Unintended consequences of the TSA

Via Bruce Schneier:



They both say there are organized rings of thieves, who identify valuables in your checked luggage by looking at the TSA x-ray screens, then communicate with baggage handlers by text or cell phone, telling them exactly what to look for.

“This is a laptop here, VCR here and it’s located in this area of the bag. Here’s the color of the bag. They give them all the information they need to know.”

“He was going through the bag like he was searching it? Yeah searching it.”

Sky Nguyen knows firsthand. He took this picture of a TSA screener with his camera phone after he saw the agent steal his iPod.

“You saw the Nano in here? Yeah inside here between the glove and palm.”


With 20/20 hindsight it makes perfect sense. With 10’s of thousands of low paid people having access to property you normally have locked you have a huge attack surface (please excuse the geek talk).


As Bruce said:



Someone should investigate the extent to which the TSA’s security measures facilitate crime.


TSA is a crime. It’s government searching without a warrant. It’s also nothing but A Security Theater.

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4 thoughts on “Unintended consequences of the TSA

  1. I itemized my belongings in my bags before I put them through baggage for that very reason, but they do say take items of value on board with you.

    Lucky they didn’t look too hard at my stuff. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Baggage handlers have been nicking and planting stuff for ages in Australia.

    Then again, I am a little bitter about them. Those bastards confiscated my Vegemite.

  2. I made up my mind that if I can’t drive to where I’m going, I probably don’t need to go.

    I’m not going to let A Security Theater dictate anything else to me again.

  3. Every time I see “Unintended consequences” on a firearms blog, I giggle.

    Yeah, I am a little immature, what can I say.

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