Oxymoron of the day: Precise Lawyers
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Electronics banned on US flights
THE LAND OF THE FREE has decided that ordinary people will pay for a security cock-up that allowed an alleged terrorist on board a plane on Christmas day.
Security staff who already terrorise ordinary people with bizarre security checks are now banning all electronic devices from being carried on planes. Well, sort of. Like most knee-jerk shut-the-door-after-the-horse-has-bolted measures, it will be up to a security person on the ground to decide if someone is going to use their Iphone to play games or blow up the plane.
According to a press release, the US Department of Homeland Security says it will be up to the bloke at the airport to decide.
But since this is probably the same bloke who apparently failed to find a packet of powdered explosive and decided that a syringe of chemical explosive was probably okay, this directive is probably a bit daft. Now the same bloke is not going to let you on board an airplane with a mobile phone for the next few months.
Quite why Homeland Security is picking on electronics users is not clear. Reportedly the device used in the latest incident was strapped to the terrorist's body and no MP3 player, Iphone, or portable computer was involved.
Neither was the use of any electronic gear involved in the fact that the suspect was not placed on a no-fly list despite a warning from his dad that he was likely to do that sort of thing.
Allegedly the bomb material was identical to that used by the would-be shoe bomber in 2002, so there was nothing involved that security forces did not know about. Finding this sort of gear should have been fairly basic.
For a while US Customs snoops have been copying the hard drives of those who carry laptops on planes, but now it looks as though if you plan on flying to the US then you'd better not take any electronics gear with you. µ
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"For a while US Customs snoops have been copying the hard drives of those who carry laptops on planes"
When did that start????
Idiots, we have idiots in charge. Idiots leading idiots. You'd think we'd learn, but no ... idiots, just frakkin' idiots. Well, some may be morons.
This wasn't a security cock up. This was deliberate. When you fail at 9 different points and have warning from the father, it's no mistake.
ICTS does security at Schiphol for this airline. They were also the ones in charge at Logan International in Boston for 9/11, for the airline the shoe bomber used, and just about every other security "cock up".
In the US, however, we hear absolutely nothing about that. We just hear "airport security" as though it was a government agency rather than a private company that repeatedly "cocks up".
You do the math.
Ssh, nobody mention this guy
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/09/ass_bomber.html
COMPARE TIGER WOODS TO ABDULMUTALLAB. LONG LOST BROTHAS?
The president will keep us safe and do whatever is required to make us safe. I feel very safe knowing he is working so hard to keep us safe. He obviously knows something you don't about electronics going to be used to take down a plane, so he took appropriate action to make us safe.
Ed, could you cite your sources?
The TSA web site says nothing of the sort. There is no prohibition of electronics in carry-on luggage or on pax. The TSA site says: "During flight, passengers may be asked to follow flight crew instructions, such as stowing personal items, turning off electronic equipment and remaining seated during certain portions of the flight."
The current understanding is that this will apply during the climb-out and descent phases.
Still, great sensationalist headline, I congratulate you.
Mobile & wireless, http://www.itworld.com/mikelgan
New TSA rule: Everybody goes naked on airline flights
Just kidding. There's no such rule. Too bad, because that makes more sense than the new ban on Wi-Fi.
December 28, 2009, 02:51 PM — Terrorist groups commit acts of terror not to kill people, but to create unreasonable fear. That's why they call it terror.
The fear is unreasonable because your chances of dying from a terrorist attack essentially rounds to zero. According to Bureau of Transportation Statistics, your chances of being victimized by a "terrorist incident" when you board an airplane are about 1 in 10,408,947. The risk of death from a car accident during the drive to the airport, the airplane meal and the exposure to pathogens in the cabin are all far higher than the risk of dying from a terrorist attack.
Unless you've been hiding from terrorists under a rock, you'll know that a Nigerian dipwad named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab succeeded in lighting his pants on fire while attempting an act of "terrorism" on Christmas Day. Allegedly.
Abdulmutallab apparently used neither TV nor Wi-Fi while committing this act. As a result, authorities are cracking down on in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi. Wait, what?
According to a new TSA security directive distributed to airlines on Saturday, airlines are to "disable aircraft-integrated passenger communications systems and services (phone, internet access services, live television programming, global positioning systems) prior to boarding and during all phases of flight." Also: all passenger access to carry-on luggage, getting up from seats and having anything on laps is banned one hour before all landings.
The only result from this idiotic policy directive will be to increase passenger fear. Essentially, one hour before your flight lands, cabin crews will communicate that you are now at a heightened risk of being killed by some sociopathic maniac. The terrorists themselves will know that the detonation of lap-bombs should take place one hour and fifteen minutes before landing.
There. Feel safer now?
Abdulmutallab almost detonated a bomb because of multiple failures by the TSA. Passengers, on the other hand, did everything right, and prevented the attack. So let's punish passengers!
The TSA sometimes acts like it's taking direct orders from Bin Laden. All this fear and inconvenience is exactly what terrorists are aiming for. Why do we oblige them? After all, without fear there can be no terrorism. Why does the government work so hard to keep us scared over such a minuscule risk?
Anyway, I have a better idea. Let's ban all clothing from all flights. Both the shoe bomber and Abdulmutallab used clothing -- not Wi-Fi and not live TV -- to make their failed attempts. In addition to taking away the possibility of hiding incendiary devices, a total ban on all clothes will also have the following positive results:
1. Terrorists will have a further disincentive from targeting flights, because religious extremists tend to be squeamish about naked people.
2. It would reduce greenhouse gas emissions because shy people wouldn't fly, thus reducing the number of flights overall.
3. I don't know why, but I think people would be more courteous. Talk about friendly skies!
Of course, I'm not serious about the clothing ban. But it makes a lot more sense than the TSA's new ban on Wi-Fi and in-flight TV.
THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS ARTICLE THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH CHARLIE SHEEN IN THE SLIGHTEST. EVERYONE SHOULD IGNORE THIS ARTICLE.
The writer of this article should learn to fact check before writing. Electronics are not banned. There was and is a restriction on USE of electronics during a portion of the flight that has now been reduced to "at the discretion of flight crew". The readers should learn to fact check before perpetuating false rumors. Dude had a passport with a VALID US VISA that expires in June 2010. That's more than 6 months of visa left on his passport. No warning flags there. Warning flag was dude's father walking into the US embassy in November 2009 and WARNING the US. Not that they believed him, did a secondary check or pulled their heads from where the sun don't shine. Buy hey, idiot writer, idiot readers. Enjoy eachother's company.
So, I can't take my office's $2000 laptop in carry-on because someone uses non-electronic devices to try to blow up a plane, and then my luggage gets lost and I look like an idiot at the meeting? And you seem to think that it's all about entertainment. Get a clue.
"Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security" - Benjamin Franklin
It's hard to avoid the conclusion that these pathetic "attacks" are carefully designed and timed to keep the authorities on the hop at all times, and gradually to squeeze the airline industry to destruction by making it impossibly unpleasant and inconvenient to fly.
Just as people are getting used to queueing for an hour, removing their shoes and belts, not having more than 10 ml of liquids or gels, and offering up their laptops for intimate examination... along comes another "incident" meticulously designed to force them to forbid lots of other things people need to do and carry.
I have a vision of a malicious mouse gradually killing an elephant through exhaustion - whenever the nervous beast gets settled for a rest, the mouse appears and terrifies it into a trumpeting dance. Elegant, certainly, but depressing.
Free TV period is gone and most passenger planes seem to have some form of paid entertainment. Airlines would welcome a TSA ban on electronics to 'encourage' use of their overpriced offerings.
Idiots, we have idiots in charge. Idiots leading idiots. You'd think we'd learn, but no ... idiots, just frakkin' idiots. Well, some may be morons.
less paranoid - North Korea or similar.
And less hypocritical - our partners in the war on terror are still allowing their nice citizens to pay for more troubles in NI.
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/12/flight_253_passenger_says_at_l.html
Interesting article here claims that would-be-bomber did not have a passport...
I've taken my baby on 5 intercontinental flights already and no-one ever complained about her behavior. But I was able to keep her entertained (no electronics, too young).
Take away my big bag of toys and there isn't much anyoen can do. You can't threaten a 2-yr old into being quiet for 16 hours if there is nothing to do.
Try it...
If your 2 yr. old or other children controls you instead of your controlling them, maybe you shouldn't be flying? What did parents do before electronic toys?
Just an FYI - airlines have removed families from flights when they were unable to control their crying/screaming children - including emergency landings to remove unruly children.
Passengers should not be subjected to the abuse of poorly managed children and that's why the families are removed from the plane.
Now please explain to me how I'm going to deal with a 2 year-old goign to see her grandparents in a few weeks with little to no allowed cabin luggage and movement restrictions. I've got only 16 hours (each way, not counting boarding) to kill while keeping her from screaming her boredom for everyone's enjoyment!
I can garantee even first/biz class will hear it, it's not in the noise cancellation's range...
It's better to be bored because you can't play with your electronic toys than to be dead.
Why Does TSA take Your Cell? simple, Each Seat has Its OWN Telephone.$5 minute, World Works that Way.
Maybe theINQ reader Can AlReady Snif workAround, Yes Just place that 'Ole Cell, With Some High Explosives In Your Check In Bag, ALL Wired Finely. then When At 80,000 Feet, Call Your Cell From Convience Of Cabin. Don't, Repeat, Don't Use Altimeter work around, That Works.
drashek
Why not just ban flying and be done with this nonsense.
The solution we are slowly moving toward (as seen in the movies) is simply injecting passengers with a sleep agent, and injecting the antidote upon arrival. Who wouldn't want their 8 hour flight to feel like a couple minutes?
I predict that a would-be-terrorist will attempt to use his sweaty smelly socks as a weapon to take over a plane, Homeland will then put measures in place that require all passengers fly naked.
I meant to add, that insane nappy-wearing woman from NASA. She's the future of economy travel. "NASA, showing you the future today" :-)
Rather than the INQ's hype, a useful hint would be to go to the loo prior to an hour before landing, as no one is permitted to leave their seat from that time, however messy the result.
On long flights, such as the 14 hour epics from Sydney to LA, the increasingly strict rules are making economy class travel very uncomfortable. Getting up and walking to the emergency exits to stretch your legs is very much a thing of the past. The airlines aren't complaining, as this is pushing frequent travellers into the more profitable Business seating.
Maybe my eyes are just skipping over the part of the linked press release(s) that have engendered this impassioned rant about the TSA. I'll be pasting it in below so somebody with better eyes can point to something more specific than "added security measures".
Also, the perp wasn't screened by the TSA in the first place, he was screened by the Nigerians.
Anyway, kindly point out where it says electronics are forbidden, which BTW it also fails to do on the list of forbidden carryon items on the TSA website:
"DHS Secretary Napolitano Statement on Northwest Flight 253
December 26, 2009
1:00 p.m. EST
"I am grateful to the passengers and crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 who reacted quickly and heroically to an incident that could have had tragic results. The Department of Homeland Security immediately put additional screening measures into place- for all domestic and international flights- to ensure the continued safety of the traveling public. We are also working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement on additional security measures, as well as our international partners on enhanced security at airports and on flights.
The American people should continue their planned holiday travel and, as always, be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials.
Passengers flying from international locations to U.S. destinations may notice additional security measures in place. These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere. Due to the busy holiday travel season, both domestic and international travelers should allot extra time for check-in."
Department of Homeland Security Statement on Northwest Incident
December 25, 2009
5:30 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON D.C. – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed on the incident aboard Northwest Airlines flight #253 and is closely monitoring the situation.
Passengers may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights.
As always we encourage the traveling public to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials.
We encourage those with future travel plans to stay in touch with their airline and to visit www.tsa.gov for updates.
Transportation Security Administration Statement on Northwest Airlines Flight 253
December 25, 2009
4:30 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON D.C. - Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is aware of an incident that occurred onboard Northwest flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. The flight landed safely in Detroit at approximately 11:53 a.m.
All passengers have deplaned and out of an abundance of caution, the plane was moved to a remote area where the plane and all baggage are currently being rescreened. A passenger is in custody and passengers are being interviewed.
TSA will continue to monitor the situation and update this information as necessary."
While I enjoy a good rant as much as the next guy, I expect better than this out of the Inq - at least a smattering of factually-based material.
You heard the man. No digital watches, hearing aids or pacemakers on our flight!
We have always been at war with Eastasia.
Just so, man. But I'd watch out if I were you -- you're obviously not afraid enough yet and that's politically incorrect. Take all the bullshit stories about this 'terrorist attack', and it would make a cow laugh. Incidentally, guess who is in charge of security at Amsterdam? Could it be it's the same outfit that was in charge of the security at the four 9/11 hijack airports? Owned by a small Middle East country? I guess reality is one big coincidence.
This is probably just a "coincidence"; the real credit probably goes to the INQ for uncovering a nefarious plot in 2006 by Dell, and other manufacturers (such as Apple) to produce and distribute explosive devices in portable electronics (just took them "awhile" to react).
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1042700/dell-laptop-explodes-japanese-conference
the fire on the flight wasn't caused by a PETN bomb as reported by some propaganda^H^H^H^H^H^H^H news organisations, but by that guy pinching a LiPo battery, and the 'terrorists' claiming responsibility were in fact CIA agents?
All this being a preparation of another excuse for another war.
Fantastic.