Woman Flying To SFO Checks Luggage Containing Explosives

CBS SF ^ | 5/1/12 | CBS SF

[NormsRevenge]

NEWARK, NJ (CBS SF) — A New Jersey woman headed to San Francisco International Airport was briefly detained Tuesday after Transportation Security Administration screeners found explosive devices inside a suitcase she had checked for the flight, federal authorities told CBS San Francisco.

TSA explosives experts said the woman’s luggage contained three small Claymore land mine casings, two of which were “packed with shrapnel.” ..

...

TSA and local police confiscated the weapons, but allowed the woman – identified only as a resident of Union, New Jersey – to travel on a later flight to San Francisco.

[CitizenUSA]

I’ve never worked on munitions, but how do people think the military and civilian defense industries develop technology and conduct training? There are conferences and training events all the time all over the USA. How do people think prototypes and training aids get from place A to place B?

I love how the media hyped the event to make it scarier than it really is. The TSA does have to justify its existence, even though this particular event didn’t save anyone from anything.

I particularly love the line about “shrapnel.” Anything and everything contains shrapnel if it can be exploded. A button-down shirt contains “shrapnel,” because if you wrap it around explosives and explode it, the buttons are going to fly out as potentially lethal projectiles, i.e. shrapnel.

Geesh!

[C210N]

By doing so, they may have hampered development of technologies that actually aid our military.

YOU have a problem with the current official policy of the United States Government?

[Izzy Dunne]

And here I thought the TSA folks could only find iPods, iPads, and such.

[packrat35]

Your report is another example of why I refuse to fly since 2002. The TSA BS is NOT making us safer, its just pissing us off and making us sheep.

I drive or I don’t go. Thank you for your service to the country and I am sorry for the way you were treated by the idiots at TSA.

[sjmjax]

Idiotic to confiscate plastic containers, one of which contained ball bearings. An inert explosive device is not an explosive device.

Yeah, what he said!

[red-dawg]

This woman gets the STUPID award for the week.

These TSA baboons practically crap their pants if you do not take your laptop out of the case. OR you try to carry on more than 3 ounces of shampoo or toothpaste.
Obvious failure to follow ze procedures.!ACHTUNG!

How in the blazes did she think they were going to react when they saw these things??

[CitizenUSA]

C210N: “YOU have a problem with the current official policy of the United States Government?”

You’re right. LOL. I’m apparently behind the times.

[Red Badger]

Clay, you trying to sneak a ride?...........

[Red Badger]

They most likely were casings with shrapnel, but no explosive content..............

[HereInTheHeartland]

But wouldn’t a sane person check ahead of time; and let the airline know that you are wanting to transport a dangerous “looking” device?

What did she expect when they ran her bag through the x ray machine???

She is an idiot at the least..

[PeteB570]

Probably because she picked up the Claymores as surplus somewhere.

Without the C-4 they are nothing more than a bunch of ball bearings.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“Shrapnel in an inert device isn’t very dangerous.”
Checked into the baggage hold of the plane, no problem.
If I was a creative nutjob, I have one person bring the mines, two others smuggle aboard binary explosive liquids, and a fourth gets to bring the detonators.

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. BTTT!

[missnry]

MISTER CLAY MOORE, MISTER CLAY MOORE, PLEASE PICK UP THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE. YOUR PARTY IS WAITING.

[doorgunner69]

No blasting caps, C4 removed, what is the big deal?

Freaking things are paper weights like this.........

[Chode]

ummm, without the plastic and detonator, they are NOT explosives...

[Psalm 73]

"Front Towards Enemy"

Uh, oh - Grammar Police.
INCOMMING!!
: )

[Right Wing Assault]

Them TSA folks are gonna have one heck of a party this weekend blowing stuff up out in a field.

Such as all the crappier stuff they stole from luggage that their fence wouldn’t buy.

[Right Wing Assault]

I’ve got an old dummy grenade. I wonder if I could sneak that through! Sounds like fun! Cleveland airport, here I come. Mind you, I’m a member of Occupy, so it’s OK.

[GingisK]

She is an idiot at the least..

You seem to have bought into the notion that the TSA is providing security. They are not! They are too stupid and ill-trained to provide actual security. This case proves it, just like the many other "idiot TSA" stories.

Even if they were providing security, I would rather they not be there so American citizens could get on a flight with some dignity and the understanding that the Constitution survived the attack on 9/11.