re TSA overreaction to Delta incident

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Kevin G. Barkes" <kgbarkes () gmail com>
> Date: December 27, 2009 1:31:36 PM EST
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: RE: [IP] re  TSA overreaction to Delta incident

> > >        "Although transportation officials had not announced new
> > > security measures yet, Air Canada said the Transportation Security
> > > Agency would make significant changes to the way passengers are able
> > > to move about on aircraft. During the final hour of flight,
> > > *customers will have to remain seated*
>
>
> > Wouldn't this technically prevent the very action that saved this
> > flight? If people are told to remain seated -- especially over the PA
> > system by a flight attendent who does not have line of sight to a
> > potential attacker -- that can only serve to increase the passivity
> > of passengers under attack.
> >
> > Would make a for a fun headline though --- Heroic passenger now in
> > violation of TSA's new rules
>
> Ah, but it's entirely consistent with TSA's improv-based security  
> theater.
>
> Remember the shoe bomber? He tried to detonate pentaerythritol  
> tetranitrate
> (PETN) hidden in his shoe by lighting a fuse with a match.
>
> Overnight we were putting our shoes on the scanning belts. But  
> initially, we
> only had to remove our leather shoes and sandals. We *didn't* have  
> to take
> off our athletic shoes. You know, the type of footwear the *shoe  
> bomber
> actually wore.*
>
> Turns out shoe type is irrelevant. A chemical test is needed to  
> identify
> PETN. The substance is essentially undetectable by scanners- which is
> probably why the pants bomber was able to get *his* PETN-based device
> through security, eight years after the shoe bomber made his attempt.
>
> So, how's the shoe scanning working out, fellas?
>
> And the shoe bomber's matches? TSA immediately responded by banning
> cigarette lighters, but *not* matchbooks. Airport security seized  
> about
> 22,000 lighters a day. In the meantime, you could carry on safety  
> matches,
> thereby giving you 20 tries to ignite your undetectable explosive  
> device.
>
> I suspect the government has secretly retained Jim Abrahams, David  
> Zucker,
> and Jerry Zucker- the guys responsible for the classic film  
> "Airplane"- as
> consultants.
>
> Airport worker: "Maybe we oughta turn on the search lights now."
>
> Robert Stack: "No... That's just what they'll be expecting us to do!"
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> KGB
>
> -----
> Kevin G. Barkes
> Email: kgbarkes () yahoo com
> KGB Report:
> http://www.kgbreport.com
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>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dave Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
> > Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 10:18 AM
> > To: ip
> > Subject: [IP] re TSA overreaction to Delta incident
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> >
> >
> >    From: Saikat Guha <saikat () cs cornell edu>
> >    Date: December 26, 2009 11:21:57 PM EST
> >    To: <mailto:dave () farber net> dave () farber net
> >    Cc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
> >    Subject: Re: [IP] TSA overreaction to Delta incident
> >
> >
> >
> >    On Sat, Dec 26, 2009 at 7:23 PM, Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >        http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/us/27plane.html
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >    --
> >    Saikat
> >
> >
> > Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now>
> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/>
> > <http://www.listbox.com>



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