Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports • Hacker News Board

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#101

Post by analog31 » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:18 AM UTC

chrischen wrote: post #88

analog31 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On a flight within China, my parents were simply required to take a sip from their bottles.

I don't get the logic in this. If your liquid is an explosive and you're planning to commit suicide with it, why would a sip of it stop you?

I think they don't mind if you commit suicide, they'd just prefer you did it before you got on the plane. The assumption is that explosives would be disagreeable to drink.

Thinking about it more, it occurs to me that it could also just be security theater.

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#102

Post by intopieces » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:19 AM UTC

lordleft wrote: post #2

The moment I pull out my ipad and macbook and entrust the fate of around 3000 dollars worth of electronics to the competence and benevolence of government officials who barely give a shit is my least favorite part of the travel experience

Imagine traveling with five laptops, overseas, because your corporate InfoSec policy doesn't let you ship laptops to your coworkers. Then imagine being picked at random for additional screening and being asked to let $10,000 in company assets roll on through out of site while you get the pat-down.

The only time I ever made polite insistence to a TSA Agent, that day.

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#103

Post by c22 » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:21 AM UTC

village-idiot wrote: post #53

finaliteration wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t know why, but for me it’s the shoes. My laptop bag makes it fairly easy to take my laptop out and put it back in, but dealing with taking my shoes on and off really fucking bugs me. It’s totally irrational, I know.

This is why I wear my toe shoes to the airport. While it might seem counterintuitive, I can take them on and off one handed.

I wear these[0] when I travel. I can take them off and put them on with no hands at all. I usually do belt and shoes at the same time, in fact.

[0] https://www.merrell.com/US/en/jungle-moc/17703M.html

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#104

Post by ahupp » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:22 AM UTC

godelski wrote: post #15

But when are we going to have the real discussion about security theater?

I guess by "theater" you mean that there's no actual purpose to taking your laptop out of the bag other than making people feel better? I have a hard time believing that's true. There's people who spend their whole career understanding airline security and (since I know nothing about it) I'm inclined to trust they aren't wasting my time.

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#105

Post by AlexCoventry » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:24 AM UTC

monocasa wrote: post #93

valleyjo wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a pretty cynical viewpoint but I agree. It’s clear that TSA doesn’t do much. Someone I know has acidentially brought a pocketknife through security multiple times without it being found. They keep it in my backpack as a regular item and just forgot to take it out.

I've literally brought a pickaxe by accident. But one time I was trying to bring a fish, and had a next to impossible time trying to get them to agree that water was a "life sustaining liquid" as defined by their exemptions on the 3oz rule wrt to fish.

What exactly are they trying to prevent with the liquid prohibition, anyway?

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#106

Post by c22 » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:25 AM UTC

ekianjo wrote: post #25

godelski wrote: post #15

But when are we going to have the real discussion about security theater?

Next, how about removing the ridiculous limitations on carrying a bottle of water with you?

Last time I flew (three weeks ago) I accidently left a bottle of water in my backpack and a TSA agent just took it out, swabbed it, and put it back without even saying anything.

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#107

Post by ryen » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:26 AM UTC

valleyjo wrote: post #71

btbuildem wrote: post #55

It's fascinating how the security theatre has gotten so big that now it basically just rolls forward under its own momentum. It's been around long enough that people accept it as normal, it serves no other purpose than to employ the unemployable and fill contractors' coffers, and it seems that no entity is able to stop or dismantle it.

This is a pretty cynical viewpoint but I agree. It’s clear that TSA doesn’t do much. Someone I know has acidentially brought a pocketknife through security multiple times without it being found. They keep it in my backpack as a regular item and just forgot to take it out.

Freudian slip? =P

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#108

Post by javagram » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:28 AM UTC

AlexCoventry wrote: post #105

monocasa wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've literally brought a pickaxe by accident. But one time I was trying to bring a fish, and had a next to impossible time trying to get them to agree that water was a "life sustaining liquid" as defined by their exemptions on the 3oz rule wrt to fish.

What exactly are they trying to prevent with the liquid prohibition, anyway?

Trying to prevent people carrying through chemicals that could be combined in the airplane bathroom to make explosives I believe.

There was a terrorist plot to do this, which was caught by the security services, and then despite the terrorists being caught the liquids ban was put into place forever more to stop future attacks.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_transatlantic_aircraft_...

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#109

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:28 AM UTC

AlexCoventry wrote: post #105

monocasa wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've literally brought a pickaxe by accident. But one time I was trying to bring a fish, and had a next to impossible time trying to get them to agree that water was a "life sustaining liquid" as defined by their exemptions on the 3oz rule wrt to fish.

What exactly are they trying to prevent with the liquid prohibition, anyway?

[deleted]

Re: Laptops to Stay in Bags as TSA Brings New Technology to Airports

#110

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Mar 31, 2019, 4:29 AM UTC

AlexCoventry wrote: post #105

monocasa wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've literally brought a pickaxe by accident. But one time I was trying to bring a fish, and had a next to impossible time trying to get them to agree that water was a "life sustaining liquid" as defined by their exemptions on the 3oz rule wrt to fish.

What exactly are they trying to prevent with the liquid prohibition, anyway?

[deleted]