Another Awesome Job, Blogdad Bob!
 

Checkout the video-clip attached to Blogdad Bob's 8/5/2011 Entry, Weird Science: Traveling With Homemade Gadgets .

Pay attention to "Dave from TSA’s Explosives Operation Division" as he explains that there are *four* items common to IEDs: (1) Power Source, such as a batter; (2) Initiator; and (3) Explosive Material.

The video has been linked to in the FT thread Omaha airport terminal evacuated , but I figure that the "accounting discrepancy" warrants its own thread...

Out of an Abundance of Ignorance (er, Caution) as usual....

What a maroon! Obviously, that's 3.4 items. ;)

TSA: just when you think stupid couldn't get any worse.

Well, he does work for TSA.

The 4th item is SSI.

You know if I was going to build a detonator I would package it in an old cell phone body that would pass right through an xray machine. Terrorist are not dumb enough to think they can get through with a ghetto rigged device.

Its actually clearly apparent the video was edited, most likely by someone on the blog staff, cutting off the beginning of the video, and the end.

But take cheap shots where you can get them. ^

The video states to "think about not packing these items together". I guess that means just packing the separate items in different bags or moving them through different checkpoints. This is one of the stupidest posts I've ever seen from BB. How exactly is this making anyone "safer" ?

Fair enough. But the post also contains the following, immediately before the video:
"I spoke with Dave today from TSA’s Explosives Operation Division about what types of thing can cause your bag to be checked. Watch the video to see what he had to say."

This pretty clearly implies that the video will contain material specifically intended and recorded primarily and initially for the audience of the blog post. However, the actual contents of the video are, as you mention, clearly edited from a different video, which likely had been recorded for a different purpose.

That, to me, is the frustrating part... it comes across as puerile and amateur. There's absolutely no reason to be misleading here. Just say that it comes from a training video, or other material, or something like that. By promulgating such an obvious lie, it undermines any attempt to gain credibility, in my opinion.

Just in case any terrorists were confused about the correct process, he's cleared it up for them :)

Yeah, because I have 4 carry-on bags when I travel. :rolleyes:

Good one jtodd. Because terrorists never travel in groups. Why, on 9/11 --- oops, never mind.

In a hypothetical world where common sense were used, it would make sense to take strange-looking items out of a carry on and put them in a bin. That way, TSA could use their low-tech eyes to look at the item without doing a bag check and prior to panicking and yelling "Bravo" and calling the BAO, bomb squad, swat team, or whoever else they call. In this common-sense world, upon seeing the item on an x-ray, the screener would ask a useful question like "what's in the bin?" and listen to the response before panicking.

However, that did not work for this custom battery pack:

http://www.tsa.gov/graphics/images/press/scot_peele.jpg

http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/scot_peele.shtm

Note that TSA claims they did not doctor the photo and that the item was actually sent through the x-ray by the passenger just like shown in the picture. So much for separating out unusual items to make them visible and avoid overreaction.

Of course, the item was confiscated "voluntarily" surrendered in spite of being confirmed as not a threat.

Amateur? Puerile? This is the TSA we're talking about right?

Here's my surprised look: :eek:

How about the "Three Simple Steps to Security" listed on the TSA's Travel Tips PDF, SATTSO? Is it clearly apparent that it was edited as well? The only thing apparent to me is that TSA can't count to three. :D

http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/311_brochure.pdf