Airport security [no such thing]

I recently took a domestic flight from the Oakland, CA airport. While
waiting for the airplane, I spent some time observing the security measures
at the X-ray machine.

As most readers probably know, laptops are often subject to manual
scrutiny. From my non-representative sample, about four out of five tote
bags clearly containing laptops will be manually searched. Typically, the
attendant requires that the laptop is powered up. In none of the 20+ manual
searches I witnessed did the security personnel wait past the RAM check
before clearing the passenger. I could not help but contemplate how much of
the insides of the laptop could be replaced while still obtaining an
identical display.

Then came the big one: A man wearing a beer truck driver uniform approached
the checkpoint. On his hand truck were two kegs of beer. For those
unfamiliar with such objects, a keg of beer is a cylindrical stainless
steel container, about 1.5 feet tall with about 1 foot diameter.

I was wondering what the procedure for handling these rather large steel
containers would be.  Would they be X-rayed? How much shielding would the
steel provide for the contents? Much to my surprise, the man did not
approach the X-ray machine. Instead, he went straight for the "exit only"
walkway. The guard posted there to make sure that nobody would enter
through the exit gave the fellow only a cursory glance as he entered the
"secure" area unchallenged.

I was flabbergasted. They let a man with two *large steel containers* enter
unchecked? No asking for ID, no X-ray? I struck up a conversation with the
beer truck driver. I asked him why the kegs did not get X-rayed. He looked
at me with an expression of utter lack of understanding and answered: "They
are too heavy to be put on the [conveyor] belt."

Right... We wouldn't want to have these 50 pound steel barrels jam the
X-ray machine.



-- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred
   Make your mark in the history of mathematics. Use the spare cycles of
   your PC/PPC/UNIX box to help find a new prime.
   http://www.mersenne.org/prime.htm

At 10:23 PM -0800 1/14/97, Lucky Green wrote:
>I was wondering what the procedure for handling these rather large steel
>containers would be.  Would they be X-rayed? How much shielding would the
>steel provide for the contents?

About 3 years ago I went on an international flight with a large quantity
of 35mm film.  I had the film packed in my luggage inside a 50 caliber ammo
can (made out of steel).  When I glanced at the x-ray monitor as the bag
went through, I could plainly see the individual rolls of film inside the
ammo can.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz       | Client in California, POP3 | Periwinkle -- Consulting
(408)356-8506     | in Pittsburgh, Packets in  | 16345 Englewood Ave.
frantz@netcom.com | Pakistan. - me             | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA

On Tue, 14 Jan 1997, Lucky Green wrote:

> I recently took a domestic flight from the Oakland, CA airport. While
> waiting for the airplane, I spent some time observing the security measures
> at the X-ray machine.

[snip]

> Then came the big one: A man wearing a beer truck driver uniform approached
> the checkpoint. On his hand truck were two kegs of beer. For those
> unfamiliar with such objects, a keg of beer is a cylindrical stainless
> steel container, about 1.5 feet tall with about 1 foot diameter.
> 
> I was wondering what the procedure for handling these rather large steel
> containers would be.  Would they be X-rayed? How much shielding would the
> steel provide for the contents? Much to my surprise, the man did not
> approach the X-ray machine. Instead, he went straight for the "exit only"
> walkway. The guard posted there to make sure that nobody would enter
> through the exit gave the fellow only a cursory glance as he entered the
> "secure" area unchallenged.
> 
> I was flabbergasted. They let a man with two *large steel containers* enter
> unchecked? No asking for ID, no X-ray? I struck up a conversation with the
> beer truck driver. I asked him why the kegs did not get X-rayed. He looked
> at me with an expression of utter lack of understanding and answered: "They
> are too heavy to be put on the [conveyor] belt."
> 
> Right... We wouldn't want to have these 50 pound steel barrels jam the
> X-ray machine.

Was he wearing a ID badge with a photo?  Was he known to the security
staff?

One wonders, do they x-ray or inspect the food that goes to the 
snack bars, the liquor that goes to the bars, the merchandise that goes 
to the newsstands and gift shops?  Do they even inspect the hand baggage
of flight crews?

It isn't that airport security is lax; it's that providing security runs
at cross-purposes with providing access for the general traveling public 
and the services they expect.

Alan Bostick               | To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height
mailto:abostick@netcom.com | of elegance.
news:alt.grelb             |      Jean Genet
http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~abostick

# On Tue, 14 Jan 1997, Lucky Green wrote:
# 
# > I recently took a domestic flight from the Oakland, CA airport. While
# > waiting for the airplane, I spent some time observing the security measures
# > at the X-ray machine.
# 
# [snip]
<snip>
# 
# > I was flabbergasted. They let a man with two *large steel containers* enter
# > unchecked? No asking for ID, no X-ray? I struck up a conversation with the
# > beer truck driver. I asked him why the kegs did not get X-rayed. He looked
# > at me with an expression of utter lack of understanding and answered: "They
# > are too heavy to be put on the [conveyor] belt."
# > 
# > Right... We wouldn't want to have these 50 pound steel barrels jam the
# > X-ray machine.
# 
# Was he wearing a ID badge with a photo?  Was he known to the security
# staff?

So?  Anybody in computer security knows that many of the biggest security
threats are within the organization.  Hell, the cops in NYC were going nuts
a few months back because a delivery driver made off with an entire shipment
of handguns, and sold most of them on the street before being caught.  Given,
his alleged past history was such that he likely wouldn't pass the background
check for secure-area access of an airport, but there's still holes.  I remember
being warned back in my armed-security to get through college days that the
gate I was guarding was considered part of the "secure" zone of the airport 
(runway extension, I was verifying ID cards on heavy equipment drivers as
they drove in and out), so I needed to make sure I didn't have any weapons (or
at least not visible) because the airport cops would go nuts if they saw any.
Note:  I accessed this area with NO check of me or my vehicle (what prompted
the warning was the construction boss who had contracted with my company 
noticed my holster), and the security company I worked for had never asked me
for enough personal data to do a full background check.
# 
# One wonders, do they x-ray or inspect the food that goes to the 
# snack bars, the liquor that goes to the bars, the merchandise that goes 
# to the newsstands and gift shops?  Do they even inspect the hand baggage
# of flight crews?

Depends on the airport.  Back in October, I witnessed a pilot annoyed that his
hand luggage was being inspected at Hartsfield Int'l in Atlanta.
# 
# It isn't that airport security is lax; it's that providing security runs
# at cross-purposes with providing access for the general traveling public 
# and the services they expect.

Only partially.  A BIG factor in security problems at US airports is low pay,
poor training, and few incentives for the airport security personnel.  Most
physical security jobs of any sort are not much more than minimum pay, and even
supervisors are poorly paid.  As a result, few quality people are in the least
bit interested in working security.  Those that do often don't get the full
training to do their job.  Police work faces many of the same factors, but
security work is just about always rated lower socially/professionally than
police work, and police work offers more individual challenges and peer support
(not all of the forms of peer support are good for society, and the level of
challenge can present their own problems, but that's another issue).

James

# 
# Alan Bostick               | To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height
# mailto:abostick@netcom.com | of elegance.
# news:alt.grelb             |      Jean Genet
# http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~abostick
# 
#