|
Grex > Agora41 > #113: Security nazis at Detroit airport | |
|
| Author |
Message |
| 18 new of 167 responses total. |
janc
|
|
response 150 of 167:
| 
May 30 01:35 UTC 2002 |
Sure, but this is post 9/11. They'll all think "if we don't search that
guy, we won't look tough to the citizens".
|
orinoco
|
|
response 151 of 167:
|
May 30 02:36 UTC 2002 |
When we went to Colorado over spring break, my younger brother (17 years old,
clean-cut, travelling with both his parents, checked baggage, return ticket)
got searched at the gate on three out of four legs of our trip. He was told
that they were, in fact, doing the equivalent of rolling dice -- that the
computer would beep after a random number of passengers, and they'd search
the next one. Make of that what you will.
|
gull
|
|
response 152 of 167:
|
May 30 12:37 UTC 2002 |
So if I made a beeper with the right frequency, I could make them search
whoever I wanted? ;)
|
jmsaul
|
|
response 153 of 167:
|
Jun 1 14:23 UTC 2002 |
I just flew to and from BWI, and I didn't get selected for a search in either
direction. The tickets were bought a week ahead of time, but with a company
credit card.
Didn't see anyone in fatigues, either (which is kind of surprising, given that
one of the airports was BWI).
|
scg
|
|
response 154 of 167:
|
Jun 3 05:53 UTC 2002 |
The National Guard people are supposed to have been replaced by local police.
|
jared
|
|
response 155 of 167:
|
Jun 4 15:32 UTC 2002 |
re #147
While entering mexico a few yeras ago we literally played "red-light,
green-light" to determine who was searched.
|
bdh3
|
|
response 156 of 167:
|
Jun 5 04:06 UTC 2002 |
Last time I was in mexico (little over a year ago)it was the same way.
|
clees
|
|
response 157 of 167:
|
Jun 7 14:11 UTC 2002 |
Richard has got a point, although the *I have got explosives in my
shoes guy* maybe has set a standard, if not the 9/11 attack.
I haven't been on a plane since 1999, (9/11 prevented me from flying to
Detroit last year), so I am curious how severe check up will be on
Dutch people wearing clodhoppers. On the other hand, I have been
frisked before (Amsterdam when all beepers when tilt), luggage has been
pulled aside and searched (Detroit, Athens and Delhi)
Most times I got the contents of my pockets at the ready to deposit
them in a tray, and most often I take out my film rolls before x-raying
my day pack.
|
jared
|
|
response 158 of 167:
|
Jun 10 16:55 UTC 2002 |
I empty my pockets into my carry-on bag prior to passing
the metal detector to avoid setting it off. But the settings
on the machines are still too variable. Once airport it will
not set things off, the other the metal on my shoes preventing
the laces from tearing up the leather will set it off.
they need to come up with consistent standards for setting the machines
imho.
|
bhelliom
|
|
response 159 of 167:
|
Jun 10 17:32 UTC 2002 |
Perhaps we should just all wear plastic?
That has to be irritating, Jared, considering all of the travelling you
do!
|
void
|
|
response 160 of 167:
|
Jun 10 19:53 UTC 2002 |
Airport (and federal building) metal detectors are sometimes set off by
my fillings.
|
twinkie
|
|
response 161 of 167:
|
Jun 10 20:04 UTC 2002 |
I was quite shocked when I flew to Chicago a couple months ago, and my pack
of cigarettes set off the metal detectors. It didn't even occur to me that
there was enough metallic content (there is probably about 2 square inches
of low-quality foil in the box) for me to need to remove it from my pocket.
|
jp2
|
|
response 162 of 167:
|
Jun 10 20:05 UTC 2002 |
This response has been erased.
|
oval
|
|
response 163 of 167:
|
Jun 10 21:48 UTC 2002 |
hey cupcake, do you smoke newports?
my steel-toes always set them off. it sucks. my only other shoes are
flipflops.
|
twinkie
|
|
response 164 of 167:
|
Jun 10 21:51 UTC 2002 |
Good lord, no.
Kamel Red.
|
scg
|
|
response 165 of 167:
|
Jun 12 07:39 UTC 2002 |
Somebody who went through security shortly before me in Toronto this afternoon
forgot their laptop computer sitting on top of the x-ray machine. The
security people seemed rather puzzled at how to handle this.
I've now done four more flights without being selected for random screening.
My luck continues.
Canadian immigration asked me a few minutes worth of questions on Saturday
about what I was going to be doing in Canada, what I was bringing with me,
and so forth. US immigration (in Toronto) this afternoon stared at my
US passport for about 30 seconds, and then waved me past without saying a
single word.
|
mdw
|
|
response 166 of 167:
|
Jun 14 06:12 UTC 2002 |
Even before 9/11, laptops were one of the most common things to be
forgotten at the security checkpoints. At least in Calgary, the system
seemed to be that forgotten items were briefly described over the
loudspeaker. I don't know if there was any further authentication
before the owner or first opportunistic thief was allowed to claim the
object.
|
gull
|
|
response 167 of 167:
|
Jun 17 13:49 UTC 2002 |
There was also a big racket in stealing laptops. The technique was pretty
simple. After you had set your laptop on the scanner belt, a guy in front of
you would set off the metal detector or otherwise cause a commotion. Then
an accomplice would grab your laptop as it came out the other end, while you
were still waiting to go through the security line.
|