“To make a long story short, it turns out the Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) gave some special attention to his new MacBook [Air]. Mac fans would tell you the TSOs simply couldn’t resist getting a closer look at a fine piece of machinery. PC fans would tell you the TSOs are all PC fans and flagged the computer just to hassle the Mac guy. As a security fan, I can tell you that TSOs are trained to look for anomalies. Each TSO X-ray operator sees hundreds of laptops a day and some have been doing this for 6 years. They know what laptops are supposed to look like,” Bob blogs for The TSA Evolution Blog.
MacDailyNews Note: According to the blog, “Bob” started with the TSA in September 2002 and works at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. He started as a Transportation Security Officer (TSO), and has since been promoted to a Supervisory TSO and a Behavior Detection Officer. The TSA Evolution Blog is sponsored by the Transportation Security Administration to facilitate an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process.
Bob writes, “Here is my theory. Along comes the new MacBook Air. The thing is as thin as a potato chip, and looks completely different than any other laptop the TSOs have ever seen. They are seldom seen at TSA checkpoints due to their newness and the fact that they can be hard to find sometimes.”
“To help prove my theory, I’ve contacted Apple to see if I can process a MacBook Air through an X-ray and see how it looks. If it does indeed look odd, I’m going to take a picture and send it to TSA Training to help avoid future issues with MacBooks. The jury is out for now, but I’ll post an update as soon as I can get my hands on the MacBook Air,” Bob writes. “One thing is for sure though. This was just a case of diligent TSOs paying special attention to something that caught their eye. Exactly what they are trained to do.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JMP” for the heads up.]
“…has since been promoted to a Supervisory TSO and a Behavior Detection Officer.”
Behavior Detection Officer? That sounds to me like a Milk Monitor – a made up job title you give someone so they do all the crap jobs no one wants to do!
Why this article???
how about Apple sends ME a mac book air and I’LL xray it… eh?
“Behavior Detection Officer”
The TSA needed a P.C. euphemism for profiling.
TSA, the same people who let me get on board with solid silver letter openers but hassle a guy with a legit laptop?
Sounds like our government in action.
I thought M$ took Bob off the market already?
Just my $0.02
Please excuse the first 2 posters, its early and they have a limited education.
poster #1: I am sure any BDO is 10x more aware than you.
poster #2: really, you dont get it? read it again. if you still dont get it – wait for it.
It’s just another excuse for mandatory cavity searches.
@tt:
Limited Education?
“No one with any knowledge of design could feel anything but indignation with the pattern that seems to satisfy the official mind.”
Shame you feel that way my friend.
Basically, if you are from the Future and have new types of portable electronics dont bring it to the airport.
@Jim
Go read your own post again. It is pretty ignorant. Anyone who travels periodically sees the TSA BDOs standing around observing behaviors of the people in line.
When they confiscated my 1″ blade plastic shears (the kind that come with the hotel sewing kit), I knew George Orwelll had been on an earlier flight.
Does MacBook Air fit the profile? Profiling works.
Please don’t get me started on TSA. OPPPs too late.
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These morons ripped apart my packed luggage and there was really nothing inside that would have given them any issue. Theybroke the zipper flap by ripping it apart (it had a cheap plastic tie to keep the zippers closed during the flight. And then they had the nerve to NOT put one of those sheets indicating that TSA had inspected the suitcase.
The next flight I packed a steel klingon battlith (fighting weapon) that was18 inches long. They never batted an eye. The suitcase remained un openned.
They are morons who know that you cannot fire them for being morons now that they are civil employees.
Just my 2 cents.
en
I travel almost every week. Most of the time I have no trouble, but when I do it’s for some of the dumbest things you can imagine. Why expect anything less from these “civil servants”?
“The next flight I packed a steel klingon battlith (fighting weapon) that was18 inches long.”
Holy crap! ElderNorm is a badass! Good to know!
I had 1/2 inch scissors confiscated. The TSO was VERY NERVOUS and charged with adrenaline. A supervisor had to calm her down. She asked me to point out where the offensive object was located in my bag and then freaked out because my hand was too close to the suitcase. I told her to throw it away and that also blew her mind. I suppose someone could try to charge the cockpit and pull just enough of the nosehairs of the pilot to cause a life-threatening nosebleed. It would take most of the flight and a lot of patience but I guess it could happen.
You guys are right, I am an idiot
Hey, I may be from Cincinnati and my former name may be Rob(ert), but I am no Bob.
In my travels, the Cincy TSA is the toughest in terms of scrutiny.
@Mac+,
What me worry?
I think it was the SSD that threw them off.
@ElderNoooooorrrrrrmmmm and Ampar,
My story pre-dates Sept. 11th. Flying from Philly to Boston for a medical conference, I forgot to take my otoscope out of my travel bag (an otoscope is the instrument that doctors look in your ears with). When the TSA started freaking out and pointing at the xray machine when my bag was in it, I suddenly remembered. For the uninitiated, an otoscope is cylindrically shaped with a cylindrical battery inside with a separate head piece – very pipebomb like.
No wonder they stopped me, patted me down, asked me a million questions, and dusted me down with some bomb residue detection stuff.
I imagine a Behavior Detection Officer’s trained to look for all the little tell-tale body-language signals that mark out people who are worried/lying/smuggling/about-to-blow-themselves-up, and have just generally something to hide.
I wonder what he’d make of everybodys favorite fat, sweaty, chair-hurling monkey-boy – Stevie B?
What’s he hiding, eh? Time to get the rubber gloves out me-thinks…
@ travellin girl
No, I am not ignorant, I have been on this earth long enough to know that TSAs and BDOs are the governments way of trying yo show they are doing something in the War on Terror that will never end.
Fill people with fear, and they will do anything. Keep them fearful and you can control them.
To Cubert:
Throw in a speculum, a defibrillator and a CPAP Machine and you’d still be awaiting trial.
It’s easy. Just hire people who are more qualified that the guy that says “you want fries with that?”.