Investigation into TSA non-dipping test strips
Jul 18, 2012, 5:25 am
#91
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
When I had $1500 worth of tools "surrendered" in OKC, among the options I was given was that I could put them in my car. I said I would take that one but my car was back in Nashville. They still would not let me have them back. I did not have time to take them back and check them as they had one line open for a lengthy early morning queue and I had lost much of my extra time standing in their line of incompetence. My son was traveling with me. They followed us to the gate and gave him a full pat down at the gate under a "random" selection. He was the only one of a plane full of people that was "randomly" selected. I almost selected a later flight option, but that would have required two tickets because of my son.
I am still frosted about this incident as they took stuff that had literally been through checkpoints 100's of times, had been handled and inspected by screeners, and had always been given a "go." Yet this one time they were too dangerous to take on a plane.
Because of this, I must check the replacements in my bag on every trip, along with other things that I can not be certain will survive the screening. It is a huge data point along my path to recognition of the stupidity of the TSA and their processes.
I am still frosted about this incident as they took stuff that had literally been through checkpoints 100's of times, had been handled and inspected by screeners, and had always been given a "go." Yet this one time they were too dangerous to take on a plane.
Because of this, I must check the replacements in my bag on every trip, along with other things that I can not be certain will survive the screening. It is a huge data point along my path to recognition of the stupidity of the TSA and their processes.
Jul 18, 2012, 8:19 am
#92
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: AUS, TX
Programs: AAdvantge; AmEx Plat; SPG; Hilton HHonors
Posts: 55
I forget who, upthread, is the H2O2 chemist (you?), but I'd suspect that to generate a reasonable concentration you'd need a closed contained with the strip in it, and the strip would need to be impregnated with the reagent, for the same stability reasons.
Are peroxide based contact lens solutions forbidden in any volume? I suspect it wouldn't be hard to get them through if desired anyway. Then all we need is a volunteer to sacrifice his or her soda by dumping the solution into a cup and asking a crew to test it.
1) See test strip crew
2) Dump soda, replace with contact lens solution.
3) Hang out around survey team looking suspicious
3a) Look like a kettle. Approach team saying "I feel so much safer here with you protecting me. Will you make sure my taco bell drink is safe too?
4) Watch chaos evolve.
Are peroxide based contact lens solutions forbidden in any volume? I suspect it wouldn't be hard to get them through if desired anyway. Then all we need is a volunteer to sacrifice his or her soda by dumping the solution into a cup and asking a crew to test it.
1) See test strip crew
2) Dump soda, replace with contact lens solution.
3) Hang out around survey team looking suspicious
3a) Look like a kettle. Approach team saying "I feel so much safer here with you protecting me. Will you make sure my taco bell drink is safe too?
4) Watch chaos evolve.
There's not a crew, persay - the same agents who searched my bags (1 agent, 1 trainee) performed the test. I removed the cap, they waved a strip over it and squeezed the bottle. Did 3 test strips in total (1 by the agent, 2 by the trainee).
Based on this experience, I do believe they are wholly forbidden, because they will set-off the strip. I jokingly said that if I really wanted to mess with a friend, I would just poke a small hole in a bottle of the stuff and drop it in a friend's luggage (which elicited a grin from the agent, and from the trainee "why not just use fertilizer", which definitely shut down the happy mood I had gotten the agent into.)
FWIW, though, this policy might be a new one. I have flown out of AUS more than 5 times in the past two months and always had the solution in my bag. I think it was only an issue this time because I took it out of my toiletry bag and set it in open view.
Have to say, though, love that plan. Especially if you can put it into a cup clearly bought there, that day. Perhaps a Starbucks with the timestamp and location codes printed on the side?
Jul 18, 2012, 9:03 am
#93
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
When I had $1500 worth of tools "surrendered" in OKC, among the options I was given was that I could put them in my car. I said I would take that one but my car was back in Nashville. They still would not let me have them back. I did not have time to take them back and check them as they had one line open for a lengthy early morning queue and I had lost much of my extra time standing in their line of incompetence. My son was traveling with me. They followed us to the gate and gave him a full pat down at the gate under a "random" selection. He was the only one of a plane full of people that was "randomly" selected. I almost selected a later flight option, but that would have required two tickets because of my son.
I am still frosted about this incident as they took stuff that had literally been through checkpoints 100's of times, had been handled and inspected by screeners, and had always been given a "go." Yet this one time they were too dangerous to take on a plane.
Because of this, I must check the replacements in my bag on every trip, along with other things that I can not be certain will survive the screening. It is a huge data point along my path to recognition of the stupidity of the TSA and their processes.
I am still frosted about this incident as they took stuff that had literally been through checkpoints 100's of times, had been handled and inspected by screeners, and had always been given a "go." Yet this one time they were too dangerous to take on a plane.
Because of this, I must check the replacements in my bag on every trip, along with other things that I can not be certain will survive the screening. It is a huge data point along my path to recognition of the stupidity of the TSA and their processes.
Jul 18, 2012, 9:13 am
#94
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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Jul 18, 2012, 3:44 pm
#95
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Salish Sea
Programs: DL,AC,HH,PC
Posts: 8,974
- I have no doubt a test strip sensitive enough to detect peroxide vapors could exist. What I know is that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (that is one specific kind of peroxide, with distinct chemical properties of its own) above an open flask of liquid hydrogen peroxide under 100 C (which could be held by a person) is not sufficient to be detected by a strip (you would need a special vaporizing equipment to elevate it to high enough concentrations). Vapors above cups are the experimental setup in which strips are currently being used in airports. Even this patent suggests that a closed environment would be needed to detect vapors, and does not specify which vapors would be detectable.
Easy enough to find out; get hold of some (commercially available - Steris and Chemdi are two brands), fill a water bottle with H²O² and wave away. Then try eye drops or a Starbucks' latte
.
Jul 18, 2012, 6:04 pm
#96
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
I had spares and I was headed home, so it was not a huge loss as I did not have to buy replacements. It was more the stupidity than anything.