Bag Cam

Has it been seven years already? Did replacing local airport security personnel with a gigantic government bureaucracy make us safer?

Jaunted has a nice writeup here.

Bagcam – How Did TSA and/or the Airlines Manage to Do That to Your Luggage?

Ever wonder exactly how TSA or the airlines managed to destroy your luggage or what security measures are actually in place once your checked luggage disappears from view? After having yet another bag destroyed while flying several months ago, algormor decided to build Bagcam to find out what happens once the airlines have control of your luggage. Bagcam is a small suitcase containing a mini-DVR and pinhole camera. This presentation will cover the construction of Bagcam, potential future enhancements to Bagcam, and issues to consider should you decide to build your own Bagcam. In addition, various security measures currently in place for commercial passenger flights and the efficacy of these measures will be discussed. Finally, select footage will be presented from flights through Washington DC’s Reagan National Airport (DCA); Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage, AK (ANC); Sky Harbor in Phoenix, AZ (PHX); Chicago’s O’Hare (ORD); and other airports.

Download and transfer to portable player:

64kbps file (High quality, 26MB .mp3)

16kbps file (Low quality, 6.5MB .mp3)

Latest on the shoe screening machinery, take 2. Article at redOrbit.

October’s first attempt (take 1), from Jaunted.com. Some other great stuff over there about airport security.

The TSA has been working with bag manufacturers to enable an unobstructed view of the laptop without having to remove it from your bag.  It’s interesting to think back to the genesis of needing to take laptops out of bags. The original purpose for removing the laptop was to prove that it would actually boot up as a computer. The screeners then got sophisticated enough (supposedly) to see regular laptop guts vs explosive device guts. Unfortunately the other bag contents got in the way, hence the requirement to set your electronics on an ungrounded rolling rubber conveyor belt and subject them to 1.21 gigawatts of static electricity. Now you are allowed to unfold your bag to expose the laptop, then zip it closed out the other side.

Read the Powerpage article which links to the TIME article. Also, Jaunted has a good writeup, including a note on why they think the plan is stupid.

Carry or Check? That is the question. Yes indeed, you need to check your items for compliance, or face the chance of leaving them behind at security. No “mail them home to yourself” or “retrieve your luggage from the bowels of the automated handling machinery”. Gone. Confiscated. Surrendered to an unknown fate.

We love Seat Guru, and as always they’ve come through with a comprehensive list.

Leave an electronic Comment Card for the TSA.

Got Feedback?

http://www.tsa.gov/blog