Heightened security at U.S airports (and overseas?)
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Please let us all know.
Something which we are apparently loath to do less we are considered racist, phobic or anti-whatever. The "let's treat everyone the same" approach is a waste of time and effort, diverts valuable resources from their real targets, focuses on the innocent, gives the public a false sense of security but worst of all, completes the terrorists job.
And your solution is... or are you also part of the problem?
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it isn't about the battery
The question they are being asked to find out is "is this laptop a functional computer or a possible bomb in which internal components have been replaced with explosives?" Laptops don't have any real empty space or unneeded parts, so if it boots it is probably 100% laptop. This is not completely new, as others have said. Any electronic device is suspect. Pan Am 103, for example.
If a device was so altered triggering it is trivial. So yeah, show me that laptop works, especially if (like me) you have a beard.
If a device was so altered triggering it is trivial. So yeah, show me that laptop works, especially if (like me) you have a beard.
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
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So going back to May I put this in the SLF forum, but could well explain a lot
http://www.pprune.org/8473693-post1.html
http://www.pprune.org/8473693-post1.html
No Pilters Im not part of the problem and I know all about profiling. Its just one weapon in the armoury. I have nothing to do with airport security except when I have to endure the same hassle as everyone else on my travels.
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Probably looks just like the security/TSA at the security checkpoint, and is allowed to access luggage and move freely from groundside to airside. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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Out of interest, does anyone know if this will apply for internal flights-for example when connecting to domestic US flights? I am flying from the UK to Florida next week via ORD. Will I need to ensure my laptop can be powered up at ORD security as I plan to use it on the international leg.
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Oh, oh, what do we do now? A list of "permissible" make/model numbers?
I’m not really sure how demonstrating that an electronic device can be turned on stops it having anything nasty in it? You don’t need much stored energy to run a laptop/tablet/PDA for a few minutes - the rest of the “battery” could be high explosive... 
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Never underestimate the stupidity of bureaucrats......
...or actually looking at this another way, never underestimate their deviousness in creating additional unnecessary work that they can use to justify increasing the bureaucracy....
...these measures are no more about security than an episode of Blue Peter is about operation Yewtree...!
It's just plain and simple about $$$$ from pockets into other pockets....nowhere can anybody rational really truly think this ludicrous exercise will stop a serious threat....one with a real genuine desire to do damage and launched by an organised and trained/equipped criminal or terrorist group.
...or actually looking at this another way, never underestimate their deviousness in creating additional unnecessary work that they can use to justify increasing the bureaucracy....
...these measures are no more about security than an episode of Blue Peter is about operation Yewtree...!
It's just plain and simple about $$$$ from pockets into other pockets....nowhere can anybody rational really truly think this ludicrous exercise will stop a serious threat....one with a real genuine desire to do damage and launched by an organised and trained/equipped criminal or terrorist group.
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Hyflyer I have to agree with you. I'm happy to have security measurers in force that will perhaps detect the odd loony (terrorist or not), but unless you bring the aviation industry to a grinding halt, no amount of security will ever totally eradicate those with a serious and well planned intent.
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We do of course express concerns about the impact of hightened security measures on the aviation industry. Are these justifiable particularly during the current high volume period, beginning of school holidays for the UK and the whole of Continental Europe out on 1st August heading for the sun spots.
Today the UK headline news was the governments proposal to introduce an emergency law for the authorities to access computer and phone records and for the service providers to retain such records. It is hoped that this law will be enacted within six days. The reason given for these measures is that CJEU has recently struck down a directive for the retention of such records for a period of 12months. But if I recal correctly, this was back in April, so why did it take them so long to act on the matter,how come this becomes an emergency issue now. This would seem rather coincidental to the heightened security measures at airports.
Could it be that the current measures to have computers and mobile phones in an operative state may currently be considered unlawful and appropriate law is required to enable the authorities to have free and uniterrupted access to our electronic gizzmos.
Whatever may be the true reasons, it must be an emergency of some size and proportion.
Today the UK headline news was the governments proposal to introduce an emergency law for the authorities to access computer and phone records and for the service providers to retain such records. It is hoped that this law will be enacted within six days. The reason given for these measures is that CJEU has recently struck down a directive for the retention of such records for a period of 12months. But if I recal correctly, this was back in April, so why did it take them so long to act on the matter,how come this becomes an emergency issue now. This would seem rather coincidental to the heightened security measures at airports.
Could it be that the current measures to have computers and mobile phones in an operative state may currently be considered unlawful and appropriate law is required to enable the authorities to have free and uniterrupted access to our electronic gizzmos.
Whatever may be the true reasons, it must be an emergency of some size and proportion.
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WOT'S NEW?!
A couple of years ago l was transitting through London with Max Ldg Wt suitcase, and thought l'd park it at Kings Cross station for a few hours.
Case duly X-rayed and Left Luggage bod spotted my ancient Dell laptop buried in the case. I assured him it was MY laptop, and that it was switched off.
He then insisted l unlock said case and switch on the laptop to prove it was what l said. My little disguised fury at this intrusion into my dirty shreddies plus the sheer inconvenience plus the exorbitant cost should l pass the terrorist test, caused me to storm off and burn some more calories towing the damn thing around til train time arrived, which l subsequently boarded with my "bomb" unscreened ! ! !
So the "switch it on to prove its identity" fad is not new, it's just that the TSA/Transec dorks are looking the other way, at the Caucasian grandmother with her brood of grandchildren, giving them grief at "security", whilst our wild-eyed hairy-faced fundamentalist friends are checking in the most enormous suitcases in their name, to be accompanied to heaven as that piece of baggage goes off at a pre-determined time over the ocean or major city.
Also, the miles of relatively weak chainlink fencing around the runways remains relatively unprotected as the Stasi give grief to hard-working aircrew with tweezers and contact lens solution and a bite of lunch.
"Good news; the inmates are running the asylum, bad news; they've got the keys to the pharmacy!"
Whilst everyones eyes are focussed on the passenger screening stage centre, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WINGS OF THE THEATRE???
Think back to the recent Brussels diamond heist and try sleeping easy in your beds!!!
Case duly X-rayed and Left Luggage bod spotted my ancient Dell laptop buried in the case. I assured him it was MY laptop, and that it was switched off.
He then insisted l unlock said case and switch on the laptop to prove it was what l said. My little disguised fury at this intrusion into my dirty shreddies plus the sheer inconvenience plus the exorbitant cost should l pass the terrorist test, caused me to storm off and burn some more calories towing the damn thing around til train time arrived, which l subsequently boarded with my "bomb" unscreened ! ! !
So the "switch it on to prove its identity" fad is not new, it's just that the TSA/Transec dorks are looking the other way, at the Caucasian grandmother with her brood of grandchildren, giving them grief at "security", whilst our wild-eyed hairy-faced fundamentalist friends are checking in the most enormous suitcases in their name, to be accompanied to heaven as that piece of baggage goes off at a pre-determined time over the ocean or major city.
Also, the miles of relatively weak chainlink fencing around the runways remains relatively unprotected as the Stasi give grief to hard-working aircrew with tweezers and contact lens solution and a bite of lunch.
"Good news; the inmates are running the asylum, bad news; they've got the keys to the pharmacy!"
Whilst everyones eyes are focussed on the passenger screening stage centre, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WINGS OF THE THEATRE???
Think back to the recent Brussels diamond heist and try sleeping easy in your beds!!!
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@BarkingMad
Around 15 years ago there was a similar requirement to turn on laptops on passing through some security checks. I was at a European airport that will remain nameless but which had the security check at each gate. I was one of the early ones to the gate and the female security guard having checked inside my computer case asked me to turn on my laptop- which I duly did (a minimum of 90 seconds those days). As I was powering it back down an announcement was made that my aircraft would actually be departing from a different gate. "So how do I get to there?" I said to the security guard. "Follow me" she said and marched off followed by me the other guards unlocking doors on the way and we arrived at the new gate where she positioned herself the other side of the desk. "Thanks I said" making to walk through. "Please open your case and you have to switch on your laptop." she said......
Around 15 years ago there was a similar requirement to turn on laptops on passing through some security checks. I was at a European airport that will remain nameless but which had the security check at each gate. I was one of the early ones to the gate and the female security guard having checked inside my computer case asked me to turn on my laptop- which I duly did (a minimum of 90 seconds those days). As I was powering it back down an announcement was made that my aircraft would actually be departing from a different gate. "So how do I get to there?" I said to the security guard. "Follow me" she said and marched off followed by me the other guards unlocking doors on the way and we arrived at the new gate where she positioned herself the other side of the desk. "Thanks I said" making to walk through. "Please open your case and you have to switch on your laptop." she said......
A man armed with a loaded gun boarded a UK bound flights from Phoenix, Arizona, it has emerged.
In a separate incident on a different flight a man managed to smuggle a flick knife onto the aircraft.
They were both missed by the same agent employed by the Transportation Security Administration, a US government agency which screens passengers at American airports on June 22.
One of the two passengers, who is understood to have a criminal record, was picked up when trying to board a connecting flight to Paris.
The second passenger, who was carrying the knife, was also intercepted while transferring to another flight.
In a separate incident on a different flight a man managed to smuggle a flick knife onto the aircraft.
They were both missed by the same agent employed by the Transportation Security Administration, a US government agency which screens passengers at American airports on June 22.
One of the two passengers, who is understood to have a criminal record, was picked up when trying to board a connecting flight to Paris.
The second passenger, who was carrying the knife, was also intercepted while transferring to another flight.
It's called P r o f i l i n g
Something which we are apparently loath to do less we are considered racist, phobic or anti-whatever. The "let's treat everyone the same" approach is a waste of time and effort, diverts valuable resources from their real targets, focuses on the innocent, gives the public a false sense of security but worst of all, completes the terrorists job.
Something which we are apparently loath to do less we are considered racist, phobic or anti-whatever. The "let's treat everyone the same" approach is a waste of time and effort, diverts valuable resources from their real targets, focuses on the innocent, gives the public a false sense of security but worst of all, completes the terrorists job.
I think it's easy to throw stones at the few individuals who underperform at central search (and we've all met one), but the anecdotes are thankfully the exceptions. I'd rather the majority keep doing it efficiently and give AQ a hard time trying to second guess when Bert Stuffup will be on duty than tell them that only a certain demographic will be screened.
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The problem with profiling of course is that it would give the likes of Al Qaeda an easy side door in. All they have to do is find a clean skinned operative, i.e. a European of fair complexion open to their ideology with no previous links, and they know he won't be screened at all. Even better if they can find an elderly, female European, going by some of the logic on here. No chance of her being screened, as long as we follow your line and just search the dark skinned men with beards eh?
Does the person fly regularly, frequent flier on a routine trip been doing the same trips for a long time (years), etc. - likely to be low risk score without other flags.
Person has no record of previous air travel apparently clean but will be checked further, then add score for type of pax and other flags.
Add risk scores for payment type, flight type (single or return), booking well ahead or close to departure, previous countries visited, citizenship(s), known relationships, etc etc.
Check all pax for tell tale signs of malevolent intent and raise score if necessary
Then move to race, age, sex etc,.
I'm aware that profiling doesn't simply come down to skin colour but I'm simplifying it to show the flaw. It doesn't matter how many variables you use to profile, it still allows some people to be treated differently, and where you treat people differently, based on whatever factors you may care to choose, it opens a loophole that terrorists will exploit.
It mostly boils down to this:
If you don’t have the resources to screen everybody and everything to the highest standards, which we don’t, you have to concentrate those resources intelligently where you think the risks are highest. This doesn’t mean that you perform no checks at all on the remainder - all hold luggage gets screened, all carry on bags are x-rayed, all tickets/passports are checked, etc. You can also allocate part of your resources to completely random enhanced investigations.
Depending on who you ask, about 2-3 billion people travel by air every year. Of these, how many are actually trying to blow up the aeroplane they’re travelling on? Ten? One hundred? I have no idea but even if it was 10,000 it is a vanishingly small part of the total. This is why profiling is essential.
If you don’t have the resources to screen everybody and everything to the highest standards, which we don’t, you have to concentrate those resources intelligently where you think the risks are highest. This doesn’t mean that you perform no checks at all on the remainder - all hold luggage gets screened, all carry on bags are x-rayed, all tickets/passports are checked, etc. You can also allocate part of your resources to completely random enhanced investigations.
Depending on who you ask, about 2-3 billion people travel by air every year. Of these, how many are actually trying to blow up the aeroplane they’re travelling on? Ten? One hundred? I have no idea but even if it was 10,000 it is a vanishingly small part of the total. This is why profiling is essential.
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Profiling is the key.
Another anecdote, I left my ex-partner airside in charge of a 74F, whilst I did the the paperwork as my "oppo" had gone sick. Not security checked, no 5 year work history, but I trusted her, guess what, nothing happenend. It really is security gone mad, I can think of a million loopholes but uncharged batteries is not one.
Another anecdote, I left my ex-partner airside in charge of a 74F, whilst I did the the paperwork as my "oppo" had gone sick. Not security checked, no 5 year work history, but I trusted her, guess what, nothing happenend. It really is security gone mad, I can think of a million loopholes but uncharged batteries is not one.