the metal detector helps you look for guns, you look at any metal it finds, but you don't always find a gun.
The WTMD doesn't leave the door wide open to get guns past the checkpoint like the Shoe Carnival and Liquid Idiocy does for explosives.
Originally Posted by
XGSC
I'm somewhat out of date, but as of the 1999 edition of Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation, which I think can be found on line, I don't know of an actual attempt to bring a bomb through a checkpoint in the US.
Probably because the so-called threat is wildly overstated.
Originally Posted by
XGSC
My screeners were trained to look for things regardless of shape. I'm surprised the TSA training isn't similar or better. And we NEVER let liquids go through the Xray, too dangerous for the electrical machinery. Liquids are hard to screen. Over the years the've been banned in different ways at different times. When TSA first took over, you couldn't bring un-sealed liquids through the checkpoint. Then coffee cups, if you took a sip. That goes back to threats in the 70's where the hijackers brought gasoline etc in wine bottles. Of course those guys weren't suicide bombers. I wonder how long the lines would be if TSA did sometype of ETD or chemical screening on every liquid container over 3.4 ounces?
X
If the TSA used the puffer like they're supposed to, the threat of plastic explosives would be minimal. With no Shoe Carnival, Liquid Idiocy, BP/ID harassment, there would be plenty of resources to properly screen for explosives quickly and efficiently with ETP/ETD and even newer liquid scanning techology that will detect nitroglycerin and TATP, were someone foolhardy enough to walk around with such compounds.