July 8, 2012 Arlington VA
Now checking drinks bought inside the secure area 'Because they can'
In yet another colossal blunder by the unusually incompetent TSA senior executives, the TSA has now decided to randomly check drinks bought within the secure zone at airports, according to an article from the Western Center for Journalism, and reported elsewhere as well.
On its blog, the TSA has defended its practice of randomly screening beverages purchased by passengers in secured areas of airports after passing through security checkpoints. You know, just in case that barista turned your latte into a bomb or something.
Under what TSA's "Blogger Bob Burns" calls "Not a big deal really..." passengers might be pulled out of line at the gate during boarding so that TSA can screen beverages they acquired after passing the security checkpoint, in supposedly secured areas of the airport.
According to Bob, the practice is just another one of TSA's layered security measures designed to be "unpredictable" thus making it harder for terrorists to plan for in trying "to do malice to the transportation infrastructure."
"If everything we did was always the same, it would provide a checklist for people to know exactly what to expect," wrote Bob. "While this would be extremely helpful for passengers, it would also be useful to those wishing to do us harm."
In the screening process, which Bob says will take just "few moments of your time before boarding your flight," a TSA agent holds a non-toxic, chemically treated test strip over the beverage opened by the passenger. As Bob stresses, the test strip never actually touches the beverage. "If the test results are positive TSA will conduct additional testing to make a final assessment," says Bob.
Bob also assures that at-the-gate screening is random and "isn't happening at every airport every day." [Info in part courtesy of About.com. ]
As we all know, TSA seldom takes anything to the level intended, and usually has its former unemployment office employees over-reacting. Expect that here as well, especially that your drink will be ruined as they 'teach' employees not to put the strip in the drink itself. Will the incompetence of the TSA never end?
This latest action is in the running for the next upcoming Stupid Award.
Recent Comments