ACLU: A Tour of the TSA’s Testing Facility
Apr 2, 2014 | 8:51 am
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 729
ACLU: A Tour of the TSA’s Testing Facility
This article contains some observations that may be of interest to readers of this board.
...The x-ray machines used in the PreCheck checkpoints are different from those used in the non-PreCheck checkpoints. The TSA tester said he could not tell me what the differences were, other than that they were “optimized for different things,” or something to that effect....
...The Sikh representatives wanted to know why TSA agents always demand to search their turbans even when they are cleared by the body scanners (AKA Advanced Imaging Technology or “AIT” machines). Some of the Sikhs asked to go through the AITs, and we all saw that the machine gave them the “all clear” with no alarm or “anomaly” being indicated at their turbans. The basic answer was, as one of the testers explained, that “there are vulnerabilities on the AIT.”
...With an older model of the EDTs, she said, the agency realized that they were even alarming on the gloves that the TSA screeners wear on their hands, which were discovered to contain nitrates. The screener said that when the alarm rate rose this winter, it was also discovered that some commonly deployed varieties of road salt triggered the machine. Even if the swab is left out in the open too long, she said, it can generate a false alarm just from soaking up background nitrates from the air....
Apr 2, 2014 | 9:08 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
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That may explain the more invasive and thorough bag check I have gotten since pre-check, 6 passes through security, than I did before. I suspected my bags were getting extra scrutiny as I was getting less.
Apr 3, 2014 | 10:26 pm
#3
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Programs: A3, AA. Plasticy things! That give me, y'know, Stuff!
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This article contains some observations that may be of interest to readers of this board.
"Another innovation in the x-ray units: the ability to send screen captures from the monitor to another computer so that a supervisor can examine an image without holding up the line"
Fabulous. The TSA is "testing" tech that's been commercially available from the machine manufacturers for over fifteen years and in use in other countries for over ten years. Morons.
Apr 5, 2014 | 5:39 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,279
"Another innovation in the x-ray units: the ability to send screen captures from the monitor to another computer so that a supervisor can examine an image without holding up the line"
Fabulous. The TSA is "testing" tech that's been commercially available from the machine manufacturers for over fifteen years and in use in other countries for over ten years. Morons.
Apr 6, 2014 | 9:19 am
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 72,226
TSA is indeed the single biggest waste of government funds. The stupidity that comes out of their HQ is unmatched across the government, and that's no easy feat.