This week I was flying out of Pensacola for the first time.  I always take my waterbottle out and place it in a bin to avoid issues on the other side of the xray (20 seconds to take it out saves the few times I have to wait 5 minutes for a bag check).  There was a TSO manning the entry to the xray arranging everyone’s stuff.  He took out my water bottle, pointed to it, and said Gate 7.  At first it took me a second to understand since I was mentally prepared for a “liquids are banned” or something like that.

Instead he was telling me where the one very hidden water fountain is in the airport.  I might not have found it otherwise and I would have just used a sink which works just as well with my filtering bottle.

I am still trying to avoid these things at all costs, but today’s circumstances led me to the machine.

• I was running late leaving my house today due to laundry issues
• I realized about half a mile from my house that I didn’t have my wallet and I had to turn around and go back
• I hadn’t printed my tickets at home (just checked in and printed to PDF)
• the Airtran kiosk takes 5 minutes to locate a PNR

All that transpired and I went to the C check point with about 30 minutes before scheduled boarding so I had a bit of time.  The C check point had about 40 people in line while the D check point had 4 so the were urging people to go over there.  Since I don’t use the elite line while flying AirTran (whether the TDC would stop me or not is not something I’d like to waste time to find out) I decided to go to D.  D is the farthest from AirTran, but all other checkpoints had about the same queue length as C.

I got in line at D and quickly noticed where the body scanner is.  It is the second line from the left of 4 total lines.  The left-most line was moving fastest so I entered it.

The lady in front of me was taking forever to clear the WTMD (belt, hitting the side, who knows) so while I was waiting behind her the lady manning the body scanner asks me if I have anything in my pockets thinking she means just things that would set of the WTMD I say “no” although I have my boarding passes and ID in my pockets.  She then determines I should go through the nude-o-scope instead (why me?  why not the lady who took 3 times to clear the WTMD???)

I politely said “I will not go through that thing”

She says I don’t have to, but I will get a special screening.  I have to wait for about 3 minutes for my special screener, officer Miller, to arrive.  In that time the lady manning the WTMD motions me through so I go through.  The lady manning the body scanner (who had since closed it off anyway) asked me what I was doing.  Well…your coworker let me through I thought, but instead I just made the VERY VALID claim that I was keeping an eye on my stuff since it had long since cleared the x-ray and I had no line of site from where they had me waiting.

Finally Officer Miller arrives and explains front of hand, back of hand, etc.  She was professional.  I wasn’t thinking and assumed a position not looking at my stuff and she quickly turned me around so I could watch my stuff.  She told me right away that I had the right to request a private screening.  Heck no!  If you are going to grope me I’d prefer to be where I have witnesses if  I need them.  She was thorough but not inappropriate so it wasn’t an issue.  There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but since I was approaching 15 minutes before boarding and I had to walk to the opposite end of CLT I didn’t say anything.  The screening ended after massaging my feet (do the body scanners really see the bottoms of my feet?  If not then why are you touching my feet) and taking one of the explosive detecting wipes to my ID, BP, and officer Miller’s gloves.  I came out clean and they let me go.

I wish I had remembered the name of the lady who pulled me aside and forced me through the ordeal.  I paid attention to the TDC and the secondary screener, but missed the other lady’s name.  Her ego was crushed when I didn’t want to play her game and even though she shut her machine down and I cleared the WTMD without an event I still needed to waste 2 officers’ time with my secondary.

This is from courthouses, not airports, but still interesting.

c|net

William Bordley, an associate general counsel with the Marshals Service, acknowledged in the letter that “approximately 35,314 images…have been stored on the Brijot Gen2 machine” used in the Orlando, Fla. federal courthouse. In addition, Bordley wrote, a Millivision machine was tested in the Washington, D.C. federal courthouse but it was sent back to the manufacturer, which now apparently possesses the image database.

from TSA through cnet

I’m sure many out there hear “the [TSA] MMW machines are not storing images” and assume that applies to all MMW machines deployed.  I don’t recall such a claim from the courthouses and I haven’t been to any courthouse to know what they claim, but still something to think about.  Apparently if you are storing images and you send the machine back to the manufacturer they get all the images as well.  I work for a company that provides databases for hospitals.  When we get a database from a client if what we are troubleshooting is not directly related to the patients in the database we make them delete all of that data before submitting the database to us.  Also we must comply with HIPAA as far as that data goes.  It seems like a similar arrangement was not made between these clients and the manufacturers.  How soon until the kiddie pictures make it up into the kiddie porn forums on Usenet?

A 70-page document (PDF) showing the TSA’s procurement specifications, classified as “sensitive security information,” says that in some modes the scanner must “allow exporting of image data in real time” and provide a mechanism for “high-speed transfer of image data” over the network. (It also says that image filters will “protect the identity, modesty, and privacy of the passenger.”)

TSA keeps insisting the machines are not set to store images…that the machines can but that option is disabled after installation.  If you just disable that feature why do your specs call for it?  Does it up resale?  Just like how I’d never use a fireplace in a house but if you don’t have a fireplace it can affect resale?  This isn’t just the ability to store images, it’s the ability to instantly distribute them across the internet.  If that is actually happening I’m sure someone is also working on hacking that network.

There are constantly stories about TSA luggage screeners, airline baggage handlers, and random people stealing items or whole bags.  If you have jewelry, electronics, or other items of value keep them with you in your carry-on luggage.

Also, if you are flying on a regional jet and need to gate-check your bag please make sure you remove your laptop or other items that can be damaged.

If you have expensive perfume or other liquids over 3.4 ounces those items will need to be checked, but laptops, iPads, Wiis, PS3s, and the like can all be taken through security and onto a plane.  TSA will make you run laptops, PS3s, blu-ray players, and other items like that in a separate bin so if you are taking that in the box be prepared to unpack it.  For the most part TSA does not require Kindles and iPads to go separately, but LAX apparently does.

Try to claim your checked bag as soon as safely possible so someone else doesn’t have a chance to grab it and take it before you even know it came onto the belt.

So remember: valuables in carry-on.  Keep you eye on your stuff at all times.  Most people handling luggage are honest, but that doesn’t mean you should throw valuables in their face.

Flying Pasties

Where there’s a problem someone is always innovating a solution.  TSA wants to see you naked so Flying Pasties created a product to block your goodies from the virtual strip searches.

I will continue in the “avoiding at all costs” camp and I will opt for a pat down instead of going through a WBI, but for those of you who think you have nothing to hide might still want to hide your unmentionables.  Some on FlyerTalk report many people still get a pat-down after the WBI so what’s the point?

Using my knowledge of TSA I would assume wearing these would lead to a pat-down anyway or a stern conversation from TSA about mocking their security procedures.

Please note that Wimpie on FlyerTalk states:

For effectiveness, you need leather for the backscatter machines. A nice piece of thick leather down the pants cannot be seen through, as leather is much more dense than ordinary skin.

For the MMW scanners, conductive fabric with a tight weave or metalized fabric will do the trick. They won’t even alarm the WTMD. Check lessemf.com for fabric selections. I guarantee that the copper polyester taffeta will foil any imaging by MMW. (I am an RF engineer with 35 years experience)

CNN

The Senate has finally confirmed a nomination to fill the vacancy after 2 other attempts from Obama.  Who knows what this will mean, but Obama’s appointments seem to want TSA to unionize.  Even though TSA has a wide margin to improve, I have a feeling that regardless of whether they unionize that things will only get worse for the traveling public.

The only thing TSA can actually find is drugs.  The body scanners are very good at picking up drugs, but there hasn’t been a bust for an actual terrorist.

The BDO program is a joke and again only busts people carrying drugs and illegal immigrants.  Apparently the people who act nervous are just afraid of any authority (due to possession of drugs or immigration status) and aren’t a threat to air safety.  I’m pretty sure that the people who would be a threat to air safety are busy practicing techniques to avoid whatever the BDOs are looking for.  They send people on test runs to weed out those who can’t keep together.

The best method is to find these people before they get to the airport, not when they are in the middle of the act.  Unions for TSA won’t make us any safer, it will just make more articles about corrupt TSA people because the bad eggs will fester more.

The past 2 times I’ve gone through the First Class/Preferred/Star Gold line in the C check point they have staffed the X-ray machine with trainees.  CLT’s X-ray screeners are always “bag check” happy, but with the trainees it takes at least twice as long to get from the TDC to the end of the conveyor with bags and shoes ready to march to the gate.

The C checkpoint has 2 podiums for TDCs (Travel Document Checkers) and 4 X-ray machines feeding 2 WTMDs (Walk Through Metal Detectors).  The Elite line is on the left side so passengers going through that TDC will usually stay to the left-most lane(s).  Two times in a row the left most X-ray has been staffed by someone in training.  How do I know they are in training?  They are wearing a plain white button-up shirt instead of the blue shirt with the cheesy badge.  The CLT TSOs have had enough issue with my electric toothbrush, but last time the trainee and the trainer spent 3 minutes discussing it.  “It must be a brush of some kind, but the head tapers.” “Yeah, it is a brush, but that handle is weird.”  This week I tossed that toothbrush (because it hadn’t held a charge for months) so my toothbrush didn’t hold me up, but someone behind me did and I had to wait 3 minutes for a supervisor to come look at the X-ray (because the trainer must have no authority and needs someone else to get anything done).  I will reach into the tunnel if my bag is less than 4 inches from the end, but my bag was a good 18 inches back so I stood there.

amazon.com

Maybe they think the elite line is better training grounds since I’d like to think that most people in that line at least know the security prot

ocols.  I think they should let the elites get through as fast at they can so everyone has more time to focus on infrequent flyers who don’t realize you can’t bring a cutlery set through security.

From CBS News

Apparently the Government Accountability Office is investigating the BDO program.  Many of the recently busted terrorists passed through airports with BDOs, but weren’t detected by them.

The BDOs in CLT are a joke.  They pace the line and randomly ask people how their day is and where they are going.  In theory it is supposed to mimic the security methods used by Israel which are believed to be the best methods in use.  The problem is that the BDOs aren’t really properly trained.  They are wasting the money they currently have and who knows how much money it would cost to make the program work on such a large scale.  Israel has 1 airport, the US many and due to connections a terrorist can originate at any airport.

The BDOs have the same success rate as the body scanners: detecting illegal drugs.  TSA is good at doing a job they shouldn’t be doing, but fail miserably at their actual job.

Apparently detailed enough for coworkers to crack “junk” jokes and get one jailed.

NBC Miami

Perhaps the new airport body scanners are a bit too revealing.

A TSA worker in Miami was arrested for aggravated battery after police say he attacked a colleague who’d made fun of his small genitalia after he walked through one of the new high-tech security scanners during a recent training session.

This reaffirms my protest of the machines.

For everyone out there who enjoyed the Clear program it is scheduled to return

MSNBC

I never bothered with it because wasn’t in Charlotte and didn’t really do much for the money.  Many wanted to be able to keep their shoes on and laptop in.  Really you just cut to the ID checked and got into the same line after that.