Airport security [no such thing]

[Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>]

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