Air Pump detected as a weapon????

"Zippy the Pinhead" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 25 May 2004 06:31:57 -0700, "GaryG"
wrote:

Last summer on a trip to Las Vegas, the x-ray machine indicated a
suspicious
object in my briefcase. The security guard told me to open my bag,
because
it appeared as if I had some sort of illegal martial arts weapon inside.
The "weapon" turned out to be a standard-sized Tootsie Roll! Apparently,
the new metallic wrapper is impervious to x-rays, and shows up as some
sort
of "metal bar" in the x-ray machine. My fiancé still teases me about my
"ninja Tootsie Roll"...the security guys got a laugh out of it too.

They were doing their job.

http://www.karatedepot.com/ot-ke-25.html

Look at it as an X-ray machine would.

Oh, I agree completely with that, and I thanked the TSA folks for their
vigilance at the time. We all got a good chuckle out of it, but it's
comforting to know they're looking for this sort of thing.

GG

In article , "Q."
LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com writes:

Subject: Air Pump detected as a weapon????
From: "Q." LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 05:13:42 -0400

" S o r n i" wrote in message
.. .
Red Cloud wrote:
I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat tire.
I was going to city courtm and in the security check entrance, I was
unable to pass the x-ray check. The guard was asking me in loud voice
"What is that thing in your bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike.
I opened the bag and showed the security guard. She did not believe
that. She ordered the next security guard to check it out. When I
explained to
him, he said ok this is the air pump. I have had to demonstarte how
air pump worked. This never happended before 9/11. This is too much
stricting.

You're absolutely right, Cloudy.

They shouldn't check out ANY metal cylindrical objects at airports,
government buildings, courtrooms, etc.

Bill "possible nomination for imbecilic post of the month?" S.


I think I know the frustration the OP felt. It's not so much that you get
harassed for having a "metal cylinder", it's that the security guards for
the most part have the IQ of room temperature celsius. In this case, the
bike pump is mostly air inside ... how many pipe bombs only weigh 120
grams??? The scary part is that any real terrorist will be way ahead of our
so called security forces. What would have kept a potential suicide bomber
from having a bag full of plastic explosives and detonating it all right
there and then? "Oh, gee ... I think I'll just pack a tiny bit of
explosives into a little bike pump and go through the x ray ... rats, I got
caught, bummer." Bah!

C.Q.C.


Your not very creative are you? While an air pump may appear innocent it could
also be a coponent of a possible weapon, Just like diesel oil and fertilizer.
Do you think the flight schools suspected that any of their school's students
were possible kamikze pilots? Inmates every day hoard various sundry items that
are used as defensive and offensive weapons. A terrorist is not only interested
in a big bang, his goal may be to cause doubt or fear by killing just one judge
which could be done with one .177 cal bullet and an air pump. Sucessful
Security may not impress you with their I.Q. but they can be successful if they
remain alert and can rely on each other's experience and knowledge.

GaryG wrote:
Oh, I agree completely with that, and I thanked the TSA folks for their
vigilance at the time. We all got a good chuckle out of it, but it's
comforting to know they're looking for this sort of thing.

it may be comforting, but does it actually help?

read this:

http://www.schneier.com/book-beyondfear.html

two things: reinforced cockpit doors and awareness by passengers that
they should resist. those two things have helped. They Stand Around for
the most part do just that.
--
david reuteler

On Tue, 25 May 2004 14:56:49 -0700, "GaryG"
wrote:

Oh, I agree completely with that, and I thanked the TSA folks for their
vigilance at the time. We all got a good chuckle out of it, but it's
comforting to know they're looking for this sort of thing.

GG

I'd have been tempted to take the tootsie roll out of the wrapper and hold
it like a dagger and as it droops say 'look out!', and make stabbing
motions.

Of course you might get threatened with a strip search for being a
smartass. I'd only do it if the authority is a cute blonde female. :-p

-B

Badger_South wrote (of airport security checks):

I'd have been tempted to take the tootsie roll out of the wrapper and
hold it like a dagger and as it droops say 'look out!', and make
stabbing motions.

Might have been the last thing you ever did (as an able-bodied man,
anyway!).


Of course you might get threatened with a strip search for being a
smartass. I'd only do it if the authority is a cute blonde female. :-p

More like a private room with a 300-pounder named Jammer.


Bill "some things ya just don't do nowadays" S.

Q. wrote:
I think I know the frustration the OP felt. It's not so much that you get
harassed for having a "metal cylinder", it's that the security guards for
the most part have the IQ of room temperature celsius. In this case, the
bike pump is mostly air inside ... how many pipe bombs only weigh 120
grams??? The scary part is that any real terrorist will be way ahead of our
so called security forces. What would have kept a potential suicide bomber
from having a bag full of plastic explosives and detonating it all right
there and then? "Oh, gee ... I think I'll just pack a tiny bit of
explosives into a little bike pump and go through the x ray ... rats, I got
caught, bummer." Bah!

C.Q.C.

Granted, a metal cylinder the size of a bicycle pump could not contain
much explosive material. However, think along the lines of chemical or
biological weapons instead - small metal cylinder, only weighs 120
grams, easy to expel aerosol form. That amount of anthrax could wreak
some havoc (or at least cause a lot of panic).

I'm not minimizing the amount of stupidity or laziness exhibited by the
secruity guards at airports. However, it's nice to know they're at
least try to earn their paychecks.

- khill

"whinds" wrote in message

snip
Your [sic] not very creative are you?

Oh yeah, and you are.

While an air pump may appear innocent it could
also be a coponent of a possible weapon, Just like diesel oil and
fertilizer.

Yup ... JUST like a fertilizer bomb. In case you don't remember, the
Oklahoma city bomb was parked outside the building in a van, and the
components weighed quite a bit more than 120 grams.

Do you think the flight schools suspected that any of their school's
students
were possible kamikze pilots?

Nope ... and neither did the security guards at Logan airport either.

Inmates every day hoard various sundry items that
are used as defensive and offensive weapons.

That's because they're stuck in prison and have only limited items available
to them. The choices of murder weapons for terrorists who are roaming free
is much more vast. They don't have to settle for a razor blade melted into
the head of a toothbrush.

A terrorist is not only interested
in a big bang, his goal may be to cause doubt or fear by killing just one
judge
which could be done with one .177 cal bullet and an air pump.

Show me how you could kill someone with a .177 caliber BB and a bike pump.
That would be hard to do with a proper one pump Russian made BB gun.
Personally, I would just smuggle in a plastic resin knife taped to my
underware and stab the judge. Hell, get fancy and make it out of carbon
fiber. Why even bother trying to smuggle the super bike pump air gun into
the courthouse in the first place? Just J.F.K. the judge in the parking lot
with a .30-'06 from across the street. You could also kidnap a member of
his family, or attack him at his home some night, or run him off the road on
the way to work, or send him an envelope full of anthrax etc. etc.

C.Q.C.

"Badger_South" wrote in message
...
snip
I'd have been tempted to take the tootsie roll out of the wrapper and hold
it like a dagger and as it droops say 'look out!', and make stabbing
motions.

I've always wondered when I see police officers and national guards at
airports with M-16's and MP-5's ... what the hell are they going to do, open
up on you if you did that? Seriously, under what circumstances are those
fully automatic rifles truly useful?

Of course you might get threatened with a strip search for being a
smartass. I'd only do it if the authority is a cute blonde female. :-p

What makes you think she wouldn't have a bad attitude? "Come here cutie,
let me show you what I confiscated this morning from some Rabbi." :-Þ

C.Q.C.

"Q." LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com wrote

I've always wondered when I see police officers and national guards at
airports with M-16's and MP-5's ... what the hell are they going to do,
open
up on you if you did that? Seriously, under what circumstances are those
fully automatic rifles truly useful?

They're only full auto if they choose.
Would you rather they be completely unarmed or outgunned?

Pete

khill wrote:

Granted, a metal cylinder the size of a bicycle pump could not contain
much explosive material. However, think along the lines of chemical or
biological weapons instead - small metal cylinder, only weighs 120
grams, easy to expel aerosol form. That amount of anthrax could wreak
some havoc (or at least cause a lot of panic).

I'm not minimizing the amount of stupidity or laziness exhibited by the
secruity guards at airports. However, it's nice to know they're at
least try to earn their paychecks.

I got stopped at gate security for the same reason a couple years ago.
They wanted me to demostrate that it was indeed a funcitonal bike
pump, then had no problem at all with it.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame