8/15/17 at MSP....more guns around and spot-checking cell phones
Aug 15, 2017, 8:31 am
#1
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8/15/17 at MSP....more guns around and spot-checking cell phones
First time I've ever seen shotgun carrying security in the tram area. In addition, TSA doing secondary screening of cell phones. What's up?
Aug 15, 2017, 8:35 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2012
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So far, I haven't seen the secondary cellphone screening, but I visit MSP and DCA tomorrow and will be on the lookout.
Aug 15, 2017, 8:40 am
#3
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I didn't notice anything during the last five days or so, but I used CLEAR and PreCheck.
What sort of secondary screening of cell phones was happening? With computers/notebooks, people are sometimes asked to turn them on, so for a cell phone, is the requirement to place a call? Or are they specifically swabbing the cell phone for explosives and not doing this to other items? [Could the theory be that people touch their phones more than their luggage, so the handling of explosives is more likely to be detected? Or is there some specific concern about phones being used to set off bombs in checked luggage or air cargo?]
What sort of secondary screening of cell phones was happening? With computers/notebooks, people are sometimes asked to turn them on, so for a cell phone, is the requirement to place a call? Or are they specifically swabbing the cell phone for explosives and not doing this to other items? [Could the theory be that people touch their phones more than their luggage, so the handling of explosives is more likely to be detected? Or is there some specific concern about phones being used to set off bombs in checked luggage or air cargo?]
Aug 15, 2017, 8:45 am
#4
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Aug 15, 2017, 8:54 am
#5
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Must be related to the previous intel about potential use of portable devices as bombs... maybe a recent uptick in activity among terrorist groups so the added security and screening.
Aug 15, 2017, 10:54 am
#6
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If TSA suspects a phone is set up as a remote bomb trigger, then forcing a person to make a call on that phone at the checkpoint is about the dumbist thing I have ever heard of. "An unsafe action" does not even begin to describe it.
Aug 15, 2017, 11:12 am
#7
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I didn't notice anything during the last five days or so, but I used CLEAR and PreCheck.
What sort of secondary screening of cell phones was happening? With computers/notebooks, people are sometimes asked to turn them on, so for a cell phone, is the requirement to place a call? Or are they specifically swabbing the cell phone for explosives and not doing this to other items? [Could the theory be that people touch their phones more than their luggage, so the handling of explosives is more likely to be detected? Or is there some specific concern about phones being used to set off bombs in checked luggage or air cargo?]
What sort of secondary screening of cell phones was happening? With computers/notebooks, people are sometimes asked to turn them on, so for a cell phone, is the requirement to place a call? Or are they specifically swabbing the cell phone for explosives and not doing this to other items? [Could the theory be that people touch their phones more than their luggage, so the handling of explosives is more likely to be detected? Or is there some specific concern about phones being used to set off bombs in checked luggage or air cargo?]
Aug 15, 2017, 11:22 am
#8
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 564
I was randomly selected (out of the PreCheck line) a few weeks ago at LAX for a cell phone swabbing.
The TSA agent asked only if I had a cell phone in my bag. That's all he was interested in and all that he swabbed. He did not swab my iPad.
It appeared to be directed solely at detecting explosive residue on the phone. There was no inspection of the phone nor any request to turn it on, make calls, etc.
The TSA agent asked only if I had a cell phone in my bag. That's all he was interested in and all that he swabbed. He did not swab my iPad.
It appeared to be directed solely at detecting explosive residue on the phone. There was no inspection of the phone nor any request to turn it on, make calls, etc.
Aug 15, 2017, 3:04 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: MSP
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Last Thursday at 6am in MSP. North Security. I usually use Precheck or Clear. From those we merged with the regular line. Then we were all routed past the dog on the far north end. Upon passing the dog we broke up into the separate lines again.
had not seen that before...
had not seen that before...
Aug 15, 2017, 3:16 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Last Thursday at 6am in MSP. North Security. I usually use Precheck or Clear. From those we merged with the regular line. Then we were all routed past the dog on the far north end. Upon passing the dog we broke up into the separate lines again.
had not seen that before...
had not seen that before...
Aug 15, 2017, 5:01 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2015
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Nice that all these other airports get decent security, but the DCA checkpoints usually have at most a few regular police officers.
Maybe they just have really good concealed security, but I've always wondered about DCA.
Maybe they just have really good concealed security, but I've always wondered about DCA.
Last edited by KDCAflyer; Aug 15, 2017 at 5:07 pm
Aug 15, 2017, 5:09 pm
#13
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More security theater from the worst actors on the planet. Last week I got a random beep walking through the metal detector and the guy said I was randomly chosen to go through the nudoscope. I told him they can give me the full body massage. They didn't seem too happy about that. It's a shame that even with precheck I have to allocate extra time to deal with these morons.
Aug 15, 2017, 5:19 pm
#14
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Let's not forget that since TSA security at MSP was reconfigured more than a year and a half ago, the lines have been huge. Just having so many people trapped in line waiting for TSA airport security procedures is itself a risk.
Aug 15, 2017, 6:02 pm
#15
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Definitely worth keeping mind. Also I never understood, couldn't the checkpoint be one elaborate target. I mean after all it's a group of slow moving people crammed into a small corridor.