FBI & DHS issue warning about watches with built-in altimeters

[brewman 0]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6782713/

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The items cannot be confiscated, but one official said Monday that if the watches are spotted, screeners likely would engage in further checking of the passenger.

[mattjw916 2]

Well thank god that the TSA only thinks Casios can have altimeters... My Suunto is safe from scrutiny.

I can just hear the screeners now, "better check that guy again, he's got a carry-on with a 'chute in it, he's wearing an altimeter, and he looks like he might just be crazy enough to start some trouble."

Has anyone even thought to mention to the TSA that the pressurization of passenger planes renders the altimeters relatively worthless?

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[larsrulz 0]

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Has anyone even thought to mention to the TSA that the pressurization of passenger planes renders the altimeters relatively worthless?

Do explain. No, the altimeter won't read 30K', but if you are taking off from JFK and set a bomb to go off when the altimeter reads 4K', which the pressurization will go above that, then the plane will go boom at some point in time during its accent.

I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

[mattjw916 2]

Yes, but don't you think a simple timer or remote detonation trigger like a cell phone would be more practical and less conspicuous considering they are far more common.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[piisfish 140]

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Yes, but don't you think a simple timer or remote detonation trigger like a cell phone would be more practical and less conspicuous considering they are far more common.

you're not supposed to use your cell phone in the plane

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[JohnRich 4]

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mattjw: Has anyone even thought to mention to the TSA that the pressurization of passenger planes renders the altimeters relatively worthless?

Now there you go ruining a perfectly good opportunity to harass innocent people, with facts. The TSA damns you!

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piisfish: you're not supposed to use your cell phone in the plane

Oh yeah, I'm sure the terrorists will obey that. How do you spot a terrorist? He's got his tray table down and his seat reclined!

[kelpdiver 2]

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Do explain. No, the altimeter won't read 30K', but if you are taking off from JFK and set a bomb to go off when the altimeter reads 4K', which the pressurization will go above that, then the plane will go boom at some point in time during its accent.

The pressure may never go over 4k, but that's sorta besides the point.

The real point is why would you want to use a casio watch? And how would you even make it work - it's not like it has the ability to do anything other than beep when it hits a threshold altitude. There has got to be better options available.

[FrogNog 1]

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http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6782713/

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The items cannot be confiscated, but one official said Monday that if the watches are spotted, screeners likely would engage in further checking of the passenger.

Fine by me. I get there 3 hours early only to find my plane is canceled and I have to wait an additional 3 hours for the next one, anyway. I might as well get all the non-confiscatory, non-detention attention in line I can.

Plus, I stopped feeling special when they made everyone take off their shoes. I used to travel in hiking boots with steel sole stiffeners so I already took them off and put them on the x-ray conveyor to have a shot at not beeping in the walk-through.

Hmm. The FBI should copy-edit their notices before sending them out:

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... inexpensive price ...

- prices cannot be inexpensive, they can be low / small. Goods can be inexpensive.

I bet with the clue level of the TSA screeners, wearing a wrist-mount Alti-3 onto the plane would upset them after they hear about this. (skydiver: "But it doesn't tell time, and it isn't inexpensive!")

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[billvon 2,995]

> Yes, but don't you think a simple timer or remote detonation trigger
>like a cell phone would be more practical and less conspicuous considering
>they are far more common.

It's not hard at all to make a bomb that looks exactly like a radio that includes a barometric trigger; a similar bomb brought down a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie. The issue here is not "how do we stop anything that might be a bomb?" it's "what's easy for a moderately trained TSA agent to spot?"

[mattjw916 2]

I wasn't doubting the feasibility of a pressure sensitive detonator... I was referring to the fact that just because someone is wearing a Suunto, or equivalent, doesn't make them a potentially greater threat that would merit additional screening...

Either way, it really doesn't matter to me. I travel with my rig all the time and generally end up getting extra time sucked out of my life for the sake of all the whuffo passengers out there since I had the audacity to carry my rig into the terminal. Hell, I even had to talk the screeners out of opening my main at the El Paso airport since the slider grommets were confusing them. (Which is why I always carry a spare pull-up cord when I travel with my rig).

Basically additional screening for people just because they are wearing an altimeter watch makes about as much sense as the 2 stupid questions they used to ask at the gate that were promptly stopped after 9-11. Besides, it's not actually important if we are actually safe or not, just that we feel safe.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[JohnMitchell 16]

. the issue here is not "how do we stop anything that might be a bomb?" it's "what's easy for a moderately trained TSA agent to spot?"

[diverdriver 5]

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. the issue here is not "how do we stop anything that might be a bomb?" it's "what's easy for a moderately trained TSA agent to spot?"

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!"


BTW, cabin pressure in airliners is usually about 8000 feet.

[BigM 2]

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you're not supposed to use your cell phone in the plane

You're not supposed to use a bomb in the plane either, but if you were willing to violate the bomb rule, I am guessing that the "no cell phone use in the plane" rule wouldn't be a big deal for you to disobey.

Blue 111-
Jeff

"When I die, I want to go like my grandmother, who died peacefully in her sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in her car."

[riggerrob 643]

re. watches containing lighters ...

Funny, I was under the impression that cigarette lighters had been banned from commercial flights several years ago, around the time they banned smoking on commercial flights.

A peculiar side note: when I joined the Canadian Air Force 25 years ago, ground crew were forbidden to smoke anywhere near airplanes on the ground, however, air crew were allowed to "light up" immediately after take-off. No-one ever explained that hypocritical policy.

[winsor 236]

The issue here is not "how do we stop anything that might be a bomb?" it's "what's easy for a moderately trained TSA agent to spot?"

[dgskydive 0]

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from commercial flights several years ago, around the time they banned smoking on commercial flights.

I saw a news program not to long ago that said, you can have no more then 3 bic lighters and I think it was like 2 books of matches.

Why do you need 3 lighters? They should be more worried about that then the lighter watch. Why would I have to go buy I watch that can hide a lighter, when I can carry 3 on the plane legally?

THese goes are nuts. I am going to sport my Suunto and show it off next time I fly somewhere.

Dom

[kelpdiver 2]

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I saw a news program not to long ago that said, you can have no more then 3 bic lighters and I think it was like 2 books of matches.

As of soon (or the 1st), you no longer can carry lighters. Just matches.

When I was being inspected last week (4 handguns checked), the woman said that they're also now doing changes for the sake of change, to make it harder for people to hone in on gaps. The catch is that the TSA reps are not always sure what the current SOP is, so my inspection took a while as they verified some proceedures.

I get the feeling they don't get too many guns at Oakland.

[Spizzzarko 0]

T.S.A. should stand for The Security Abortion.

[bigbearfng 18]

After flying armed (legally, extraditions!) I won't even go into all the "gaps" I've seen....