TSA wielding Magic Paper?
 

Seems like it is just this week I've read about the TSA waving some kind of magic paper over travelers liquids.

What is up with that? Is it like my magic rock, or is there something about it?

It wouldn't surprise me to discover that it was simply psychological theater like the rest of their antics. Similar to the earlier, now discontinued, practice of ordering everyone to "freeze" for some limited period of time, presumably hoping to frighten some bad guy into running. . .

Keep piling hay onto the stack, TSA.

Check out this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ages-gate.html

...you sure it isn't the kind of paper that addresses whether a bear does it in the woods?

That is where I read about it. What is the story behind the Magic Paper?

State of the art tech in 2006 was some peroxide sensors, but it looks like they want to actually dip them in.

These tests require swabbing.

As does this one.

OSU says it is a hard process, but they have something that might work on vapors.

Maybe TSA is just using these commercial strips, they're relatively cheap and it makes good security theatre to wave a wand over the bottles.

During the next year we should see the job posting for the position of TSA Shaman coming up.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

yeah, those strips have been around for a while. i know the strips at my airport were always expired but we were told to use them anyway.:td:

So a valid question to the TSO wielding the strips might be "has the use by date on those strips passed and if so then why are you using them?"

Actors never drink real wine or stab anyone on a stage. Always remember its "Security Theater" to calm the masses and keep those tickets selling.

MisterNice

That definitely would be a valid question.

Thanks for taking the time to post these links. Have you found any info for the non-dipping test strips?

I did a search for non-dipping test strips and came up with NOTHING.

The only thing I've found was related to colorimetric testing which might be consistent with anecdotal evidence.

LINK

If it is in fact peroxide they are trying to detect with these strips, the volatility is quite low, and when it degrades it generates ordinary oxygen. As a result, if no dipping is used, I would contend that the chances of getting a false negative are very high (and that is without considering that they are using expired ones).

I'm failing to see the logic here. All liquids consumed in the sterile area (save for baby formula and medication) have to come from WITHIN the sterile area. Doesn't it make more sense for TSA to 'randomly select' deliveries of drinks, ingredients, etc. going into sterile area vendors than it does to hassle the passengers?

Oh, right...logic doesn't apply where the TSA is concerned.