The TSA wants you to stop wasting their time – what to know before you go

by Scott Carmichael on

Now Winter is finally over, and Spring is (slowly) making its way to us, this can only mean one thing – in about 2 months, the airport will once again turn into a madhouse of once-a-year fliers, and families with 20 suitcases trying to make their way to the Disney express.

With inexperienced passengers, comes a lot of people who will be treated to their first encounter with whatever the TSA has changed in their rules in the past year.

Even after all these years, there are still passengers who show up at the checkpoint with full sized bottles of toiletries, knives and other items they will have to throw away.

So, one of the writers on the TSA’s own blog, “evolution of security” has compiled a list of all the things you need to know before you leave for the airport.

The site even includes video clips for those of us that don’t like lots of words.

I used to think these overviews were stupid, but after seeing how many people don’t have a clue how the checkpoint works, it really does make sense to be prepared.

If you are heading for the airport for the first time in years, please take a moment to go over the information, you’ll help the TSA, and you’ll help those of us that are just trying to get to the other side of the checkpoint as quickly as possible.

TSA agent caught running a drug business on the side

by Scott Carmichael on

Look, we all know the economy is a little sour at the moment, so what do creative people do? They try and make a little extra cash on the side!

That is what entrepreneur Timothy Monroe did when his job as a TSA checkpoint agent didn’t pay enough.

So, Mr. Monroe picked a second job in a pretty stable kind of market – selling drugs.

During the daytime, Mr. Monroe protected our airports from deadly water bottles and nail clippers, and at night, he sold cocaine and marijuana to his customers.

Apparently this is against the law, because officers obtained a high-risk search warrant and raided his house.

In it, they found all the tools of his trade – guns, ammo, cash, cocaine and marijuana. A TSA spokesperson said they were “aware” of the allegations, and will take appropriate action.

5 days 5 bags – day 2: Skooba Design Checkthrough Brief

by Scott Carmichael on

Welcome to day 2 of “5 days 5 bags”. Today’s bag is the Skooba Design Checkthrough brief.

This TSA friendly laptop bag is designed to comply with the new TSA regulations that allow you to keep your laptop inside its bag at the checkpoint.


The Checkthrough features a “fold open” design with a clear window, and to prepare the bag for screening, you simply unzip it, fold it flat and place it on the X-Ray machine conveyor. To be sure their design worked as it should, Skooba submitted the bag for testing with Rapiscan, who make almost all the X-Ray machines at airports around the world.

The bag is very much a classic looking laptop bag. On the inside and out, you’ll find 20 different pockets and compartments, making it ideal for using as your office on the road.

The bag also features some very nice extra touches, like an elastic “pull out” ID pocket on the side, and an easy to read set of checkpoint instructions on the laptop portion, which make it perfect for when you run into a TSA agent who has not kept up to date with the newest regulations.

All in all a very nice and well designed laptop bag, especially if you prefer a classic look. The folding laptop portion is very easy to use, and should help keep your laptop nice and safe at the checkpoint. With its 20 pockets and pouches, you’ll have a hard time running out of space.

Dimensions (W*H*D): 17*13*7.5
Weight: 3lb
Colors available: Black
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: $139.95
Product page: Skooba Design

TSA checkpoint fails to detect stun gun – airport ramp worker finds it

by Scott Carmichael on

Stories showing the incompetence of some of the agents in charge of screening our airports are getting a little boring – unfortunately the TSA keeps providing new examples of just how inefficient they can be.

An incident at Albany International Airport is just another where the TSA checkpoint missed a potentially hazardous item.

Amy Burns had passed through the checkpoint with her child and a stroller. Nobody at the checkpoint found anything, so she proceeded to the gate.

It wasn’t until a ramp worker prepared to load her stroller into the baggage hold when he discovered a stun gun stowed in the storage basket of the stroller.

Instead of admitting failure and apologizing for the mistake, a TSA spokesperson tried to spin things to make it appear that their “multiple levels of security” prevented the stun gun from getting on the plane. I was not aware that ramp workers were now part of the TSA.

In fact, had the passenger not left the item in her stroller, she would have been able to bring it on board. Of course, there is no evidence that she had intended to use it on the flight, but in a day and age where a nail file is considered a potential weapon, being able to sneak a stun gun past the trained security officers does not give me much faith in their screening skills.

(Via: Timesunion.com)

Paranoia strikes again – Muslim family kicked off their Airtran flight

by Scott Carmichael on

Here we go again. Another family traveling for the holidays has been kicked off their flight after a fellow passenger observed them mentioning the word “safety”. That’s right, not “bomb”, “terrorist” or “hijack”.

Just your average family of 9 trying to figure out where they wanted to seat.

Someone on board managed to get the attention of 2 federal air marshals, who then contacted their superiors in Washington. The family was then kicked off the plane, questioned by the FBI and of course, cleared of any wrongdoing.

The TSA then decided that the threat was so credible, that all 104 passengers would have to be re-screened, and that all their bags would have to be inspected again. To me, this means that they admit they may have done a crappy job during the first screening.

As if that wasn’t enough, Airtran then refused to transport the 9 passengers and simply refunded their tickets. It took some effort by the FBI to find alternative flights for the family.

Good job Airtran, keeping us safe from people trying to find a decent seat on your flights. In their defense, AirTran did let the family know that they were free to fly with them in the future, which I’m sure they are really thrilled to hear.

(Via: NBC Washington)