N830MH

Can't you guys believe this?

A 20-pound Lobster went through inline baggage screening at BOS terminal C. He did find a lobster from cooler, but they allowed it to go on the aircraft.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nic...cid=spartanntp

Did they notify the passenger? How it did happen? No arrested has been made.

txrus

Nothing illegal about bringing a lobster onto a plane, either checked or carry on. In fact, Legal Seafood, a Boston institution which has restaurants in every terminal (before & after security) @ BOS, packs them to go for pax who buy them there (granted, the ones bought in the airport are substantially smaller than this!).

The real issue, I think, is the screener pulling the lobster out of its cooler to take a picture & then post it all over the internet...this was a checked bag & just confirms what most of here on FT already knew about screeners & their sticky fingers. Makes you wonder what else they play with from checked baggage. You'll also notice the screener isn't wearing gloves so the next bag the screener pawed thru no doubt ended up smelling like uncooked lobster

chollie

+1000

If I did this at my company, I'd be in big trouble. Someone clearly has a cell phone on the job and is using it to take photos of pax personal belongings for their own amusement. It makes the organization look like a frat house without supervision.

Classy TSA, real classy.

Boggie Dog

We already know that management and supervision is lacking all across TSA. Just one more link in the evidence chain.

InkUnderNails

The camera was in another bag.

chollie

eta: I'm actually surprised he is allowed to take photos in secured areas of the airport off-limits to the public. I work in a secure area, and I am not allowed to bring any kind of camera on the premises. I was allowed to bring a camera in once, to take photos of an awards meeting when the company photographer was unavailable. I had to go to security with the camera, get a special permit, and return to security afterwards to have the camera vetted before I was allowed to leave the premises. (Obviously there were ways to get around this level of security, but part of this process is to make clear that if you screw up, you're not only facing immediate termination and loss of all benefits, including pension, you will be prosecuted.

petaluma1

Possession of a lobster that size could very well be illegal if the beast came from Massachusetts or Maine waters so I hope fish & game/wildlife get wind of this and investigate.

That aside, yes, it was totally wrong, but SOP, for TSA to photograph a traveler's personal property.

Speaking of which, two years ago Lisa Farbstein posted a photo of $75,000 a passenger was carrying in a bag. The DEA (?) confiscated the money under forfeiture laws but the passengers was not arrested. Does anybody know if he finally got his money back?

InkUnderNails

Louie?

Boggie Dog

A 20 lb lobster could be well over 100 years old. A real shame to take such a specimen.

Even worse for TSA to make a spectacle out of the creature.

chollie

I wonder if he groped the lobster's genitals before putting it back in the cooler.

Allan38103

A lobster in Boston? What's going to be the next fake outrage? Smuggling BBQ in Memphis? Cactus in Phoenix? Maybe pineapples in Hawaii??

Let's get back to insuring security on our airplanes, TSA.

N830MH

Right, nothing illegal to bringing a lobster, but they are allowed to go into the cargo hold. Nothing happened. Move along for next one.

MikeMpls

Two problems, first is passenger privacy, which txrus nails down. When I have taken behind-the-scenes tours, we are not permitted to observe actual baggage inspections. We are not allowed in the area until no bags are open for inspection, and we had to leave as soon as the x-ray operator flaggs one for inspection. The had no business making a public display of the contents of the passenger's checked luggage.

The second issue is the humane treatment and safety of the animal, notwithstanding that it might soon be on someone's dinner plate. It should have been left in the environment in which it was being safely transported. The dolphin, that was passed around & photographed on a beach until it died, comes to mind.

Section 107

Do you work in a secured area of an aviation enterprise?

If yes, then what you say is quite surprising to me.

In aviation, photography of the components/facilities for ensuring the security of the area are prohibited (such as photographs showing the types or placement of surveillance cameras, motion sensors, etc.). But there is no general prohibition of photography in the secured areas (such as in the terminals post-security, in the baggage handling areas, on runways or other areas of the SIDA).

Absolutely, they have no business making a public display of a passenger's belongings.

But the reason you were not permitted to observe the inspections was not to protect passenger privacy but rather to protect the methods / procedures / practices of the inspection.

chollie

Just to give you a clearer picture: I am not allowed to bring a camera or recording device onto company property. Very rare exceptions are granted. This occasion was an awards meeting in a meeting room (nothing distinguishing would be in the photos) and the images were posted on our secure site. My camera is a little P&S; I used a new SD card and surrendered it after I took the photos.

Our cars aren't searched when we go through the gate (although they could be), so obviously plenty of folks have their cellphones in their cars or even on them. As the company notes, there's no reason for a personal cellphone on company property. The company has always permitted modest use of company phones for personal or emergency calls and if someone is roaming around company property and potentially hard to reach, we still have pagers.