Security Theater for the moment
2010-01-22 16:59:27.793884+00 by Dan Lyke 0 comments
AMERICAblog pointed out a German television bit on those full-body scanners (direct YouTube link). The comments on Bruce Schneier's link and commentary to this point out that though the test was only from one side, it caught his pocket knife only because he told them about it, and it didn't catch any of the explosives he was carrying, and he wasn't even carrying said explosives internally.
While we're rolling our eyes at security theater, a TSA agent planted white powder in a traveler's bag "as a joke". Additional article. The TSA says the screener in question is no longer with the agency. Surely there'll be criminal charges here, no? (Consumerist link, MeFi link).
And that took me over to the TSA blog, which had this wonderfully silly announcement that there are no children on the no-fly list:
... And as I’ve said before, TSA is working to implement the Secure Flight program, which brings watch list matching back to TSA from the airlines. When people provide their date of birth and gender when booking their flight under Secure Flight, it will eliminate about 99% of misidentifications once its fully implemented.
Yeah, because adding date of birth and gender checks to false names will definitely find the evil-doers.