Superman eyes: TSA’s device to see through clothes in an airport near you

by Jamie Rhein on

When Catherine first posted about TSA’s body scan device, I thought that the term “Big Brother is watching ” had reached a new level of meaning. The machine is one that a passenger steps though so that millimeter waves can be bounced off his or her body, thus capturing a fairly perfect image of the person’s exact shape sans clothes.

This isn’t the naked-as-a-jay bird, in your birthday suit image, but this grainy, fuzzy image that you see here. Still and all, do you see what I see? I think the person has an “inny” navel. Or is it an “outy?”

The machines must be doing some good where they are being used already, one would hope, since TSA is springing for more of them.

Engadget picked up on the story that machines are being installed in Dallas, Detroit, Miami and Las Vegas towards the end of June. The machine was used for the first time at the Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, and JFK in New York have had Superman eyes capabilities for a few months now. If you have a plastic or ceramic gun and think you’re going to take it on an airplane, think again. TSA is on to you.

Personally, I’m going for a pat down if given a choice. There’s something about this machine creeps me out a bit. However, in this USA Today article, one official said that the body imaging capabilities are just being tapped.

Hmmm. Here’s an idea. Come up with a machine that also does health screening. While it’s searching out weapons it can search out cancer. People who pass through the machines would then get a free health report printout. Just think, eventually you might be able to take a flight a year and do without that colonoscopy, mammogram or prostate exam. It’s just a thought.

More crazy airline news:

Does 50 pounds weigh the same amount everywhere?: An airline math story

by Jamie Rhein on

Whenever I’ve played the “watch the scale game” at an airline check-in, seeing if I’m a winner without going over 50, the magic number, or if I’ll have to pull over to the side and repack, it has never occurred to me that the scale might be off.

According to a airline passenger letter that travel columnist Christopher Elliot received and posted on his blog, one Shawn Rabin discovered that his wife’s suitcase magically changed weight between Phoenix and Chicago. Not only is Chicago a top 10 destination this summer, but evidently, according to an American Airlines scale, items weigh more there.

Rabin weighed the suitcase at home before he arrived at the Phoenix airport and it weighed 45 pounds. At the airport it weighed 44 pounds. So far, so good, particularly if Rabin and his wife want to feel like they weigh less than they do. Their scale at home weighs one pound heavier. However, by the time the suitcase spent time in Chicago before ending up at the American Airline check-in counter there, the suitcase picked up six pounds. The scale said it weighed 52 pounds which cost Rabin’s family $50.

Before you yell out, ” souvenirs stupid,” consider this. According to Rabin, it was exactly the same suitcase with exactly the same things in it. The suitcase was again weighed in Phoenix after it made it back there and it had dropped down to 47.5 pounds along the way.

American Airlines, according to the letter Rabin received and Elliot posted, did give Rabin a $50 travel voucher for his family’s next trip to make them feel happier about American Airlines, but the airlines didn’t admit that the Chicago scale was wrong.

This story reminded me of a travel tip. When checking in bags, have a canvas bag of some sort, or even a plastic shopping bag handy. If you pull out a pair of shoes, and perhaps one other item, you’ll get that weight down by two pounds easy. Sling the canvas bag over you shoulder. Still, it would be nice to be able to trust the scales for sure.

This reminds me of the sharecroppers stories when they used to go up against the big guy during harvest time. A dishonest landowner would have weights that were off in order to tip the scale in his favor when it came to paying out. Not that that’s what airlines are doing, but perhaps this is a modern day version of a tale told through time.

(Thanks to bjearwicke of www.garrisonphoto for use of the pic)

Don’t wear that Transformers shirt through security

by Grant Martin on

I hear a lot of complaints about the TSA, especially since the liquid bans were put into effect, but I’m usually pretty gentle with them. Most of the TSA officers seem to have the right intentions and are willing to work with you. Most of the time they’re just enforcing rules set by the DHS and you have no reason to give them a hard time.

This instance, however, is not one of them. Last week a guy traveling through London‘s Heathrow airport, a notoriously strict hub, got stopped and questioned for wearing a t-shirt with Megatron on it. If you’re not familiar with the program that was on the telly, Megatron is a fictional evil alien cartoon robot that’s on Transformers. A fictional cartoon robot with a gun for an arm.

Airport security didn’t like the fact that there was a gun on this guy’s t-shirt, so they made him change it, saying that they would arrest him if he put it back on.

Hey Chertoff: I know you don’t like depictions of weapons onboard your flights because someone could get confused and mistake it for the real thing. That’s fine. But this is a CARTOON ROBOT DRAWN ON A T-SHIRT. Don’t you think we could let this slide?

[Mind you, I realize that the TSA, proper, is not responsible for security at LHR — several commenters keep pointing that out. The UK’s own homeland security take care of screening at British terminals. The point is that the US & UK (and their respective agencies) share many ridiculous rules about prohibitions onto airplanes. Check out this article for a similar instance in the US. — GM]

HNL: Honolulu’s airport done right.

by Grant Martin on

Looking at the picture to the right, you would probably think that it was an image captured off of a tropical island beach or a Zen garden, nestled somewhere deep in the Thai jungle. Or perhaps it’s within the grounds of Shanghai’s old city, where pristine gardens and tailored landscapes roll across ancient architecture and history. But you wouldn’t think that it’s smack dab in the middle of an airport, which is exactly where it is.

The first thing that you notice when you land in Honolulu Airport is the tropical air. This is because most of the airport is open to the weather, with only a roof over many sections. But walking through the terminals, you notice something else distinct from the cruel American airports that you’re used to: it’s actually quite nice.

Though the John Rodgers Terminal was dedicated in 1962, the building doesn’t look like its almost fifty years old. Inside of security, there are a wealth of shopping and dining options — since HNL serves many international destinations, duty free and Hawaiian paraphernalia shops are scattered through the concourse where you can even buy 3-packs of local pineapple to bring along on your flight.

At the center of the compound, a well manicured garden serves as a peaceful interlude from airport madness. Many of the airline lounges are situated around this garden and there are numerous benches and walkways that you can rest on and find peace.

Got a long layover? At only 3 miles from the downtown area, HNL is within easy access via public transportation and numerous city shuttles. While traffic on the expressway can be heavy, well planned commuting is quick — no 2 hour transfers into the city. You can also take a quick public bus northwest, to Pearl Harbor, visit the Arizona (free admission) or wander around the other navy ships on site.

Several rental car companies are stationed nearby, so you can drop off your vehicle and dart to the terminal if you’re in a hurry, or you can take your sweet time and catch a shuttle if you’re at ease.

It’s as if the designer of the airport actually knew what was going on in a travelers head and knew what was most important to a frequent flier. Sounds like it should be easy, but few airports have the space and flexibility to do this.t

Last week I was dreading a 14 hour layover in Honolulu on a return trip from Tokyo. But the combination of amenities and its proximity to the sights made HNL an excellent airport to spend my time at and by the time I was boarding my flight to Los Angeles I had been through the airport garden, business lounge, to Pearl Harbor, Waikiki beach and had eaten a great lunch at the mall downtown. And that’s why HNL gets my vote for the best airport in the nation.

Naomi Campbell faces five charges for her bad airport behavior

by Anna Brones on

Remember the Naomi Campbell incident back in early April? If you need your memory refreshed, Campbell was arrested after causing a scene over misplaced luggage in Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Now Campbell is being faced with five different charges in connection with the alleged assault of a police officer who was called in to deal with her melt down, reports The Guardian.

Not that I am a fan of celebrity gossip, but I think we can use this as a good reminder of what airplane-induced stress can bring to you if it goes too far. Campbell is being charged with three counts of assaulting a constable, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of using threatening and abusive words towards the cabin crew.

I am sure that Campbell will be able to scrounge up some cash to pay for a good lawyer, but keep all this in mind next time you want to lose your cool over luggage. Refrain from attacking people and wait for your misplaced luggage in a timely manner, then you won’t find yourself having to appear in front of a court with a good defensive argument for your crazy behavior.