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[IP] more on TSA Releases New List of Banned Items



Begin forwarded message:

From: Serge Egelman <egelman@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 26, 2005 1:22:01 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on TSA Releases New List of Banned Items


Just a followup to my original post:
I'm currently at the Charlottesville airport on my way back to Pittsburgh. Going through security, I expected them to take notice of my bike lock again. Though this time they told me I couldn't bring it with me. I explained that I brought it on the plane from Pittsburgh without getting hassled by TSA at that airport, nor did I beat anyone to death on the flight itself. I was told, "they can't control what other airports do." "So do you mean that different airports have widely varying TSA guidelines?" He didn't answer that one.
So I asked what specific regulation prevents me from carrying the bike lock on the plane, and I was told that it's a "dual purpose item"--- I could potentially bludgeon someone with it. At which point I held up my laptop and said that it's a lot heavier and could just as easily be used for bludgeoning. "Sir, I'm not going to repeat myself." So rather than be further delayed, I gave the bike lock to my father who had dropped me off at the airport.
While this may seem a bit hypocritical that I was first surprised that they allowed me take it on the plane, and now am complaining that they wouldn't allow it, my point is only that there doesn't seem to be a clear policy here. It seems pretty clear that the "official list" contains only a handful of items, and all other items are forbidden at each agent's whim. While at the same time they desperately try to convey the impression that all "forbidden items" encountered are on the list and every decision they make is consistent. After all, they're only following orders. 


serge

On Dec 22, 2005, at 6:41 PM, David Farber wrote:




Begin forwarded message:

From: Serge Egelman <serge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 22, 2005 6:05:45 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] TSA Releases New List of Banned Items
Reply-To: serge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm currently at the Charlotte airport en route to Charlottesville for the weekend; getting here was interesting. Going throug Pittsburgh airport security, they asked if they could look through my backpack (it was more of a rhetorical question of course). Much to my surprise, the woman pulls out my kryptonite bike lock, which I had totally forgotten I had in there. She said she needed to ask the supervisor if it was permitted. At this point I started worrying about having to throw it out and buy a new one when I return. The supervisor took one look at it and then said something like, "oh, we don't care about those."
Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised. But at the same time even more perplexed. I mean, this is solid steel and weighs at least five pounds; one can do a lot more damage with it than with a pocket knife. [ so can that plastic knife djf] 
Alas.


Serge
Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.  Hence the typos.

-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 17:43:13
To:ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [IP] TSA Releases New List of Banned Items



Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 22, 2005 5:38:19 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: lauren@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: TSA Releases New List of Banned Items


Dave,

TSA has released their new banned and OK lists for items to be
brought onto planes ( http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/wireStory? id=1431867 ). 

Now, I for one have long thought that the banning of many items
originally was silly, given, for example, that an umbrella or ball
point pen can be nasty weapons and neither were ever banned.

But of particular note on the new lists...  You can now carry-on
scissors with a cutting edge of less than four inches.  However, all
knives are still prohibited regardless of blade length, except
rounded-bladed, butter or plastic.

I can't help but think of the classic film "Dial M For Murder" ('54),
and how its initial death transpired (hint, a knife wasn't used).

A 3.999 inch set of scissors can be much more lethal than a one-inch
knife blade.  Hey, and you can even bring on a seven-inch long
screwdriver now!  But a small pocketknife remains verboten.

At least the TSA HQ gang still apparently have a sense of humor.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, EEPI
   - Electronic Entertainment Policy Initiative - http://www.eepi.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com


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