Air Pump detected as a weapon????

Red Cloud said:

I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat
tire. I was going to city courtm and in the security check
entrance, I was unable to pass the x-ray check. The guard
was asking me in loud voice "What is that thing in your
bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike. I opened the bag
and showed the security guard. She did not believe that.
She ordered the next security guard to check it out. When
I explained to him, he said ok this is the air pump. I
have had to demonstarte how air pump worked. This never
happended before 9/11. This is too much stricting.

You're absolutely right, Cloudy.

They shouldn't check out ANY metal cylindrical objects at
airports, government buildings, courtrooms, etc.

Bill "possible nomination for imbecilic post of the
month?" S.

" S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Red Cloud said:

I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat
tire. I was going to city courtm and in the security
check entrance, I was unable to pass the x-ray check.
The guard was asking me in loud voice "What is that
thing in your bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike. I
opened the bag and showed the security guard. She did
not believe that. She ordered the next security guard to
check it out. When I explained to him, he said ok this
is the air pump. I have had to demonstarte how air pump
worked. This never happended before 9/11. This is too
much stricting.

You're absolutely right, Cloudy.

They shouldn't check out ANY metal cylindrical objects at
airports, government buildings, courtrooms, etc.

Bill "possible nomination for imbecilic post of the
month?" S.

I think I know the frustration the OP felt. It's not so much
that you get harassed for having a "metal cylinder", it's
that the security guards for the most part have the IQ of
room temperature celsius. In this case, the bike pump is
mostly air inside ... how many pipe bombs only weigh 120
grams??? The scary part is that any real terrorist will be
way ahead of our so called security forces. What would have
kept a potential suicide bomber from having a bag full of
plastic explosives and detonating it all right there and
then? "Oh, gee ... I think I'll just pack a tiny bit of
explosives into a little bike pump and go through the x ray
... rats, I got caught, bummer." Bah!

C.Q.C.

"Red Cloud" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat
tire. I was going to city courtm and in the security check
entrance, I was unable to pass the x-ray check. The guard
was asking me in loud voice "What is that thing in your
bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike. I opened the bag
and showed the security guard. She did not believe that.
She ordered the next security guard to check it out. When
I explained to him, he said ok this is the air pump. I
have had to demonstarte how air pump worked. This never
happended before 9/11. This is too much stricting.

Well you could have blown something up with it!

Marty

"Red Cloud" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat
tire. I was going to city courtm and in the security check
entrance, I was unable to pass the x-ray check. The guard
was asking me in loud voice "What is that thing in your
bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike. I opened the bag
and showed the security guard. She did not believe that.
She ordered the next security guard to check it out. When
I explained to him, he said ok this is the air pump. I
have had to demonstarte how air pump worked. This never
happended before 9/11. This is too much stricting.

Last summer on a trip to Las Vegas, the x-ray machine
indicated a suspicious object in my briefcase. The security
guard told me to open my bag, because it appeared as if I
had some sort of illegal martial arts weapon inside. The
"weapon" turned out to be a standard-sized Tootsie Roll!
Apparently, the new metallic wrapper is impervious to x-
rays, and shows up as some sort of "metal bar" in the x-ray
machine. My fiancé still teases me about my "ninja Tootsie
Roll"...the security guys got a laugh out of it too.

GG

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Red Cloud
I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat
tire. I was going to city courtm and in the security check
entrance, I was unable to pass the x-ray check. The guard
was asking me in loud voice "What is that thing in your
bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike. I opened the bag and
showed the security guard. She did not believe that. She
ordered the next security guard to check it out. When I
explained to him, he said ok this is the air pump. I have
had to demonstarte how air pump worked. This never happended
before 9/11. This is too much stricting.

Maybe they should have been checking for unusual objects in bags before 9/11 too. It's good to see things improve for a change.

Dan.

In article
<[email hidden]>, mmdir2002
@yahoo.co.uk says...

Quoted message said:

I carry air pump in my bag all the time in case for flat
tire. I was going to city courtm and in the security check
entrance, I was unable to pass the x-ray check. The guard
was asking me in loud voice "What is that thing in your
bag?' I said it's air pump for my bike. I opened the bag
and showed the security guard. She did not believe that.
She ordered the next security guard to check it out. When
I explained to him, he said ok this is the air pump. I
have had to demonstarte how air pump worked. This never
happended before 9/11. This is too much stricting.

If they let you on with it, then they decided it wasn't a
weapon. They were just being sure that it wasn't.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).

On Tue, 25 May 2004 06:31:57 -0700, "GaryG"

garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com said:

bject in my briefcase. The security guard told me to open
my bag, because it appeared as if I had some sort of
illegal martial arts weapon inside. The "weapon" turned out
to be a standard-sized Tootsie Roll! Apparently, the new
metallic wrapper is impervious to x-rays, and shows up as
some sort of "metal bar" in the x-ray machine. My fiancé
still teases me about my "ninja Tootsie Roll"...the
security guys got a laugh out of it too.

GG

Hahaha. Good one. Funny thing is a simple thing like a
bike tool:

trekbikes.comproduct detail.jspOpen ↗
duct_id=146&category_id=278

...can be a formidable weapon.

-B

On Tue, 25 May 2004 06:31:57 -0700, "GaryG"

garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com said:

Last summer on a trip to Las Vegas, the x-ray machine
indicated a suspicious object in my briefcase. The security
guard told me to open my bag, because it appeared as if I
had some sort of illegal martial arts weapon inside. The
"weapon" turned out to be a standard-sized Tootsie Roll!
Apparently, the new metallic wrapper is impervious to x-
rays, and shows up as some sort of "metal bar" in the x-ray
machine. My fiancé still teases me about my "ninja Tootsie
Roll"...the security guys got a laugh out of it too.

They were doing their job.

karatedepot.comot ke 25.htmlOpen ↗

Look at it as an X-ray machine would.

"Zippy the Pinhead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 25 May 2004 06:31:57 -0700, "GaryG"

garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com said:

Last summer on a trip to Las Vegas, the x-ray machine
indicated a

suspicious

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

object in my briefcase. The security guard told me to
open my bag,

because

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it appeared as if I had some sort of illegal martial arts
weapon inside. The "weapon" turned out to be a standard-
sized Tootsie Roll! Apparently, the new metallic wrapper
is impervious to x-rays, and shows up as some

sort

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of "metal bar" in the x-ray machine. My fiancé still
teases me about my "ninja Tootsie Roll"...the security
guys got a laugh out of it too.

They were doing their job.

karatedepot.comot ke 25.htmlOpen ↗

Look at it as an X-ray machine would.

Oh, I agree completely with that, and I thanked the TSA
folks for their vigilance at the time. We all got a good
chuckle out of it, but it's comforting to know they're
looking for this sort of thing.

GG

GaryG garyg@shasta_spambegone_software.com said:

Oh, I agree completely with that, and I thanked the TSA
folks for their vigilance at the time. We all got a good
chuckle out of it, but it's comforting to know they're
looking for this sort of thing.

it may be comforting, but does it actually help?

read this:

schneier.combook beyondfear.htmlOpen ↗

two things: reinforced cockpit doors and awareness by
passengers that they should resist. those two things have
helped. They Stand Around for the most part do just that.
--
david reuteler [email hidden]

On Tue, 25 May 2004 14:56:49 -0700, "GaryG"

garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com said:

Oh, I agree completely with that, and I thanked the TSA
folks for their vigilance at the time. We all got a good
chuckle out of it, but it's comforting to know they're
looking for this sort of thing.

GG

I'd have been tempted to take the tootsie roll out of the
wrapper and hold it like a dagger and as it droops say 'look
out!', and make stabbing motions.

Of course you might get threatened with a strip search for
being a smartass. I'd only do it if the authority is a cute
blonde female. :-p

-B

Badger_South wrote (of airport security checks):

Quoted message said:

I'd have been tempted to take the tootsie roll out of the
wrapper and hold it like a dagger and as it droops say
'look out!', and make stabbing motions.

Might have been the last thing you ever did (as an able-
bodied man, anyway!).

Quoted message said:

Of course you might get threatened with a strip search for
being a smartass. I'd only do it if the authority is a
cute blonde female. :-p

More like a private room with a 300-pounder named Jammer.

Bill "some things ya just don't do nowadays" S.

Q. said:

I think I know the frustration the OP felt. It's not so
much that you get harassed for having a "metal cylinder",
it's that the security guards for the most part have the
IQ of room temperature celsius. In this case, the bike
pump is mostly air inside ... how many pipe bombs only
weigh 120 grams??? The scary part is that any real
terrorist will be way ahead of our so called security
forces. What would have kept a potential suicide bomber
from having a bag full of plastic explosives and
detonating it all right there and then? "Oh, gee ... I
think I'll just pack a tiny bit of explosives into a
little bike pump and go through the x ray ... rats, I got
caught, bummer." Bah!

C.Q.C.

Granted, a metal cylinder the size of a bicycle pump could
not contain much explosive material. However, think along
the lines of chemical or biological weapons instead - small
metal cylinder, only weighs 120 grams, easy to expel aerosol
form. That amount of anthrax could wreak some havoc (or at
least cause a lot of panic).

I'm not minimizing the amount of stupidity or laziness
exhibited by the secruity guards at airports. However, it's
nice to know they're at least try to earn their paychecks.

- khill

"whinds" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Your [sic] not very creative are you?

Oh yeah, and you are.

Quoted message said:

While an air pump may appear innocent it could also be a
coponent of a possible weapon, Just like diesel oil and

fertilizer.

Yup ... JUST like a fertilizer bomb. In case you don't
remember, the Oklahoma city bomb was parked outside the
building in a van, and the components weighed quite a bit
more than 120 grams.

Quoted message said:

Do you think the flight schools suspected that any of
their school's

students

Quoted message said:

were possible kamikze pilots?

Nope ... and neither did the security guards at Logan
airport either.

Quoted message said:

Inmates every day hoard various sundry items that are used
as defensive and offensive weapons.

That's because they're stuck in prison and have only limited
items available to them. The choices of murder weapons for
terrorists who are roaming free is much more vast. They
don't have to settle for a razor blade melted into the head
of a toothbrush.

Quoted message said:

A terrorist is not only interested in a big bang, his goal
may be to cause doubt or fear by killing just one

judge

Quoted message said:

which could be done with one .177 cal bullet and an
air pump.

Show me how you could kill someone with a .177 caliber BB
and a bike pump. That would be hard to do with a proper
one pump Russian made BB gun. Personally, I would just
smuggle in a plastic resin knife taped to my underware and
stab the judge. Hell, get fancy and make it out of carbon
fiber. Why even bother trying to smuggle the super bike
pump air gun into the courthouse in the first place? Just
J.F.K. the judge in the parking lot with a .30-'06 from
across the street. You could also kidnap a member of his
family, or attack him at his home some night, or run him
off the road on the way to work, or send him an envelope
full of anthrax etc. etc.

C.Q.C.

"Badger_South" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... <snip>

Quoted message said:

I'd have been tempted to take the tootsie roll out of the
wrapper and hold it like a dagger and as it droops say
'look out!', and make stabbing motions.

I've always wondered when I see police officers and national
guards at airports with M-16's and MP-5's ... what the hell
are they going to do, open up on you if you did that?
Seriously, under what circumstances are those fully
automatic rifles truly useful?

Quoted message said:

Of course you might get threatened with a strip search for
being a smartass. I'd only do it if the authority is a
cute blonde female. :-p

What makes you think she wouldn't have a bad attitude? "Come
here cutie, let me show you what I confiscated this morning
from some Rabbi." :-Þ

C.Q.C.

"Q." <LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com> wrote

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered when I see police officers and
national guards at airports with M-16's and MP-5's ...
what the hell are they going to do,

open

Quoted message said:

up on you if you did that? Seriously, under what
circumstances are those fully automatic rifles truly
useful?

They're only full auto if they choose. Would you rather they
be completely unarmed or outgunned?

Pete

khill said:

Granted, a metal cylinder the size of a bicycle pump could
not contain much explosive material. However, think along
the lines of chemical or biological weapons instead - small
metal cylinder, only weighs 120 grams, easy to expel
aerosol form. That amount of anthrax could wreak some havoc
(or at least cause a lot of panic).

I'm not minimizing the amount of stupidity or laziness
exhibited by the secruity guards at airports. However, it's
nice to know they're at least try to earn their paychecks.

I got stopped at gate security for the same reason a couple
years ago. They wanted me to demostrate that it was indeed a
funcitonal bike pump, then had no problem at all with it.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of
the $695 ti frame

In article <[email hidden]>,

Q.' LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com said:

Show me how you could kill someone with a .177 caliber BB
and a bike pump.

stuff this in your browser
<http://www.google.com/search?q=kgb+ricin+bb>

from the rest of your post, it is clear that you have
perfect incomprehension of the problem at hand.

Until you have acquired an at least passing acquaintance
with counterterrorism issues, let your silence spare us the
pain of witnessing your self-humiliation.

.max

--
the part of <[email hidden]> was played by maxwell
monningh 8-p

On Tue, 25 May 2004 21:36:21 -0400, "Q." <LostVideos-AT-hotmail.com>

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered when I see police officers and
national guards at airports with M-16's and MP-5's ... what
the hell are they going to do, open up on you if you did
that? Seriously, under what circumstances are those fully
automatic rifles truly useful?

In seven years in the military with the M-16 the primary
weapon, I never fired the weapon on full automatic. Makes a
fine weapon under almost all practical circumstances on semi-
automatic. And the firing pin is easier to clean at the end
of the day...

Curtis L. Russell Odenton, MD (USA) Just someone on
two wheels...