Security Theater

[draggonlaady]

Some more info on the nitrate detectors, courtesy of Hagbard.

It's a broad spectrum IR-stimulated catalysis test. What the false positive rate is depends on what you mean by 'false positive'- ie, alerts on non-nitrates, or alerts on non-terrorist. If the former, very low. It's a pretty good way to detect nitrates reliably. If the latter, crazy high. It detects nitrates, which means if you set foot on a farm or military base within 48 hours of being swabbed or so it hits a lot of people and then they want an explanation. ("I was on a farm" is good enough, and if you're in fatigues, they don't even swab you.) For the record, the TSA has never stopped a single terrorist. Not one. Mostly they annoy, patronize, confiscate nail clippers, and catch people with pot.

This information is interesting, in a "good god what are they thinking" sort of way. Seriously? Farmers, construction workers, US military employees, people on heart medication... these are threats to national security and need to be pulled aside at airport terminals for investigation? The terrorists have won, people.

Comments

[sphynx-again.livejournal.com]

oh goodie. And I get to fly tomorrow.