Buzzing in backpack not suspicious?
Apr 26, 2010 | 10:27 am
#16
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 414
I am going to assume you thought he was a terrorist. Based on that assumption, I will make the following statement. Terrorists are not going to make it easy to find explosives. They are not going to have an alarm clock that rings when it is time to go off. They are not going to have something that vibrates and gives it away. And there is a good chance that there will not be a big digital time counting down to when it goes BOOM.
So in short, yes you did overreact. How many people on here have had something in their bag being accidentally turned on, such as a razor or toothbrush.
So in short, yes you did overreact. How many people on here have had something in their bag being accidentally turned on, such as a razor or toothbrush.
Apr 26, 2010 | 11:20 am
#18
Join Date: May 2009
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Apr 26, 2010 | 11:24 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2005
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I travel with my favorite electric shaver all the time. I love it, but it has one significant design flaw: There is a plastic cover over the foils that also covers the on/off switch. The cover slides off very easily, and the on off switch is pressure activated.
You can imagine that when stuffed into my luggage the cover comes off frequently and the shaver eventually gets turned on as the luggage is moved about. Happened to me on a trip last week and has happened dozens of times over the past few years. Sometimes I pull my rollaboard out of the overhead and the bag is "humming".
I guess I'm glad the OP hasn't been on any of my flights!
You can imagine that when stuffed into my luggage the cover comes off frequently and the shaver eventually gets turned on as the luggage is moved about. Happened to me on a trip last week and has happened dozens of times over the past few years. Sometimes I pull my rollaboard out of the overhead and the bag is "humming".
I guess I'm glad the OP hasn't been on any of my flights!
Apr 26, 2010 | 11:29 am
#20
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Seriously, I'm glad the crew used some common sense, being UA and everything.
Apr 26, 2010 | 11:29 am
#21
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Not to be rude, but I think everyone should mind their own bloody business. If I want my toothbrush or razor to vibrate in it's bag, it's my call.
Apr 26, 2010 | 11:30 am
#22
Join Date: Apr 2003
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First off, it's none of anyone's business what other passengers have on board-- whether it buzz, beep, whir, zip, zing, or pop... just so long as it does not go bang. TSA has assumedly taken care of that at the checkpoint and at the gate. If they haven't, nothing that any private citizen can do is going to change that.
Secondly, asking for a search of the other passenger is none of anyone's business. Had I been the other passenger and this requested of me, I would have refused. It would be violation of privacy to satisfy unjustified paranoia.
Anyone who is so concerned about other passengers and their belongings on a particular flight ought to consider removing himself/herself from the flight and rebooking on a later departure, rather than needlessly inconveniencing others and having them harassed.
Apr 26, 2010 | 11:31 am
#23
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This was a considerable overreaction on your part.
First off, it's none of anyone's business what other passengers have on board-- whether it buzz, beep, whir, zip, zing, or pop... just so long as it does not go bang. TSA has assumedly taken care of that at the checkpoint and at the gate. If they haven't, nothing that any private citizen can do is going to change that.
Secondly, asking for a search of the other passenger is none of anyone's business. Had I been the other passenger and this requested of me, I would have refused. It would be violation of privacy to satisfy unjustified paranoia.
Anyone who is so concerned about other passengers and their belongings on a particular flight ought to consider removing himself/herself from the flight and rebooking on a later departure, rather than needlessly inconveniencing others and having them harassed.
First off, it's none of anyone's business what other passengers have on board-- whether it buzz, beep, whir, zip, zing, or pop... just so long as it does not go bang. TSA has assumedly taken care of that at the checkpoint and at the gate. If they haven't, nothing that any private citizen can do is going to change that.
Secondly, asking for a search of the other passenger is none of anyone's business. Had I been the other passenger and this requested of me, I would have refused. It would be violation of privacy to satisfy unjustified paranoia.
Anyone who is so concerned about other passengers and their belongings on a particular flight ought to consider removing himself/herself from the flight and rebooking on a later departure, rather than needlessly inconveniencing others and having them harassed.
Apr 26, 2010 | 7:27 pm
#24
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Real bombs don't buzz. A buzzing package is a package that contains some object that moves and has gotten turned on by accident.
The only noise a bomb might reasonably make before detonation is a tick--and that would be soft.
The only noise a bomb might reasonably make before detonation is a tick--and that would be soft.
Apr 26, 2010 | 11:12 pm
#25
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Apr 27, 2010 | 10:05 am
#26
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but goalie-parents brought me up to be a gentleman 
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Apr 27, 2010 | 10:15 am
#27
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Apr 27, 2010 | 11:54 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 861
Last Friday, UA185 PHL-SFO. Mrs and I in exit row on an A319.
When the doors were about to close, 3 late pax got on--man and two women. Probably 20-something. As they passed me, I heard a buzzing from the man's pack. Like a phone vibrating, but steady. Definitely not a phone. After he got seated (last row or pretty close to it), I got up and told the FA to check it out.
She did, and came back and told me "he(the pax) said it was hair clippers, and would turn them off". I asked her to get the Capt involved, and after two trips (by the FA) to the front, she told me that the purser and Capt and decided that if he got through security that was good enough.
We weren't happy, but decided not to take it further. It was on our minds for a while and I gotta say a little unnerving that UA was so casual about it.
That afternoon I was still thinking about it, so I called Cust Svc and whined at them. The rep. told me he would kick it upstairs and gave us each 9K miles (I didn't ask for anything).
Was I over-reacting? I didn't think so, but I wonder... Is it a good idea to assume that TSA makes no mistakes?
When the doors were about to close, 3 late pax got on--man and two women. Probably 20-something. As they passed me, I heard a buzzing from the man's pack. Like a phone vibrating, but steady. Definitely not a phone. After he got seated (last row or pretty close to it), I got up and told the FA to check it out.
She did, and came back and told me "he(the pax) said it was hair clippers, and would turn them off". I asked her to get the Capt involved, and after two trips (by the FA) to the front, she told me that the purser and Capt and decided that if he got through security that was good enough.
We weren't happy, but decided not to take it further. It was on our minds for a while and I gotta say a little unnerving that UA was so casual about it.
That afternoon I was still thinking about it, so I called Cust Svc and whined at them. The rep. told me he would kick it upstairs and gave us each 9K miles (I didn't ask for anything).
Was I over-reacting? I didn't think so, but I wonder... Is it a good idea to assume that TSA makes no mistakes?
Apr 27, 2010 | 12:39 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
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Posts: 1,780
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news...13/detail.html
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archive...rorist_em.html
(Yes, it's an old article, but still funny to see the over-reaction and stupidity of law enforcement agencies.)
Snip from article 1:
"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force,'" Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of Cartoon Network, said in a statement.
"Emergency deployment teams were sent into the center of the city immediately upon these reports. There were significant shutdowns of not only highways, but rail traffic with the MBTA," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said. "Several of the devices do have common characteristics, but it is too early to say how many are connected."
The first device was found under Interstate 93, and the state police bomb squad was called and detonated the package in Sullivan Square just before 10 a.m. Officials said it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device," but they said it had no explosives.
The first device was found under Interstate 93, and the state police bomb squad was called and detonated the package in Sullivan Square just before 10 a.m. Officials said it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device," but they said it had no explosives.
(Yep, I just to go there. I really wanted to use the phrase "Little Johnny Peepants" in a post today... )
Last edited by clrankin; Apr 27, 2010 at 12:45 pm Reason: Added article quote
Apr 27, 2010 | 1:18 pm
#30
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Apparently somebody forgot to tell the Boston police that countdown displays aren't necessarily part of "things that go boom":
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news...13/detail.html
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archive...rorist_em.html
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news...13/detail.html
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archive...rorist_em.html
