Contraband and Avatars: TSA Edition
22s, machetes, grenades, chainsaws, and walker-mounted knives. It sounds like the zombie apocalypse, but it’s really just another day for the TSA. The Huffington Post had an enlightening article on the contraband that has been confiscated by the TSA from the beginning of 2012 until now.
Feeling Batty? Maybe that explains why you brought your lucky throwing stars. In addition, there was a large number of guns that went through security—821, and even more alarming is that 691 (84%) of them were loaded. Maybe that explains why some folks never leave home without their cellphone stun gun. As they say, there’s an app for that!
Set Your Cell Phone to “Stun”
But my favorite was the grandpa who had a knife mounted on his walker, just in case someone stole his dentures.
Specially-Modified “Knife-Walker”
In other news, at least fewer headaches in the future may be caused by this sort of contraband, thanks to avatar TSA agents. According to the Information Week article:
The job of these virtual TSA agents would include informing passengers of items not allowed on airplanes, such as firearms, sharp objects, and liquid containers of more than a few ounces. The RFI stipulates that the system not emit anything harmful, such as radiation, or interfere with existing checkpoint systems.I think it may be a while before the TSA implements robots, but at least they are not likely to go off their rocker…
Point Me to the Miles 