Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security • Hacker News Board

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#111

Post by pessimizer » Mon, May 02, 2016, 2:48 PM UTC

jessriedel wrote: post #7

Why does the NYTimes quote tweets -- essentially publishing the shouts of strangers on the street -- before they report actual data like the change in the number of TSA screeners?

Because, since no one would expect you to publish every relevant tweet, it makes it more defensible to cherry-pick references that are editorially on-the-nose. It's pretty reprehensible; I've seen WaPo, NYT, and the Guardian publish (editorial, not eyewitness) tweets in stories that had been retweeted less than a dozen times before making the paper.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#112

Post by spdustin » Mon, May 02, 2016, 2:51 PM UTC

bglazer wrote: post #94

danieltillett wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that exactly what happened in Belgium.

Yes, and in Moscow as well. If the actual mission of the TSA was preventing terrorist acts, then they would have done something about this massive and completely obvious vulnerability. My opinion, however, is that the TSA has become an arm of the DEA and the "war on drugs". They make a big security theater production in the name of stopping terrorists but 99% of their daily activities are centered on seizing drugs.

You stated a fact alongside your opinion, that a large portion of the TSA's operation includes seizing drugs. Do you have a source for this?

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#113

Post by spdustin » Mon, May 02, 2016, 2:52 PM UTC

jessriedel wrote: post #38

dccoolgai wrote: post #13

Seems like a perverse incentive to let them slow down the lines so you have to buy a "membership" in their precheck program. "Nice flight you have there...be a shame if you missed it."

It's worse than just membership fees. To join a precheck program, you need to submit personal information that they constitutionally can't force American citizens to provide, even at international borders: fingerprints and retina scans. So basically they hold huge amounts of your time hostage in order to force you to provide what ought to be protected info. It's similar to incentives for long-term contraception. The…

No retina scan for PreCheck, that's for Global Entry / Nexus.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#114

Post by darpa_escapee » Mon, May 02, 2016, 2:54 PM UTC

GordonS wrote: post #50

spyspy wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't actually have to take your belt off for the full body scan. I left it on once by accident and wasn't questioned, nor was I the next dozen or so times I've flown.

I think it depends on which TSA agents you get, and what kind of mood they are in

This. I've been instructed to take my belt off in the dozen or so domestic flights I've taken the last ~2 years. Before that it was hit or miss.

I remember this because I'm thin and a belt keeps my pants from falling to my knees while I'm holding my boarding pass, ID and raising my arms above my head so my body can be scanned with questionable technology.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#115

Post by malka » Mon, May 02, 2016, 2:55 PM UTC

raldi wrote: post #42

hashkb wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just go get pre check?

A lot of travelers can barely afford to fly as it is. The only way this fast lane can function is if it's exclusive to a small segment of flyers. Do we really need to keep widening the gap between the haves and have-nots?

> Do we really need to keep widening the gap between the haves and have-nots?

The cynical and nihilistic me says 'yes'. Let's push it to see at what point it crumbles.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#116

Post by cm2187 » Mon, May 02, 2016, 3:02 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #19

cm2187 wrote: post #9

That's a lot of hassle for what is little more than a placebo. In the 40y that terrorists have been targetting planes, I am not aware of a single major terrorist attack that has been stopped by passenger checks.

The theory is, because of the checks no further attempts will be made. Its one thing to die for your cause; another to be arrested for your cause and disappear forever anonymously.

I can also carry a clown hat all day long and it will keep the pink elephants away. But there are not pink elephant! Then it means my hat is working!

My theory on planes hijacking is rather that if you have a bunch of arabs taking over a plane today (after 9/11, the Paris attacks, etc), the passengers will think that doing nothing will lead to certain death, and therefore it will be impossible for the terrorists to contain the passengers. The only rational reaction for the passengers is to over power the terrorists at all risks.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#117

Post by morcheeba » Mon, May 02, 2016, 3:02 PM UTC

peterwwillis wrote: post #96

nfriedly wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're just as bad at identifying actual "weapons": I flew to South America with a layover in Miami a few years back. Got past TSA without any trouble on the domestic leg, then I had to go through again for the international leg. The second time through security, they said they saw a blade on the x-ray.. turns out they were right. I forgot I had left a multi-tool in my bag. Thankfully, they just trashed it and let m…

FYI you are allowed to carry on screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers less than 7 inches long. More bulky than a multi-tool, but at least you can carry something? https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/prohibited-ite...

They can still confiscate whatever they want, regardless of the rules: https://bbs.boingboing.net/t/makers-tsa-compliant-multitool-...

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#118

Post by gaius » Mon, May 02, 2016, 3:02 PM UTC

kirvyteo wrote: post #58

The list of stuff to check for just keeps getting longer. First were the belt and shoes, then the laptop, then liquids. The latest seems to be portable batteries. Every time a crazy guy hatches a new plot with plans to hide dangerous stuff in everyday items, the list will get longer. Someone needs to work on prioritizing that list or reducing it. In Asia, where there are more bullet trains, I often pick the trains ov…

The batteries thing is because cheap Chinese knock-off Lithiums have a habit of randomly catching fire. Its why so-called hoverboards are banned from air travel too.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#119

Post by rbobby » Mon, May 02, 2016, 3:03 PM UTC

Hondor wrote: post #35

If a terrorist wanted to kill a lot of people confined into too small space to run away, what better target than these densely packed zig-zag queues? Really, what's the point of protecting a plane carrying hundreds of people by putting those same people into harm's way like that? It already happened in China - Muslim terrorists killed dozens of people waiting in a ticket hall a couple of years ago.

Half a dozen bad guys with a couple of grenades each and it would be bedlam. They'd even stand a good chance of escaping.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#120

Post by julian_t » Mon, May 02, 2016, 3:05 PM UTC

CuriouslyC wrote: post #98

tehwebguy wrote: post #25

Here's an awesome TSA story for you: Late last year while trying to fly out of LAX a TSA employee thought I was carrying a throwing star. They called the police, who correctly identified as a toy in seconds. I thought the whole ordeal was over until I got a "notice of violation" in the mail from TSA 45 days later. Now I'm banned from pre-check for three years, even though I have global entry and even though the fine…

I had to go back and check a necklace because TSA agents claimed it could be used to whip or garotte. A freaking necklace!

I often fly with a travel-size guitar (one of these: http://www.guitarbench.com/Images%20for%20articles/brunner/8...).

The neck comes off and it packs into a case that's small enough for carry-on. It has often struck me that a guitar neck with six metal strings attached would make a fairly effective weapon (at least, by TSA standards!) but I've never had any trouble getting through security, apart from occasionally having to put it together.