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British aviation unveils plan to drive passengers insaneAccording to the BBC, UK airports will no longer allow you to have carry-on baggage. This is apparently in response to the foiling of a plan to blow up a plane. The only things you'll be able to carry onto a plane are wallets, small quantities of non-liquid medication, glasses (but no cases), contact lens holders (but no solution), baby food (you have to taste it for them), diapers and such, tampons and tissues (unboxed), and keys (no electric keyfobs). Notably, you can't have a laptop, a music player, a book, or even a magazine. Not even a couple crayons. You also can't bring any liquids onto the plane. Can you imagine a trans-atlantic flight with no reading material, no music, no laptop, no video games? I would go completely batshit insane. I would hijack the plane and crash it into the sea just to end the interminable boredom. (Note to NSA et-al: This is meant humorously. I would never do such a thing. Unless it was a plane full of politicians. (just kidding)) I'm interested to know how exactly I could hijack or blow up a plane with a paperback novel. My first thought was the possibility of malicious paper cuts, but they do allow you to bring necessary travel documents--presumably printed on standard paper. Maybe it's the content of the books they fear. Incendiary language, perhaps. Magazines, I understand. I heard someone once robbed a bank with a rolled-up magazine. And glasses cases are understandable. They could be hiding anything in there. If only there was some device they could use to see if anything dense or metallic was inside--some kind of ray machine. But that's just science fiction, right? (From BoingBoing)
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On the radio this morning
On the radio this morning they mentioned that portable music players have already been banned. And, in the United States, no "liquids." As far as I know the only exception to this rule is baby food (tasted by a parent). However, in this list of "liquids" are chapstick, eyeshadow, blush, and deoderant. My boss was going to fly yesterday and decided it wasn't worth the hastle. In Atlanta, there were large barrels by the check stations where you actually had to "dump out" your "liquids" before throwing the container in a separate bin.
If you ask me, even though this plot was stopped, the terrorist just won the battle.
This is ridiculous.
~Spicy
If it helps, the total carry
If it helps, the total carry on ban was only in the UK and only yesterday (and really only around London and Manchester) and it was probably because they saw draconian measures to be the easiest thing to do until they figured out a new policy. Now they seem to be following what the US was doing yesterday, disallowing gel/liquidy things in carryon luggage, but it can still be in your checked bags--which will only really be an inconvenience if you need to take out contacts/put in eye drops/do other hygenic things or if your checked luggage gets lost/left behind (as happens to me on occasion). But anyway, a transatlantic flight without gadgets isn't the worst thing in the world--you can sleep (because no matter how much entertainment you have, it's bloody boring to sit in one place for 8 hours) or there's always the inflight movies, which are free. You have to be pretty thick-skinned to fly these days. I'm leaving in three weeks to head up UK-way, and I'm most concerned that the morons of Amsterdam are going to separate me from my checked luggage again.
Well, no I suppose I have to
Well, no I suppose I have to take back the first part of what I said--many UK airports are still banning the carry ons, but I'll be shocked if that continues much longer.
I wonder if we'll ever find
I wonder if we'll ever find out what this mystery gel was.
From the reports I vaguely
From the reports I vaguely heard on TV it was a powder made from "common household items" that they would mix into a liquid to creat a gel. Another liquid would be added to the gel creating the final explosive. It sounded like it was made into a gel to kind of hide the fact that it was a powder. One report I heard listed off the stuff used in making it, but I thought that was damned irresponsible for them so I didn't listen.
I also think the word "gel" was being used a little too freely. From the reports I heard it was on the fine line between gel and liquid. To detonate the concoction, all that would have been needed was a small electric charge. So, 'open up a cell phone and cross some wires to cause a spark' type deal.
bottom line: ****BE AFRAID****
bleh
~Spicy
hot off the presses...
hot off the presses...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6016501,00.html
It's nice to see that our security measures are keeping up with the times...not...
Someone's experience trying
Someone's experience trying to fly from Heathrow:
http://www.designverb.com/2006/08/15/stuck-at-heathrow-airport-experience/
That easily trumps all of my
That easily trumps all of my bad travel stories. Heathrow is cursed.
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