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Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

vanityfair.com

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Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#81

Post by WettowelReactor »

nlawalker wrote: post #9
robobenjie wrote: post #5

I agree with most of the points in this article, but saying that all people who forge boarding passes will use latex gloves seems false. From my point of view the point of multiple screenings is to increase the difficulty and complexity of pulling off a particular attack. Sure, individually you can think of a way to counter each one, but as you add constraints you reduce the pool of people willing and able to pull it…

The thing is, it's not a bunch of .95s. It's a .00000001 and a bunch of .9999999s. If a person wants to cause terror and is willing to blow themselves up, they're probably already very resolved and willing to do virtually anything else necessary to bypass the security measures you mention and any others.

Or if all else fails they can blow themselves up at the security checkpoint, or on a train, or on a bus, or metro, or .... Really once a person has decided to blow themselves up their options for committing terrorism are exceedingly large. Luckily this group of people is surprisingly small but or reactions to to the risks are way overboard.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#82

Post by gerggerg »

The 3 oz liquid rule was always a bit laughable to me too. Print 6 fake boarding passes, bring 6 friends, give them 3 ounces of whatever, take 21 ounces on the plane. Makes no sense to me.

And still I have to buy a special tiny tube of toothpaste for the safety of the nation.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#83

Post by mgkimsal »

Terretta wrote: post #75
cgs1019 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always been amazed that with all the effort to keep "dangerous" objects off the plane, they still hand out aluminum soda cans which can easily be crushed/bent/torn into quite dangerously sharp forms. Why bother carrying a weapon on board when they're provided free of charge in flight?

> aluminum soda cans LOL (and I don't use that lightly) ... Many airlines bring you silverware with your business or first class meal. A metal fork, spoon, and yes, KNIFE. Several also serve beverages in glass, including stemware. And many items taken from you at the security line can be purchased in the concessions: batteries, lighters, even fuel (vodka).

but people in first and business class are just so nice - they couldn't be a terrorist!

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#84

Post by robfig »

sliverstorm wrote: post #74
ims wrote: post #27

This article makes some big leaps. It says in the fourth paragraph: "Since 9/11, the U.S. has spent more than $1.1 trillion on homeland security." It seems to imply that this is mostly because of wasteful TSA-like spending. The Department of Homeland Security's FY11 budget authority was around $56 bil. The TSA only accounted for 14% of that money. [1] Just for perspective -- top 5 slices of DHS's FY11 pie: U.S. Custo…

I think we all feel a little silly as grownups waiting around in a security line in our socks I was a kid the last time I flew before 9/11, but didn't they still use metal detectors back then?

You didn't have to take off your shoes or take anything out of your bags. And they wouldn't randomly force you through a scanner that takes nude pictures of you.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#85

Post by jedbrown »

WettowelReactor wrote: post #76
siphor wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like three weeks ago I was leaving vegas and accidentally left a pocket knife (4" blade) in my bag.. I opted out of the full body scan, (rumors of cancer, and the line was shorter) for a pat down... it's an intense pat down im pretty sure they definitely touched some private sensitive areas, they also left the 4" knife in my bag theres tons of stories like this too..

Funny enough Thanksgiving 2010 I accidentally left a similar sized pocket knife in my pocket. I elected for the full body scanner which did not pickup the knife. Instead I was reminded I had it when the regular old metal detector at the cruise line picked it up. On another trip while i was still in the service I accidentally flew with chained live rounds (machine gun ammo) in my back pack. Again no security picked it…

I flew with a 3-inch knife three times in the US and Europe last year without being noticed (accidentally packed when I was leaving home, wasn't checking a bag, so took my chances).

A friend flew with a large aerosol can and a full box of live 12-gauge shotgun shells the day after the liquid bomb scare (supposedly super high security that day), and only noticed later when he unpacked his carry-on.

In almost 100 flights over the last three years, I almost always carry liquid in excess of three ounces in my backpack without putting it in a separate bag (toothpaste, contact solution). It has only once been inspected.

I regularly carry on rock climbing gear, including a "nut tool" which is shaped like an 8-inch steel blade. It's not actually sharp, but there is no way to tell that in the scanner and I have yet to have it hand-inspected.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#86

Post by grecy »

mortenjorck wrote: post #65
akira2501 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What? The attackers had an easier time because hijackings didn't usually involve flying into a building / killing everyone on board. Prior to 9/11 most hijackings were about taking hostages, flying to a friendly country, then awaiting your ransom. As a passenger, your job was just to sit tight, don't do anything stupid, and wait for the resolution. The hijackers didn't have to socially engineer anything, they just re…

Let's not forget that the hijackers' greatest asset was a unique, tragic coincidence, covered five years ago by the very same magazine: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2006/08/norad200... Were it not for a scheduled drill that happened to bear just enough similarity to what was actually going on to confuse first-responders, the terrible events of that day might have been limited to the air. The chances of…

I'd not seen that article before. Thank you very much.

Highly recommend.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#88

Post by Osiris »

apaprocki wrote: post #57
Osiris wrote: post #56

You don't even need photoshop to modify your boarding pass. (These steps work with Opera, I'm not sure about other browsers) 1. Go to print your boarding pass 2. View source 3. Modify any information (such as adding something to show First Class/A-List/etc) 4. Click Apply Changes to make the changes to the HTML show up in the page 5. Click Print A perfect boarding pass with any information you want. What could someon…

Do you have references that the list is only checked at purchase time? As for the security hole.. you have a credit card under the assumed name as well? If they were smart they could simply flag first time fliers and anyone who flies under a ticket purchased by someone else for extra checks. Cash ticket purchases require real ID at the ticket counter or Western Union and presumably you'd get checked there as well.

All the TSA agent does is compare your ID to your boarding pass. Being a frequent flyer, I can say that I've never seen anything to indicate they have even the capability to compare a name to the no-fly list database, let alone being able to do it for all passengers.

I did read an article a while back that explained the TSA no-fly check procedures but I can't locate it.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#89

Post by maaku »

akira2501 wrote: post #60
shareme wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you do not have to sneak a 'weapon' on board a plane to bring it down..911 attacks was mainly focused on social engineering to get victims to cooperate with terrorists..if there was no cooperation attacks would have not succeeded

What? The attackers had an easier time because hijackings didn't usually involve flying into a building / killing everyone on board. Prior to 9/11 most hijackings were about taking hostages, flying to a friendly country, then awaiting your ransom. As a passenger, your job was just to sit tight, don't do anything stupid, and wait for the resolution. The hijackers didn't have to socially engineer anything, they just re…

What's more, on the one 9/11 plane that was taken down by it passengers (United 93), the passengers fought back only after hearing about the fates of the planes in New York and D.C., making it clear that an extended vacation in Cuba was not what was about to happen.

Re: Smoke Screening: Journalist tests TSA

#90

Post by maaku »

apaprocki wrote: post #57
Osiris wrote: post #56

You don't even need photoshop to modify your boarding pass. (These steps work with Opera, I'm not sure about other browsers) 1. Go to print your boarding pass 2. View source 3. Modify any information (such as adding something to show First Class/A-List/etc) 4. Click Apply Changes to make the changes to the HTML show up in the page 5. Click Print A perfect boarding pass with any information you want. What could someon…

Do you have references that the list is only checked at purchase time? As for the security hole.. you have a credit card under the assumed name as well? If they were smart they could simply flag first time fliers and anyone who flies under a ticket purchased by someone else for extra checks. Cash ticket purchases require real ID at the ticket counter or Western Union and presumably you'd get checked there as well.

It's possible that when the pass is scanned at the gate by the airline employee, the original name might be displayed on their monitor (just guessing--I have no idea if it is), and an astute employee might notice the name change. However I can't remember the last time an airline employee at that stage has paid any attention to anything at all.
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