More flight rules....

[William Ashley]

How much is too much?

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Canada+creates+security+rules+passengers+following+bomb+scare/3796316/story.html

Personally I'm all for flight security - and I've gone through screenings or secondary processing more often than not (or about 1:1) while traveling through IBPs.

What I don't get is - why they need to "ramp up" security rather than devising a working strategy the first time?

Is this measure going to stop a bomb from going off from someone who is actually coordinated. I'm afraid soon I won't even be allowed chewing gun and my cell on a plane "because C4 can be airtightly sealed in a wax chewing gum coating - and the cellphone could be used to ignite it while flying - so now no one flying will be allowed chewing gum?

Is this too much? Is every conceivable threat going to be "ramped in" why don't they just have a straight jacket for everyone on board and a sack to put over top of peoples heads. And baggage rather than accompany planes would simply be fired out of giant rail cannons through multiple processing points. Perhaps this going too far.. but how much is too much - when was the last time a bomb went off in Canada - Air India?

This isn't a bad move but - why does it matter? If you can fit it into a toner cartridge why not anything else of that size --- is this just a means of preventing copycats?

But this is also "checked bags" does this mean now you have to carry them on the plane with you?

"What's that"

"A large over-sized printer cartridge?"

"Are you sure its not really an IED?"

"Lets check...." Or alternative - "You knew... oh well you called.. BOOM!"

Now I'm wondering - is checked baggage not scanned in Canada, but carry on is?

Is this setting a "good" public safety precedent? No qualms from me, it is understandable maybe all the angles can't be covered, but ok you ban it in checked baggage but not carry on?

This is a little like saying - hey terrorists, if you want your bombs to get through security set them with a timer (or altimeter or double initiation altimeter so it blows up in decent or landing rather than accent) of some sort and put them in your checked luggage...

Because they can't be found in checked luggage - but they can in carry on?

Does this sound like maybe giving out too much info? When trying to devise safer travel?

Edited November 8, 2010 by William Ashley

[GostHacked]

That would only work if all countries that have flights to the US were involved doing the same thing. I've only flown a few times and all within Canada. One time to Vancouver, and I brought some of my DJ gear with me, they waved the wand over me quick, no problem, but my DJ gear was questioned immensley. This is what I had brught with me.

http://www.jmsinfo.com/images/Hercules_DJ_Console_Rmx.jpg

and

http://www.novamusik.com/images/ebay/lrg_KP3.jpg

I got nervous the way the guy was manhadling my stuff, I was like carefull it's expensive .. I wonder if you can sue them for breaking your stuff even before you get on the plane. But it went with me as carry on. I was not about to let that stuff go through regular baggage.

But you gotta wonder how safe those body scanners are. It is a type of X-ray I think. In the long run that can't be good for you.

Also those toner cartriges that were suspect and pics posted are quite large in size. A foot long and 4-9 inches wide. They are not easy to hide. But overkill banning all ink cartridges.

And again, masterminded by the Al-Queda guy who dined at the Pentagon a few months after 9/11, with another suspect who was released back to Yemen after his vacation at Gitmo after being caught in either Afghanistan or Iraq.

[William Ashley]

RMX looks a lot like RDX to me.... maybe they thought it might be a bomb waiting to go off, are you a good DJ?

I'm concerned about flash drives... and xray scanners. --- All baggage is also I think xray scanned in checked baggage also... so it makes little difference I would suppose.

Pack Flash storage devices into carry-on luggage if possible

Tens of millions of Flash storage devices are in use worldwide, and there have been no verifiable reports of Flash storage damage due to airport X-ray scanners.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0412/04121602digitalfilmxray.asp

Apparently the amount of radiation put out by the things is minimal - not like a medical image - although what I don't get is how effective they can be - after all why not use these as medical scanners if they emit less radiation than medical scanners? The cost? That hasn't stopped CATscanners etc.. Since I am also a musician I know how you feel about your kit, but why are they handling it - why didn't you put it on the conveyor ect..

be happy back in the day they might have taken it apart.. US border security has even torn cars apart and charged the owner to remove the vehicle after it is disassembled - ON SUSPICION..

From the above link:

-------------------------

These findings mean that digital cameras and their image storage media can travel safely in either checked or carry-on bags, which will be reassuring to holiday travelers. And though they were not explicitly tested, it is likely that images on camera-phones will be safe in either situation as well. More care is needed for cameras with film, however, as the X-ray scanners for both checked and carry-on luggage can fog both developed and undeveloped film.

So I suppose now my DV8 can't be brought with me and maintain its usability...

http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=692890

The banned ones are 20-30 cm in length -- aparrently 31+ cm cartridges are still OK...

Edited November 9, 2010 by William Ashley