goalie

I know art when I see it, seahorses and Niagara Falls*

• 62 firearms were discovered this week in carry-on bags
• 6 inert grenades were discovered this week

• Abstract art was discovered at New York Kennedy (JFK)
• An oversized bottle of liquor was detected in a carry-on bag at Detroit (DTW) which contained 5 dead endangered seahorses inside the bottle
• A 3.5-inch knife was discovered in the upper body area of a pax at St. Louis (STL)
• A knife was discovered in a Springfield (SGF) traveler’s carry-on bag
• A motorcycle battery was "discovered" in a carry on bag at at Niagara Falls (IAG)
• Various knives and throwing stars were discovered at SAN, AUS, ORD, SFO, AUS, STL, LAS and CKB

http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/03/tsa-week...11th-17th.html

*Slooooowly I turn.....

gsoltso

I stated "can", not "always and forever do". LAX was an example that I used from my own experience. I am not necessarily advocating for "dedicated" translators, more of a grassroots approach, designating staff that already exist in more ways than one. We have 5 or 6 people at my airport that are identified within the workforce as translators for their native or secondary languages (both are applicable), and I even muddle along in German to a small extent (very, very small extent). I was leaning more towards having TSOs in each area of operations that can be called to resolve situations that balloon past the normal divesting advisements.

I am fairly certain that each of the airports you have seen "not having challenges with language barriers" have had challenges with language barriers, you just have not seen it. I have seen language barriers play a part in situations at Frankfurt (GER) -Panama City, Panama - Toronto, Canada and LGA,LAX, PHX, CLT, RDU, GSO and just about any commercial airport around the world.

goalie

Did I miss a sale on replica grenades this past week?

• 48 firearms were discovered this week in carry-on bags
• 7 inert/replica/novelty grenades were discovered this week

• Throwing stars were discovered in carry-on bags at DAL, JFK, BNA, and ANC.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/03/tsa-week...18th-24th.html

goalie

Just another week of guns 'n roses knives

• 63 irearms were discovered this week in carry-on bags
• An inert grenade n a carry-on bag at Columbia Metropolitan (CAE).
• A hairbrush dagger was discovered at the Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH).*
• A throwing star was discovered in a carved-out compartment in a wooden cellphone case at Ontario (ONT).
• Knives were discovered at PVD, ORD, SJC and LIT

http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/04/tsa-week...25th-31st.html

*it wasn't me as my alibi is that i'm folically depraved deprived

goalie

And the Secret Service wrestled the pack of gum to the ground....

• 57 firearms were discovered this week in carry-on bags
• After alarming advanced imaging technology, a Tampa (TPA) passenger informed the officer that he had this loaded .380 caliber firearm strapped on his left ankle.
• A small knife was detected inside of a pack of gum at Detroit (DTW).
• Various knives and a batarang were discovered ORD, LIT, OAK, DEN and PHX
• A revolver, ammunition and 4 knives were discovered in a carry-on bag at the Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) in Wyoming.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/04/tsa-week...l-1st-7th.html

goalie

No drugs were discovered this week-only guns knives and ammunition

• 58 irearms were discovered this week in carry-on bags
• A folding knuckle knife was discovered in a carry-on bag at ORD.
• Ammunition was discovered in a carry-on bag at CID

http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/04/tsa-week...-8th-14th.html

chollie

No drugs? No illicit contraband medical nitro pills artfully concealed in their double-bottled clearly-labelled prescription bottles?

If they missed them, it doesn't bode well for the next round of testing.

petaluma1

If you've looked at AskTSA in the last few minutes, you'll see a Tweet from someone who asked why TSA removed his seat and handlebars from his bike. If that wasn't a search for drugs, I don't know what else it would be.

sethb

Was that checked luggage? They have even less excuse then.

Exec_Plat

Looking down the head tube or the seat tube seems a reasonable security inspection.....

Not replacing the parts is a problem. And it was TSA as the person said they left a TSA notice.

petaluma1

Their super duper backscatter luggage x-ray can't tell a hollow tube is hollow? They have ETD for luggage which, if it is any good, should have detected any explosives without needing to take the bike apart.

Exec_Plat

Im not an expert in luggage imaging (more medical MRI and Ultrasound) but a seat post filling the downtube might look the same as an IED filling the downtube.

shoulda woulda coulda....

But not putting the pieces back is inexcusable, IMO.

gsoltso

Not necessarily true. There could have been an alarm requiring the area to be cleared. *If* that is the case, then the parts should have been returned to the original place as it was discovered.

Not necessarily, there could have been an alarm requiring the area to be cleared.

Agreed, in part. The parts should have been restored as they were found - no exceptions (unless a situation where they were unable to do so without damage).

The TSA Notice is simply a notification that TSA entered the bag to clear an alarm. It does not necessarily mean that damage/theft was done by TSA. It does give us an excellent starting point to investigate damage/theft, but it is not proof positive that TSA did anything other than open the bag to clear an alarm.

*Not saying TSA is or is not responsible for these parts being removed, simply saying that if they did, they should have returned the parts to their original position.

chollie

I'm not sure why anyone would believe for a second that a baggage handler would do this (open bike box, remove handlebars and seat, close box).

Boggie Dog

Because TSA is conducting illegal searches for non-WEI items.