Brits on traveling to the US: more hassle than it’s worth

by Iva Skoch on

Despite the weak dollar, the number of Brits visiting America is down 11% since 9/11. As this blog by The Guardian suggests, traveling to the US is just too much hassle these days.

The author, Ed Vulliamy, who travels frequently between London and the US, sounds quite angry about the whole thing: “And now here comes a new bag of tricks from Washington’s Department of Homeland Security: demanding to be informed of everything about you – by yourself and your government – before you try and buy a ticket, even if you are merely flying over America,” he writes. “Who the hell wants to apply online for permission to visit the US before even buying a ticket? Why should information on a friend or relative pushing a passenger in a wheelchair to the gate at Prestwick be dispatched to the CIA?”

One of his points especially struck me. He says that “the paranoia and war on terror, of which the new travel measures are part – have robbed and abused the emotional power and dignity of New York’s response to al-Qaeda’s murderous visit that morning: the carpets of flowers, the tributes, the missing posters and peace signs. This kind of language, this paranoia and manipulation of what happened has nothing to do with the real best of America. And godammit, that’s why it is still worth braving.”

It is hard to argue with that.

Breaking news: TSA may be useful for once

by Jerry Guo on

Here’s a brief update to my post about US border control’s recent push in seizing laptops, iPods, and other electronic whatnots. It seems the Transportation Security Administration does remain somewhat in touch with reality: they actually responded to this concern on their handy blog.

Should anyone at a TSA checkpoint attempt to confiscate your laptop or gain your passwords or other information, please ask to see a supervisor or screening manager immediately.

And it seems they fixed another snafu earlier this week about taking all electronics out of your bag at security. Turns out you don’t have to do that.

Anyways, their new blog isn’t all bad–yet.

Turn off your laptop when going through security

by Grant Martin on

As we barrel through the cold, snowy, dry months up here in the great American North, here’s another tip for going through security at the airport: if you’ve been working on your laptop outside of security and just closed the screen real quick to pass through to resume working, you may want to consider turning it all of the way off.

With humidity as low as it is, people generate a lot of static electricity when removing jackets, shoes, scarves and sweaters before going through the metal detector. Doubling that by putting everything back on, we now become supercharged as we dangerously, in slow motion, reach down to our hibernating notebook computers….. until ZAP! we discharge on them.

And it doesn’t take a genius to realize that any electrical discharge onto a live circuit could result in you frying the whole thing.

After shocking myself and my Thinkpad for the 500th time last weekend I said to the woman watching me pack up my stuff, “Dude, you should ground something here so I can discharge myself”

She replied “Dude, you should turn off your laptop”.

Wise words from the TSA. Amazing.

How to still fly if you’re on the no-fly list

by Jerry Guo on

There’s been countless stories, here at Gadling and elsewhere, of people mistakenly added to TSA’s no-fly or terrorist watch lists. In fact, the lists currently hold 700,000 names–which simple logic should tell you means more than quite a few are just hapless law-abiding citizens.

Even names like John Thompson and James Wilson are on the lists. Scary! If you’re on it, you face a multitude of hassles: no online check-in, no use of the airport kiosks, incessant questioning by ticket agents, extra pat-downs at the security checkpoints, and sometimes even detention (which means missing your flight).

So what’s the easiest way to avoid all this? Not the official Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, or TRIP, which was started last year and serves as the formal process for getting yourself off the list. Surprisingly, the best solution is the easiest: use your middle name. Most often the watch lists do not include middle names and you’re allowed to fly with just middle name – last name.

Undercover TSA official makes it through security with mock explosive

by Anna Brones on

Transportation Security Administration news seems to be popping up all over the place. First it alerted staff that covert testing was taking place (making it not so covert), then the screeners failed to catch explosives, and then the girlfriend of one of Gadling’s own bloggers got through security without valid ID. What’s in store this week? An online CNN video showing a failed undercover test of TSA screeners.

On Friday, January 25, the lucky folks of the CNN investigate team got to follow TSA undercover official “Jason” along to the Tampa International Airport. At the hotel room he strapped on a mock explosive tucked into an elastic back strap, and upon arrival at the airport made it through security clearance with no problem. CNN, in turn, got it all on tape.

Frequent tests are run by the TSA, but rarely are they made so public. The TSA did state however that the methods used by “Jason” to smuggle his mock explosive through security are common ones found on known terror websites; the video isn’t divulging anything new.

You can watch the video here. Confused on whether to feel safe or not? Read more about TSA covert testing at the TSA official website, then decide for yourself.

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