Still working on an As manufacturers of overprized disposable size toothpaste tubes rejoice, the rest of us contemplate the tantrums and boredom of travel with no water, juice, reading material or electronics... and that is without the kids.
As usual, transport authorities are reacting and implementing meaningless nuisance measures in place of effective security.
Maybe requiring no fluids and gels on-board planes will improve airline service again, I don't think trans-continental travel without drinking is sustainable, but if everyone goes the route of the brits and bans carry-ons then there will be an implosion in air travel.
As is, business travelers who rely on having everything in carry-ons will have significant nuisance from the liquid ban.
It was amusing to hear the networks seriously intone how they would not tell us how to make liquid explosives, while slowly scanning over dilute peroxide and acetone bottles on store shelfs - it was less amusing to BS with a chemist friend about the more interesting and effective ways of making binary explosives or equivalent. Ultimately I can't see substance bans working, and we can't rely forever on terrorists being stupid.
We're clearly headed for traveling naked, which will at least provide some diversion without reading material on board; but as all good science fiction readers know, this is not enough.
The "prosthetic bomb" on a serious suicide bomber is an old trope - traditionally it is plastic explosive in hollowed out arm bones or some equivalent science fictional gimmick, which is obviously wrong.
The next generation of suicide bombers, will clearly be liquid or gel explosives in implants!
Breast, pecs, buttocks, even reverse liposuction.
Use inductive detonators (hidden in wire brassieres or y-fronts), or unobtrusive skin portals, or even injected catalysts... possibiltiies are endless.
Clearly this will require an entirely new level of TSA surveillance training and techniques, not to mention new remote sensing technology at ~ $100k per machine. All implants will have to be certified and tagged with encrypted RFID chips. Or we can just go back to barges and bicycles.
All it takes is one bad surgeon, $10k and a willing (or unwitting...?) fanatic.
UPDATE: but, seriously read Schneier; the Kung Fu Monkey and Sean for more
PPS: discussion on Making Light is pretty interesting, and funny.
Comments
Forget implants - body cavities work fine even if naked.
Or, you could go the route of the dope smuggler and use condoms filled with explosives that are swallowed. Getting explosives onto a plane are easier than smuggling drugs, which you need to get off the plane afterwards.
Posted by: dave | August 13, 2006 5:17 PM
I got quite a chuckle (misreading) your thoughts on induction detonators. I was thinking what a great detection technique, blow them up in the security line.
Of course I've been saying only half in jest for years that the new clothing requirements, will be to enforce global nakedness -of course as I am in the over 50 camp, I don't expect my image to attract any
(wanted or unwanted) gawking!
Posted by: bigTom | August 13, 2006 7:33 PM
Read Schneier.
Excecutive summary: reacting to past attacks does nothing to prevent future ones, attackers will just switch tactics.
Posted by: Marcelo | August 14, 2006 11:23 AM
Well, having survived Heathrow, traveling without carry-ons reduced the annoyance of security since it doesn't take that long to scan a plastic bag. The supposed "inconvenience" of all this is also mitigated by rather prompt drink services on the flights. I grant that kids etc. will make things infinitely more complicated, but I don't see how the airlines and officials, etc. have any choice. You don't ignore a security warning because if something does happen then all the people complaining about the problems now will complain about how no one did anything.
Still, you're always fighting the last war...
Posted by: JohnD | August 14, 2006 2:59 PM
Ah, you're back.
Banning "fluids and gels" in general; or carry-on baggage altogether is ineffective, in my ever so humble opinion; and not just because of the "last war" or "explosive implants next" concerns; rather, first there is the issue that this has been a concern for over a decade - it is a rehash of a plot from the mid-90s; secondly, I seriously doubt that the conspirators could actually carry it out - it is not a case of poor flask A into cup B and ignite, not for over the counter chemistry at least; and thirdly, it is a wasted effort - it will not stop any actual attacks, these attacks were stopped by police work and informants long before anyone boarded a plane, not by security guards confiscating shampoo bottles.
Almost all the "security measures" since 2001 have been for show, they have no actual impact on airline safety. I happily accept measures that actually increase safety, but I get frustrated at showpiece efforts that just waste time and resources.
We won't get into the actual holes in airline security that are left open because fixing them would be a nuisance...
Posted by: Steinn Sigurdsson | August 14, 2006 3:34 PM