The Song Fight Bulletin Board

mkilly wrote:http://www.xopl.com/blog/2006/08/10/crockofshit.html

And we wonder why bloggers aren't automatically considered journalists?

I recall I flew to Bankok 2 days after 11 September 2001. It was great! The plane was delayed for about 2 hours while every passsenger was searched boarding the plane. Every economy passenger that is! I spent the whole 2 hours happily getting pissed on free grog in the Qantas Club lounge - then when all the plebs were safely stowed away - I was quickly whisked on board after a quick once-over by a nice chap called Mohammed (I remember finding that slightly amusing at the time).

I plan on doing the same thing next Thursday!

Leaf wrote: BJAM: You could wear your contacts, put your glasses in a case, and then hit a drug store once you get in and buy travel size things and get samples for make up and the like... and mail anything big back home when you are done...just a suggestion.

It's my mum's contacts, and they're one-a-day ones, so each little packet has a few mililitres of solution in. Maybe it'll all be fine in a week's time. We'll probably just mail a box of contacts to the hotel and buy shampoo etc out there if it's still all funky.

Talking about plane security... Last March I went out of the country with my school and on the way back I had to go through the Non-US Citizens line while everyone else in my school went through the US line. There was some hubbub about my Visa running out, and the guy was threatening to rip it out or something. I was all worked up because I was worried the rest of my group would be confused about where I was, and that I was gonna get kicked out of the country or something. They took me into some two-way mirror room and promptly burst into tears. The guys were all suddenly "D: No, don't cry!" and then they let me go join up with my group. Success! Summary: Just cry and babble and they'll let you go.

Back on topic: Moboid and I will be arriving at San Jose airport around 6:45 pm on Thursday. Anybody else gonna be there around then?

roymond wrote:

mkilly wrote:http://www.xopl.com/blog/2006/08/10/crockofshit.html

And we wonder why bloggers aren't automatically considered journalists?

Well hey, it worked for Hunter S. Thompson.

Language aside, he does have a very good point. Just discarding potential reactants into a single bin makes it an even BIGGER problem if they do get discarded together in the middle of a crowded airport terminal and the containers leak or whatever. Not to mention that you never know what sorts of weird unexpected reactions you'd get from various combinations of household and medical things.

For example, one pretty common medication people carry with them is nitroglycerine (which is used to increase blood circulation, commonly for heart attacks). Although it's mostly found in pill form, sometimes it's prescribed as a topical cream, particularly for some of the other uses (such as speeding the healing process of soft tissues which can't be bandaged for various reasons). If the tube has lost its prescription sticker or whatever, by the TSA guidelines it'd have to be tossed out. And of course, nitroglycerine is pretty darn reactive stuff.

Purell hand sanitizer is basically a gel suspension of rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is also pretty reactive.

It won't even deter anyone from smuggling stuff onto the plane anyway. X-rays can't find a ziploc bag of fluid stashed behind a carryon bag's liner.

So, yeah, I think we have more to fear from the prevention than the actual problem.

Bjam wrote:It's my mum's contacts, and they're one-a-day ones, so each little packet has a few mililitres of solution in. Maybe it'll all be fine in a week's time. We'll probably just mail a box of contacts to the hotel and buy shampoo etc out there if it's still all funky.

Strictly-speaking, those are part of a prescription. Depending on how you read the regs you may be fine anyway.

roymond wrote:I knew a couple guys who had buildings fall on them because of this shit.

Interesting that everyone who may feel "inconvenienced" glossed over this.

My condolences Roymond, and I'm in complete agreement with you. To paraphrase Spud, how inconvenienced would you be when they're fishing your carcass out of the Atlantic?

I don't have a problem with being inconvenienced, I have a problem with giving up my right to privacy all so that they can continue a song and dance which doesn't actually do any good.

How were the would-be terrorists in this most recent incident caught? Probably not by security gate screenings. Last-minute measures can always be subverted, and usually cause <a href="http://john.hoke.org/index/asylum/comme ... t">more</a> <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/200 ... roblems</a> than they solve.

Also, none of the current security measures would have prevented the 9/11/01 tragedy. Even if knives had already been prohibited at the time, the terrorists could have easily used any number of other things to threaten the flight attendants and so on. What allowed 9/11/01 to happen was a lack of vigilance and a standard policy of allowing hijackers to take the plane to wherever they want because they hadn't considered that maybe the hijackers would have been using the airplane as a weapon.

The one actual useful thing the FAA/TSA/etc. have put into place are the in-flight plainclothes federal marshalls.

Edited for rudeness:

I don't agree. I'll PM you. No need to carry it on here as MK suggested.

Let's take this to the politics and other crap forum.

Or PM.

Understood.

in light of recent events, here's my experience for what it's worth....

i flew out of san jose to los angeles wednesday night as part of a red eye to the east coast. my flight to LA was supposed to leave around 8:30pm. literally right after we boarded the plane, the FAA must have made some sort of announcement to the airlines, as we were told the FAA was holding all flights coming into LA (no reason given), and we literally sat on the plane on the tarmac for an hour and a half. which means i ended up missing all my connecting flights. when i got to LA, more confusion as it was nearly midnight and there were no more flights leaving for the rest of the night. I was then told that the earliest flight available for me would be 6am the next morning. i was also told the airlines would not be giving us a room voucher either, something about it being an FAA issue and not an airline issue, so i had to sleep in the airport. when i tried to board the 6am flight from LA to Washington, we were told no liquids of any kind (again no explanation given), which made no sense at the time but nobody really complained as they just wanted to get on the plane. again, this flight was delayed due to the extra security precautions and people trying to get through the security checkpoints, but i still knew nothing about this terror threat yet. when i finally landed in virginia, my dad told me about the threat. i was soooo pissed off at United at the time for making me sleep in the airport and fucking up all my flights, but in hindsight, i know they were just doing what they were ordered to do by the FAA. now i just hope it doesn't turn into an ordeal getting back to california on monday.

i'm glad to see the FAA, the airlines, the airports, taking this very seriously, even though they didn't communicate to us (the passengers) what was going on at the time.

a little incovenience is worth living to see another day.

I just got this from SWA:

What Cannot be Carried on the Aircraft:

The TSA is currently prohibiting all liquids and gels in carryon luggage. This includes all beverages, shampoo, lotions, creams, toothpaste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency. Additionally, any of these items purchased beyond the security checkpoint will not be permitted onboard the aircraft.

Exceptions That Can be Carried on the Aircraft:

Baby formula or breast milk, if a baby or small child is traveling, and prescription medicine with a name that matches the Customer's name (along with insulin and essential other non-prescription medicines) can be carried onboard and are subject to inspection at the checkpoint.

Electronic items (including notebook computers, MP3 players, PDAs, etc.) are allowed through the security checkpoint, and all carryon items are subject to additional screening. We encourage you to visit the TSA's website for additional information about carryon items. Southwest Airlines' checked baggage policies are unchanged.

Never thought I'd say this - but thank God I'm going to Melbourne on Thursday!

Apparently security at Brisbane airport have been banning ALL hand luggage (except passports, prescription drugs etc...) on direct flights from BNE to LAX. ie. no books! no mp3 players! no nuthin.

On Thusrday I'll be flying domestic to Melbourne and boarding my international flight there. According to the Melbourne Airport website - they are only banning carrying liquids on - so my books and CDs should be safe.

So, despite the crappy weather, stupid football and Denyer - maybe Melbourne isn't that bad after all.

Here's some advice for people who ABSOLUTELY MUST bring their guitar with them: http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/25255

I'll just use whatever guitars are available, myself. As nice as it'd be to have my nice new Epiphone with the plaid shoulder strap, I can live without it just this once.

fluffy wrote:Here's some advice for people who ABSOLUTELY MUST bring their guitar with them: http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/25255

I'll just use whatever guitars are available, myself. As nice as it'd be to have my nice new Epiphone with the plaid shoulder strap, I can live without it just this once.

Hmmm - I was just tossing up whether to bring mine, as I do have luggage allowance for 2 items - but I hadn't thought about the rough handling by baggage dude thing - so I don't think I'll bother. Also - I guess if a lot of us use the same guitar on stage - it will speed things up in the changeover between performers.

And thankfully, the 'no hand luggage' hysteria seems to be dying down here - so I will have my books and CDs on board. Apparently my hand luggage won't go through any extra security at all in Australia - but I will be searched when I get to Auckland. And as far as I recall - the main security issue in New Zealand airports is people boarding aircraft with livestock that they are not legally married to.