TSA contraption at DEN?
 

Came through DEN yesterday and saw some electronics/radar? I-don't-know-what contraption set up facing the center entrance to the main terminal from the east terminal. A lot of TSA and black t-shirted homeland security types were standing around looking very important. One even had 4 cell phones on his belt!

As the whole affair was very public (it's hard to look so important without doing it publicly) I asked one of the TSA what they were doing. He brushed me off with, "We're doing the protocol!" Now I'm pretty sure that the buffoon didn't even know what the word means in the context in which he used it, so I just moved on.

Anyone know what they were up to?

The protocol is a new dance, like the mashed potato.

Did he call himself?

Saw them this morning. Including some guy aiming something out the south window towards the incoming traffic.

A TSAer was also standing by, pulling random people aside in the general line doing it.

Noticed DEN TSA now has the police wanna-be uniforms now, too.

They're all suppose to have them by 9/11. FYI. (If you care ;))

Thought control. You asked a question and they obviously turned it on you because you accepted "protocol" for an answer. Get your tin hat here. :)

The machine is called a passive millimeter wave scanner that detects explosives or IEDs as a person walks by or stands in front of it. It was tested last year at train stations and will be used before/ during the DNC convention and also the RNC in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Thanks for the info.

I still don't understand why they had the thing set up so visibly, but then acted like it was some big secret when questioned about it. Heck, with all the homeland security folks standing around in their stupid t shirts with their thumbs stuck in their ears I thought it was some sort of publicity gathering.

Note to self: Read more carefully next time. This thread has nothing to do with preventing TSOs from reproducing...

Mike

It doesn't detect explosives or IEDs, per se. It is sorta like an X-ray system for finding "concealed objects under clothing." Check it out here. Of more interest may be the web link where I found this info....

Knowledge is power. I know something you don't. Nya nya nya nyaaa na.

Was the public notified that DHS would be using a new scanner to perform PERSONAL searches while walking in a public space, outside of the purview of the TSA and the defined search checkpoint?

That's not it. The device in question is handheld.

Well then we KNOW he was important! Did he have the matching bluetooth headset for the full "I am a self-important ........." effect?

The other important types standing around were the network.

"Can you hear me now?"