Yep, that would work. Hint of electronics, wiring, and a 'mysterious' blob resembling something nasty. Strip search possible at gunpoint, EOD possibly called in. Very upset, clueless MMW readers thinking that they've finally caught the 'big one.' Lots of crowds.

The SPO-7 works by a density reading and would not pick up the ear buds. If you did have wires wrapped around the cheese the cop that gave you the frisk for "officer safety" could legitimately claim he feared it was a bomb.

Am I allowed to use the argument "Two wrongs make it right?" Does the fact that multiple people or parties break a law make that law invalid, or make what they do not a violation? I'd guess every law ever written has been broken. That does not make it right. TSA was created and operated the first 95% of it's existence under Bush/Cheney control, during which time they were supposed to be operating within the US Constitution. That is the issue here. Yes, there is a good case for "Clean Sweep", throw all the bums out of Washington.

X-rays do density by going through the object, MMWs go through clothes but bounce off of skin and other item to varying degrees. I don't think MMW could tell a block of cheese from a block of cheese with a cap in it.

Right, so to remove all chance of them claiming that the device somehow magically "saw" the wires and therefore the cheese looked like a bomb.

If you decide to do the cheese you must learn this song so you can answer why you have cheese in your pocket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3jgo5ea_zc

Robyn Hitchcock's "The Cheese Alarm" [mp3] might be appropriate.

Only the admission is mildly surprising to some of us, not the policy. Been obvious for several years.

The courts will rein them in. Yup, sure. Happens all the time.

I agree. More to the point, the SPO-7 display just shows a regular photo image with a marker superimposed that means "something out of the ordinary HERE". It just tells them where to look, not what it might be.

To the OP, I respecfully say this: "DUH!! What did you expect from a governmental agency?" Governments do this all the time, every day. They take the authority, therefore they GET the authority, and it takes the courts to rein them in. Washington DC trampled all over the second amendment tuntil the SCOTUS reined them in...and it took years and years nad years and millions upon millions of dollars. Look at wha thad to happen for MIRANDA to become the law of the land. Governments will ALWAYS overstep their limits because until a court rules, and it's appealed, and the appeal is appealed, and the SCOTUS grants certiorari to hear the appeal of the appeal of the appeal of the ruling, there ARE no limits.

Here in Chicago, our out of control mayor bulldozed a public airport under cover of darkness. The courts found what he did was illegal, said he couldn't do that and fined the city and it's STILL under appeal using taxpayer money on BOTH sides. You can't unring the bell and now that airport is a public park, which seems to be Daley's goal besides raising taxes--as many parks per square acre of land as he can possibly get. The fact is he DID it. And so goes the TSA--they will continue doing what they do until some court reins them in. The problem is that when you have an agency that is not accountable to anyone, no one seems to have jurisdiction. Wth a congress more concerned with the farce of global warming and a president who is more interested in running for "citizen of the world", no one in any kind of a position is going to challenge them.

Apparently this is the CHANGE! CHANGE WE CAN BELEIVE IN!! That was promised to us last fall. Enjoy, gang. It's only going to get worse. Background checks for every passenger before they fly, and requirement to give justification for your air travel are coming soon.

--PP

Regardless of what the SPO-7 displays if a person is in the unsecured area of an airport and has not submitted themselves to screening how can TSA legally surveil these people?

They can't do it legally but they will continue until someone takes them to court. The longer they can delay the court action the better their chances are of getting the court to back them because the procedure has been in place for "so long".

I absolutely agree that it's illegal surveillance. I was responding to the discussion of how to set up a legal challenge by having something legal and clearly harmless (TK suggested cheese) in your pocket, getting caught by the SPO-7 and being vindicated. My point is that it doesn't matter whether it's just cheese or a "cheese-bomb", cause the SPO-7 gives a binary (something odd/nothing odd) reading.

*rushes off to Google "cheese-bomb" to see if she invented a new term* (Edit: Nope.)

I have used the term "cheese bomb" before but it was in regards to the after effects. What can I say, I'm a guy...

"For sale to emerging democracies. 2nd hand Constitution, no longer needed by original owner. 222 years old, hardly used. Price when new: beyond measuring. Yours for 3 easy payments of $19.99."