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Mar 10, 08 - 05:43 pm Comment from: John Gee

Actually, I don't doubt this. I've seen some Airport wackiness, and all it takes is one person with a raised eyebrow.

Mar 10, 08 - 05:44 pm Comment from: John Gee

Make that airport wackiness, to disambiguate for the Mac community

Unless you have witnessed it, the combined intelligence of the TSA personnel is quite stunning. And honestly, if you are not in the tech sphere, or read the bigger publications regularly, I doubt you would be aware either. We get caught up in our little world, and we forget the life of the lemmings...

Even if the TSA HAD heard of the MBA, he probably didn't know about the SSD.

I believe it. I've traveled by air enough to know that the 'security measures' exclude my wife's makeup, body cream, toothpaste, shave cream, etc. She couldn't carry the items in her suitcase unless they were contained in a clear ziploc bag. She had to go out and come back in with them. It was ok to have them but the ultra secure explosion proof no leak ziploc was the safety key.

I doubt the educational level is too high for those who are entrusted with the safety of millions of people and billions of dollars of equipment. I brought a food slicing device through the safety checkpoint and the TSA employee had to ask a superior if it was safe. I can just imagine what a sleek new laptop would do their minds.

Ooops was getting off onto a rant. My patriotism was slipping. I must be reeducated for the good of all democracies around the globe. Do not think for myself. Do not think for myself. Do not...

The shave cream was mine.

Some people are baffled by the stupidity of TSA agents? Come on. Doesn't anyone remember the stories about the hiring process? One man had to be reminded to bathe, but was an excellent screener".

Or the article about an undercover TSA screener?
http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/detail?articleId=10624&pageNumber=1&print=true

I went through JFK on a slow day one time and was terrified when they started shouting at me from the Xray machine while I was putting my shoes back on. They were real worked up about what was in my carry on but didn't want to open it. They just kept shouting "What's in there? What is it?" I was going white trying to figure out what they were on about and I think they picked up on that and someone finally said. "Is it a doll ?" and I answered "It's a Rescue Hero action figure for my son" They went nuts shouting "I knew it. Told you!"

They all started laughing and apologized. It was pretty funny after I realized they were having some fun trying to guess what stuff was on the Xray.

I have another good story about a national guardsman drawing his rifle on me at the San Francisco airport right after 9/11 but I'll save that one.

So, no, nothing about security at the airport surprises me.

if it was a dell they would have ushered them right through...

Mar 10, 08 - 06:23 pm Comment from: Murasaki

They don't exactly recruit the best and the brightest for the TSA.

Mar 10, 08 - 06:25 pm Comment from: Mac User since 1984

Sorry, I fly regularly with a MacBook Air. And I have never been challenged.

Does anyone remember when security used to make you boot up your laptop to prove that all the gizmos inside were really part of a computer? I used to laugh at the poor Windows guys who had to wait interminably for their laptops to boot up when all I had to do is wake my sleeping Powerbook.

I was pulled aside by airport security when I traveled with an original 45-pound Mac Portable. They are not trained to know what the hell is going on.

Q. What did the airport security professional get on his IQ test?
A. Drool.

And just think, if Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama wins the election, we'll be handling your medical care as well!

Hey, my magic word is "plane!"

Sounds like MDN doesn't fly anywhere very often. TSA fools are dumb as dirt.

Mar 10, 08 - 06:58 pm Comment from: Forrest, Forrest Gump

@original Shiva:

Thanks with clarifying the issue of the shave cream. My mind is soooo fast.

You won't see video evidence of this. One of the TSA rules is that you cannot video tape anything in the area of security screening. It helps them to keep the terrorists guessing, I guess.

The comment about Obama and Hillary was just plain ignorant. I don't believe they were the ones that came up with the TSA in the first place, fool.

Mar 10, 08 - 07:10 pm Comment from: The Other Steve

I've dealt with TSA before. They even conducted an investigation on me that took 6 months! Nothing with them surprises me.

I'm not saying they all are like that or even the majority are like that. Just that it is believable to me.

MDN could try and contact Michael Nygard. If you are going to question him you should at least do him the courtesy of questioning him.

BTW - I was cleared. Boom!

"The MacBook Air is so thin and advanced that it baffles government workers!"

Not that this is a particular accomplishment...

Q: Where does an 800 pound gorilla sleep?

A: Anywhere he wants.

Q: Why does the TSA stop people at random for no apparent reason?

A: Because they can.

Like other caged animals, they are dangerous and to be feared.

Mar 10, 08 - 07:35 pm Comment from: Spark

The crack about Hillary & Obama was an observation about ALL big government initiatives. They are all mirrors of the TSA. The TSA is a very visible government agency that we all must suffer through, but just about every Federal Government bureau is equally inept, just better hidden for most of us. Of course Hillary and Obama profess to love "big government can do anything" projects (and if you don't recognize that then it is you who are ignorant). But the fact is if you don't like the incompetence of the TSA (which is par for government projects) then you had better prepare yourself for the worst when we allow the federal government take over healthcare, etc.

TSA will never do security right because they're resistant to human screening - profiling, if you will. Not of the simple race or religion variety, but one covering behavior, probe and response, documentation and background. It was such profiling that kept the 20th hijacker out of the US, despite the "open door policy" to Saudis, and could have kept his partners from flying out of Logan. Technology is no substitute for the trained, human observer.

What does TSA stand for, according to the FBI?

Take Scissors Away

Mar 10, 08 - 07:40 pm Comment from: TowerTone

Funny, the TsA girl was able to find my hard drive when it was in a solid state....

When I fly I don't give a damn what they do or ask me as long as I don't miss my plane.

They have a job I wouldn't want to do and don't want.

Mar 10, 08 - 07:58 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Major BS detected. And delected.

I don't doubt the story, I few about 6 months ago for a job interview and had my 867 mhz powerbook (with the titanium case) and I had to prove to the TSA that it was not a bomb. I had to power it on and perform a few tasks. Apparently their scanning equipment couldn't penetrate the case.

Imagine if he had Safari opened to Al Jazeera, with a countdown clock app running.

Methinks the TSA folks might not see any humor in it... :O

Be a little gentle with the TSA folk -- TV and advertising are not part of my life; the get avoided carefully. so "How about the Air's major TV, print, and radio campaign that's been running for nearly two solid months before Nygard's blog post?" may not apply.

Mar 10, 08 - 08:37 pm Comment from: s

We should be happy that the TSA agents were actually paying attention to the X-ray screen. With popularity of MacBook Air, we should have expected more people complaining about being stopped by TSA by now. The fact this is the first article about it should scare us more. What were other TSA agents doing? Either this was first time MacBook Air went through the X-ray machine or they did not notice a hard disk was missing in the laptop.

Another thought is, no Windows PC laptop users will have to experience this problem. Again, Windows laptops are years behind the Mac laptops.

I believe the headline is wrong. It should actually read:

"Intelligence Baffles Airport Security"

As I have seen many times over the years the government can not do anything right and private business can always do it better for less money.

Support the FairTax

get government out of our lives

spark said: "blah, blah, blah, blah, gurgle, blurp, blah.......blah.

================================

I'll bet the color of your keyboard matches your winky - cheetos orange!

Mar 10, 08 - 09:34 pm Comment from: Greg L

Apple doesn’t advertise on “Young and the Reckless" so TSA personnel aren’t going to see the ads

Mar 10, 08 - 09:38 pm Comment from: TowerTone

here you go, busted

looks good on an iPhone, too

http://boortz.com/mp3/archive/countdown.swf

Mar 10, 08 - 09:45 pm Comment from: IEEE1394®

Mike Nygard is a goodfriend of mine and a former co-worker, actually! He is as ethical and honest as they come. He would not make this up. Below is a link to a book he recently had published. Enjoy!

http://www.pragprog.com/titles/mnee/index.html

Mar 10, 08 - 09:55 pm Comment from: Cubert

They just wanted it.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's MacBook Air.

This reminds me of a story from a few years ago about a guy with a brand new early 15 inch PowerBook. Airport security would not believe it was a laptop because no way was a consumer computer made out of "weapons grade titanium". Apparently the poor guys PB was torn apart. Anyone remember that one?

TSA is only a sliver above "Ya'll want frys with that?"

TSA is Security Theatre, the classic case of governments pretending to be doing something by being seen to do something.

Saw this comment on TUAW:

"I got stopped in December because I forgot to take my Nike+ sensor out of my shoe. I tried to explain to the guy what it was, but he called his supervisor. Fortunately he knew what it was. I would think that they have seen thousands of them before."



MacBook Air's, Titanium PowerBook's, Nike+ iPod sensors!!
Is this a big Apple Plot?

Mar 10, 08 - 10:37 pm Comment from: Always Right

It's all dubya's fault.
"Keepin' us safe".

50% of the people in any airport is below average.

Mar 10, 08 - 11:04 pm Comment from: TowerTone

Maclouie
I think you be half right.

The Apple Store is down.........

American border guards:

'For one sweet moment in my miserable life, I had power!
The guy looked harmless, but he had a laptop so I asked him to dismantle it.' 'He missed his flight by several hours.'

'Later that day, I forced an 80 year-old guy to strip to his underwear - why?' Because I can. He should have stopped talking when I told him to.'

'I am a social inadequate, IQ of about 23, but when I am at the airport, and the line stretches out before me, I am KING!'

'I know 911 was a Bush/Cheney false flag black op, but it sure did me some good!'

The TSA are fascist thugs who delight in trying to intimidate passengers simply because they can. You will find that most complaints about them have little to do with luggage itself, and everything to do with how they treat people during the screening process.The majority that I have encountered are only screening bags because they flunked out of Abu Ghraib.

I travel a lot for work... I believe this. I have never seen such a bunch of incompetent Federal employees in my life. I am literally surprised that planes aren't blowing up daily. They are idiots.

I can literally see them discussing, whether this shiny thing is really a computer. All of them huddled while the line backs-up and I'm missing my f-ing flight.

Mar 11, 08 - 06:46 am Comment from: Macromancer

"They are all mirrors of the TSA"

I'd say these issues are more of a reflection on the dumbing down of America than they are government initiatives. The people they hire obviously are just plain stupid and can't wrap their puny brains around even the simplest concepts. If the general public were a little more educated, this probably wouldn't be an issue.

Get ready, it's only going to get worse.

The random checks are rather hilarious.. A few years after 911 my mom and dad came back from aruba and were very tan. My dad, one liking to joke and be funny, started talking to my mom in an arabic accent, ya know like the cab drivers or "kwik-e mart" owners.. They pulled them aside knowing they are definately american looking and checked their luggage. Another time I flew out to florida myself and someone got yelled at because he had toothpaste in his bag. They asked if he had any liquids and he said no. They pretty much had an aneurism over it, im surprised they didn't give the 60 year old a heart attack.

@TowerTone

funny joke about the solid state drive.... I dont think many caught onto that

Flying with a C-PAP device (air pressure device that I have to sleep with) has added to my airport woes: TSA officials six feet apart will tell me two different ways to unload and display the device, which must be carry-on. And they do it rudely.