TSA: The farce continues

[Loren Pechtel]

http://www.wired.com/2014/08/study-...an-be-smuggled-past-tsas-x-ray-body-scanners/

A while back I posted about a blogger who showed how to take metal through the nude-o-scopes. Most of you dismissed it. Now it's some researchers expanding on it--they actually bought a machine to test with so they weren't as limited--and they smuggled real weapons through it. (Note: Make sure your gun is pure metal.) They also did it with simulated explosives.

 

[Nexus]

The purpose of the scanners was to enrich Michael Chertoff not stop weapons smuggling so there was no farce. The system is working as intended.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

But don't you need to go through metal detectors regardless?

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

No. You either go through the WTMD or the AIT. If you get selected for the AIT and you refuse then you get the WTMD and also get a hernia check by the TSO.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

But don't you need to go through metal detectors regardless?

Nope. Last trip the only metal detector I encountered was coming home.

I have been consistently impressed with China's handling of airport security--simpler, faster, much more polite and more effective (some years ago two of their detectors caught the fact that my wife was hot--something two US airports had missed despite her being 4x and 8x as hot while passing through them. My only gripe is they cleared her without properly confirming it was from the nuclear docs rather than something in her baggage.) than what we do and they'll drop something when they decide it's not useful.

I haven't seen a nude-o-scope over there.

 

[barbos]

Well, in case of a gun simply taking picture from additional angle will make it visible, but it will not work with molded explosives.

 

[Togo]

Don't existing metal detectors have the same problem?

 

[barbos]

Don't existing metal detectors have the same problem?

Metal detectors have no such problem.

 

[Togo]

You can certainly get explosives through a metal detector, and there have been several stunts involving people smuggling guns through, either dissembled, made of composite metal parts, or made of non-metal alternatives.

 

[barbos]

Oh, you meant explosives.
I was talking about guns. Yes, metal detector can't see explosives, so they try to sniff them I think.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Well, in case of a gun simply taking picture from additional angle will make it visible, but it will not work with molded explosives.

The problem is that to find that gun you'll need to make the machine considerably more complex (the scanning head will have to move across what's now the open passageway) and slower (because it has to scan through a considerably greater angle.) The nude-o-scopes already cause delays, you'll make the flow situation *MUCH* worse if you do this.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Don't existing metal detectors have the same problem?

Metal detectors aren't directional, they can't be fooled by a mass beside the body.

Yes, they can't detect explosives but they do have a chance of detecting the cap.

Thus they're equally effective against explosives and the metal detector is much more effective against knives and guns.

The only way the nude-o-scope is superior is against drug smugglers--something that they're not allowed to be looking for in such a search.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Well, in case of a gun simply taking picture from additional angle will make it visible, but it will not work with molded explosives.

The problem is that to find that gun you'll need to make the machine considerably more complex (the scanning head will have to move across what's now the open passageway) and slower (because it has to scan through a considerably greater angle.)

Can't you just make the person turn sideways? :huh:

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The problem is that to find that gun you'll need to make the machine considerably more complex (the scanning head will have to move across what's now the open passageway) and slower (because it has to scan through a considerably greater angle.)

Can't you just make the person turn sideways? :huh:

That would allow the use of the current machines but it would more than double the scan time. Good luck catching your flight! It's not like the airports have a bunch of space to put the extra machines.

 

[barbos]

Still, it's amazing how rare plane blowups are.
I have seen x-ray pictures of the luggage and I can't believe they can see explosives there.
I know there are machines (other than sniffing) which can detect chemicals inside luggage but I believe they are not installed in many airports.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

Don't existing metal detectors have the same problem?

Metal detectors aren't directional, they can't be fooled by a mass beside the body.

Yes, they can't detect explosives but they do have a chance of detecting the cap.

Thus they're equally effective against explosives and the metal detector is much more effective against knives and guns.

The only way the nude-o-scope is superior is against drug smugglers--something that they're not allowed to be looking for in such a search.

Given these results, maybe they will decide to have metal detectors and nude-o-scopes, so that people have to go through both.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Can't you just make the person turn sideways? :huh:

That would allow the use of the current machines but it would more than double the scan time. Good luck catching your flight! It's not like the airports have a bunch of space to put the extra machines.

If we are to believe that the TSA is serious about safety, then that delay is a small price to pay. If, on the other hand, TSA's goal is to make it *look* like they are serious to the uneducated traveler (one who doesn't know that there is publicly available information about how to get weapons and explosives past the scanners but does know that they can't carry more than 3 ounces of toothpaste on a plane) then they're doing a fine job.