Airline security searches

[Robert A. Costner]

At 07:01 AM 9/19/98 +0200, Anonymous wrote:
>This analysis, it turned out, was wiping a coffee filter over the strap
>of its bag, and sticking the coffee filter into a slot on a machine.
>No solvent even.  The machine had columns labelled TNT RDX NITRO PETN HMX.
>I recognized the first four as high explosives.  Later, I wondered
>if people with angina (who take nitro orally) ever set this off.
>Most of them, of course, are not bearded eastern-european/semetic
>guys in their 30's who look worried and in a hurry.

I didn't take a close look at the process, but I had this happen to me on a
flight headed towards San Jose using America West.  They did the chemical
screen here in Atlanta airport.  I'm white, normal looking Atlanta guy, but
they said at the ticket counter they were doing random searches, handed me
a piece of paper, and said I would get my boarding pass after I was checked.

  -- Robert Costner                  Phone: (770) 512-8746
     Electronic Frontiers Georgia    mailto:pooh at efga.org  
     http://www.efga.org/            run PGP 5.0 for my public key