sailman

Excluding the static toward the end of the posts, this thread does raise some interesting questions which in my view should be validated.

1) Is the swab used multiple times?

If affirmative, with all the recent concern about spreading the flu, and the CDC recommendation to wash your hands often, this would seem like a natural way of spreading disease. Or possibly, unknowingly assisting in the spread of a fatal biological agent.

2) Is there such a thing as a "false negative"?

If affirmative, a PAX would be negatively painted by a prior swabbing.

3) Are there any chemicals contained on the swab?

If affirmative, this could have negative consequences for a hyperallergenic person.

Does anyone have verifiable information on the product and procedures from DHS, or better yet from an unbiased reliable third party? Of course regardless, it has been demonstrated on several ocassions that a procedure can be disregarded at the discretion of the TSO.

Remember, even paranoid people have enemies!

goalie

since you asked.... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...chine-lax.html


so was that ma or pa kettle being quoted

N965VJ

Here’s the TSA on doing ETD on a CPAP machine:

Upon request, TSOs will change the ETD sampling media before conducting the ETD sampling.

Blogger Bob is either lying or misinformed.

goalie

and just why pray tell is changing gloves not mandatory?

barfeld2

My hands almost always seem to smell of gasoline after I refuel my rental car just before arriving at the airport. Does anybody have any idea whether gasoline or any of its usual additives might be on the list of things they're looking for?

If so, car-renters would seem to be a likely source of a lot of positives.

B.

N965VJ

Wall Street Journal:

When Security Takes Longer than the Flight

Feb. 18, 2010

<SNIP>

"This isn't crowded and still it was an extra hour," said John Finley, a steel-company salesman heading to Minneapolis. "There were so many checks and balances, the fourth time is a bit unnecessary."

"Why don't they just get two dogs and sniff everything if they are worried about bombs?" asked Sam Goldstein, a Salt Lake City psychologist, as he stood in Line No. 6 awaiting secondary screening.

Dr. Goldstein, who travels about 150,000 miles a year, said that as a psychologist he marvels at how quickly people adjust. "You become indoctrinated to this," he said.

But as a scientist, he also wonders why governments don't give travelers more data to justify the effectiveness of enhanced screening.

"They want to give the appearance that they are doing something. What would be nice to know is the success rate of various procedures. I think the public has a right to know," he said.

n4zhg

The days of going to the range then going to the airport are over.

This is going to be more fun than taking down cancer patients in the subway.

I wouldn't joke much about that. In the early days of my EMT career (1980's) I was arrested by a rookie cop for possession of burglary tools -- the latex gloves in my pocket. After I spoke to the watch commander, fecal matter followed gravitic tendencies.

Worry more when a link to a story goes to a real news source instead of The Onion.

Aloha1

What's missing in this thread is any mention of where in the Act that created the TSA does it allow them to do this kind of crap AFTER you are cleared to enter the "sterile zone". Anyone? Mueller?

TSO1973

It actually is a directive at my airport that only fresh ETD swabs are used on CPAPs.

N965VJ

I’m glad to hear that!

However, 3.4.1(E) of the SOP manual refers to having a container available for “worn sample wipes”. To me, that means “worn out”, not “used once”.

LoganTSO

I'm on vacation and trying to enjoy... so only few pointers:

Here we go down the narco road. Aside from TSOs thinking they made a score... we don't give a damn about drugs. The ETD machines are set to detect explosives and explosives only. The drug mode has never been used and can't be used us. The parameters on the machine can only be changed service techs and that's only if HQ in DC mandates.

These are the swipes generally used at checkpoints.
https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=214567
The Itemiser isn't used much to my knowledge, we only have one at Boston, which sits in the training center so TSOs can be certified on both machines. However, the 400Bs are being phased out and replaced with 500DTs.

Finally, there are more companies that provide ETD products. Here's one based right heah in Massachusetts. http://www.dsadetection.com/Category...nd+Calibration

Now. Back to my vacation.

Global_Hi_Flyer

The local Fox TV station news did an story on this tonight. Predictably, they had a TSA propaganda-meister talking about it, and a couple of surrender-monkeys saying "it makes us safer so I'm all for it". They also interviewed a UA FA who stated the case against (we'll see how long before TSA pressures UA to fire her).

gj83

Is this supposed to be tongue in cheek?
First of all, all one has to do is go to any foodservice operation or any hospital to acquire gloves.
Second, who uses latex gloves? nitrile and some other materials are used by most companies now due to latex allergy issues.

N965VJ

Could you post a link if possible? The station's website might have the broadcast cached online.

TSO1973

Container for worn sample wipes? Yeah, it's called the trash can....