No matter how clever it is to put you and your intended’s initials on glass jars filled with fancy bath salts and topped with wax seals and fuses — “T” and “T” becomes “TNT, get it? — it’s not a great idea if you’re headed to the airport. See, the Transportation Security Administration can’t let something labeled as an explosive through without thoroughly checking things out, which, in this case, turned into an evacuation of the Denver International Airport. [More]
TSA
TSA Agent Accused Of Stealing Cash From Passenger’s Wallet At Security Checkpoint
By 9.21.15
When travelers send their personal belongings off into x-ray machines at the airport, we expect them to come out on the other side exactly how they entered. But officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport say one man happened to notice his wallet come through a security screening a bit lighter than it had gone in, leading to the arrest of a Transportation Security Administration agent. [More]
Leaked Photo Leads To 3-D Printed Copies Of TSA’s Master Keys For Approved Luggage Locks
By 9.10.15
The keys to the Transportation Security Administration luggage kingdom can now be printed on a 3-D printer, thanks to photos published on the Internet of the agency’s master keys, the ones that can unlock any number of approved locks travelers might use to keep their belongings safe. [More]
Newark Airport Terminal Locked Down Sunday Night After Security Breach
By 8.31.15
People traveling through Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday were in for a bit of a wait, as authorities locked down Terminal C for more than two hours after a man breached security. [More]
You Can Now Rate And Review U.S. Government Services On Yelp
By 8.19.15
The wait time to get customer support from the Internal Revenue Service is stretching on into infinity. The Transportation Security Administration agents at one particular airport checkpoint always seem to have it out for you. There’s one particular bathroom at Yellowstone National Park that is the best and everyone should know about it. Whatever your experience with U.S. government services, you can now review it on Yelp. [More]
Parents: Remember To Check Your Kids’ Carry-On Bags Because Hatchets, Grenades Aren’t Allowed On Planes
By 8.7.15
Parents, we are not here to tell you how to be a parent. But might we suggest you oversee your child’s packing efforts before you head to the airport? You know, just in case said kid decides to include a dangerous weapon in their carry-on bag. [More]
Court Sides With JetBlue Employee Who Reported Passenger For Saying The Word “Bomb”
By 7.17.15
If you’re in a bad mood at the airport and feel tempted to haphazardly include the word “bomb” in any sentence, you probably want to refrain from doing so. A federal appeals court recently sided with JetBlue employees who reported a passenger for making an offhand gripe that was misinterpreted as a bomb threat, and which got her arrested by the FBI. [More]
Oregonians Can Now Fly With Recreational Marijuana — As Long As They’re Traveling Within The State
By 7.9.15
The friendly skies over Oregon just got a bit friendlier to residents who don’t want to leave their weed at home: Airport officials at Portland International Airport said travelers can now legally board planes with up to an ounce of marijuana — for in-state flights only, of course. [More]
No Charges For Fired TSA Screeners Accused Of Conspiring To Grope Attractive Male Passengers
By 7.8.15
You might recall the tale of two Transportation Security Administration screeners who were accused of conspiring to tweak the system so they could give very thorough patdowns to the good-looking male travelers who passed through their post at the Denver Airport. But months after the workers were fired amidst allegations of a groping scheme, prosecutors have declined to file charges. [More]
Guy Puts His Cat Through X-Ray Machine At LAX, Everyone Freaks Out
By 7.2.15
Something important you should probably add to your check list when traveling with a pet: Make sure your furry friend doesn’t go through the X-ray machine at the airport, not only because it could be dangerous, but because everyone around you will promptly freak out. Officials at Los Angeles Airport say a traveler accidentally placed his cat in a bag during the security screening procedure, but agents say it seems the fuzzy guy is perfectly fine. [More]
Report: TSA Paid Out $3M In The Last 5 Years For Lost, Stolen And Damaged Baggage
By 7.2.15
If you’ve ever had your checked luggage stolen, damaged, lost or otherwise mishandled while flying, you probably know you’re not alone. But what you might not know is how often the Transportation Security Administration actually admits wrongdoing and compensates unhappy travelers in those cases. Enlightenment is here: A new report says the TSA has forked over about $3 million in the last five years for such claims. [More]
With No Credit Cards Allowed, No Cash In ATMs, No Banks Open, Tourists In Trouble In Greece
By 6.29.15
Banks all across Greece are closed today, and will remain closed for the rest of the week. Not because it’s a holiday, but because the Greek government is trying to stop the banking system from collapsing as money flows out of the country while its long-running debt crisis reaches a critical point. As a result, tourists in Greece are finding themselves unable to pay for basics like food and shelter. [More]
Homeland Security Secretary Reassigns TSA Head, Tells Agency To Revise Airport Security Procedures
By 6.2.15
After yesterday’s report that undercover government agents were able to sneak mock explosives and weapons past Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at airports in 95% of tests, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is making some changes: He’s reassigned the acting administrator for the TSA and says he’s directed the agency to revise screening procedures “to address specific vulnerabilities identified” in the undercover operation. [More]
Report: TSA Agents Failed 67 Out Of 70 Undercover Tests
By 6.1.15
UPDATE: Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has since reassigned the head of TSA and directed the agency to address the vulnerabilities identified in the report. [More]
Warrant: Researcher Claims He Commandeered Flight Through In-Flight Entertainment System
By 5.18.15
Nearly a month after a government report identified security weaknesses within the airline industry, including the possibility that newer airplanes with interconnected WiFi systems could be hacked, a recently obtained Federal Bureau of Investigation search warrant shows a security researcher claims he briefly took control of an aircraft after hacking into the plane’s in-flight entertainment system. [More]
Even $100,000 Diamond Encrusted Watches Can End Up At The TSA Lost & Found
By 5.8.15
We can’t help but be curious about the person who managed to forget he or she was wearing a $100,000 diamond encrusted Cartier watch and walk away from a security checkpoint that much lighter. Yes, that is a thing that can happen. [TSA on Instagram] [More]
Report: Stick Of TSA Dynamite Used In Training Exercise Accidentally Left In LAX Museum Plane For 4 Days
By 5.1.15
When you make a mess, you’ve got to clean up your toys. It’s a lesson many of us learned as kids, and one that a Los Angeles Airport law enforcement officials says police slipped up on after a stick of live dynamite used in a training exercise was left behind near the airport museum for four days. [More]
FBI, TSA Issue Warning To Airlines Over Possible Flight Hackings
By 4.22.15
A week after a government report identified security weaknesses within the airline industry including the possibility that newer airplanes with interconnected WiFi systems could be hacked, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Transportation Security Administration issued an alert warning airlines to be vigilant about monitoring for such threats. [More]
